Remember when you did your first speech?
Remember how important it was that everything be as perfect as possible for your Icebreaker?
Did you spend a considerable amount of time selecting just the right aspects of yourself to present?
Did you change the wording a few times to make it sound better?
Did you practice in front of a friend or in front of a mirror?
Did you spend time deciding what to wear – what might be too casual or too dressy?
So, now you are well on your way to your CC or maybe you’re doing advanced speeches, is it still like that?
OK, maybe if you’re a woman you still spend time deciding what to wear. Do you spend time on the other preparation though?
Do you select your topic carefully, your main points carefully and develop your stories fully?
Do you still sweat a little over finding the best opening and conclusion? Do you take a second look at those transitions?
Sometimes as Toastmasters we get a little complacent. “My speech is tonight? Ooops! Oh, well I can wing it!”
Winging it might get your Chairperson or Toastmaster out of their bad spot when you are not ready, but you are cheating your audience, your club and you are cheating yourself. Your audience is entitled to your best performance – they are paying you the compliment of quietly listening to what you have to say, hoping for a take-away nugget. Give them your best speech, your best self.
You are cheating your club by lowering the level of performance overall.
You are cheating yourself because you are letting yourself slip into a bad habit. You have been given stage time and you are wasting it.
Wherever you are on your Toastmaster journey, give your best speech. Give it full value preparation in both content and presentation.
All that energy that went into nervousness for your Icebreaker? Use it now in giving your audience more than they expected. You have that energy in reserve now to make a good speech great.
