Public Speaking: Have You Tried Toastmasters?

This is Part 1 of an ongoing review of, and insight into, my personal Toastmasters International / Pathways journey. You will be able to see all Toastmasters review posts here as I update lessons and speeches along the way. 

Public speaking may easily be one of the most intimidating tasks a person can be asked to fulfill. While hundreds of confident, larger-than-life, big-personality influencers can get on stage on a daily basis and make it look like an effortless task, the rest of us may still need baby steps before making that huge leap to center stage.  

Somehow, even the most timid people of all still often find themselves in a role asked to address an audience to some degree. An internal employee may be “voluntold” that she will be presenting the project status update to the Board of Directors at the next meeting. A student will inevitably need to give an oral report or defend a dissertation. And even a small business owner or boss-woman who can usually delegate tasks will be forced to broadcast her own voice on occasion. 

So how can we get past the nerves and deep-seeded fear of public speaking? 

Practice. Practice. Practice. (And some serious “fake it ‘til you make it” attitude!) 

Just like any fear in life, we need to force ourselves to take the reigns and get past it, and typically this means referring back to the classic Nike slogan and “Just Do It!” 

Luckily, there are public speaking tips everywhere, and not all of them result in the cherry-red cheeks of a speaker blushing at the image of the audience in their underwear (as the old tradition included.)

Somehow, I’ve always enjoyed public speaking – but it’s the anxiety and anticipation in the moments before that always hit me the hardest. I thought, “That must be because I’m not formally speaking in front of a group very often. Maybe that would make a difference.” 

When I discovered a Toastmasters group (more formally, Toastmasters International) met every Thursday during lunch right in my office building, I signed up. Yes, I feel confident that I know all of the “rules” of public speaking on-paper. And I have been writing essays and speeches for years, so I feel equally confident in my organization of content. But there is something to be said about continued practice when it comes to public speaking and being able to connect with various audiences for various topics (for instance, presenting a technical speech to those outside of your niche industry and still being comprehensible.) 

Have you heard about Toastmasters? I would love to hear about your experience with this group or a similar one in the comments below!