This was one of the semi-final rounds of the 2011 World Champion of Public Speaking in Las Vegas Nevada and I sat mesmerised in the audience having heard 9 highly competent speakers try to win the hearts and minds of the audience and the judges.
[featured-image single_newwindow=”false”](Image courtesy of Dollar Photo Club)[/featured-image]
The third place winner was called and it was our own Malachi Talabi, the UK and Ireland Public Speaking Champion.
[callout]Malachi and myself will be doing a free webinar titled ‘From Club Champion To District Champion – 21 World Class Speaking Tools To Help You Win Hearts, Win Minds and Win Trophies’.[/callout]
[button href=”http://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2634829355422023937” primary=”true” centered=”true” newwindow=”true”]Click To Register For Free Webinar![/button]
I was a bit disappointed at the results as I was sure Malachi would come first. But there was a big smile on Malachi’s face and when I asked him why he was so elated, he said, “Wole, I have placed in the top thirty of the over twenty-five thousand contestants who started this race.”
Five years on and I am still fascinated by Malachi whenever I hear him speak. He has a way with words and he is a master at using humour to drive home his point.
Free Webinar and Speaking Tips
This month, I have convinced Malachi to co-host a webinar for you my reader and for the thousands of Toastmasters all over the world who are preparing to take part in the 2016 International Speech Competition. This is also for anyone who wants to take their public speaking skills to a new level by learning from a competition-winning speaker.
7 Speaking Tips I Learnt from a Champion Speaker
To give you a taste of what is to come, let me share with you 7 public speaking tips I learnt from a champion speaker.
#1. Your physical presence will affect your stage presence
You may have heard the saying “don’t judge a book by its cover”. But admit it, we always do judge a book by its cover. Your audience will make a judgement about you from your appearance – so dress well to fit the occasion. Unless you have been told otherwise, it’s good to stick to a formal dressing.
#2. Go for a tantalising speech title
In his book “7 Minutes To Win It!” Malachi talks about the four T’s to a tantalising title. Your title could be a:
- Trailer for what is to come in your speech
- Tease to seduce the ears and make the audience curious
- Tickle to make your audience laugh and connect more with you
- Twist from the norm and then deliver something unexpected
#3. Add SPICE to your speech
Malachi’s book advises that, to SPICE your speech is to add:
- Stories
- Pauses
- Intriguing questions
- Callbacks
- Entertainment
#4. Your first thirty seconds are important
In the webinar you will hear about how to make an impact in the first moments without saying a word. If you have a tantalising title, make the right first impression with your appearance and follow it up with an attention grabbing and engaging first thirty seconds on stage, you are off to a flying start.
[callout][button href=’https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2634829355422023937′ primary=’true’ centered=’true’ newwindow=’true’]Click To Register For Free Webinar![/button][/callout]
#5. Memorise to internalise
If you memorise and forget a line, that can destabilise you and your presentation.
If you use notes, there will be moments when you look into your notes and loose eye contact with your audience.
Using notes is not an option in competitions. The key is to memorise to internalise.
#6. Use humour to entertain and drive home your message
Today’s audience don’t just want to be informed, or educated, they want to be entertained.
Your humour must be suitable for your audience and you need to be mindful of cultural differences when speaking in an environment that is different from yours.
#7. Learn advanced delivery techniques
Some of these techniques include:
- Holograms
- Timelines
- Split the stage
If you have questions about public speaking that you would like to ask a Certified World Class Coach and Toastmasters International Speech Winner then register for the free webinar, attend live and send in your questions in the chat. you can also email your questions in advance to me at wole@e7h.09f.myftpupload.com
We are also giving away to all attendees a free speech contest toolkit.
[button href=”https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2634829355422023937″ primary=”true” centered=”true” newwindow=”true”]Click To Register For Free Webinar![/button]