We have a winner! Congratulations to Ramona J. Smith from District 56 on finishing first place in the World Championship of Public Speaking at the 87th Annual #Toastmasters International Convention.#TICon2018

Happy #Toastmasters Anniversary. On the basement of Santa Ana, California, #YMCA building #Toastmasters was set up in 1924. Almost a century gone and running stronger than ever.

Voices of the Valley Toastmasters Club, #3508 Fresno, California Visit Us On Zoom: lnkd.in/gq-2pWG Every Friday 12:00pm - 1:00pm 5 reasons why - lnkd.in/gpUZfBfW lnkd.in/gMvhgBwQ

Come and join TLC Toastmasters! We are holding an Open House on June 17th at 5:45 PM at the Englewood Public Library, 1000 Englewood Pkwy, 80110. We will have refreshments and a guest speaker, Connie Warden. Please RSVP. RSVP: [email protected]

A speech is not an essay, & an essay is not a speech. An essay differs from a speech in how it is experienced, in its structure, & in its tone. An essay is intended to be READ. A speech is intended to be HEARD, SEEN, and EXPERIENCED. #PainlessPublicSpeaking #PublicSpeaking

This is a key public speaking tip.

“Through the picture, I see reality. Through the word, I understand it.” – Sven Lidman, Swedish lexicographer #PainlessPublicSpeaking #PublicSpeaking

To cut vocalized pauses, slow your delivery & insert long pauses into your speech in PRACTICE. A slower rate will enable you to catch many of your verbal mistakes. Practicing w/exaggerated pauses will help you become comfortable w/silence. #PublicSpeaking #PainlessPublicSpeaking

Avoid overly broad statements based on personal experience (e.g. "All wealthy people are snobs"). Speakers can inadvertently alienate members of their audience by making a sweeping generalization regarding their subject in a presentation. #PainlessPublicSpeaking #PublicSpeaking

When telling a longer, illustrative story in a speech, tell it in a way that allows each member of your audience to paint a mental picture of the narrative - the way a good novelist describes a scene for a reader. #PainlessPublicSpeaking #PublicSpeaking

At what point in the speech should you take questions from your audience? The short answer is to take them after you have presented the body of the speech, but BEFORE you present your conclusion. #PainlessPublicSpeaking #PublicSpeaking

If you want your words to have an emotional impact on your audience, speak with a voice that reflects YOUR emotions. For example, if you say to your audience, “I am very excited to share this idea with you,” you should SOUND excited. #PainlessPublicSpeaking #PublicSpeaking

Keep your hands available while presenting. If a speaker can relax and avoid clasping, gripping, or other actions that effectively take both hands out of the presentation, then gestures - like facial expressions - will occur organically. #PainlessPublicSpeaking #PublicSpeaking

I’ve witnessed many presentations in which audience members struggled to hear the speaker, but not a single occasion in which audience members covered their ears or shouted, “Too loud!” in response to a presenter’s unamplified volume. #PainlessPublicSpeaking #PublicSpeaking

“Teach the tongue to say ‘I do not know.’” – Maimonides (Moses ben Maimon), Sephardic rabbi and philosopher #PainlessPublicSpeaking #PublicSpeaking

“I have a quiet voice, so I'm not good at #PublicSpeaking.” You do NOT have a quiet voice. There’s no such thing. Your voice isn’t quiet; YOU are. Your voice, at the very least, is physically capable of being loud enough to effectively deliver a speech. #PainlessPublicSpeaking

Longer, more detailed speeches generally require more practice; but don’t fall into the “easy speech” trap. Sometimes presenters don’t devote as much time or effort preparing a speech they view as a “comfortable” topic. That’s a mistake. #PainlessPublicSpeaking #PublicSpeaking

The audience needs to see your face clearly as you speak. If you have long hair, make sure it won't fall toward your face during your presentation. Avoid the dreaded "hair flip." #PainlessPublicSpeaking #PublicSpeaking

If a speaker w/excellent vocal variety gave a speech in a language you did not understand, you would be able to get a sense of the tone of both the speaker & speech– angry, bemused, sad, emphatic– simply by the sound of the speaker’s voice. #PainlessPublicSpeaking #PublicSpeaking