Hello Fellow Toastmaster,
How to teach an onion to talk?
can be a tricky and confusing Table Topic question. But not for those, who took part in Viktor Morandini’s Table Topic workshop.
According to Viktor’s tips, after having a 30-second-long silence before starting to talk and using such frameworks, as:
- Past, present, future
- Who? What? Where? When? Why? How?
- Situation, action, result
- Accomplishments, obstacles, next actions
- “I believed this before, but I don’t think that way anymore because…”
- What I like and don’t like about this
you will be able to cope with the most confusing questions as well.
Viktor’s 5 rules of Table Topic help you to be always ready to deliver an impromptu, miniature speech:
- Take a deep breath
- Work on the first idea that comes in your mind
- If you have no idea about the topic, try to steer away
- Don’t fire all your gunpowder in the first sentence
- Have fun!
Some more tricks that can save your improvisation and can give you fun:
- Bridging – Instead of teaching an onion to talk, teaching someone else something else.
- Alter the meaning of a word –
- “It’s better to be well read then to be read well.”
- “Green statistics”
- Add or remove a word – How to teach an onion to talk back.
- Mystery –Recite rhetorical questions. Or was it really an onion? Did the onion actually only exist in his mind?
- As a last resort – Something completely unrelated – Make it up! And if you are lucky you might be able to connect it to the actual topic.
Before Viktor’s session, I was around 100 % sure that Table Topic is not my cup of tea – and to tell you the truth – I supposed that there is not so much chance to improve in this field, because it is rather a talent than an improved technique.
Viktor convinced me and the rest of the audience that you have to do nothing else like keeping some of the rules in your mind and trust in yourself to share your first idea with the audience.
And now let’s have fun ….
In one week time (on the 15th of September, 6.30. p.m.), Budapest Toastmasters Humorous & Tabel Topic Speech contest takes place in Runtotta.
I am happy to inform you that Henry Scullion, our Keynote Speaker, will open the contest, sharing his thoughts and experience about Toastmasters.
Nominations are still open, so if you feel like competing in one or both categories, please do not hesitate to send me your nomination via e-mail to vp-pr@budapesttoastmasters.org.
The contest will be a unique, socializing event that is why we decided to organize it in a restaurant. There is no entrance fee for the contest; however I would like to encourage all of you to order one of the delicious menus as dinner will be part of the program.
You can choose between two menus:
A menu/ HUF 1750.-
1. Tuscan bean soup with fresh baguette – Toszkán bableves friss bagettel
2. Roast vegetable penne with tomato mozzarella and parmesan – Sült paradicsomos zöldséges penne mozzarellával, parmezánnal
3. Dessert: Cheesecake with Nutella or chestnut cake trüffeles – Nutellás sajttorta vagy trüffeles gesztenyetorta
B menu/HUF 2250.-
1. Bouillon with vermicelli noodles – Húsleves gazdagon, cérnametélttel
2. Ginger-orange duck breast with mashed potatoes – Gyömbéres-narancsos kacsamell burgonyapürével
3. Dessert: Cheesecake with Nutella or chestnut cake trüffeles – Nutellás sajttorta vagy trüffeles gesztenyetorta
Use the following link to register yourself by typing your name and the code (A or B) of your chosen menu
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/9W6TGTR
Please note that not only Budapest Toastmasters organizes speech contest.
Skylark – the youngest Toastmasters club in Budapest – is waiting for judges and role takers to its Table Topic Contest on the 9th of September and Humorous Speech Contest on the 16th of September. For more info please contact Monika Hajdu. (hmonikae@gmail.com)
Should you have any question regarding our club or the upcoming speech contest, please feel free to contact me!
I wish you a successful week with the lesson of the week:
“When you want to succeed as much as you want to breath, that’s when you will be successful.”
See you on Monday at CEU 6.30 p.m.,
Judit and Your Budapest Toastmasters Executive Committee