Project 4 - How to Say It (Part 2: Speech Analysis)

I'm very excited to write this blog post!

Today, I'm going to do something special. Instead of reviewing my own Project #4 speech (which was pretty boring), I am going to analyse one of my all-time-favourite Toastmasters speeches by the very talented, Andy Dooley.

Andy has used so many techniques in his speech, but for this analysis, I am going to focus on only the techniques that apply to what you're learning in Project#4.

First, what I want you to do is watch the video. Then, read my analysis. The reason for this is that this is a really great speech and I want you to enjoy it first before digging into the analysis.

Here it is:

It was very funny, wasn't it?! I find that even after I've watched it again and again, I still find it really amusing.

One of the things that Andy demonstrates so perfectly in his speech is how to use words effectively.

He uses many vivid words throughout his speech, which help to tell the story by creating a picture in our mind of what is happening. 

For instance, instead of saying that "the sky was blue" (which is not very descriptive), he says "the sky was fire-ice blue". Can you picture that amazing sky now? Also, instead of saying "hot coals", he says "red-hot burning coals". Can you picture how extremely hot those coals would be? Instead of saying "he had nice teeth", he said "he had perfect-white teeth" to show how in awe Andy was of his idol. The whole way through his speech, Andy is painting word-pictures by his descriptive use of language. 

Andy also uses rhetorical devices including alliteration, similes, triads, and even rhyme to make his speech more engaging and memorable.

Alliteration: "Date with Destiny", "Forty feet", "Filled with Fear", "The magic Moment", "Goggles, Gloves", "Boots, Beanies"

Simile: "I walked over there like I was walking on fire!"

Triads: Andy..Andy...Andy, Destiny..Destiny..Destiny...,1. I've listened to his CDs 2. I've been to his seminar, 3. I even have a tattoo..

Rhyme: She turned out to be...a he!

Ok, now have another look at his speech. What other word techniques did he use to make his speech special? There are quite a few that I haven't mentioned in the hopes you can identify some of them yourself.

Also (a little tip for when you get to project 6) - notice Andy's tone of voice throughout the speech. It's not just the words you say but how you use your voice :)

As always, good luck with your speech, and another music video to get you motivated. Just think - if Hanson can make a popular song  (well, it was popular at the time it was released!) out of the nonsense words "mmm-bop bah doo wap" (or something like that),  I'm sure you can make a good speech using some real words!

Joining the Executive Committee

Hi all,

Before I go and do my speech analysis for project #4, I want to talk about being a member of the Executive Committee for your Club.

It's that time of the year again where clubs are nominating their Executive Committee for the next (2014-2015) financial year.

YOU should do it.

"What? But...I...er...Why Me..Um...?" I hear you say.

You should just DO IT. Put your hand up and be on the Executive Committee. Why? Well, no matter what role you're in, you'll learn to develop leadership skills. Plus, it's fun! Also, you'll be helping your Club to run smoothly and be the best that it can be. 

I have been Vice President of Membership, Vice President of Public Relations, Newsletter Publisher (ok..not an official Committee role but still is a valid role in some clubs), and I self-nominated myself for the role of Club Secretary for 2014-2015 year.

.....I just found out today that my club has also nominated me in as Secretary (which is no surprise, considering no-one else put their hand up for the role!).

I know a lot about these Committee roles and I can tell you that it's definitely worth it if you have the right mindset.

You see, one of the key qualities of a good leader is to be of service to others. In your role as a club leader, you'll be serving the members and potential members of your club for a whole year. It is work, but it is enjoyable work if you focus on making the club the best it can be for everyone.

Also (If you decide to embark on the journey of leading your club forward for the next year), I'd recommend you read Stephen Covey's book "The 8th Habit" which will guide you along the way.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAd-rJc9sas

"All people can be leaders if they strive to find their voice and inspire others to find theirs"

- Stephen Covey

As per usual, here is a music video to inspire you:

Project 4 - How to Say It (Part 1: Coaching)

This project is about choosing the right words to give your speech power and communicate your ideas effectively.

Your speech topic is particularly important when it comes to word choice.

Speeches that contain stories (whether they're about your experiences or the experience of someone you know) lend themselves particularly well to using vivid words and rhetorical devices. Whether you're doing a humorous speech, a persuasive speech, or even a motivational speech, you have the opportunity to use poetic language to give your speech more depth and communicate your ideas better.

Informative speeches, however, lend themselves less to vivid words and rhetorical devices, and more to short words and short sentences. This is because during an informative speech, you need to get your ideas across clearly (and often quickly, too). That's not to say that you can't be descriptive during an informative speech, but you've got to ask yourself whether doing so is actually going to enhance your message or not.

I recently gave an evaluation of a club member who was working on this project. His speech was about upcoming changes to the Toastmasters program (i.e. an informative speech). At the time, I felt that he didn't quite meet the objectives of the project as there were no vivid words or rhetorical devices used throughout. However, reflecting on it now I think that for an informative speech, his word choice was perfect. He had short sentences and short words to enhance his communication. However, I think he would've learnt more about the power of words if he'd chosen a different type of speech and speech topic.

My advice to you for this project is - don't do an informative speech for this project. Do anything but. You'll have more chance to use descriptive words (and use them well) if you choose another type of speech, with a topic that involves a story or two. An entertaining speech would be ideal.

Here are some examples of speech topics you can use when you want to have a field day with using vivid words and rhetorical devices:

• Visiting a new location (describe the sights, sounds, and people you have come across)
• Meeting a new person (describe the sound of their voice, the way they are dressed, the way they walk etc.)
• Eating your favourite food (describe the look, the taste and the smell of the food. Describe the sound of the wrapper as you open it).
• A favourite craft or hobby 

So there you have it! Here's a video to motivate you to get started:

Stay tuned..in the next post I'll show you the speech I gave for this project.

An Update

Hi all,

Glad to see that there are still many viewers after all this time!

I haven' forgotten about this blog. Have been busy - since my last post, I have changed clubs and am now a member of an Advanced Club in my local area.

Stay tuned - more posts to come :)

Sam

Project 3 - Get to the Point (Part 2: Speech Analysis)

Here's the speech I gave for project 3:



There was a major mistake with this speech which I want to point out first - the title ("How to make a Million Dollars in Exams") was not linked clearly to my general or specific speech purpose.

My general purpose was to entertain, yet my speech title sounded like an informative speech (where I was stretching the truth substantially). Because I chose an incorrect title, the audience were preparing to listen to a "how to" guide when really it was a lighthearted entertaining speech. In other words, they were confused.

Meanwhile, my specific purpose was:  "after hearing my speech, the audience will understand that exams can be fun, if you're prepared". It could also have easily been: "after hearing my speech, the audience will understand the parallels between taking an exam and being a contestant on a game show". Yet again, no-one would have been able to guess my specific purpose with such a confusing title.

So how do you make sure your title is clearly linked to your general and specific purposes? Simple. Firstly, make sure your general and specific purposes are clear and don't contradict each other. (If you're giving an entertaining speech, make sure you have an entertaining specific purpose. If you're giving an informative speech, make sure your specific purpose incorporates giving the audience some new information about a topic).Then, just re-word your specific purpose slightly and use it as your title. For instance, a better title for my speech could have been: "Exams can be Fun, if You're Prepared". Or, it could have been: "Taking an Exam is Like Being a Contestant on a Game Show"/"Taking an Exam Feels Like Winning a Million Dollars".

Now, what went well with this speech? It was well organised, which helped me to get my message across and "get to the point" quickly.  There was a clear opening and conclusion, plus there were 3 clear sections to the speech (pre-exam, during exam, and after exam). Because it was so well organised, it was easy for me to remember each part of the speech. 

All of my material reinforced my message (that exams can be fun, if you're prepared), and kept with the general purpose (to entertain). I also included humour to keep with the entertaining theme.

So good luck with your project#3 speech, and let me know how it goes!

Project 3 - Get to the Point (Part 1: Coaching)

Get your message across, and get it across clearly. That's the essence of this project. ComYOUnicate!

Your manual explains exactly how you can structure your speech in order to get the message across. To make it simple, basically:

Choose Your Intent:
Either give a speech to inform, persuade, entertain or inspire. Do not mix two intents together (e.g. don't try giving a mixed informative-entertaining speech. It won't work unless you're a super-skilled speaker).

Choose Your Purpose:
Your purpose should be different depending upon your intent. For instance, if you want to give an entertaining speech, your purpose should be lighthearted, for instance you could give a speech talking about your love of chocolate, funny things your kids to say to you, or a string of events that happened to you with an amusing consequence. If you want to give an informative speech, your speech could teach your audience the steps involved in setting up a website, how to build a go-kart, or even information about how to be a better cook.

Choose Your Specific Purpose:
Now it's time to narrow-down your purpose, and tailor it to what the audience wants. If, for instance, you talk about your love of chocolate for a whole 7 minutes, your audience will be bored because this doesn't tell them anything really specific about you, and it's not tailored to their needs. You could try any of the following (although the second one is best because it's simple and tailored to your audience):

     -Three reasons why I love chocolate fondue
     (after hearing your speech, the audience should be able to quickly identify the three   
     reasons why you love chocolate fondue)

   -Three reasons why you will love chocolate fondue!
    (after hearing your speech, the audience should be able to quickly identify the three    
    reasons, and may be tempted to try it).

    -Three amusing reasons why you should buy a chocolate fondue set today!
    (after hearing your speech, the audience should be able to identify the three reasons. Since 
    this is probably an entertaining speech, you wouldn't worry about actually persuading them 
    too heavily to buy a fondue set).

Once you've got a clear intent and specific purpose, you can go about structuring your speech (remember: clear opening, body and conclusion). Also, think about your title. To be effective, it should be clearly linked to your specific purpose. If you've defined your specific purpose well, you can even use it as your title. For instance, "Three Reasons Why You Will Love Chocolate Fondue!" would be an awesome speech title!

Good luck! And please give your comments below on whether this post has helped you. Just like you, I need feedback to improve!

Oh, and here's your motivational video for this project - John Farnham's "The Voice".

 
 

Feedback - What's it All About?

The Toastmasters program revolves around feedback. By now (after completing your second speech), you will be getting used to the idea of receiving feedback (an evaluation) after each speech.

But what is feedback essentially, and how does it actually help?

Well, in Toastmasters, there is  a method of feedback known as the "sandwich" method. This method, or structure, is similar to the layers of a sandwich:

Positive Comments

1 or 2 (Max.) Points for Improvement

Positive Comments

As you can see, the point for improvement is "sandwiched" in between positive comments, so it's metaphorically easier for you to stomach.

In a good evaluation, you'll receive comments that directly reflect the things your evaluator thought you did well in a speech, as well as a bit of information for how you can improve for next time.

You can then pat yourself on the back for the things that went well, and think about what you can improve in your next speech.

Keep in mind though, that an evaluation is always someone's personal opinion. You may not agree with it, and that's fine. However, it's always a good idea to at least consider what your evaluator is trying to tell you. Their feedback helps give good insight into your audience and their likes and dislikes.

Remember: Feedback is your friend. Strive to get as much feedback as you can so you can understand your audience better.