This morning was the Tall Tales Contest for Realtors Toastmasters 2512 in Bloomington, Mn.  I managed to win second place in the club contest which was good enough for me to advance to the next level to compete with winners from other clubs.

The title of my tale was, A Stitch in Pines Saves Nine.  The rules of the contest call for a presentation of between 3 and 5 minutes.  The video below was done with my inexpensive Flip Camera.  Hopefully the audio is loud enough for you to hear most of it.

Telling tall tales, and stories for that matter is a recent development for me. Traditionally, my topics are heavy or serious topics.  That is one of the benefits of Toastmasters because it is forcing me to go outside my normal comfort level and to try to do something different.  That’s the way we grow as individuals.

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At today’s meeting of Realtor’s Toastmasters 2512, we had three very good speeches as is typical of my club.

I had the opportunity to evaluate one of the speakers, Red Nelson whose speech focused on a variation on a theme.   He started with a deck of cards, and flipped it to reveal the Ace of Hearts. Lucky in love he suggested.

He then talked about three other types of cards. Advertising post cards, greeting cards and business cards. All variations on a theme of “cards”

When discussing the advertising post card, he suggested that we are all conditioned to look at the reverse of  a post card, just as we tend to want to flip a face down card to see what is on the other side.

When discussing greeting cards, he noted that a preprinted card is not all that inspiring, although we are all likely to open greeting cards mailed to us, where we may not open other junk mail. What really matters he pointed out is the added cursive writing on a card, the little extra effort that makes in personal and meaningful.

He then discussed business cards, and how the little extra of a meaningful logo or other significant short piece of information can go a long way toward making a business card more meaningful.

He tied it all back together by bringing back the deck of cards and re-emphasizing how we as people are conditioned to  look for more than the one side of cards. That we tend to automatically look for more information with the format.

In my evaluation, I suggested that he could have taken it a tiche further by suggesting more people use the reverse side of their business cards.

So what’s the message from all this?

First, when looking for a topic for a speech, even simple common things like a deck of cards can be used to serve as the foundation of a meaningful talk.  Just expand the idea and think about possible variations.

Second, part of the value of a toastmaster group is the evaluation provided by a member. Now many of us can be hyper sensitive to criticism, unless it is put into a positive framework.  In Toastmasters we offer criticism as a formal part of the meeting. That way it isn’t seen as being picked on as it is expected. Further, we practice what we refer to as a “Sandwich.”  This means an evaluation starts and ends with some positive comments, with a suggestions sandwiched in between.  We all need criticism to help us recognize and act upon shortcomings.

This is true in all aspects of life, but we frequently freeze out criticism by accepting it poorly and/or reacting negatively to those who do try to offer advice.  Public speaking is an art form and one where the recognition of strengths and weaknesses permits faster progress than in a situation where only positives or only negatives are offered.

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If you wish to improve your personal communication skills you should certainly explore the programs of Toastmasters international. Perhaps the world’s largest self help organization, Toastmasters has clubs in virtually every nook and cranny of the world. In medium to large cities in the US and elsewhere you may find dozens to a hundred or more different chartered clubs.

The ability to give an effective presentation is important in many aspects of contemporary society and is likely to remain so, even in the digital age. One of the strengths of the Toastmaster format is that it teaches not only formal presentations but informal extemporaneous responses as well.

The typical format of a Toastmaster meeting is split between what are called table topics and formal speeches. During the table topics portion, and topics master will call upon members and ask them a question to which they are asked to give a short 90 second of so response. This practice allows people to develop good communication skills when handling day to day interactions, with customers, clients, and bosses.

A confident response with a clear beginning, middle and end is far more likely to clinch a sale then a hemmed and hawed response. This single aspect of the Toastmaster program could be worth tens of thousands of dollars in added sales, or more for some.

The second portion, the formal speech portion consists of typically 3 speakers giving 5 to 7 minute prepared speeches. Toastmasters has a series of manuals which members use to focus on different aspects of speaking from vocal variety to gestures to working with words. These formal speeches thus help members develop different specific communication skills with each new speech.

The 5-7 minute format also forces speakers to focus their attention on the most important part of their particular topic- a valuable skill in itself.

Once the formal speeches are concluded, they are evaluated by members in a supportive manner that also serves to teach good evaluation skills that are also great in another light for upcoming managers, as they focus on giving positive reinforcement as well as constructive criticism.

Individual clubs will vary this basic format to meet their particular circumstances, but the net result is a safe and friendly environment where people of all walks of life can find support while learning to perfect their personal communication skills.

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