How to accelerate your speaking growth

Do you want to grow exponentially as a speaker? Would you like to get a year's worth of growth in one evening?

Suppose that you are a Toastmaster. You speak once a month and receive an evaluation from your fellow club members. After 12 months, you have received 12 evaluations.

Now, if you are impatient like me would you like to receive this feedback in one night? Do you see the benefit of growing at this pace instead of one evaluation per month? If you do, then you need to find, join, or start an Advanced Toastmasters Club.

I attended ProSpeakers club last night. We are an Advanced Toastmasters club meeting in Springfield, Western Massachusetts on the third Thursday of every month. Last night, each of our four speakers got in depth feedback from 13 evaluators. WOW!!

My advice for speakers who want a safe place to test material and grow exponentially, get to your nearest Advanced Toastmasters club.

Speaking buddies

I just returned from a meeting at ProSpeakers - The Advanced Toastmasters club focusing on Professional Speaking in District 53. We meet in Springfield, Mass, on the third Thursday of every month.

We give honest and positive feedback on each speech, with suggestions. I again saw the power of having a number of people discuss a speech. This is essentially a low-priced coaching program, where each speaker has 10 or more speaking buddies for the night. And the results are eye-opening.

Tonight, one evaluator said "Show me how we can improve the gesture of a wife whispering in her husband's ear", which sparked another evaluator to come up with an amazing line that just "clicked". Together, our audience agreed that the combination is perfect for this speech. Wow!! I am sure that no one on their own would have found these improvements to the speech. As Ed Tate says "The answer is in the room"

Planning, Planning, and ProSpeakers

Once upon a time there were three great Storytellers in Vegas at the same time. It was September 14, 2007. The World Champions hosted the first every Story Telling Champ Camp. You could feel the tension in the class as students perched on the EDGE of their seats. Darren encouraged us to continue getting Stage Time. Craig shared the 9 C's of Story Telling. Patricia Fripp showed us how to tell a story with a British accent. (This is easier for me than other students as I already have a South African accent).

Planning #1.
All this is pure speculation on my part. You see, I am planning for the Story Telling Champ Camp in Vegas on Sept 14 and 15. This will be the first training I receive in Story Telling and I am so looking forward to it. People have complimented me on how much they enjoy it when I tell stories, and I enjoy telling stories. I want to take it to the next level at this champ camp. Why don't you join me? Click here or on the link below, to sign up for this fun event. You will hang out with Craig, Darren, Patricia and myself for two full days. I am planning the stories I need to work on at this champ camp, and setting my personal objectives for this event.

Planning #2.
I am planning the Area B2, District 53 Toastmasters Fall Contest for Oct 1, 2007. Being an IT Project Manager I am used to planning and this is no big deal. The challenge is always time. Where do I find enough time in every day to plan the contest, get volunteers, make sure we have all the forms we need and so on. Thank goodness the Windsor club has stepped up to host the contest. Fortunately I still have a week or so to finalize planning of the event, although time is running out quickly. Having a speaking schedule and volunteering for Toastmasters activities certainly keeps me busy though...

ProSpeakers.
ProSpeakers is simply the best Advanced Toastmasters club I know of. We meet in Springfield, Mass. on the 3rd Thursday of every month. We are focused on Professional Speaking and indepth feedback to every speaker. If you are within a one hour drive of Springfield, Mass. then come and visit us. You won't be sorry.

Post your comments. What are you planning for the next few months? How do you manage to fit in your Toastmaster events while living your busy life? Do you have time management tips to share with us?