(See sample speech here)
Introduction
Remember the speeches you presented while completing the basic manual? One of the lessons you learned was that the opening of your speech must immediately catch your audience attention. It must arouse the audience's interest in you and your topic and lead into the speech subject.
Executive Summary
A humorous story at the beginning of your presentation will attract listener's attention and relax them, gently leading them into your speech. An opening humorous story should be relevant to your speech topic, simple, readily identifiable as humor, and appropriate for your audience. Most stories are composed of five parts: the set-up, the pause, the punch line, the punch word, and another pause. Deliver the story confidently and make sure your body language doesn't give away the story.
Objectives
- Prepare a speech that opens with a humorous story.
- Personalize the story.
- Deliver the story smoothly and effectively.
Note to the Evaluator
The purpose of this project is for the speaker to present a five- to seven- minute speech that begins with a humorous story. The story must be related to the speech topic and appropriate for the audience. The story may be based on an actual personal experience the speaker has had or on a story from another source. The speaker is to personalize the story.
This information is provided as a service to members. For full details on this speech project, refer to the Humorously Speaking manual. All materials in the Toastmasters Educational Program are copyright Toastmasters International. All rights reserved.
The Humorously Speaking Manual
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