Listening to Darren LaCroix and Craig Valentine on the World Champions’ Edge, they made the point that champions say more by talking less. Now that might seem counterintuitive the way I wrote it, but the message is simple, SLOW DOWN YOUR SPEECH.
Many new toastmasters will try to cram as much information as possible into a five to seven minute speech. As you experience and do more in Toastmasters, you will find that experienced speakers will do the opposite. The champions will be the ones who take a four minute speech and make it seven minutes.
Does that mean that you are talking really slowly? No. It just means you are talking at a pace where you are understood, you use dramatic pauses, you frame the stage, and you give the audience reaction time.
When you find yourself working on a speech, and it just doesn’t flow, ask yourself, “What can I take out to make this speech shorter?”
It is very tough to master the art of slowing it down, but when you do you will see killer results.
Until next time, happy speaking!
Chris
About the Author: My Toastmasters Blog is written and edited by Chris Elliott, a professional speaker and blogger. Chris serves as a leader for supply chain and international non-profit organizations. He enjoys using his knowledge and experiences during his speaking engagements, workshops, consulting projects, and one-on-one coaching sessions. The result—connecting people and empowering change. If you would like information on how you can bring Chris to speak to your next meeting, please download Chris' one sheet or contact him by clicking here.
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