JA Gamache.com  JA was third place winner at the Toastmasters International World Championship of Public Speaking in 2001
Home

Free Magazine   6 Free Articles   Press Review   Toastmasters

    Français

Return to the previous page.

Are you preparing for a speech contest or workshop?

By J.A. Gamache

3rd place winner in the 2001
Toastmasters International
World Championship of Public Speaking
 

Free!
Subscribe to my new
Electronic Magazine:
Speaking in Public with J.A.

Click here!

 
When preparing for a speech contest, you should write your presentation as a 7-minute keynote address instead of a 7-minute workshop. I started to win the day I really understood the difference between the two. Here's how you make the distinction.

Workshop
The goal of a workshop or training program is to educate people. You want to give them new facts and new skills.

Workshops can run anywhere from one hour to three days. Why so long? I believe the answer is best explained by the following quote from Confucius: "I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand."

You should take the time to demonstrate your new concepts thoroughly and then illustrate them properly. Lastly, you ask the audience to do some exercises so you can ascertain whether they really remember what you’ve talked about.

Keynote
Usually a keynote takes anywhere from a few minutes to an hour.

So what can be done in such a short time? You can make them laugh, touch their hearts, give them hope, remind them of principles they already agree with, and even give them some tips. But the goal is not to teach!

The next time you prepare for a contest speech, remember that you only have a few minutes and that your message will be best understood if you give a keynote, not a workshop. Resist the temptation to teach and you’ll have a better chance of winning!

Signature - JA Gamache
 

Print this page and 
give it to your friends!


Back to top of page

 
 

Free Magazine  Toastmasters  Français

 

© Copyright 2007 J.A. Gamache  All rights reserved.

  Tel:450-962-4342 email: info@jagamache.com 
 


We appreciate your comments.
Please feel free to let us know any ideas or suggestions to 
our Webmaster: www.ChezSylvain.com  

 

Last modifications were made : 18/08/07

Site Designed by Sylvain Auffret