The Toastmasters

I was recently invited to attend the Toastmasters meeting in Millington, Tennessee, however I was not entirely sure what to expect. I was, to say the least, surprised at how informal and socially casual the club is. In contrast with a TED talk’s audience, there is no harsh buzzer or overbearing timer to stare at while giving your presentation, the meeting was in fact, very relaxed and only focused on self-improvement. It was a place to hear others and be heard yourself, to give honest feedback, to improve the art of the conversation, and to master the art of public speaking. The group itself capitalizes on imparting valuable leadership abilities and to allow the individual to practice speaking publically in an environment where it is acceptable …show more content…
The rate in which she spoke also betrayed the fact that the speech was well rehearsed and the speaker did not feel rushed in any way. The rhythm at which the speech was given was varied, which from a personal standpoint, can keep the audience focused on the topic; the counterpoint to this is someone who may speak for a while on a subject without varying the pitch or rhythm; a subject that one must avoid in public speaking. Moving on to the dialect and vocal variety, this person was able to switch from a null accent, to a more personable accent that would feel as if the speaker was reiterating her point in a more personable way; a tactic, I found, that helped to create a personal connection with the audience without focusing too much attention on an individual, but rather on the group at large. With regards to the substance of the speech, the speaker had focused on one topic, with a subsequent explanation on each, individual point that she was making. Often these discussions included personal experiences, tied in with her thoughts’ at the time of the interaction. This helps to establish credibility in her message, while also allowing the audience to analyze her thought process which led her to make these decisions as a …show more content…
The topic’s that she had presented had a direct, real-life scenario included that people encounter every day in their professional lives. Having said this, the transition between topic and story was somewhat hurried from my perspective, and the transitions were more nuanced than direct. If I were tasked with this speech, I would have more involved the audience with questions about how they manage people in their professional lives, and then offered feedback. The speech was set in stone, with no variance from the audience; the speaker did include a wide range of scenarios and the concrete structure did work very well. Overall, it appears that this woman is very adept in speaking to a group of people, not only in her delivery, but also in her attitude and personal style. If I were to give a recommendation, then it would have to be a suggestion to involve the audience and tailor their responses to the message that is being