May
29
It usually takes me more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech.
Mark Twain
May
22
There are always three speeches, for every one you actually gave. The one you practiced, the one you gave, and the one you wish you gave.
Dale Carnegie
May
19
Here is a great outline to follow when creating a story. This list comes from a storytelling workshop presented by Dorian Haarhoff at the Toastmasters Conference in Port Elizabeth.
- People
- Place
- Problem
- Pleasant
- Plan
- Process
- Product
Take Little Red Riding Hood for example:
- People - Red Riding Hood, her grandmother, the woodcutter and the wicked wolf
- Place - a forest
- Pleasant – Red Riding Hood going to visit her grandmother
- Problem – the wolf eats and then masquerades as grandmother
- Plan - chop off the wolf?s head
- Process – saved by the woodcutter
- Product – we all live happily ever after
Remember, facts tell, and stories sell ? so go out and write some great stories.
May
19
Lois and I have just got back from the Toastmasters conference in Port Elizabeth. The theme was "TreasureCon – find the treasure within".
I ran the open flag ceremony, hall of fame (awards), and the impromptu contest, and Lois ran the evaluation contest. So it was quite a busy couple of days.
At the AGM, I was voted in as Lieutenant Governor Education Training for the next Toastmasters year – yay! So from 1 July I will be managing the Education & Training portfolio for District 74, consisting of nine countries in Southern Africa, and Lois will be heading up the entire district. I think that it is going to be a busy year for us both.
One of the perks of our new roles is that we will both be going to Calgary in August to attend training at the Toastmasters International Convention! It will be fantastic to catch up with all our Toastmasters friends, and of course to make some new friends.
See you in August!
May
15
The power of humour is like a magnet: positive attracts, negative repels. Use it wisely.
Darren LaCroix – Laugh and Get Rich
May
10
I just came across a great article on Ramon Thomas? website about the power of LinkedIn. He gives a brief overview of social networking and then discusses LinkedIn specifically. There are some great suggestions on how to grow your network, and more importantly, who you should grow your network! Ramon should know ? he has over 1000 connections.
One of the most powerful comments he makes is that most people who get business through connections get it not from a direction connection, but from one of their connections. Eg – a friend of a friend. So, you aquire business through weak, and not strong connections. This means that the bigger you can grow your network, the more you are creating business opportunites for yoursef!
I have been growing my LinkedIn network ? I am up to 134 (from about 110 a week ago), and my goal is to get to 200 by the end of May. So come on over, and let’s link.
Here is a link to my profile.
May
08
One of the strange things about human beings is that they value only that which has a price. The free schools of America, and the free public libraries, do not impress people because they are free.
Napoleon Hill – Think and Grow Rick
May
03
Here are eight thoughts that Mark left us with when he was at our Toastmasters Conference last May.
- What do you want the audience to think differently about when they leave the room?
- It is not about being sensational, it is about being sincere.
- It is not what you can offer, it is what does the audience want.
- Stories do not need to be mind-blowing, they just need a point.
- Everybody has stories.
- Be aware of others – listen to them, learn their names.
- Be humble – you are speaking for others.
- Be descriptive.
Follow these ideas, and you will present a great speech!
ps: If you ever have the opportunity to hear Mark Brown speak, please do – he has a great message (and a pretty amazing voice as well!)
