The following is a tip session delivered by John Kageche, ACB, CL and current President of Nairobi Toastmasters Club. It focuses on the need to properly prepare and present the 2nd, 3rd and 4th projects in the Toastmasters Competent Communicator manual towards building strong speech delivery.
KILL THE VIRUS, SHARE THE MAGIC
2, 3 and 4. That’s where magic lives.
Mr Toastmaster, fellow members, guests in ccs 2, 3 and 4
that’s where speech magic lives
Unfortunately, numbers 2,3 and 4 are numerically lower than
7,8 and 9
And because they are lower many a speaker in this room and
beyond tend to gloss over them
And yet if 2,3 and 4 were a virus many a speaker sadly
failed to protect themselves from it
And because they failed to protect themselves they missed
the magic and got infected
And because they were infected then, these speakers have
carried over the infection to 5,6,7 and beyond
For instance,
If your cc 2 did not have a singular organized message in
it, you got infected
If your cc 3 did not have a singular organized message in it
and specific sentence your infection grew
If your cc 4 did not have a singular message in it, a
specific sentence and a stylistic device your infection became fully blown
And sadly many a speaker here and beyond continue to
successfully carry this virus with them
This manual is rich in tips
Sadly, like with a TV, phone and car manual many a
toastmaster may read but will not internalize it
He or she looks at the title say, 4 how to say it and
assumes hmmm, this is easy I know how to say it
And proceeds to say it wrongly
CC2 is entitled organize your speech.
The overall tip is to have a compelling opening, organized
body and memorable conclusion
In addition to this a sample structure is given-notice it
has a singular message: the benefits of eating fruits and vegetables. Critique
your speeches. Do they have a singular message?
CC3 is entitled get to the point
In my opinion this is where we totally expose ourselves to
the infection
We get focused, yes, but we do not stay focused
We have a general purpose but lack a specific purpose
We have a general purpose but lack a specific sentence
And what is a specific sentence? It is ONE sentence that
captures your total speech
The specific sentence in my speech is ccs 2, 3 and 4 is
where speech magic lives
If your speech does not have a specific sentence, your viral
infection is complete
Critique your speeches. Do they have a specific sentence?
Cc4 is how to say it
Here we have been given plenty stylistic devices which most
read and then throw out the window
Triads, repetition, stories, jokes, anecdotes, metaphors,
alliteration, similes: this is where the real abracadabra lives
Critique your speeches.
Which stylistic devices have you used?
Cc’s 2, 3 and 4 are where speech magic lives
Yet cc’s 2, 3 and 4 are the most lightly taken projects
And because of this the magic fades as we move up the ladder
and is totally lost by the 7th rung
And because the speaker is infected, he infects others he is
evaluating and mentoring
And the infection snowballs and becomes pandemic
Cc’s 2, 3 and 4 are where speech magic lives
If you are enjoying this speech maybe it’s because I have so
far used eleven tips from cc’s 2-4
Do yourself and those you mentor and evaluate a favour-kill
the virus, share the magic
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