Friday 1 July 2016

Why enter a speaking competition?

Why on earth would you put yourself through the stress of a speaking competition?

What makes a person put their hand up and have a go?  Do you need a massive ego?  Do you have to be a super extrovert who loves the limelight?

What's the point of it all?


It's pretty simple really.  Diamonds are created under pressure.  Participating in a competition is a way to focus your efforts and hone your skills considerably.

Is it necessary to enter a competition?  No of course not.  But it can lift your skill level and make you a better speaker.

Organise to practice your speech in a friendly and supportive group.  Of course that is easy with Rostrum because that's what it provides.

You might think that freshness in a speech means that you should not let anyone into the content especially if you are delivering a humorous speech.  My experience is that practising the content and delivery of your speech will help you to see the audience response and find out what they have taken from your content.  Sometimes you will find that background that you expect everyone to share is new to several of your audience.  This practice will allow you to hone your presentation to a broader audience.  You might find that your funny story can be enhanced with better timing or delivery.  Listen to the feedback from your club members.  If they are a good cross section of the community then your speech will be more likely to reach more of your competition audience.

Speaking in a competition will allow you to think about how to manage your nerves.  Build up to the competition by putting yourself into various situations in your club.  Each role will help you to become more relaxed in a new situation and a speaking competition is one more step in this process.

Sometimes your time in a club starts to get routine and predictable.  Enter a speaking competition and you will get a jolt and a new spark.  Have a go and use your club to support you through the process.

Rostrum's competitions are listed on the rostrum website.  Find your state on www.rostrum.com.au and check the events calendar.

Good luck!


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