7 Reminders for International Speech Contest Preparation
POSTED BY MANOJ VASUDEVAN DEC 20, 2023
Are you ready to take your public speaking to the next level? Do you have an idea that needs to be heard around the world? The Toastmasters International Speech Contest is the perfect opportunity for those who want to fulfill their global ambitions! This competition gives participants the chance to prepare and deliver a speech before an international audience with the hope of becoming a World Champion of Public Speaking.
How have you been preparing to get to the next level faster?
When you are crafting an international speech, whether its speaking to a global audience or for the International Speech Contest(ISC), it's the small things that make the big difference.
Here are some quick tips and reminders from the WCPS book - How To Become The World Champion of Public Speaking.
(1) Humour is not the only emotion. Humour is relatively easier to implement in a speech. It's also the most sought after technique due to visible/audible reaction that provides validation/ego-boost for the speaker. It's good, but not nearly enough. You should not limit your speech to humour. There are 9 emotions you can leverage to maximise your impact (as mentioned in the WCPS book Page 118). Do not limit your pursuit to humour. Emotive speeches inspire your listeners to act.
(2) Follow the Content Connection Criteria(CCC). Sometimes the best crafted speeches do not make any impact because they are not designed to connect with the listeners (and judges when you are in a speech contest.) To learn more about the components of the Content Connection Criteria, refer to WCPS book Page 92). When you make deep connections with your listeners, they will be rooting for you and be more willing to ignore minor errors. Focus on connection, not perfection.
(3) Experience can become your enemy. Sometimes, when we do something over and over again, we tend to forget the real components that make it work. That's why we need to constantly unlearn and relearn for consistent performance at the highest level. If you think you are already good, remember the famous line by Jim Collins "The good is the enemy of the great".
During the year I won the World Champion of Public Speaking, I started my preparation by asking "What would I do if I knew nothing about public speaking and wanted to learn it from scratch? What would make a good speech that resonates?" This is known as first-principles thinking.
James Clear defines a first principle as, "... a basic assumption that cannot be deduced any further. Over two thousand years ago, Aristotle defined a first principle as “the first basis from which a thing is known.” First principles thinking is a fancy way of saying “think like a scientist.” Scientists don't assume anything."
Remember, don't assume anything. First-principles thinking helped me to start from scratch without letting my prior experience interfere too much with what I needed to do to move forward. This led me to rapidly craft 6 new speeches in less time, giving me a wide range of options to choose from. It made the effort a pleasurable process of learning, instead of a lonely, excruciating grind.
(4) Make your speech universal. Your speeches might resonate with you, your family, your friends and people in your locality. That's not enough. When you are speaking internationally, you cannot afford to get disconnected with any group. Your speech shouldn't offend anyone, knowingly or unknowingly. Your aim should be to ensure your speech resonates globally, even with people you have never met before. You need to develop a keen awareness of the nuances of the diverse backgrounds, beliefs and customs of a global audience. That's why you need to test your speech in front of an international audience and get feedback *before* you deliver your actual speech.
(5) [The tougher way] Here's what I did when I was competing. When I was preparing to become the World Champion of Public Speaking, I used to travel internationally and worked on projects that included people from over 50 countries. This helped me to test my speech in front of diverse audiences and get unique higher-level perspectives that are hard to find. My challenge was to make deep connections with every new group I spoke to. A few weeks before the contest, I went to the city where the contest is held (US/Canada/other-locations) and went around seeking feedback to ensure my speeches resonated with a global audience. However, this is not a practical option for most people, even though you can visit some clubs virtually. This approach is both time-consuming and inconvenient. Now, there is an alternative for you.
(6) [The faster way] What if a global audience came to your home and gave you the diverse in-depth feedback you need? How can you do that? I have always been looking for a faster way to help others make their speeches universal and globally inspiring without wasting tons of time getting the right level of feedback. That's the main reason why we started the WCPS Club Global Mastermind. The club members are Toastmasters from various global locations and skill levels, who want to level up their preparation for speech contests. When you test your speech at the WCPS Club Global Mastermind, every member listens and gives you detailed structured feedback on what they observed. The feedback you receive is not limited by time or depth. The feedback is not the typical 3-minute feedback you get from a typical evaluator. Our idea is to ensure your speech can resonate with most people globally and you get the right feedback to do it confidently before your actual speech.
If this is something you would love to have, you can apply for admission to WCPS Club at https://www.thoughtexpressions.com/wcpsclub-membership (there is a nominal membership fee and admission process to ensure the commitment of all participants)
(7) Your next speech is your best speech. One of my mentors told me, "you are only as good as your last speech." Since then, I started making an all-in effort for each upcoming speech. We can't rest on our laurels. We can't be held back by past regrets. We need to strive to make an all-in effort every time we craft and deliver an international speech. You need this mindset, to sustain a high standard of excellence and maintain your reputation as an international speaker.
WCPS Club Global Mastermind Mission
To provide our members with a global platform to test-drive their Toastmasters speeches and gather world-class feedback from veteran contestants, experienced leaders, and the world champion of public speaking – before their actual speech. We are the devil’s advocates and guardian angels looking out for each other in our journey to the next level.
Our typical Meeting Agenda For The Session
(1) Ideation for your next speech
(2) If you are a WCPS Club member, you can request a speaking slot and my team will reserve a spot for you.
(3) You can test your speech in front of an international audience and get constructive and insightful feedback from me and others.
(4) You can bring along your old speeches and discover exactly what went wrong and what you can do to make them universal and resonating.
(5) You can also use the forum to get immediate answers to any question. Just ask during our mastermind session.
(6) You also learn from the insights, ideas and perspectives of others in the group.
When: We meet 1st and 3rd Saturdays at 9:00pm Singapore Time | 5pm UAE | 8am/9am EST | 1pm/2pm UK
To check the time in your Timezone, click here;
Duration: 90 minutes
P.S. You can watch the replays of any session so that you miss nothing.
Become a member of WCPS Club. Get started here.
https://www.thoughtexpressions.com/wcpsclub-membership
All the best in your journey to the top. See you at the top!
Manoj Vasudevan
Next Level Leadership Readiness Expert | World Champion of Public Speaking
CEO | Thought Expressions
Helping leaders to break-through to the next level in less time
www.ThoughtExpressions.com
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