Communicating verbally is very different to communicating via an email or a written document, where your ‘audience’ can read at their own pace and even re-read sections if necessary.

Studies show that people only retain a relatively small proportion of the content they receive verbally so it is very important that your central message is very clear (not only to your audience, but to you too!)

For instance, if your speech purpose is to inform, what exactly do you want to inform the audience about? What do they ‘need’ to know? A useful question to ask yourself is this: “If there’s just one idea I want my audience to remember after I’ve finished, what should it be?”.

And don’t try to communicate too much information in one go – you run the risk that your secondary points will dilute the impact of your main message.

At Toastmasters, you’ll learn to develop your core message and use “rhetorical” devices such as repetition to reinforce your message. You’ll get feedback from other members to let you know how effective you were in communicating your message and tips about improving in future.