Episode 20: The transformative odyssey of Toastmasters contests

You'll hear from my fellow Toastmasters and I how this global organization has impacted our lives for the better and how it could impact yours . Now let's get talkative . Welcome , ladies and gentlemen , to episode 20 . This week I'd like to speak about contests at Toastmasters .

This is yet another element of the Toastmasters program which gives members the chance to step even further out of their comfort zones and hone their skills .

Some of my guests and I have discussed contests in previous episodes , but this week I'd like to take a deep dive into the different levels of the annual club contest program and outline the benefits of participating . For me , toastmasters competitions are the epitome of excellence , where members showcase their prowess in various communication and leadership domains .

These competitions serve as a melting pot of talent , camaraderie and personal development . Each year , toastmasters clubs worldwide organize competitions at various levels , ranging from club contests to district-level events and culminating in the prestigious World Championship of Public Speaking .

So we'll explore each of these levels in a little bit more detail , and it's my understanding that some 30,000 Toastmasters start out on the contest journey every year , and it all begins at that club level . Club contests are really the grassroots level of the contest speaking program .

They provide members with a platform to hone their skills in prepared speeches , impromptu speeches and constructive evaluations . I talked about how we incorporate prepared and impromptu speeches into every Toastmasters meeting in detail in episodes eight and ten respectively . But the contests are where we raise it to the next level . So how do competitions actually work ?

Let's look at the evaluation contest .

This is where a test speaker is brought in and the test speaker will deliver a five to seven minute prepared speech and all the competitors in the evaluation contest will sit in the room , observe the speech , take their notes and then they'll all be escorted out of the presentation room at the end of the speech , where they get another five minutes to make any

final notes and do whatever they need to do . It might be preparing in their mind or literally just writing out notes to help them . When they give the evaluation , then , one by one , each competitor is brought back into the main room and will deliver a two to three minute evaluation of the speech .

If you give your evaluation first , you can stay in the room and listen to everyone else and , one by one , each evaluator comes in and gives the speaker feedback . Then the evaluators are judged and a winner is announced .

Then there's the table topics competition where , say , there's five competitors at a club level , all the competitors will be taken out of the room and , one by one , brought in .

These competitors have no idea what they're going to be speaking about until the chair introduces them , lets them know what the topic is and then they've got up to two minutes to deliver an unprepared speech about that topic .

Again , if you're speaking first in this contest , you can sit right back down after your own table topic and listen to everyone else's , and each speaker comes in , delivers their table topic and they're also judged . Then we have the humorous speaking competition , which is a prepared speech .

So the humorous speeches are five to seven minutes and obviously there's an element of them being humorous . They don't have to be stand-up level comedian humorous . In fact , in the judging criteria , humor only accounts for about 15% of the entire marks .

What the judges are still looking for is a well-constructed , well-thought-out , well-prepared and well-delivered speech that ultimately makes people laugh . And so in that competition there might be five competitors and they're all allowed to stay in the room because these are prepared speeches .

It's not like you're going to copy someone's speech with very minimal notice and everyone wants to deliver their own speech , so everyone gets to see all of the competitors , which can actually make it even more nerve wracking .

And then , finally , there's the international speech competition , and those speeches go for five to seven minutes and , again like the humorous speech contest , everyone who's competing can sit in the room , listen to everyone else .

They can be about really any topic the speaker chooses , but the speeches that win tend to have an inspirational message that leaves the audience with a strong call to action and some desire to improve .

Having seen a number of the winning international speeches over the years , it just seems to be that that's what is required to win , and I'll put some links to recent winners of the international speech contest in the show notes so you can get a feel for what those types of speeches are like .

In each contest , competitors are judged against a set of official , specific criteria relative to each contest , and then the winners at the club level go on to compete in their respective area . Contest Club contests foster a supportive environment where participants receive invaluable feedback from peers and mentors .

And what I love is being in contests or watching contests , where participants Quite new Toastmasters may have no expectations of getting anywhere in a contest and may end up going on to represent the club at the next level .

It's really a level playing field and it really is up to the quality of the speech you happen to give on the day and how well the judges feel that speech met the criteria . Then we have the area and division contests , so an area is representative of about five clubs and a division represents about five areas , which equates to about 20 to 25 clubs .

So as members progress in their Toastmasters contest journey , they compete at these higher echelons and it's here where the competition intensifies , as individuals face off against participants from multiple clubs , and these are people who they may never have met or heard speak before , so you often really don't know who you're up against and what their capabilities are .

These contests not only test the speaker's communication skills , but they also are great for networking and collaboration . You might only see some Toastmasters once every year during contest season , but even this can be a great way of building personal and professional networks .

Now in my areas both area 26 and area 20 the area contests were held back in about last November and the winners of those contests competed quite recently in division . So for us the Eastern Division contest was held in mid-March and , very surprisingly , I won the evaluation contest and came second in the table topics contest .

Winning the evaluation contest was a massive shock because just the standard of the competitors was so high and they were very experienced Toastmasters and when I first saw who I was competing against I had the nervous wobbles and yeah , it was daunting , and yeah it was daunting .

Now that means that I'll go on to represent Eastern Division in the district contest in May , in just a couple of weeks . So I can't wait for that and I'll report back in a couple of weeks and let you know how I go .

Second place in the table topics means that that's as far as I got , although if anything happens to the first place winner in that contest who incidentally was Steve Bates from Leading Edge , my other club if Steve's not able to compete for any reason , then I would , as a second place winner , potentially be asked to step in there .

So coming second doesn't necessarily mean you're out for the count , but I'm very happy just to be representing my area in the district evaluation contest .

So after the division level contests comes the district level contests , and again a district is going to comprise of multiple divisions and in District 69's case I believe this equates to representing about 160 clubs maybe more , maybe less , but a fair number of clubs throughout South East Queensland .

And district contests are really the culmination of a whole lot of skill , practice , often luck , and it's also where winners can earn the privilege to compete at the international stage . An important distinction here is that the district contest is the final level that you can get to for the humorous evaluation and table topics contests .

There is no further levels for these contests . However , the international speech contest can go one step further and into the world championship of public speaking and into the World Championship of Public Speaking . Again , I haven't seen this contest in the flesh and it would be a goal of mine to see it live In 2024, .

The World Championship of Public Speaking will take place in August and I know a few people going and I'm sure they'll come back with all sorts of amazing stories about that particular contest and conference . And really that World Championship of Public Speaking is the pinnacle of Toastmasters competitions .

It's a global extravaganza that attracts the best speakers from around the world , and it's here that contestants captivate audiences with their eloquence , passion and authenticity , competing for the coveted title of World Champion . Again , I'll put some links to winners of that contest in the show notes so you can get a feel for what they talk about .

In episode 17 , matt Iles , a Toastmaster from Fraser Coast Toastmasters , discussed his experience of competing in the World Championships in Nashville in 2022 . So it's very possible for Australian Toastmasters to get to the world level , and what an amazing experience to go through .

I'd recommend listening to Matt's journey in episode 17 if you're interested in hearing more detail about what it took to get to that level of competition . Now , there's plenty of benefits of participating and I completely understand that .

If you haven't walked into a Toastmasters club yet and you're on the fence about visiting a club , let alone joining , the idea of competing in these various contests may seem terrifying . I get it . But it's a completely optional part of the program and some Toastmasters never compete , not even in a club contest , and that's absolutely fine .

Never compete , not even in a club contest and that's absolutely fine . But for those who choose this path , participating in Toastmasters competitions is not just about winning accolades . It's about embarking on a journey of self-discovery and growth . So let's now dive into seven benefits that these contests offer . Firstly , there's enhanced communication skills .

We already know that Toastmasters provides a platform for members to refine their communication abilities , but through the contests and through rigorous practice and constructive feedback , participants learn even more how to articulate their thoughts with clarity , confidence and conviction .

Some competitors in these contests will spend hours and hours and hours refining their speeches , and they'll try to deliver that speech as many times as possible . They'll go around to different clubs to try and get feedback from different people . They'll vary a word here or a closing there and spend , as I said , hours refining .

And all of that practice and the thought process that goes into crafting a speech is no doubt going to help their general communication skills , and so , whether it's delivering a prepared speech or mastering the art of impromptu speaking , competitors emerge as more effective communicators simply because they're getting more practice doing it .

Number two is confidence building . Stepping onto the competition stage requires courage and resilience . Toastmasters competitions empower members to conquer stage fright , embrace vulnerability and exude confidence in their delivery .

As participants push beyond their comfort zone , they cultivate a mindset of fearlessness that transcends beyond public speaking into various facets of life . Now I know firsthand .

When I delivered my evaluation at the division level contest , I actually got nervous midway through and it was the most bizarre sensation , because you would normally imagine that you would get nervous right at the beginning of the speech .

But no , no , I got nervous and then self-conscious midway through and I don't know if it was the room because it was a different kind of room than I was used to speaking in and there was lights and just a different format , or if I became consciously aware that I was amongst some awesome and very experienced speakers or what .

But midway through my voice got the wobbles , I had a little attack of the nerves and it was so weird . But I got through it somehow I'm not quite sure how and finished the competition , but the fact that I got through has left me with a sense of okay , if I can get through that , I can probably get through anything .

Benefit number three is leadership development . So leadership is not just confined to hierarchical positions , but it also really encompasses the ability to inspire , influence and empower others .

I feel that Toastmasters competitions nurture leadership skills by fostering an environment of mentorship , collaboration and teamwork , and this was really evident to me in my Leading Edge Club , where we had quite a few people competing in the various contests , and the amount of preparation work that we assist each other with by evaluating each other's speeches or evaluating

each other's evaluations as if they were contest conditions , really , I feel feel helped to prepare me and , I'm sure , helped to prepare the other speakers in our club who did really well . So number four benefit .

Number four is constructive feedback and growth , and I've talked about this many times on this podcast , but the nature of feedback in Toastmasters really helps to become a catalyst for growth , and Toastmasters contests offer participants really invaluable insights from judges , fellow competitors and audience members .

This constructive feedback serves as a compass for improvement and guides individuals really towards excellence with each iteration . Number five is networking and camaraderie .

As I've also touched on Now , toastmasters competitions can transcend geographical boundaries and foster connections amongst like-minded people from really diverse backgrounds , and this is a common theme in Toastmasters that many of my guests have touched on as well .

It's been my experience that participants can forge lasting relationships , lasting friendships , mentoring relationships and professional alliances that extend beyond the competition arena , and in fact , many of the guests on my podcast , for example , are connections I've made at various contests or area division level events . Then , number six , we have recognition and prestige .

Emerging victorious in Toastmasters competitions is testament to one's dedication , skill and perseverance .

Winners do garner recognition within the Toastmasters fraternity , earning accolades that validate their journey of growth and achievement , and further accolades from Toastmasters contests do serve as a hallmark of excellence , enhancing perhaps one's credibility and prestige in professional and personal spheres .

I know my colleagues were really excited for me when I mentioned to them that I'd won . So it's just a different angle of professional development , which I feel is very useful . And then , finally , we have personal empowerment and fulfillment . Ultimately , toastmasters contests empower individuals to unleash their full potential and become agents of change .

As participants surmount challenges some that I've talked about and overcome obstacles and embrace their authentic selves , they can experience a profound sense of fulfillment and self-actualization . Toastmasters contests can ignite a spark within individuals , inspiring them to pursue excellence and make a positive impact on the world .

And again , as you'll hear from some of the winning speakers I'll put the links to you can really see the nature and flavor of their speeches and how they very much go on to become professional motivational speakers . So , in conclusion , toastmasters contests represent a transformational journey and it's certainly been my experience that they're quite transformational .

That really extends beyond mere public speaking skills . Contests embody the spirit of growth and resilience and empower individuals to become confident communicators , inspiring leaders and lifelong learners . If you're ready to unlock your potential , consider joining a Toastmasters club near you .

Check out the find a club link on the Toastmasters International website at wwwtoastmastersorg . It's worth visiting a couple of different clubs as a guest to see which club best suits you . If you do take the leap and visit a meeting , I would absolutely love to hear your experience .

Feel free to message me at talkativetoastmaster at gmailcom or tag me in the comments if you found this podcast on YouTube , facebook , instagram or Twitter . Thanks for listening to today's show . Head to talkativetoastmastercom , where you'll find the show notes for this and all other episodes , as well as links to some awesome Toastmasters resources .

If you found value in today's content , I'd really appreciate if you could share it with friends and colleagues who may be interested or leave a review on iTunes . This helps more people to find us . Until next time , remember the words of Rave Robinson the best speeches come from the heart and reflect your passion . Speak as if your life depended on it .

Have a great week .