It’s just about time for the contest to start – if you’re participating or a fan of the contest, let me know if you want to blog about it on the site!! We can also start some threads on message boards. Go to “boards” and tell us what you think!
Happy speaking!! Let’s do this!
(This is the last LOLcat picture, I swear, but my sisters think the LOL cats are funny, and I love my sisters, so… please humor me!)
I’m not sure if you’ve been paying attention, but the 2009-2010 New Jersey Nets are on their way to becoming the worst basketball team in NBA history. They started the season 0-19, setting a record for the poorest start in league history, and have won 4 games since – which is sort of miraculous, because, I mean… they’re awful. So how does this relate to SpeakEasy? In our film, we have a small section (for now) about motivational speakers, and indeed the World Championships of Public Speaking could be looked at as an amateur motivational speaking contest. Most speeches are, at least, written to impart life wisdom and help the audience in some or another. And so, a motivational speaker has come to rescue the New Jersey Nets! Let’s keep track of it and see if it works! Can a powerful speaker help a team block out, hit open three pointers, make the extra pass, not turn the ball over, etc.? We shall see….
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Michelle – one of our esteemed summer interns – is taking a class in public speaking. She needs some feedback on a practice speech she’s been doing. Please help her out and leave a comment! Also, feel free to add your own practice speech and get some feedback!
One of the things SpeakEasy really delves into – or at least we did in the last cut – is how closely strong leadership is tied to good public speaking skills. Yesterday, two pioneers, if you will, were in front of audiences to sell themselves and and push their agendas: Barack Obama and Steve Jobs. Obama’s State of the Union address showcased many of the trademarks of an Obama speech – strong posture, an air of authority, a booming, confident voice – regardless of his policies, he’s an excellent speaker to study just in terms of physical presence. Steve Jobs, on the other hand, has a physical condition that has left him weak, so he relied on humor, charming nerdiness, and confidence in his product – I thought his content was stronger than his delivery (he effectively ripped on the Kindle, for example). And he looks relaxed, casual, and friendly. It’s engaging. Either way, here are some clips from their speeches – a big day in presentation and public speaking.
Long enough blog post title for ya’? At any rate, we had a fantastic interview with Terry Mcgraw of McGraw-Hill publishing. Yeah, he’s a pretty big deal, and a huge fan of Toastmasters. If you work for his company, and you finish the first ten speeches of the Toastmasters program, you receive a thousand dollars. Good stuff. Here he is today breaking news about the Apple “tablet”.
This is how you do it… from the heart.
If anyone in American – heck, human history proved that being a great public speaker can move mountains and bring about sweeping change for the greater good, it’s Dr. King. Incredible.
I missed the awards – leave a comment and let us know who impressed!
I love his advice on how to accept awards – “keep it short”.
Colin William, one of the finalists of the 2008 World Championships of Public Speaking, sent us a pretty amazing account of his experience with the contest. I’ll waste no time with my own words. Great to hear from him! Here ya go:
“I never knew it would become so all-consuming.
I was one of the contestants in the 2008 WCPS, filmed by Paul and Brian and their crew. When you watch the movie you’ll see bits of me.
I haven’t seen the movie, so I don’t know what to expect, but there’s one thing I hope it captures – the sheer insanity of it all. See, that version of me that you’ll see on the screen isn’t so much me as it is a man possessed.
Like most contestants, I entered with the hope that I’d contend, but never seriously thinking I’d make it all the way to the final. I did, though, and along the way I experienced something I never expected – the thrill, the fear, the excitement, the pressure and the insanity of competition.