THE SPEAKER'S WASTED MINUTE

by Fred Haley, DTM

Fred Haley, DTM

What happened when you gave your last speech? Was it similar to this story?

The audience watched as the Toastmaster approached the lectern. She glanced at the paper in her hand with some scribbled words.

“Our next speaker today is John Doe. John has been a member of our club for one year. He is giving his ninth speech in the Competent Communications manual, “Persuade with Power.” John has entertained us with his other speeches. I know you will enjoy his presentation today. Please welcome John as he presents his 5 to 7 minute speech, ‘Driving Carefully.'

You walk up to the lectern and begin, “Madame Toastmaster, fellow Toastmasters and guests.”

YOU HAVE JUST WASTED ONE MINUTE OF OUR TIME AND YOURS.
How? You only spoke six words. How could you have wasted anyone's time? You didn't waste time in what you said. You wasted time in what the Toastmaster said.

You wasted your INTRODUCTION. The introduction can be the most critical step in giving a speech – before you even utter a word. It is your responsibility to provide an effective, relevant introduction that arouses the audience's interest. You should always write one out in advance for the Toastmaster to read. This also prevents the Toastmaster from upstaging you, or confusing the audience with the wrong or not enough information about you or your speech.

SPEAKERS: finding it hard to write an introduction? TOASTMASTER: will your speakers bring introductions? BE PREPARED: Download this ( FREE) “Generic Speaker Introduction Form” http://toastmentor.com/home/forms/TM_Speaker_Intro_Form.pdf

WHY SHOULD I LISTEN TO YOU?

The introduction must answer the audience's questions, “why do I want to listen to this person, and why do I want to hear about this topic?” The goals of the introduction are (1) to “set the stage” for your speech and topic, and (2) to build trust and credibility with them. Your introduction should answer these questions, not necessarily in this order:

• Why are you speaking today?
• Who are you?
• What is your topic?
• Why do we want to know about it?
• Why should we listen to you?

Why are you here? Usually this is when you identify the manual and project on which you are working. Paraphrase the purposes of the project; you don't need to take all that time to detail. Do you have any additional personal objectives? Add them here.

• “Our next speaker, Sharon Jones, will be working from the Competent Communication manual, Project #4 – How to Say It. Her objectives are to select clear, accurate, and descriptive words that effectively communicate her message. She should include rhetorical devices and avoid jargon. Sharon also wants to work on moving away from the lectern when she speaks.”

The Result: The audience knows part of the purpose for your presentation. They will know what to look for so that they can provide constructive feedback. Notice that Sharon's time objective was also stated, to advise the timekeeper.

Who are you? You do not need to tell your life's story, but we do want who you are. Make it relevant to your audience AND to your speech topic.

• “Sharon has been a member of our club for nine months. She has earned her Competent Leadership award. She currently is our club's Vice President of Membership.”

The Result: your credentials help to build a connection with the audience. They feel more comfortable with you.

What is your topic? This can just be the title of your speech. It is also a good opportunity to set the stage. :

• “Today Sharon will be sharing with us some helpful tips on selling a home. The title of Sharon's speech is, ‘Getting the Most for Your Home in a Buyer's Market.' ”

The Result: The audience has an idea of what you are going to talk about. It is important that your speech title not mislead or misdirect them, although a play on words or a suggestive teaser can add excitement. Your title should relate to the message you will want your audience to remember.

Why do we want to know about it? The most important lines in an introduction are those that make it relevant to us. The unspoken question for every audience is, “what's in it for me?” Use the introduction to build that bridge from general knowledge to “I need to take notes.”

• “Every year, one in every ten families sells their home. That means two people in this room will sell a house this year. Within ten years, every one of you may have sold your home. In a buyer's market, you may sell for less than you paid. However, there are some simple tips you can follow to maximize your selling price. Would you like to know them?”

The Result: The audience recognizes that what you say will help them now or sometime in the near future. It may even help their friends or other family members. They will want to pay attention.

IMPORTANT NOTE : for some speeches, it is better for the Toastmaster to “set the stage” before you begin. This is a perfect opportunity to provide more background, or explain a unique situation to the audience so that you do not have to waste extra time.

• Sharon will be giving this speech to a group of mid-level executives who soon will be transferred around the country. She asks that you take the perspective of those executives when you listen, and give her feedback to get her message across more clearly.

The Result: By having the Toastmaster explain this unusual circumstance, Sharon did not have to waste her speech time. It also avoided possible confusion the audience would feel as we tried to understand which part was her actual speech.

Why should we listen to you? Now that you have the audience's attention about why this speech is important to them, they want to know what makes you qualified to talk to us about it. This is the part where you must establish your credentials, and your credibility. Do not go overboard or try to oversell yourself. Only include qualifications that are relevant and appropriate to the audience and topic.

• “Sharon is very familiar with these issues. She has been a licensed real estate agent in our city for over ten years. She has helped over two thousand families buy and sell homes in that time. Sharon was her company's “agent of the month” four times.”

The Result: The audience recognizes that Sharon has extensive knowledge and experience pertinent to the subject matter. She has built the credibility needed so that the audience will believe her and trust that the information will be valuable to them. They are ready to accept her word.

Don't forget the welcome: Close the introduction with a simple welcome:

• Please welcome Sharon Jones as she presents speech, ‘Getting the Most for Your Home in a Buyer's Market.'

The Result: The audience knows that you are ready to speak, and you receive a warm welcoming applause.

ADD INTRIGUE TO YOUR INTRODUCTION

You can create more excitement by moving the various parts to the introduction. It will also flow better. Make it work for you to create an effective set up:

• Every year, one in every ten families sells their home. That means two people in this room will sell a house this year. Within ten years, every one of you may have sold your home. In a buyer's market, you may sell for less than you paid.
  Our next speaker, Sharon Jones is very familiar with this issue. She has been a licensed real estate agent for over ten years. She has helped over two thousand families buy and sell homes. Sharon was her company's “agent of the month” four times.
  Sharon has some simple tips to maximize your selling price. She will share them with you today.
  Sharon has been a member of our club for nine months. She has already earned her “Competent Leader” award. She currently is our club's Vice President of Membership.
  She will be working from the Competent Communication manual, Project #4 – How to Say It. Her objectives are to select clear, accurate, and descriptive words that effectively communicate her message. She should include rhetorical devices and avoid jargon. Sharon also wants to work on moving away from the lectern when she speaks.
  Sharon will be giving this speech to a group of mid-level executives who soon will be transferred around the country. She asks that you take the perspective of those executives when you listen, and give her feedback to get her message across more clearly.
  Please welcome Sharon Jones as she presents 5 to 7 minute speech, ‘Getting the Most for Your Home in a Buyer's Market.'

How Long Should The Introduction Be?

Typically, for a Toastmasters speech, the introduction should be around one minute long (around 150 words). In unique situations, as Sharon's practice, it can be a little longer.

CONCLUSION

Do not waste that first minute of your presentation BEFORE you even take the stage. Take command and take responsibility for your introduction. Answer the audience's question, “why should I listen to you?” When you prepare an effective introduction, you set the stage so that your audience can follow you, and you build trust and credibility with them, so that they will accept your message.

SPEAKERS: finding it hard to write an introduction? TOASTMASTER: will your speakers bring introductions? BE PREPARED: Download this ( FREE) “Generic Speaker Introduction Form”
http://toastmentor.com/home/forms/TM_Speaker_Intro_Form.pdf

Fred Haley, published author and speaker, has been a member of Toastmasters for over 12 years. Fred has earned two Distinguished Toastmasters awards. Contact Fred at Fred@Toastmentor.com .