Have you heard of toastmasters? Can Toastmasters help you to be a better speaker?

If you are or were a toastmaster, I think your answer to the above question is YES.
If you don’t know what toastmasters are. Check out the below article “Can Toastmasters Help You Be a Better Public Speaker” written by George Torok for more information.

If you want to overcome stage fright and learn to speak with confidence, join a toastmasters club.
You are welcome to visit our Kowloon-Singapore Toastmasters Club (KSTMC) if you are living in Singapore.

Next Meeting Date:  25 Jan 2012 (Sat afternoon)
Time: 2:15 pm - 5pm
Venue: Kampong Ubi Community Centre, Level 3 Conference Room
10 Jalan Ubi Singapore 409075
Click here to see the Location Map.

Yetti
Kowloon-Singapore Toastmasters Club
Past Club President
District 80 Treasurer 2009-2010

“Helping You To Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking and Speak With Confidence!”
Public Speaking Singapore
Public Speaking in Singapore Blog

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Can Toastmasters Help You Be a Better Public Speaker?
By George Torok

The short answer is yes.

Toastmasters can help you improve your presentation skills. Toastmasters has helped hundreds of thousands of people around the world improve their presentation, public speaking, and communication skills.

My Experience with Toastmasters

I joined Toastmasters to improve my presentation skills. I was a member for seven years. During that time I actively participated in meetings, on the executive, in public speaking contests and in the promotion of membership. I contributed articles, letters and tips regularly to Toastmaster Magazine. I presented at officer training programs, regional conferences and at two international conferences.

Membership in Toastmasters was a series of positive experiences for me. If you want to get the most from any organization or experience contribute and participate. This article is my opinion of my experience as a member of Toastmasters. As a professional speaker and presentation skills trainer I am often asked about Toastmasters.

What is Toastmasters?

Toastmasters is a nonprofit association primarily focused on improving the presentation skills of its members. Through participation in the administration of the volunteer structure Toastmasters also offers leadership development. Anyone can join. Pay your membership fees and you are a member. Volunteer to lead and you can be a club, area or regional officer. Naturally you will be expected to invest time, effort and commitment. Read more »

Public Speaking Tips: 4 Ways to Avoid Presentation Disasters

“I once heard Jerry Seinfeld joke that, because the fear of public speaking outranks even that of death, the average person attending a funeral would rather be “the guy in the casket than doing the eulogy.” Put to you this way, you’d probably want to get over your fear of public speaking (if you have one) in a hurry. This is particularly true in the workplace where public speaking is frequently a part office life. For some people, the thought of leading meetings or making formal presentations can be terrifying. Some are so terrified their muscles tighten and throats gets so dry they can hardly speak when just having to introduce themselves to a group of their peers around the boardroom table…” Check out the below full article for more information.

If you want to overcome stage fright and learn to speak with confidence, join a toastmasters club.
You are welcome to visit our Kowloon-Singapore Toastmasters Club (KSTMC) if you are living in Singapore.

Yetti
Kowloon-Singapore Toastmasters Club
Past Club President
District 80 Treasurer 2009-2010

“Helping You To Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking and Speak With Confidence!”
Public Speaking Singapore
Public Speaking in Singapore Blog

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Public Speaking Tips - 4 Ways to Avoid Presentation Disasters
By Dr. Sandra Folk

I once heard Jerry Seinfeld joke that, because the fear of public speaking outranks even that of death, the average person attending a funeral would rather be “the guy in the casket than doing the eulogy.” Read more »

Public Speaking Tips: How To Make a Speech Like a Pro

If you are expected to make a speech or give a talk, check out the below article for 8 simple tips that will help things go smoothly. 1. Practice in front of a video camera or mirror, and rehearse enough times to feel confident…

If you want to overcome stage fright and learn to speak with confidence, join a toastmasters club.
You are welcome to visit our Kowloon-Singapore Toastmasters Club (KSTMC) if you are living in Singapore.

Yetti
Kowloon-Singapore Toastmasters Club
Past Club President
District 80 Treasurer 2009-2010

“Helping You To Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking and Speak With Confidence!”
Public Speaking Singapore
Public Speaking in Singapore Blog

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Public Speaking Tips - Make a Speech Like a Pro
By Judy Camp

Public speaking can be a scary thing the first few times you try it, but people who speak often have a few tricks that help improve their performance. If you are expected to make a speech or give a talk, here are eight simple tips that will help things go smoothly.

1. Practice in front of a video camera or mirror, and rehearse enough times to feel confident, without saying “um”. In between rehearsing, take a moment to close your eyes and visualize your audience smiling and enjoying your talk. Visualization might seem strange, but it has been proven that positive visualizing beforehand will create a positive experience. Read more »

If you want to overcome stage fright and learn to speak with confidence, join a toastmasters club.
You are welcome to visit our Kowloon-Singapore Toastmasters Club (KSTMC) if you are living in Singapore.

Yetti
Kowloon-Singapore Toastmasters Club

“Helping You To Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking and Speak With Confidence!”
Public Speaking Singapore
Public Speaking in Singapore Blog

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President’s Inaugural Speech on 26 July 2011 by Ramana Boyani

A splendid good evening to our district officers, my fellow Toastmasters and guests!

It is my privilege to be the President of Kowloon-Singapore Toastmasters club for the term 2011- 2012.

Being the President it has increased my responsibilities and commitments. But I am very happy that I have an excellent team who are more committed and enthusiastic than me. With their support, I am sure we will achieve our club success.

I always believe the value of team work. I always believe my members dreams…and most importantly

I believe myself. With the experience as a Vice President Membership for the last term, I am fully confident that I can overcome all the challenges in the future.

On 20 Sept 2009, I got a call from one of my friends, and he invited me to a Toastmasters seminar.

My immediate response was “I am not interested in toasting or baking courses. Because my wife does not allow me to cook” : )  He said,” it is not about the cooking or baking..It is about toasting your public speaking skills”… hmmm.. That sounded good to me. After 3 days, I visited Chai Chee Community Club along with my friend. As usual the guests were called on to participate in the Table topics. I didn’t dare to step forward. After the seminar I had realized the importance of public speaking in my life. This is the programme sheet for that day. It was so simple… there was no president name and there are no names of the exco team… But I still preserve this… do you know why?….that was the place I got enlightened. I realized about my fear of speaking ….But after 2 years from that day, I am standing in front of you as a President of one of the leading Toastmasters clubs in Singapore. I am very thankful to the friend in my story who showed me the way. He is none otherthan our club member TM. Rao. Please give him a big round of applause!

“People who take initiative and work hard may succeed, or sometimes they may fail. But anyone who does not take initiative is almost guaranteed to fail”.

• Initiative is often the difference between success and failure. Initiative is the first step to anywhere you want to go. My message to all of you…
  “You don’t have to be good, to start: you have to start, to be good”. I repeat…”You don’t have to be good, to start: you have to start, to be good”

Start your Toastmasters journey … I am sure, you will become a better speaker, a better listener, a better thinker eventually a better leader. Read more »

Project 10: My Toastmasters Journey
By Ramana Boyani

On 23rd March 2010, I started my Toast masters journey, with my Project 1 Ice breaker. On that day I spoke about my 4D principle.

DESIRE…. DECISION……….DETERMINATION …and…….. DESTINATION……

A splendid good evening to my fellow Toastmasters and Guests…

Today I have reached my first milestone in the Toastmaster’s journey. My 4D rule really worked, in achieving this goal.

Because, I had a very strong DESIRE to overcome the fear of public speaking… I took a DECISION to join the Toastmaster club. On my first day itself, I signed-up as a member. I took the challenge of completing 10 projects in 12 months with a strong DETERMINATION…. With a blink of an eye, 12 months have passed. Today, I am at my DESTINATION of completing my final project to become a Competent Communicator.

Many people think that, they are not good at speaking …. They feel shy to talk to others. But I feel that every person has got a talent. Every person is like a diamond. Some are kept on the show like our US President Obama, and some are lying in the mud like us. The more you polish the diamond, the more it shines. Toastmaster is the best mechanism to polish your communication skills.

Toastmaster’s journey has changed my life in 2 aspects. :

1) Personally
2) Professionally

Personally… To do projects we have to read lot. Through that, we will gain knowledge. By giving speeches consistently, we can correct our mistakes with the help of, our excellent evaluators. Apart from that, we also learn time management and leadership skills

Professionally… Few months back, I attended a seminar on Construction law. During the tea break, I had a chat with the speaker Mr.Jonathan Choo, who is one of the leading Arbitrators in Singapore.

After few days, I sent an email to him asking whether he was willing to visit our office, to conduct a seminar on construction law. I know he is very busy man and a very expensive lawyer. To my surprise, he accepted my invitation and agreed to conduct the seminar at our office without any charges. I sent an invitation to all my colleagues, including our CEO.

With my Toastmasters experience, I arranged the meeting successfully. I did all roles like Toastmaster of the Day by introducing the speaker, Timer to help the speaker on his timing, Sergeant at Arms to arrange snacks for my colleagues, and Vice President Education, arrange the program,. I was very glad that my busy CEO attended the seminar.

Because I was very proactive, I secured more points in my Appraisal and received a big bonus during this Chinese New Year. I take this opportunity to give a big ‘Thank You’ to my Toastmaster club.

I strongly believe that, to achieve something you must be with the right people. The people around you must be very positive, supportive and have a lot of initiative. If you are with pessimistic people, you will never grow. Even if you want to improve yourself, the people around you will not encourage you.

There is an interesting story about this.

One day, a boy found an eagle egg, and put it into the nest of a prairie chicken. The eaglet hatched with the brood of chicks, and grew up with them.

Thinking he was a prairie chicken all his life, the changeling eagle did what the other prairie chickens did.

He scratched in the dirt for seeds and insects, to eat. He clucked and cackled. He could fly a little height from the ground with thrashing wings. After all, that’s how prairie chickens were supposed to fly.

Years passed, and the changeling eagle grew older. One day, he saw a majestic bird flying in the sky, with its golden wings.

“What a beautiful bird…What is that? He asked his neighbor.

“That’s an Eagle, the chief of birds”… “But don’t give a second thought. You could never become like him” advised the neighbor chicken.

The changeling eagle listened to his neighbor and never gave it a second thought. After some years, he ends his life thinking he was a prairie chicken.

What about you? Are you content to scratch in the dirt, or would you rather soar in the sky? If you would prefer to soar, you have to be with the right people. If you stay with successful people, you will become successful.

To conclude, I suggest our guests to join us and be part of this wonderful Toastmasters journey. Dear my seniors, please continue your projects and polish your speaking skills by attending the toastmasters meetings regularly and consistently.

Friends… I assure you… you are with the right people at the right place…that is….our Kowloon Singapore Toastmasters Club.

Back to Toastmaster of the evening….

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You are welcome to visit our Kowloon-Singapore Toastmasters Club (KSTMC) if you are living in Singapore.

Kowloon-Singapore Toastmasters Club (KSTMC) Chapter Meeting on 22 Mar 2011

This is just a short post about our next chapter meeting.
If you are living in Singapore, you are welcome to visit Kowloon-Singapore Toastmasters Club (KSTMC).

Guests are welcome to visit us.

Kowloon-Singapore Toastmasters Club
Next Chapter Meeting

Registration starts at 7PM. Kindly arrive at the venue before 7:30 PM.

Date:  22 Mar 2011 (Tue)
Time: 7:30pm - 10pm
Venue: 4/F CC Conference Rm,  93 Toa Payoh Central, Toa Payoh Central Community Building, Singapore 319194.

How to Go to Our Club
Location Map

Yetti
Kowloon-Singapore Toastmasters Club
Past Club President
District 80 Treasurer 2009-2010

“Helping You To Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking and Speak With Confidence!”
Public Speaking Singapore
Public Speaking in Singapore Blog

“No matter how big or small your audience is, the foundation for delivering a captivating presentation depends on your ability to build context. This is not about articulation, the use of language, vocal variety, filler words, verbal crutches, hand gestures, etc. This is more valuable than just technical speaking skills. It’s about how to connect with, and engage your audience.”

You are welcome to visit our Kowloon-Singapore Toastmasters Club (KSTMC) if you are living in Singapore.

Yetti
Kowloon-Singapore Toastmasters Club
Past Club President
District 80 Treasurer 2009-2010

“Helping You To Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking and Speak With Confidence!”
Public Speaking Singapore
Public Speaking in Singapore Blog

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Public Speaking - 5 Powerful Tips for Persuasive and Captivating Presentations

By Steve H Chang

Let’s face it. Most of us are not comfortable speaking in front of groups, especially when giving formal speeches or presentations. Standing on stage under bright lights, with all those blank faces staring at you, can be incredibly nerve racking. In fact, some people tremble at the mere thought of public speaking.

Did you know the fear of public humiliation is greater than the fear of death? It’s universally true across all cultures. It’s why most people are deathly afraid of public speaking.

Now here’s the paradox. To reach that “next level” of success, socially and professionally, the ability to speak in front of a group is a fundamental necessity. Overcoming this fear will release your untapped potential. It will unlock opportunities that you may currently find unattainable.

One of the most important life skills is communication. Being able to effectively communicate to groups of people gives you an incredible advantage.

Sooner or later you will be presenting. Maybe you need to pitch a proposal at a company meeting… give a sales presentation to prospective clients… or something as simple as voicing your opinion in front of some friends or colleagues. No matter how big or small your audience, the following 5 Tips will help you deliver persuasive, powerful presentations - guaranteed!

…But first thing’s first! I am not a professional speaker. I was no less afraid of public speaking than the next person. When I was young I avoided large groups. They intimidated me. So it wasn’t in my scope of reality to speak to a group of people!

Then as I got older I realized that shyness and greatness don’t mix.

Through training, I overcame that barrier. Not only did I learn to speak in front of a group, I learned how to present. My fear of speaking was replaced with the confidence to deliver impactful presentations to over a hundred people at a time. Now I’m even more comfortable on TV and on camera. So I can say first-hand that applying these skills has absolutely improved my life!

There are a lot of good resources for public speaking. You can find speaking groups, (like Toastmasters), in every major city. It’s a terrific way to develop some speaking skills. But, what I’m about to share with you is far more valuable than speaking skills alone. I’m not going to talk about articulation, creative use of language, vocal variety, filler words, verbal crutches, hand gestures, and other techniques.

Although public speaking techniques are invaluable for giving speeches, presentations are more interactive and often require facilitating audience engagement. When you’re able to deliver captivating presentations, every aspect of your public speaking skills will improve automatically.

The magic of a powerful presentation is in the ability to make an emotional connection and build trust.

This is achieved by creating the proper setting, or [context], which engages your audience as part of your presentation. Logic, facts and figures may build interest and even impress your audience. However, it won’t spark the emotional motivation that decisions are made from. And, it certainly isn’t enough to earn their trust. Win over your audience by speaking to their hearts, not their minds. Remember, presenting is “facilitating a conversation”. It’s not lecturing.

Creating context is how the best speakers in the world influence and inspire. The process can be so subtle that unless you know what to look for, you just think they’re amazing speakers - which of course they are! The point is, it can be duplicated. The process will even give you instant confidence. How’s that for a great by-product?

…Communication is an emotional contact sport. Presenting to groups is no different. The common mistake is to think that presenting is a one-way street.

5 Tips to Connect With Your Audience:

Yes, it’s your audience. And, no matter what you previously thought, “presenting” is two-way communication…even if you’re doing all the talking! Read more »

Kowloon-Singapore Toastmasters Club (KSTMC) Chapter Meeting cum X’mas Party to be held on 18 Dec 2010

This is just a short post about our next chapter meeting.
The Christmas is coming……

If you are living in Singapore, you are welcome to visit Kowloon-Singapore Toastmasters Club (KSTMC).
Guests are welcome to visit us.

Please bring a gift of about $10. We will have a gift exchange session on that day.

Merry X’mas & Happy New Year!

Kowloon-Singapore Toastmasters Club
Next Chapter Meeting cum X’mas Party

Date:  18 Dec 2010 (Sat)
Time: 2:30pm - 5:30pm
Venue: 4/F CC Conference Rm,  93 Toa Payoh Central, Toa Payoh Central Community Building, Singapore 319194.

How to Go to Our Club
Location Map

Yetti
Kowloon-Singapore Toastmasters Club
Past Club President
District 80 Treasurer 2009-2010

“Helping You To Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking and Speak With Confidence!”
Public Speaking Singapore
Public Speaking in Singapore Blog