Impromptu Speaking: The Importance of Table Topics

Part 1: Intro

Impromptu Speaking is defined as those all-too-frequent occasions when we’re expected to speakwithout preparation.

About a hundred years ago American novelist and essayist Mark Twain was famous throughoutthe world for his public speaking skills. Although celebrated for his ready wit and seeminglyeffortless ability to speak extemporaneously, Twain realized that off-the-cuff speaking wasn’tnearly as easy as he made it appear. On more than one occasion he admitted that it usually tookhim three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech.

He would probably be the first to acknowledge that, with practice, the ability to “think on one’sfeet” is a valuable skill every speaker can develop. In Toastmasters we call that practice “TableTopics.”

Part 2: Why?

Today we’ll look at why we have table topics.

Table topics means:TerrorTriumph1 - 2 minute reply that is organized, coherent, and entertaining

Why do we feature Table Topics at our meetings? The answer is “We need the practice.” Everyday we’re called upon to give impromptu speeches.

An example is the job interview. It’s notorious for featuring questions that can leave even themost glib ad libber shaking in his shoes. Then, once hired, our extemporaneous speaking skillscontinue to be tested whenever we answer the telephone or speak with a customer or coworker.

Other examples:Making an exchange at the storeUnexpected phone call from your child’s teacherRoomful of strangers encountered at that wedding receptionGet asked an unanticipated questionGet asked to “give a few words”

Here’s a formula for successful impromptu speaking:1. Listen2. Pause3. Confirm4. Tell

5. End

Part 3: Listen

The first component is to listen.

Quite often we hear someone’s words. How many times do we actually listen to their content?The best speakers know how to listen, realizing that a good response is dependent on an attentiveattitude.

Careful listening can provide part of your response. Consider the following scenario. You’reattending a dinner party at the home of a business associate. Someone begins to discuss thecurrent state of the nation’s economy comparing it to your company’s recent annual report.Suddenly all eyes are focused on you, waiting for your response.

By listening carefully, you have already formulated the first portion of your response. If youagree, you might say something like “What a startling comparison, Bob! As a matter of fact, Ithink you’re right on target.” If you disagree, you might say something like “Although I admitthat your concept is interesting, Bob, I have to disagree. The XYZ company has always operatedin the black. You can’t say that about our government!”

Being an effective speaker goes hand in hand with sharpening your powers of concentration.Resist the impulse to interject your own ideas before the other person has finished. Focus insteadon what is being said. The advantages are threefold:

Respect. People are more likely to listen to your ideas when you listen to them.

Ready-made dialogue. You’ll be able to incorporate some of what you’ve heard intoyour reply.

On-target responses. Careful listening improves your chances of commenting directly onwhat you’ve heard.

Part 4: Pause

Now the second component is to pause.

When tackling an off-the-cuff speaking assignment, take a few moments to pause before speaking.This will allow you to refresh your thoughts and formulate an answer.

Audiences find the well-timed pause just that. No one, after all, expects you to start rattling offfacts and statistics the moment you’ve been asked a question.

Sometimes a pause can add drama to your reply. Script writers know this and often have an actorwait a few beats before saying something especially profound or meaningful.

The pause can:1. Simply be a few seconds of contemplation allowing you to organize your thoughts.2. Give time to smile, nod, or otherwise indicate that you’ve heard the question.

The silent pause is always preferable to using verbal place holders such as “um,” “ah,” and“y’know.”

The old proverb advises us to “look before you leap.” Remember also to “pause before youspeak.”

Part 5: Confirm

Now the third component is to confirm.

We learned last time that pausing can give us extra time to organize our thoughts. Confirming thequestion will help us prepare a response. Repeating the question out loud gives the brain cells abetter opportunity to absorb the concept ... providing a clearer idea of how to respond.

Don’t discount the possibility that you may have misunderstood the question. If this is the case,repeating what you’ve just heard will help to verify the topic.

Part 6: Tell

Now the fourth component is to tell.

Dazzle everyone with your reply. As you express your thoughts, opinions, or ideas, remember tostay focused. In fact, your challenge is to tell only the essentials while sounding as if you know alot more than you’re telling.

This can be the most difficult part of your impromptu talk. Many speakers find themselves soenergized at this point that they are ready to discuss their topic from A to Z. That’s why it’simportant to End.

Part 7: End

Now the fifth component is to end.

Have you ever been held hostage by someone who simply cannot stop talking?

Once you’ve said what you want to say, don’t belabor the point. Bring your comments to a close.Emphasize your main point,smile while making that final audience eye contact,then sit down!

Part 8: Selecting a Strategy

Today, we’ll look at strategies for successful impromptu speaking.

Ideas for selecting a strategy:1. Keep up with current events2. Form opinions about those events3. Maintain a lively interest in the world around you4. Remember that preparing subject material for an impromptu talk is next to

impossible.5. It is possible to be familiar with a number of speaking strategies that will help you

survive the “tell” aspect of your talk.

These strategies are:

Express an opinion.Address cause and effect.Break the topic into components.Discuss the past, present, and future.

Part 9: Express an opinion

Today we’ll look at the first one, Expressing an opinion.

Depending on the topic, you may wish to use one of several strategies. For example, you couldbegin by stating an opinion, then justifying that opinion with a supporting statement.

Generally speaking, one item of support should be offered if answering a question. Two or threesupports if giving a brief speech.

A variation of this strategy would be to offer reasons why you agree and/or disagree with aparticular idea or concept.

Part 10: Address cause and effect

Today we’ll look at the second one, Addressing cause and effect.

Some topics lend themselves best to a cause and effect reply. In that case, begin by stating thesituation (such as a high rate of lung cancer), then discuss its causes (first and second hand smokeexposure) and the eventual consequences (long term hospitalization, high incidence of death).

Part 11: Break the topic into components

Today we’ll look at the third one, Breaking the topic into components.

You might decide to break the topic into components and discuss them individually. A questionasking for a way to reduce crime could then be answered in the following manner:

“Three areas of concern – legal, social, and educational – must be reevaluated in order to lowerthe crime rates. To begin with, we should encourage stricter laws and punishments for individualswho break those laws...”

Part 12: Discuss the past, present, and future

Today we’ll look at the fourth one, discussing the past, present, and future.

What if your topic involves assessing a situation over a span of time, such as United Statesdiplomacy regarding the former Soviet Union? Then the strategy of a past / present / futureoutline may be applied by organizing the “tell” of your subject in time line fashion.

Part 13: What not to do in impromptu speaking

We’ve been discussing how to handle an impromptu speaking opportunity. Here are three definite“don’ts.”

Don’t apologizeDon’t rambleDon’t invent

Let’s look at don’t apologize. Buying time with a pause is fine. Restating the question will helpsteady your response. However, taking time to apologize or make excuses is downright annoying.

Consider the following. After giving a perfectly good presentation, one speaker ended his speech,and very nearly his career, by informing the audience, “Well, that’s all I know ... sorry I couldn’tfind anything more to say ... hope I didn’t bore you.”

Now and then you may be asked to substitute for someone else. Everyone understands theawkwardness of such a predicament. Once your audience has been informed of the situation, theywill be more than willing to “cut you some slack.” But once the fact has been established, don’treturn to it again.

Part 14: What not to do in impromptu speaking

Today, remember Don’t Ramble.

When you’re forced to think on your feet, it’s easy to resort to rambling. You repeat oldstatements. You add new points. You backtrack. On and on and ...

One of the most logical ways to wrap up a talk is to come full circle and restate your originalpoints. Be brief. As the Greek philosopher Dionysus once so wisely stated, “Let thy speech bebetter than silence – or be silent!”

Part 15: Don’t Invent

Today we’ll talk about Don’t Invent.

A skilled impromptu speaker knows that to “bluff” one’s way through a speech or reply is risky atbest. Strive for sincerity rather than inventiveness. If you don’t know how to respond, say so.Then indicate your interest by asking a few questions in return. After all, it’s entirely possible thatanother person may be just as eager to try out their impromptu skills.

Being able to think on your feet is an excellent mental habit to cultivate. Like other good habits, ittakes time and effort to establish. Once we understand and practice the basic concepts, we’ll findourselves more than ready to accept the challenge of impromptu speaking.

Part 16: Tune Up Your Table Topics

Let’s return to the purpose of table topics.

“Please don’t call on me.” How often have you thought this plea or heard it muttered by a fellowclub member? Why do we have this inordinate fear of standing up and speaking before a group offriends that is probably the most tolerant audience in the world?

Maybe it’s because we want each and every Table Topics response to be perfect. We want it to bea memorable reply that perfectly (and humorously in most cases) addresses the topic we havebeen presented.

It isn’t going to happen – at least not every time we get called on. Instead of going for a perfectresponse we should strive for perfect learning.

Most experienced toastmasters would agree that table topics is a process to help us:

1. Think on your feet2. Develop a short speech in moments3. Deliver every message with energy

Looking at table topics as an important exercise in improving our communication skills, andnothing more, will help us use this exercise more productively.

Part 17: The table topics process

Last time we mentioned that table topics is a process to help us do three things.

1. Think on your feet. It improves your ability to access the hard drive of informationcontained in your brain. In our life outside toastmasters, the most frequent use of tabletopics skills is to respond to questions we are asked. This should help you reactintelligently.

2. Develop a short speech in moments. This is an important perspective on table topics.

Instead of just answering the question we are asked, we should use the question or topicas the foundation for a mini-speech.

3. Deliver every message with energy. Always try to connect with the audience.

Part 18: Seven ways to use table topics productively

There are seven tools to make table topics more productive.

1. No judgments2. No “tee ups”3. Build your knowledge base4. Use the topic as a basis for a mini-speech5. Connect with the audience6. Emphasize your physical presentation7. Have fun

What do we mean by No Judgments? Avoid making judgments about your presentation inadvance. Thinking about how our response will be received as we walk to the front of the roominstead of creating a mini-speech is not a productive use of our time. When called on for tabletopics, just leave the judgments at your seat and use the time to create a brief speech based on thetopic you have been presented. Then go up and deliver. You don’t have to be perfect every timeyou deliver a topic. You just have to learn and grow.

Part 19: No “tee ups”

Today we’ll look at No “Tee Ups.”

Frequently when called on to deliver an impromptu speech, we start our presentation with what iscalled a “Tee Up.” This is just like the golfer placing the ball on the tee for the first shot of thehole. A “Tee Up” in table topics could be any of the following:

1. This probably won’t be very good.2. I haven’t had time to prepare3. I don’t know anything about this topic4. I’m not good at this.

Don’t say anything that lowers the audience’s expectation. It weakens your connection with themand reduces the impact of your presentation.

Related to the “tee up” is trying to prepare in advance for a table topic by coming up with ageneric response, usually an attempt at humor. This approach will definitely impede your learningand will probably not help you win a ribbon. Don’t do it. Just address the topic and learn from theresponse.

Part 20: Build Your Knowledge Base

Today we’ll look at Build your knowledge base.

The more subjects with which you’re familiar, the easier it will be for you to deliver a shortimpromptu speech on one of them. If you’re not interested in the world, the world is not going tobe interested in you. Think about that for a moment.

No matter if it is in cocktail conversation or in dealing with people in your job, the more youknow about what is going on in the world, the more effective and interesting you will be. Thisdoesn’t mean that you should try to be an expert on all subjects. At least have enough knowledgeabout a variety of topics to ask intelligent questions about them.

Part 21: How Do You Build Your Knowledge Base?

Today we’ll continue the same topic by looking at how do you build your knowledge base.

Here are five suggestions on how to do this.

1. Read books. Not just easy fiction. One suggestion is to set a goal to read at least sixbooks each year that will improve your knowledge about your career, your knowledgeabout what is going on in the world, and your ability to communicate or to lead.

2. Read the newspaper. At least scan the paper each day or subscribe to one of the onlinenews services that email you the headlines each day. Scan the headlines and then read thestories that are most interesting or important to you.

3. Watch the news on TV. Even if you think it’s all bad news, you will be more informedabout the world around you.

4. Listen to books on tape during your commute. This is a good use of your commutetime. There is a lot of material available on tape or CD today. Books and tapes on self-improvement on a variety of topics are available from your library or bookstore.

5. Steer your conversations outside of TI to topics of current interest. All some guys cantalk about is sports. While it is okay to have a keen interest in sports, it is better to build abroader knowledge base. Talking about current issues helps you put your thoughts intowords that you can later use to respond to Table Topics. Plus, you gain the added benefitof becoming a more interesting person.

Part 22: Use the topic as a basis for a mini-speech

Today we’ll look at using the topic as a basis for a mini-speech.

Too often we make the Table Topics session a question-and-answer period. The Topicsmaster

asks the question and we answer it. Instead, use the topic as the basis for creating a mini-speech.

While we may not know the exact answer to the question asked in the topic, we usually haveenough information, thoughts, feelings, or opinions to develop a one-and -a-half minute speech.Work on developing an opening, body, and conclusion for your presentation.

Part 23: Connect with the audience

Today we’ll look at connecting with the audience.

If we simply respond to the topic presented, we are very likely to look primarily at theTopicsmaster when responding. By concentrating on connecting with the audience, we are morelikely to mold our response into a mini-speech. Look people in the eye. Work on selling an idea tothe audience.

Part 24: Emphasize your physical presentation

Today we’ll look at emphasizing your physical presentation.

Make sure your whole being is delivering your Table Topic. If we focus on just answering thequestion, we are more likely to stand in one place and deliver in a monotone with no gestures orenergy. If we focus on giving a mini-speech, we are more likely to deliver it with more energy andenthusiasm. Strive to put energy into your delivery.

Part 25: Have fun!

Today we’ll look at having fun!

Just relax and enjoy yourself. What is the worst thing that is going to happen if you don’t deliveryour Table Topic well? You won’t suffer any physical harm. It won’t cost you anything – exceptfor those ahs and not using the word of the day. The audience to which you’re speaking is in thesame boat as you. They aren’t likely to sink that boat. The worst thing that can happen is that youdon’t win the ribbon for best Table Topic of the day.

The best thing that can happen is that you climb one more rung up your ladder to effectivecommunication. Stretch! Dare to fall on your face! This is the place to try those things youwonder if you can do.

Part 26: Purpose of Table Topics

Today we’ll look at the purpose of table topics.

The purpose of Table Topics in the club environment is to improve rapid access to theinformation contained in your memory and use it to create an impromptu two-minute speech.Making up a response is fine because it helps break down the barriers to developing a response.

While it is permissible to wander from the truth in your Table Topics response, consider avoidingdoing this in communications outside the club.

Use these Table Topics tools and you’ll benefit by becoming a more effective communicator. Thiswill help you become more confident in any situation and more successful in your career. You willalso benefit by connecting more deeply with fellow club members and having some fun along theway.

Part 27: Mind over matter

We’ve been asked to share stories about our most embarrassing moment. A TV reporter stops usto ask our opinion on politics. Our boss asks us what we think of the new vacation policy. Gettingcaught off guard or unprepared scares us.

Is Table Topics painful? Can it be a fun exercise and a useful skill I’m eager to develop?

Here are some thoughts from Bill Monsour, CL, and a member of the Amsterdam ToastmastersClub.

If you want to live to tell your grandchildren all about how you became a champion at TableTopics, it is likewise a question of mind over matter. With experience, you grow accustomed tothat adrenaline rush that never goes away. You build up your self-confidence, knowing you arenot going to die or fall on your face.

Draw from your own knowledge and experience instead of making up a story and acting likesomeone other than yourself. Learn to rely on and share who and what you are.

Here are some steps to help build self-confidence.

* Pick a word at random out of a dictionary and immediately say the first thing that comesinto your head. Try it four or five times and notice how fast your brain serves up an imageor an idea for an answer.

* Still picking words at random, ask yourself what is the first opinion that comes to mind?Begin by saying I think that..., or I love how..., or I feel that.

* Add the next step. Right after you pick a word and find your opinion, immediately state amessage. Based on your opinion, you can always find a connection to make with youraudience, however small. Maybe your message amuses, informs, or inspires your audience.

Open your speech by stating your opinion. Then share your background thinking for a minute.Eventually, focus on transitioning to your end statement. Finally, make your heartfelt messagestatement with confidence. You did it! You jumped into the clouds, your idea parachute openedand you made a safe landing right in front of your audience.

Part 28: Graduating from Table Topics 101

Linda L. Isaacs, CTM, and a member of Mile Square Toastmasters, gave some suggestions onhow to go from scared beginner to a successful Table Topics contestant.

When she joined Toastmasters, she was determined to conquer her nervousness about speaking infront of people, especially while answering questions.

She volunteered for the Table Topics contest. She practiced by creating a “grab bag” of slips ofpaper with Table Topics questions, pulling them out and answering them one by one. Shepracticed with a timer that rang after 2 minutes. She recorded and played back her answers.

She entered Table Topics into Google and Google Groups and found an online resource fromNew Zealand which emailed her two questions each day. She listened to radio and televisioninterviews and tried to come up with her own two-minute responses to questions.

With the constant practice made possible in her Toastmasters club, the tips from the Toastmastersclubs she visited, the help from her mentor, and some lucky breaks with the contest questions, shewent from scared newcomer to Table Topics winner.

She decided to speak at every meeting, one way or another.

Part 29: Speaking up at Beauty Pageants

A contestant’s intelligence and ability to maintain composure and articulate her views account for50 percent of the judges’ decisions. The pageant can be won or lost during the interview thatoccurs off screen. Judges also watch to see if a contestant wins over the audience when sheanswers the onstage question.

Jody Bernhartd, Mrs. Michigan America, 2006, and a member of BDO Club, said that shereceived invaluable help with Table Topics which happens to be very similar to the onstageimpromptu question that all participants must answer.

Erika Ebbel, Miss Massachusetts, 2004, and a member of Tuesday Toastmasters, said that “TableTopics and two-minute responses gave me the ability to talk about anything and the capacity toquickly respond. Whenever anyone asks how I learned to express myself so well, I creditToastmasters.”

Mary Bell, Top 10 finalist Mrs. New York America, 2002, is a member of Impressionists Club.Her toastmasters experience was valuable because it not only helped her speak during the Mrs.America contest, but kept her focused as well. “Instead of worrying about what they were goingto ask for my onstage question, I simply answered directly and honestly, which is somethingToastmasters teaches you.”

Part 30: Summary of Table Topics

Let’s look at what we’ve learned the past several weeks about Table Topics.

An example of impromptu speaking is the job interview. It’s notorious for featuring questions thatcan leave even the most glib ad libber shaking in his shoes. Then, once hired, our extemporaneousspeaking skills continue to be tested whenever we answer the telephone or speak with a customeror coworker.

Other examples:Making an exchange at the storeUnexpected phone call from your child’s teacherRoomful of strangers encountered at that wedding receptionGet asked an unanticipated questionGet asked to “give a few words”

Here’s a formula for successful impromptu speaking:1. Listen2. Pause3. Confirm4. Tell5. End

Here are four speaking strategies:

1. Express an opinion.2. Address cause and effect.3. Break the topic into components.4. Discuss the past, present, and future.

Here are three definite “don’ts.”

Don’t apologizeDon’t rambleDon’t invent

There are seven tools to make table topics more productive.

1. No judgments2. No “tee ups”3. Build your knowledge base4. Use the topic as a basis for a mini-speech5. Connect with the audience6. Emphasize your physical presentation7. Have fun

Here are five suggestions on how to build your knowledge bases.

1. Read books.2. Read the newspaper.3. Watch the news on TV.4. Listen to books on tape during your commute.5. Steer your conversations outside of TI to topics of current interest.

The purpose of Table Topics in the club environment is to improve rapid access to theinformation contained in your memory and use it to create an impromptu two-minute speech.Making up a response is fine because it helps break down the barriers to developing a response.While it is permissible to wander from the truth in your Table Topics response, consider avoidingdoing this in communications outside the club.

Use these Table Topics tools and you’ll benefit by becoming a more effective communicator. Thiswill help you become more confident in any situation and more successful in your career. You willalso benefit by connecting more deeply with fellow club members and having some fun along theway.

Part 31: Serving as Table Topics Master

Today let’s take a look at what the Table Topics Master should do.

When you’re the Table Topics Master, avoid lengthy introductions of speakers and remarks onwhat they say. Your task is to introduce topics and guide the discussion. Give all possible time tothe members for their comments.

Avoid mundane subjects such as “My most embarrassing moment” or “My most enjoyablevacation.” Introduce stimulating, realistic, and useful topics that will generate discussion amongthe members participating. Take a stand on community, national, or international issues. Be sureto coordinate the Table Topics theme with the Toastmaster of the meeting.

Plan your introduction to the Table Topics session to take less than one minute. The purpose ofTable Topics is to give all members not already scheduled on the program a chance to speak, notfor you to deliver a speech.

Provide each speaker with a topic that he or she knows something about. Try not to embarrassthe speaker. Only call on guests if they agreed earlier to participate.

Be creative when planning your table topics program. Prepare for it several days before themeeting. Don’t wait until the last minute.

Part 32: Suggestions for Table Topics Questions

Today we’ll look at some suggestions for coming up with table topics questions.

Be creative when planning your table topics program. Here are some suggestions that provide

variety in many kinds of impromptu speaking, debate, and discussion.

* Announce that the table topics discussion will be about the drive for the new hospital orlocal traffic control or another problem of community concern. Ask for volunteers todescribe the problem or do it yourself. After the problem has been explained, ask forpossible solutions. When all reasonable solutions are before the group, invite evaluativediscussion of them. Conclude with summary remarks indicating what the membershipseems to feel about the problem.

* Draw upon members’ personal experience. In business and community affairs, peopleoften are called upon to offer a few remarks without opportunity to prepare, almostalways on a subject about which they are well informed. Whether the subject is taxation,or bidding a hand at bridge, the group turns to the person who knows about it because ofexperience.

Before the meeting, make up a list of topics suitable for those who will participate, makingsure there is an appropriate topic for each speaker. Then introduce each speaker by sayingsomething like “We have a problem of discoloration in our city water system. We have someonewho knows more about this problem than any of us. So I’m going to call on _____ to tell usabout the problem.”

* Ask members to discuss items in the daily news. Jot down a list of stories from thenewspaper (some of them may be humorous). Then call on members to discuss them: “Iknow many of you have been reading about the automobile accident on Fourth Street.Who can tell us how it happened and perhaps suggest ways of avoiding such tragedies?”

* Hold a debate. Ask members to count off in groups of three, then declare a debate inwhich all the “ones” will be on the affirmative, all the “twos” on the negative, with the“threes” evaluating the quality of the debate presentations by the ones and twos withwhich they are grouped. You could debate topics such as “Strikes should be outlawed” or“Drivers licenses should be automatically revoked for those convicted of drunk driving.”You could make the topic different for every pair of speakers. A good discussion willdevelop after the debates end if you invite comments on and responses to arguments thathave been presented.

* Ask participants to resolve or discuss some everyday problems people encounter such as:* A competing firm has offered my assistant a modest increase in salary which I’m

not prepared to match. What other inducements can I offer to keep him in his job?* We want to build a swimming pool but we don’t want neighborhood children to be

using it nor do we want to offend the neighbors by refusing its use. Anysuggestions?

* My boss has just used a memorandum I prepared for him to win a big salaryincrease for himself. What should I do about it?

* Our 15 year old daughter wants to go steady because that’s what all the other girlsand boys her age are doing. Any solutions?

* Encourage creativity by asking members to react to imaginary situations such as:* Ask members to describe a job, entirely different from their own, which they might

like to have. Then have them tell why the job is appealing to them.* Ask members to assume that they are someone of national or international fame –

preferably someone they don’t like – then speak in the guise of that person to tryto win friends and favor.

* Ask members “If you only have one year to live, what would you do?”* Ask, “If you were running for governor, why should people vote for you?”* Ask members, “If poverty were suddenly eliminated from the world, what would

be the results?”

* Pair members for each of the following speech events:* One presents a gift with appropriate remarks, the other receives it and responds.

The gift may be something like a pen or a watch, or it might be something fantasticlike Aladdin’s Lamp or an honorary doctorate.

* One bids farewell to another who is supposedly moving to a distant community,the other responds.

* One tries to sell an object, the other raises reasonable objections.

* Build a narrative that stops abruptly, then ask each participant to continue the story. Forexample, you could begin, “The door of the flying saucer opened, and out of it stepped thestrangest creature I had ever seen...”

* Conduct a general discussion of the prepared speeches. Members should react to thespeaker’s ideas or suggest their own thoughts. Members could also suggest topics forfuture talks which they would like to hear.

* Bring a bowl of fortune cookies to the meeting. Have each participant select one, open it,read the fortune aloud, then discuss it.

* Ask each participant to review a movie or television show he or she has recently seen. Orask each participant to create a television show or movie of his or her won, describing theplot and characters.

Next time we’ll look at some suggestions of what to do when you answer a table topics question.

Part 33: Suggestions of what to do when you answer a table topics question

Today we’ll look at some suggestions of what to do when you answer a table topics question.

When you’re called upon to speak during the Table Topics portion, keep your remarks brief andto the point. Make sure they are appropriate to the trend of the general discussion. Try to presentsensible, worthwhile ideas that add to the knowledge of others. You’re welcome to refute orelaborate on ideas and information already presented by other participants.

You’ll be able to talk comfortably on virtually any subject – even those about which you knowlittle – if you have several mental outlines to follow. When you’re given your topic, simply selectthe outline most appropriate and develop your talk. Here are some outlines to consider.

* Give your opinion, then justify it with two or three specific reasons.

* State a problem and show its causes.

* Offer a viewpoint – yours or someone else’s – and elaborate on it.

* State a goal or problem, and tell what must be done to achieve that goal or solve thatproblem.

* Describe a process. “What happens when you telephone the volunteer fire department toreport a fire? First...”

* Break a problem, situation, or object into its components and discuss them.

Table Topics is our opportunity to enhance our speaking skills, to learn to meet the challenges weencounter in our everyday life. By using the ideas presented the past two weeks, we will obtainmaximum benefits from Table Topics, and we’ll have a lively, stimulating program of which theclub can be proud.

Part 34: A Toastmaster’s technique for table topics

Today we’ll look at one member’s technique. Jack Cooley is a member of Clayton County Club inGeorgia. The technique described works wonders for him.

Those of us not gifted with total aplomb make the situation worse by trying to tackle difficulttopics head on. We feel pressured, so we start talking, only to come up short a moment later bythe realization that we don’t know where we’re going. Mental block sets in, preventing theassociations needed to continue.

Here’s Jack’s technique. Temporarily forget the topic. Start talking about anything with whichyou’re familiar, something so familiar that the words come easily. Use that for an openingbeginning as always with a crowd teaser. Once your words are slipping out, you’ll be more

relaxed and your mind can do what it does best: form associations. Take advantage of thoseassociations to bring your talk back around to the topic.

A bonus for this technique is that the audience does not at first connect the opening with thetopic, almost guaranteeing a higher level of curiosity and interest. Here’s his example:

"Not long ago I was given the topic: "My Favorite School Teacher." I began my talk with achallenging question: "Guess what I did today?" I then went on to tell about how I had gone outjogging that day even though the temperature, with the wind chill factor, was below 10 degrees.My opening got my audience's attention, both because of the challenging question and becausethey were expecting something quite different. I talked about how I had bundled up against thecold, even slipping on a ski mask.

When I began, I didn't know how I would bring my talk back around to the topic; I was simplycounting on associations to help me out. Soon enough, the cold temperature I was talking aboutserved to remind me of a dramatic demonstration my high school physics teacher had performed -- a demonstration to show the effects of super cold temperatures. This provided a ready-madetransition between my opening and the topic.

In the body of my speech, I went on to talk about this excellent teacher who made learning apleasure by bringing physical principles to life through demonstration. My talk won Best TableTopic.”

Because these associations are not always obvious, it takes a little practice to recognize usableones. But given a little encouragement, this technique will work for you. And in the wider world,your "off-the-cuff" responses may improve dramatically.

Here's a trick: Plan what you will open your talk with before the Topicsmaster calls on you. You.might even think of several possible openings.

Sometimes, Table Topics questions are overly complex -and not easily understood, particularly bysomeone experiencing stage fright. Realize this and give yourself a break.

Have the Table Topicsmaster repeat the topic while you listen carefully for the essential question,ignoring everything else. Repeat the essential question out loud to your audience to help fix it inyour mind. Then if you are still shaky, proceed with your prepared opening as indicated earlier.

This technique -- creating associations even under stress -- will amaze and delight your audience,who will feel they are truly in the presence of a master. Of course, they don't have to know whatyour secret is unless you tell them.

Table Topics can be enjoyable and educational at the same time. Try it, you’ll like it!!!!