The Ice Breaker

Competent Communication Manual project # 1 "The Ice Breaker" Objectives:

• To begin speaking before an audience.
• To discover speaking skills you already have and skills that need some attention
• Time 4-6 minutes

Organize Your Speech

Competent Communication Manual project # 2 "Organize Your Speech" Objectives:

• Select an appropriate outline which allows listeners to easily follow and understand your speech.
• Make your message clear, with supporting material directly contributing to that message.
• Use appropriate transitions when moving from one idea to another.
• Create a strong opening and conclusion.
• Time 5-7 minutes

Get To The Point

Competent Communication Manual project # 3 "Get To The Point" Objectives:

• Select a speech topic and determine its general and specific purposes.
• Organize the speech in a manner that best achieves those purposes.
• Ensure the beginning, body and conclusion reinforce the purposes.
• Project sincerity and conviction and control any nervousness you may feel.
• Strive not to use notes.
• Time – 5-7 minutes

How To Say It

Competent Communication Manual project # 4 "How To Say It" Objectives:

• Select the right words and sentence structure to communicate your ideas clearly, accurately and vividly.
• Use rhetorical devices to enhance and emphasize ideas.
• Eliminate jargon and unnecessary words. Use correct grammar.
• Time – 5-7 minutes

Your Body Speaks

Competent Communication Manual project # 5 "Your Body Speaks" Objectives:

• Use stance, movement, gestures, facial expressions and eye contact to express your message and achieve your speech’s purpose.
• Make your body language smooth and natural.
• Time – 5-7 minutes

Vocal Variety

Competent Communication Manual project # 6 "Vocal Variety" Objectives:

• Use voice volume, pitch, rate and quality to reflect and add meaning and interest to your message.
• Use pauses to enhance your message.
• Use vocal variety smoothly and naturally.
• Time – 5-7 minutes

Research Your Topic

Competent Communication Manual project # 7 "Research Your Topic" Objectives:

• Collect information about your topic from numerous sources.
• Carefully support your points and opinions with specific facts, examples and illustrations gathered through research.
• Time – 5-7 minutes

Get Comfortable With Visual Aids

Competent Communication Manual project # 8 "Get Comfortable With Visual Aids" Objectives:

• Select visual aids that are appropriate for your message and the audience.
• Use visual aids correctly with ease and confidence.
• Time – 5-7 minutes

Persuade With Power

Competent Communication Manual project # 9 "Persuade With Power" Objectives:

• Persuade listeners to adopt your viewpoint or ideas or to take some action.
• Appeal to the audience’s interests.
• Use logic and emotion to support your position.
• Avoid using notes.
• Time – 5-7 minutes

Inspire Your Audience

Competent Communication Manual project # 10 "Inspire Your Audience" Objectives:

• To inspire the audience by appealing to noble motives and challenging the audience to achieve a higher level of beliefs or achievement.
• Appeal to the audience’s needs and emotions, using stories, anecdotes and quotes to add drama
• Avoid using notes.
• Time – 8-10 minutes

Develop Mentoring Relationships

Develop and practice mentoring skills by serving as a mentor to others. You will find opportunities to share your experience with others in your club, at your job, in any group where you are involved. In areas where you want to improve, seek out someone who is succeeding and ask to be mentored to accelerate your skill building. It recognizes their accomplishment and is a sincere complement.

In your Toastmasters club ask the vice president education to assign you to serve as mentor for a new member working in the Competent Communication or Competent Leadership manual. Offer to mentor an experienced member working in the Advanced Communication program. As you fulfill your role, the "mentee" will observe you and give feedback on your leadership skills, writing comments on the evaluation guide at the end of the 'Mentoring' project in the Competent Leadership manual.

Ask the VPE if your mentee/evaluator will be able to give a verbal evaluation during a meeting. Some clubs may or may not be able to accommodate verbal evaluations of leadership projects during their meetings. If this is the case in your club and you would like a verbal evaluation, ask your mentee/evaluator beforehand to meet with you to provide one.

Mentoring is a 'win - win' relationship where both parties learn, grow and can benefit from each other's unique experiences.