International Speech Competition

Ask the Expert

How Do I Win The International Speech Competition?

Contrary to popular opinion, the International Speech Competition is a doddle. If one wants to win all they need do is follow to the letter the 5 Secret Points below and they will undoubtedly achieve success.

1. Enter the competition. Last year Annabel Woknazle of Anaheim Florida was a shoo-in with her wonderfully crafted ‘Get it All Here, Humpty.’ except she didn’t enter. Her disappointment has driven her to selling empty eggshells to little kids building model Inuit villages; a lifestyle choice that has so far not been particularly successful.

2. Choose an International Subject. Although Bert Cranger of Coober Pedy is one of Australia’s top Toastmasters he is now referred to as The Broken Man of Broken Hill since international judges gave his speech ‘My Opal Pal That Got Stuck Up My Nose’, the thumbs down.

How do I know if it is an International Subject?

Ask yourself the question, ‘Might Olga Solzhenitsyn benefit from my story?’ If the answer is ‘Yes,’ then you have an International Speech.

3. Make it Personal. No matter how ‘BIG’ your speech is, it must be related to you in some way. The audience wants to identify not only with your message but also with you as one who has come through an experience that gives validity to your story.

Dorothy Bagfast of Gore had a speech in 2016 that she thought was a winner; Combining Max Planck’s Quantum Theory with Jimi Hendrix’s Purple Haze to produce a whole new understanding of a Theory Of Everything (TOE) her speech however failed because it was delivered as a lecture with little personal content. This could easily have been achieved by introducing her pet rat Sparky right at the beginning and sending him through the time portal instead of disappearing there herself. Returning through the time portal to the speech’s beginning was also judged as a cheat by the Timer who unreservedly disqualified her.

4. Use all your Toastmaster Skills. Make use of body language, vocal variety & structure to make your speech memorable. Don’t be like Angus McAngus of Aberdeen who began his entirely forgettable speech about ... um ...er ...ah ...mmmmmm with aaaah...

5. Finally, don’t let anyone else know these secrets to success. Good luck!