It’s always a challenge to weed out our distracting mannerisms. Sometimes it’s a gesture. Or a phrase. And sometimes it’s a facial expression.
Last week, I saw an experienced speaker who would poke his tongue out at his audience! It was very natural – he probably didn’t realize that he was even doing it – but after I noticed it, I couldn’t help but chuckle whenever he did it again. And again. And again!!!
Mannerisms come from all sorts of places. Sometimes they are big; sometimes they are small. Sometimes it can be an expression of nervousness. We pick them up from our friends, family and famous figures. I have had some mannerisms that I originally used deliberately, but then they became so habitual that they grew out of control!
Look out for these mannerisms. They allow your audience to focus on your style that they forget what you say.
One of the easiest ways to identify these mannerisms is to watch yourself on video. Preferably with some supportive friends – who can point them out and help you find better ways of expressing yourself.
CAT has our Peer Mentoring sessions – where you get together with a few other experienced speakers and help each other get better. But whatever your level of speaking, look to help your audience get your message better by eliminating your mannerisms.
I’ve been hearing so much of the word “suggestions”. One very senior General Evaluator last week used the word at least every minute during their evaluation.
- “If I could make a suggestion…”
- “One suggestion that I would have…”
- “Now onto some suggestions…”
A well-used signpost becomes a distraction for the audience and a crutch for the speaker.
Let’s stop wasting time talking about it and instead use that time to give relevant, targeted, and useful suggestions.
As an evaluator, emphasise what the speaker did well that audience can learn from, and areas that the speaker could improve that would also help the audience.
Leave your personal comments for a private conversation with the speaker and perhaps in the written evaluation.
Everytime we speak we have an opportunity to refine our skills. Whether it’s for one minute while giving a timer’s report, 1-2 minutes for table topics, 2-3 minutes for an evaluation or for a longer role, a great deal of our speaking skill can be seen in just a few moments.
Malcolm Gladwell wrote a book (called Blink) on the subject of how we make snap judgments based on very little information. It’s just how we all are.
As I was watching one speaker in table topics last month, three things stood out:
- Use your best voice
Some people sound terrible. Maybe it’s the pitch, or the pronunciation, or the smoothness or the resonance. Listen to your own voice and notice how you can make listening to yourself even more appealing. I always remember my cousin getting so excited about listening to Mark Hunter who she described as having “a voice like chocolate”. Now we heard him delivering a speech in about 1999 but a few years later he made it through to the World Championships.
- Use stories
Nice stories. Tight and clean stories – with a point and that are interesting or amusing. Stories that validate your authority to speak and support the emotions you are looking to transfer to your audience.
- Look to make a point
Have something to say. If you don’t know what to say, think about it. Great speakers give something to their audience rather than talking out loud.
Use every opportunity to speak and refine your skills that you get!
(originally posted here)
Clear and compelling theme. Perfect pitch. Connection with the immediate and distant audience. Humor and self-deprecation. Memorable stories. Phrases that uplift.
How does your next speech stack up?
This will be a particularly special CAT meeting, as it will be the last regular meeting for our Founding President, Sam Jones DTM – at least for a while. It will also be the last meeting for our favourite Canadian, Chris Haynes CC, who will be taking the long road back across the Pacific too…
Our Summiting Session for this meeting, focused on Body Language and Using the Stage will be led by Spike Gu ACB CL.
- TME Emily Minor CC CL
- Speech Chris Haynes CC
- Speech Wendy Wang ACB ALB
- Speech Daniel Smith DTM
- GE Delphy Chow ACS CL
- IE Carlo Wolff ACB
Our venue is very close to Nanjing West subway station. We’ll send it out to everybody on the email list – or who asks of course! Just email “attend@chinaadvancedtoastmasters.com” or subscribe by emailing “agenda-subscribe@chinaadvancedtoastmasters.com” and we’ll make sure you get it.
Recent Comments