Common Toastmasters Feedback

Having attended most of the Toastmaster meetings over the past three years in GE, I have noticed a pattern in the feedback often received by the speakers, both prepared and table topics. I thought it would be great to note them down, for all current and new speakers, to always keep in mind when presenting.

·        "Uummsss": Those are killers, especially when speaking on a conference call. Most speakers tend to connect their sentences with this filler that not only adds zero value but in fact conveys the wrong impression that the speaker does not know what to say next. It is far better to pause briefly between sentences.

·        Run-On-Sentences: Ever heard a speaker who spends few minutes on literally the same sentence that never ends? No pauses, no breaks, just a series of statements connected with "and" and "or" and "I mean" and "you know". Focus on each sentence separately, and remember full stops were not just invented for the written word, use pauses to conclude your sentence before moving on to the next,

·        Use Pauses Wisely: Often a speaker would make an excellent point, something they wish to sink in with the audience, then make the mistake of quickly moving on to the next sentence/point. The point then is gone as the listeners never had the time to let that point sink in. Great speakers pause after a point they want to make to allow that point to take effect. 

·        Posture, hand movements: Speakers often are too focused on what to say, they forget that all eyes are on them and observing their movement as well as listening to them. Keep your back straight, and use arm gestures appropriately.

·        Vocal Variety: Long-sunken memories of the mono-tone 2-hour math teacher come to mind. Audiences get bored quickly, so it is important to keep their attention on you by varying your tone to fit your speech.

As always, I recommend you watch every single presentation done by Steve Jobs as well as Ted Talks.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts and what else you think is important to create a world-class speaker.