A3 speech: The Persuasive Approach, 5 to 7 minutes
Title: Control Your Nervousness
Day dream: (演)
TM: Ladies and Gentlemen, please join me to welcome the best speaker of ALE MAX, Lillian Tseng.
Lillian Tseng: It’s my honor to get this award; I have worked so hard to memorize my speech and kick away my nervousness. Thank you! Thank you!
TM: Lillian, wake up!
Oops! I am so sorry! Speaking in front of an audience is not easy. My hands are sweaty and getting cold, my heart is pounding, my knees are shaking, and I can’t remember what I wanted to say. Most of you may feel the same when you stand on stage. I have been through it. I delivered my C1 speech in 2003 and C2 in 2005; that's almost 2 years between these speeches. Why? Because I was afraid to delivery a speech. For most of my speeches I had to do them twice. But, I did not run away; I did other assignments such as being TM, TT, or GE to grab every chance I can to speak on stage. I have conquered my fears. Now, I'm here to talk about the 10 tips that can help you control your nervousness.
(show the powerpoint)
1. Know your material. Pick a topic you’re interested in. Use humor, personal story and simple sentences to say it. This way you won’t forget easily what to say.
2. Practice. Practice. Practice. Rehearse; estimate the time; practice with the props you need. This can help you delivery your speech smoothly.
3. Know the audience. Arrive early, greet audience members individually. It’s easier to speak to friends than to strangers.
4. Know the room. Arrive early, walk around the speaking area, test the microphone, set up equipments such as the projector.
5. Relax. Relax your body, take a deep breath, and count to 3 before you say anything.
6. Visualize yourself giving your speech. Imagine yourself speaking, with the right volume and tone. Visualize the audience give you applauses.
7. Realize that people want you to succeed. Audience want to listen to an interesting, informative and entertaining speech, they’re rooting for you.
8. Don’t apologize. Audience may not notice anything unusual until you started to apologize profusely.
9. Concentrate on the message. Focus your attention on the message and the audience, not your nervousness.
10. Gain experience. Your speech reflects you. The more speeches you do the more experience you get. Experience builds confidence.
These 10 tips are all listed on the back of your CC manual.
I was one of the nervous speakers. My mind goes blank when I stand on stage. But there is no easy way or shortcuts to become successful. You will need to do your speech over and over again. Try to get more chances to stand in front of the audience. With practice you get experience, and experience builds confidence. I believe the Toastmasters process can make you become a better speaker. Like the slogan our president set for this year: Affirm Yourself, Surpass Yourself (肯定自己，超越自己). One day, you will say goodbye to your nervousness.
Mr. Toastmaster.
