Purpose
Your responsibility is to get the speakers off to the best start possible.
You must be a genial host weaving the speaker's subjects together into a program
to be remembered. Give thought to comments that will make a congruous WHOLE out
of the separate speeches.
Create an atmosphere of eager interest and anticipation in the program you
have prepared. The SUCCESS OR FAILURE of this important portion of the class meeting,
(or office party, or wedding, or whatever function), is IN YOUR HANDS!
Preparation
The shortest way to spell responsibility is . . . WORK!
Plan your program! Contact each speaker and evaluator well ahead of
time. Prod them. Urge them! HELP THEM! It is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to see that
the formal speech session in class or real life situation, is in READINESS when
the class/meeting/function begins! This will test your leadership ability. It's
easy to do things for yourself, but to get others to perform takes hard work and
determination, sparkling drive and ability!
DON'T WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE TO GET DOWN EACH OF THE SPEAKER'S NAMES AND
SPEECH TITLES, OR YOU WILL LIKELY BE THE FATHER OF A GRANDIOSE FLOP!
Go to work as soon as you get your assignment! Find out each speaker's and
evaluator's name: how to spell it, pronounce it correctly . . . perhaps the derivation
of it as a point of interest. Then check into the general background of the speakers:
where they came from, what their job is, an outstanding past experience, any point
of interest that could be woven into an introduction. Next, determine what lesson
in the Speech Tutorial the speaker is going to work on and the subject he has
chosen. Demand a TITLE! If the speaker does not have one, help him/her choose
a fitting one.
Armed with this information you will be able to organize the order in which
the speeches should be presented. Jot down a few appropriate thoughts to give
the program continuity-—perhaps a joke or two to spark things up: exercise caution
here and try to introduce any joke you have as naturally and unsuspectingly as
possible—and you will be ready to confidently fulfill the Toastmastership!
Presentation
When in class acknowledge the tutor's introduction. Make a general comment
or two to spark the felow classmembers' interest in the speeches to come.
With an alert, expectant tone of interest in your voice, smile warmly to audience
and speaker. Gesture toward the speaker as you give the TITLE of the speech and
the speaker's name, clearly, distinctly and CORRECTLY! FOCUS ALL AUDIENCE ATTENTION
ON THE SPEAKER!
When the speaker in turn acknowledges you, sit down quietly, with minimum motion
and noise so as not to detract. Don't do anything that would steal the spotlight
from the speaker.
If a speaker is appearing for the first time you will "introduce" him/her;
if he has spoken to the class before you will "present" him/her.
BE BRIEF! If you have FULLY PREPARED it will be easy. Ten to thirty seconds
will usually be enough for the actual presentation . . . NEVER OVER A MINUTE!
AVOID STALE, WORN-OUT PHRASES. DON'T USE, "IT IS INDEED A PLEASURE . . . A MAN/WOMAN
WHO NEEDS NO INTRODUCTION . . . WE ARE GATHERED HERE TONIGHT . . ." BE DIFFERENT.
USE VARIETY!
YOU Can explain some interesting point of this speaker's background that qualifies
him/her to speak on the subject he/she has chosen. Don't embarrass the speaker
or make fun of him/her. Be complimentary in a sincere way, presenting the speaker(s)
in the best light possible without flowery exaggeration—but BE BRIEF! The trick
is to MAKE THE AUDIENCE WANT TO HEAR THIS PERSON! When in class meetings, don't
forget to mention what speech goal the speaker is working toward.
When the speaker finishes, lead the applause, make some brief comment of appreciation.
Don't rehash the speech in your own words—just a comment briefly to pick up the
flow of the whole program.
DO NOT EVALUATE THE SPEAKERS! This is the job of the evaluators. Evaluating
the past speaker will detract from the next person's speech. Quickly get into
the introduction of the NEXT speaker.
At the end of the program, thank the audience for its attention, and return
control of the class meeting to the tutor.
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