Comments on: The Professional Speaker http://my.spaith.com/blog/2008/05/31/the-professional-speaker/ Listening * Thinking * Public Speaking * Self Improvement Wed, 10 Mar 2010 12:41:43 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Tom Coldaba http://my.spaith.com/blog/2008/05/31/the-professional-speaker/#comment-596 Tom Coldaba Tue, 10 Jun 2008 02:53:46 +0000 http://my.spaith.com/blog/2008/05/31/the-professional-speaker/#comment-596 I did not join Toastmasters to be a professional speaker. I joined to become a comfortable speaker. For professional speaking I need to hire a speech coach and use my club as my audience. Professional speakers must practice, practice and practice. Regarding evaluations, my club does not have enough evaluators. Naturally, the evaluation is poor. To get a solid evaluation, I need to join a strong club with many experienced amateur speakers. Still, my club affords me the opportunity to become a comfortable speaker. I did not join Toastmasters to be a professional speaker. I joined to become a comfortable speaker. For professional speaking I need to hire a speech coach and use my club as my audience. Professional speakers must practice, practice and practice.

Regarding evaluations, my club does not have enough evaluators. Naturally, the evaluation is poor. To get a solid evaluation, I need to join a strong club with many experienced amateur speakers. Still, my club affords me the opportunity to become a comfortable speaker.

]]> By: Jeff Bailey http://my.spaith.com/blog/2008/05/31/the-professional-speaker/#comment-594 Jeff Bailey Mon, 09 Jun 2008 23:48:05 +0000 http://my.spaith.com/blog/2008/05/31/the-professional-speaker/#comment-594 Hey John, There are many, many, professional speakers who are not very good at all. The dirty little secret is that you need something compelling to say. That is why book authors tend to get lots of speaking gigs. Toastmasters is almost like a photographer who spends tons of time learning how to use a camera; they can produce photographs that are exposed perfectly and have no blur. But these "technically" perfect photos aren't worth looking at because there is no substance there. Content is king. Awesome content presented in a mediocre fashion trumps terrible content presented by "the perfect presenter" every time. Plus, Toastmasters won't make someone great. That is really up to that someone. Later, Jeff Hey John,

There are many, many, professional speakers who are not very good at all. The dirty little secret is that you need something compelling to say. That is why book authors tend to get lots of speaking gigs.

Toastmasters is almost like a photographer who spends tons of time learning how to use a camera; they can produce photographs that are exposed perfectly and have no blur. But these “technically” perfect photos aren’t worth looking at because there is no substance there.

Content is king. Awesome content presented in a mediocre fashion trumps terrible content presented by “the perfect presenter” every time.

Plus, Toastmasters won’t make someone great. That is really up to that someone.

Later,
Jeff

]]> By: Public Speaking Blog Articles: Week in Review [2008-06-07] http://my.spaith.com/blog/2008/05/31/the-professional-speaker/#comment-582 Public Speaking Blog Articles: Week in Review [2008-06-07] Sat, 07 Jun 2008 07:14:29 +0000 http://my.spaith.com/blog/2008/05/31/the-professional-speaker/#comment-582 [...] Spaith delivers some unfortunate news: attending Toastmasters meetings won’t make you a professional speaker. I took piano lessons in high school, had a lot of fun, and am OK at it still. But I’m not Oscar [...] […] Spaith delivers some unfortunate news: attending Toastmasters meetings won’t make you a professional speaker. I took piano lessons in high school, had a lot of fun, and am OK at it still. But I’m not Oscar […]

]]> By: Oleg K. http://my.spaith.com/blog/2008/05/31/the-professional-speaker/#comment-571 Oleg K. Tue, 03 Jun 2008 16:48:06 +0000 http://my.spaith.com/blog/2008/05/31/the-professional-speaker/#comment-571 I agree with you that Toastmaster's is not designed to make members professional speakers. It's almost preposterous to think that speaking skills alone are enough. As for lousy evaluations, you're right again; why would any beginner want to come to club and Not be told how to improve(or be instructed poorly). I believe that evaluations are one of the, if not the best things about Toastmasters. If a club has a weak spot there, perhaps re-thinking their priorities is in order. Thanks for the post. I agree with you that Toastmaster’s is not designed to make members professional speakers. It’s almost preposterous to think that speaking skills alone are enough.

As for lousy evaluations, you’re right again; why would any beginner want to come to club and Not be told how to improve(or be instructed poorly). I believe that evaluations are one of the, if not the best things about Toastmasters. If a club has a weak spot there, perhaps re-thinking their priorities is in order.

Thanks for the post.

]]> By: Barbara Kryvko http://my.spaith.com/blog/2008/05/31/the-professional-speaker/#comment-568 Barbara Kryvko Mon, 02 Jun 2008 13:09:21 +0000 http://my.spaith.com/blog/2008/05/31/the-professional-speaker/#comment-568 Very well said! Very well said!

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