1. HOW TO BE A
COMPETENT
COMMUNICATOR
By Shanit Vannala

2. Why should I be a competent communication?
• Your communication skills are directly connected to
your leadership skills.
• Not everyone is born with excellent communication
skills. Most cultivates it over time.
• We remember great leaders through their great
communication skills like, FDR, JFK, MLK, Ronald
Reagan, Steve Jobs, Barack Obama, and many more.
• Toastmasters International ( since 1924) founded in
California – has over 260,000 member in 113 countries
through over 12,800 clubs.
• Content from Competent Communicator manual.

3. 1. The Ice Breaker
• Goal: Give a speech Introducing yourself to the world
(Club)
• Speech Duration: 4-6 min
• Get comfortable being in front of people and engaging
people though a speech.
• Talk about yourself, background, interest and/or
ambitions.
• Keep the scope of the speech concise in order to be
effective and stay within the time limit
• Have an engaging opening, concise body and a good
conclusion

4. 2. Organize Your Speech
• Goal: Give a speech with a visual aid/presentation
• Speech Duration: 5-7 min
• A well organized speech will be Easy to
understand, Easy to remember, Credible and
Enjoyable.
• Make an outline –
Chronologically, Spatially, Causally, Comparatively, To
pically or Problem-Solution model.
• The presentation can use
statistics, testimonies, Stories, Examples, Visual aids
and Facts.

5. 3. Get to the Point
• Goal: Give a speech with General and Specific
purpose.
• Speech Duration: 5-7 min
• General Purpose (during the speech) – To inform, To
persuade, To entertain and To inspire
• Specific Purpose (after the speech)
• Worded from the audience’s viewpoint
• Specific (wording is precise)
• Attainable (realistic goals)

6. 4. How to Say It
• Goal: Pick a relatively complex or descriptive topic and
give a speech such that everyone understands it with
ease.
• Speech Duration: 5-7 min
• Write a speech for ears
• Use short words, short sentences and short paragraphs
• A speech cant be re-read like a complex essay, so keep it
simple.
• Be specific and keep the scope of the speech limited.
• Use vivid word – play with verbs and use active voice
• Use rhetorical devices like
similes, metaphors, alliteration, triads (express in
three’s)
• Avoid jargons and enunciate properly.

7. 5. Your Body Speaks
• Goal: Use stance, movement, facial expression, and
eye contacts to give an effective speech.
• Speech duration: 5-7 min
• Stance: only stand still when making an important
point, slouching or eye’s fixed on the ground =
shyness
• Movement: matters before the speech starts to after
the speech is over.
• Gestures (hands, arms etc): can be used to express
size, weight, shape, direction, urgency, contrast, etc.
• Facial Expression: subconsciously conveys how the
audience should feel and react
• Eye Contact: conveys sincerity and respect.

8. 6. Vocal Variety
• Goal: use voice volume, pitch, rate and quality to
reflect and add meaning and interest to you message.
• Speech duration: 5-7 min
• Proper breathing = good-quality voice
• Be able to control volume (dB), pitch (frequency), rate
(tempo) and quality to better make a point.
• Use pause to get attention, like to emphasis the main
point
• Best tool to be expressive!
• Rehearsal, Rehearsal, Rehearsal!

9. 7. Research Your Topic
• Goal: Give a well researched speech with proper
sources
• Speech Duration: 5-7 min
• Data can come very handy while making a strong
case.
• Present data in a way people can easily follow and
understand.
• Use reputed sources to increase credibility.
• Just like an essay, get in a habit of citing your
sources, without using too much time. For
instance, mention the source organization, year
published and the author, if applicable.

10. 8. Get Comfortable with Visual Aids
• Goal: Give a speech which can only be done with a
visual aid
• Speech Duration: 5-7 min
• Visual aid can increase understanding, saves
time, enhance retention, promote attentiveness, and
control nervousness.
• Visual aids can include overhead
presentations, flipchart, whiteboard, props, etc.
• Should be easily visible and legible
• Limit visual per one main thought
• Keep it simple and use color carefully.
• Give audience to read/see the aid

11. 9. Persuade with Power
• Goal: Give a speech persuading listeners to adopt
your viewpoint or take some action.
• Speech Duration: 5-7 min
• Persuasion can involve Inspiring, Convincing and Call
for Action.
• In order to persuade, you must sound
knowledgeable, reputation, sincere and have good
delivery.
• Know your audience to design you speech
appropriately.
• Organize you speech-
Problem/Solution, Proof, Comparative etc.
• Avoid using notes.

12. 10. Inspire Your Audience
• Goal: Use all your training up till now to inspire the
audience (Most Challenging Speech)
• Speech Duration: 8-10 min
• Connect with audience based on a their needs- on a
pathological, safety, belongingness, esteem, self-
actualization
• Challenge the Status Quo
• Inspire the audience by outlining a path to achieve a
particular goal.
• Say it right – use quotes, stories, vivid words, action
verbs and positive words.

13. Conclusion
• Use the 10 projects as an opportunity to achieve your
goal to be a competent communicator.
• Each speech will be followed by an evaluation at least
by an assigned Speech Evaluator.
• The speaker will be evaluated against the goal of that
particular speech. The evaluation sheet is in the
Competent Communicator manual.
• Also, pick a mentor who can give you additional
feedback and track your progress through various
projects.
• And more importantly, enjoy the ride.