Approximately 75 were in attendance to learn from 1990 world champion speaker, David Brooks,  as he shared half a dozen techniques that we can use in becoming better speakers.  From as far West as Roanoke, and as far east as Richmond, members and guests met on Monday night, 21 November, at the Albemarle County Office Building. They laughed, learned, and were entertained as David well demonstrated what Ralph Smedley observed years ago ... that we "learn best during times of enjoyment." 


Among the tips that he shared:

• the audience is not the enemy - they want you to succeed (knowing this can help us overcome our fear)
• speak with a purpose - determine what you want your audience to think, feel, or do
• write your speeches out in advance; prepare - don't just "wing it"
• use the 6 emotions that will effectively carry your message
• tell a story; make a point - all of us have stories to tell
• use language that will bring your message to life
• use body language effectively

Yes, we've heard these tips before and read about them in our speech manuals but of even greater value were the examples he shared - an audio recording of the Gettysburg Address, contrasting audio messages by Marc Brown to demonstrate imagery in language, and body language examples from International competitions.

This was also a great example of teamwork. Rick Brannon (Area 15 AG) surfaced the opportunity with barely 2 weeks to prepare. LGM JoAnn Seymour pulled together conference calls with action items being assigned. Two local clubs (Blue Ridge Toastmasters and Vinegar Hill Toastmasters) provided the "foot soldiers" to secure the venue, support the A/V needs, provide appropriate signage, and help get the word out.