Toastmasters International Speech Pitfalls

A year ago my commentary on International Speeches talked about the myths that should be avoided while preparing a speech for an International Speech Contest (ISC). Today with the Toastmasters contest season once again in full swing I am going to point out certain pitfalls which if avoided will improve the overall value of your speech and also solidify the audience connect.

The speaker and the audience <Photo Courtesy: Wan San Yip on Unsplash>

1. Illogical Premise: A Premise is the base upon which your entire argument/speech is built and in many cases forms the opening statement of the speech. The conclusion that you attempt to derive through your speech is only as good as the assumption (the premise) you make.  Its therefore necessary that this premise is credible and is generally acceptable. Premises such as "You can't be successful until you hook someone who is successful", "Sleaze and not substance sells films", "There's no such thing called as humanity" can never be proved conclusively and will also effectively turn a majority of the audience 'off'' (right when they hear it). The adage "Once you lose it you can't get it back" sits very well with the attention span of the audience. Its good to swerve from the common path and shock the audience a bit but making a shocking statement which will take ages to prove when you only have a few minutes on the clock should only be done at your own risk.
2. Lack of Clarity in Stats/Facts: A couple of months ago I heard a speech about how smoking kills. The speaker mentioned a stat about how the number of people dying from Lung Cancer has almost doubled in the last 5 years. While smoking does indeed cause Lung Cancer, the question that begs to be asked is whether the doubling of the number can be attributable to smoking alone. If the increase in number wasn't caused by smoking then this stat is irrelevant for the speech. Its the duty of the speakers to explain the relevance of the stat to the topic on hand. Another observation I have is about how stats local to a region are extrapolated to prove a much larger issue. For Example: A stat about gender disparity in Rajasthan cannot be used to prove why the ratio of boys and girls is unequal across classrooms in India. Stats are a powerful weapon use them wisely they enhance your credibility, use them recklessly they will half it before you know it.
3. Missing Transitions: Ever watched an Indian movie where in the midst of a tense situation you are suddenly treated to a song and dance routine. Speeches exasperate you the same way when the speaker randomly jumps from one event/story to another without wrapping up the essence of a situation just described. Examine this sentence for instance "That incident changed my life. Years later when I went back to my hometown...". Did you notice the speed breaker? The speaker didn't mention in what way his life had changed. He immediately jumped years ahead to another situation. Gaps likes these when not explained reduce the overall efficacy of the speech and also confuse the audience.
4. Extraneous Characters: "The thunderstorm was fierce. I was stuck in the downpour, there was no way out. Along with me were two kids Chunnu & Munnu. They appeared starved.....After playing with them for half an hour I finally saw my teacher. I walked up to her to offer my respects..." No prizes for guessing as to who the extraneous characters in this excerpt were. If your entire speech is about your relation with your teacher don't dilute it by introducing "Chunnu & Munnu" and spending the better part of the speech playing with them. Audience invest in your speech through the characters you present. If the characters are meaningful and soulful, the investment is doubled. If they are extraneous and unconnected the attention is diverted and the investment is sunk.
5. Don't Tell me How and you haven't told me Why: You are speaking to inform everyone that 'Blood Donation' can actually do wonders for one's own health and you conclude your speech without letting anyone know 'how' easy it is to donate blood. Similarly you are speaking to inspire everyone that listening to one's own heart does wonders for oneself. You take us through your school, your college and then your years as a Software professional and then one day you listen to your heart to start your own business. You start your business and then succeed like success. But here's the caveat you never made it clear as to 'why' you chose to listen to your heart only after all these years. 'Whys' and 'Hows' explain your reasoning and sense of judgement to the audience. Use them with precision to draw your audience closer to you.
6. I say what I don't do: A year ago a friend of mine gave a speech titled 'Lonely are the brave'. He spoke about Abdul Razzaq Lari taking on Aurangazeb, Chandra Shekhar Azad taking on the British, heroics of Indian Soldiers in the Indo-Chinese war and then concluded that bravery is always backed up by conviction and not by numbers. He hoped that such a rousing speech would inspire everyone.  Although the speech went well it didn't elicit the response he was hoping for. This was because my friend had ignored to mention the effect the theme had on his own life. You cant hope to persuade/inspire anyone on anything until and unless you've had some experience of it. Next time when a story flows from your heart don't end it with out the personal connect.
7. I don't give a call back: Sensational beginnings straight out a Hitchcock movie (pun intended) are recommended for Toastmasters' Contest Speeches. Speakers use everything under the sun including quotes, stories, questions to grab the attention of the audience. A great beginning however is only half a job done. When the quote used at the beginning of the speech is never referred to or the conflict presented at the start is never resolved, we end up with a prologue which has no connection to the crux. Call backs are essential for audience to understand the connection between the premise and the body which has the arguments. Without call backs speeches would feel like disjointed set pieces, highly entertaining but low on value.

So there you go folks, words of wisdom from a Toastmaster who has made competing a way of life for the last 3 years. I wish everyone who is competing this time around nothing but the best. Go grab that title and create a memory for life.

Until Next Time,

Your Toastmaster,
J.J. Chaitanya