Grabbing Audience Attention

Do you feel you have a difficult time with starting your speech?
Do you feel the audience is chaotic and not intersted in you?

Startel them!! Tell them a joke or ask them a question.

The very important part of any presentation or a simple speech is drawing the attention of your audience. Moreover, i think it is a milestone to any presentation, because you want to make your audience start listening to you, and furthermore, get interested in what you are about to tell them.

Turns out it is not that easy to do.

Thank goodness there are tips that you can learn to use. One of the valuable source is an article written by Rana Sinha a cross-cultural trainer and author. So, I'd like to share it with you, hope you'll find it useful:
http://ezinearticles.com/?How-To-Grab-And-Keep-Audience-Attention-During-A-Presentation&id=593725


Improve your technique and keep impressing your audience!!

Toastmasters are out in the open air

Winter is over!

Although, such a cold and gloomy weather like the one we had for almost 2 weeks now, makes me doubt that summer has come.

Anyway, no matter what the weather is like, Lemberg Toastmasters are celebrating the warm season ( I am beeing a bit hypocritical) by going out side. This is actually our second picnic and we plan to spend it by the lake with tasty shashlik (aka bbq) and the fun activities.

Our heart to all Toastmasters:)

Officially Registered!!!

I would like to express my gratitude to every member of Lemberg Toastmasters club who contributed to make our club recognized in the Toastmasters community.

We are finally charted!
My congrats to all of our members! I hope this event will help us explore more possibilities the Toastmasters is offering.

Now our new goal is to become a Distinguished club.

Good luck to us:)

Lyuba
VP Membership

Mascarad Party 2009

Another fun meeting with Kiev Toastmasters community our guys had a chance to attend. This was a mascarad party where everyone had a costume.

Before the party 4 of us (Lena Koronenko, Olena Derzhko, Alex Sheremet, and I) togather with Vera Viter and folks from Odessa TM club went to see newly opened galleries at PinchukArt Center and drink a coffee cocktail in SkyArt Cafe on the top of the Center.
What was real fun is that we had a chance to meet other Toastmasters, exchange the experience with them and jus hang out in a party atmosphere while tasting good food, wine and hot dances (swing, tango and salsa).


Even though Olena was not chosen as a winner of the best costume (she was an amazing and hot Red Hood), we all considered her costume to be the best in all aspects:) Alex got so much into his character that he even started speaking and joking just like Dr.House does. Impresive, i must say.
Well, it was a good time for sure, and we are looking forward to have more of events coming up this year to visit in Kiev.

Visiting EBA Toastmasters Club in Kiev

Last Monday I was invited to Speech Marathon at EBA Toastmasters Club in Kiev. A great experience. Why great? Because I not only had a chance to physicly be there, but also to participate as a General Evaluator which was a big honor for me.

When you evaluate members of your club who you know well, who's strengths and weaknesses you know is way more different from evaluating totally new to you people. I don't know how well i did (although everyone said that i did a good job), but I did get strong butterflies in my stomack, which I rearly get at Lemberg TM club meetings now. I wish I had more opportunities to attend other clubs. We definitely need to invite them to our meeting in Lviv:)

It's about Thinking, not Speaking

It's interesting how most people joining toastmaster think the ultimate benefit of Toastmasters is the ability to speak well in front of a crowd. Even most toastmasters below advanced feel the same way. I have a totally different opinion. While we do become better speakers, I believe the ultimately benefit of toastmasters is it teaches us to think better.

Years ago when one of the best toastmasters I know told me this it just confused me. "What's this man talking about!" was what ran through my mind. Then I started to observe the various speakers while considering his comment. Indeed he was right. While a toastmaster has to get past the basics of communicating in front of a crowd (speak clearly, display no nervousness, use enhancing gestures, etc.), it's those that learn to really think while on their feet that are the best and most entertaining speakers.

Being able to think clearly is what allows one to prepare the best speech. Those who think quickly are the best table topics speakers. (Don't worry, if you're not thinking quickly and clearly at table topics or viewpoint rebuttals it's only a matter of time and practice before you are!) No matter how well presented its the thoughts that truly matter. Whomever said "its not what you say but how you say it" assumed a pretty shallow audience. Sure, saying nothing well will appear to be a reasonably good speech. Saying something well AND intelligent will have a much deeper and lasting effect on the audience. This is what Toastmasters ultimately teaches us to do.

Stick to doing regular speeches, taking on roles, and jumping up for impromptu speaking opportunities. While you become a better and more comfortable speaker, you will find yourself a better thinker as well.

Our First Toastmasters Picnic

We finally moved out of the office room to a green park.

Last Saturday Lemberg Toastmasters had their meeting and a picnic outside in Kazervald Park in Lviv.




First we had the meeting with Table Topic Sessions. Sasha Yanov made us all speak on a sensetive topic--love and relationships. Olena, on the other hand, wanted us to give a piece of advice on personal letters " for help" sent by real people to Mrs. Web.



But for me the most challenging part was to lead an Auction. My goodness, it is really exhausting to be an Action Master. It is not just talking, it is about selling for a higher prise!!! I did have fun though:) And we raised 100 UHA for our budget which was the main point.

After the official part we gathered around the "table" to feast:) on backed sausages with beer and wine (boy, it was a challenge to open the wine without corkscrew). The unwelcome quests were annoying bugs and bees coming from all over.







And of course, there is no picnic without fun games. Do you think you can do a rabit or a mamonth? You should see Ira doing a wild cat. Who was there knows what i mean:)

All this fun lasted from 11 am to 5pm. And believe me --time flies when you are having fun!!
I surely hope this is not the last "Toatmasters going out event".

Share your experience....