A Look Back Over The Last Six Months

As the new toastmaster year began on the 1^st of July last year, and I took on my role of President for the new toastmaster year, let’s take a look back at what’s been happening!

We have been delighted to have 7 new members to our Club:  Outa, Natasha, Ali, Lucinda, Asiimwe, Peter, and Milen.  Together they have joined us on our journey to improve our communication and leadership skills.  It takes dedication, and hard work to achieve this, and Zhanna is example to us all in this regard when she achieve her Competant Communicator Silver award.   I am pleased that this year I finished and secured my Competent Leader.

The Story Telling workshops have added a new dimension to our Toastmaster Sessions this year, and have been a real opportunity to explore different dimensions of public speaking.  We also had a group visit to Canal Café Theatre, where people had the opportunity to tell their own personal stories in a public environment.

We had the Humorous Speech and Table Topics Competition, where everybody at club level had the opportunity to join in and have some serious fun, whilst pushing ourselves outside our comfort zones (that’s what it’s all about!!) Flavia and  Steve did us proud as they both went through to the represent us at Area Level, and Steve even went on to Division Level too!

So what’s our vision for the next 6 months!!  To encourage new guests to join our club and enjoy the benefits of Club Membership.  To make sure that we nurture our existing club members so that as members we can all realise our public speaking and leadership goals that we set for ourselves.

We have an exciting agenda ahead for the rest of the year.

Further Story Telling Work Shop Sessions, culminating in a grand finale of returning to Canal Café in the spring.   For the adrenalin seekers out there, this is definitely for you!!  An opportunity to tell a personal story in a theatre in front of a public fee paying audience!! 

We will be having a “debate session” too, which will be a slight change to the usual agenda on a date to be confirmed.   An opportunity to test out and acquire new public speaking and leadership skills in a safe supportive environment.

Also on the agenda is the International Speech Competition, again an opportunity for all our members to enter, and have fun.

That’s it for now, and looking forward to seeing you at our next Toastmaster Evening.  As always guest welcome, and bring your friends too.

 

TOGETHER WE WILL LIVE LEARN AND EVOLVE BY IMPROVING OUR COMMUNICATION AND LEADERSHIP SKILLS TOGETHER IN OUR FRIENDLY SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT

 

Katy Woolcott President Lewisham Speakers.

Seven ways to build rapport with your audience

photo : Simon at Lewisham Toastmasters Meeting in Park 

Published in "Management Today"

Seven ways to build rapport with your audience

By Julie Kertesz Friday, 18 January 2013

Do you want to inspire and motivate your audience when giving a presentation? Then you need to build rapport with the crowd. If you don't, they will leave feeling detached and as though their time has been wasted. Here are seven tips for getting them on side.

Tagged by: Strategy, Audience, Public Speaking, Rapport, Speech, Leadership

1. Use a personal story or anecdote

This shows you are ready to be open, vulnerable and personable, and it will make them more receptive. A story that goes straight to their hearts is one they will remember long after the words have gone.

2. Use humour to lower the tension

For example, dare to mock what happened to you – self-deprecating humour is a great way to make you appear more human and one of them.

3. Create images and movies in their heads

Everyone will see something slightly different in their mind's eye, adding their own experiences to it, thus making it theirs. Tell them enough, but leave room for them to add their own touches.

4. Pause

Pause at the beginning of your talk, and before an important passage. A pause allows you to hold them in your hand, uniting them in the tension of waiting.

5. Focus on the moment

Easy to say, but how to do it? Plan your talk, practice and then try and focus all your energies on the task at hand, no matter how distracting the lights, or coughs from the audience may be. And remember to smile – and breathe!

6. Use variety in your voice to enhance your message

For instance quickening the pace to add tension, emphasising key words to bring out important points (but don’t overdo it!) and lowering your volume to add suspense. The most important things are to connect with your own emotions and what you care about. It will show.

7. Believe!

Give yourself confidence by believing that the audience is your friend, and will give you energy. Believe profoundly in what you are talking about and this will take care of most of your vocal variety and gestures – and ensure that you project authenticity.

Each audience, each room, each time is different. So always remember to adapt the speech for each occasion, and will be received differently.

Julie Kertesz is a photographer and member of public speaking charity Toastmasters International.