Tips on Public Speaking: Creating a Dynamic Invocation

This edition of Tips on Public Speaking returns me to when I was asked to provide the invocation at a Toastmasters occasion. If you are not acquainted with this kind of request… the invocation, or thought of the day, is the motivational concept one gives at the start of the meeting, conference or event. This occasion may or may not have a theme, but if it does, the presentation usually reflects the theme of the occasion.

The invocation runs anywhere from two to five minutes long. If you think about it – that is not much time. Do not let the brevity of this talk toss you off from its significance. Keep in mind, you are starting the function. So you set the overall tone. You set the pace of the whole function. Now do you think it is essential to provide a powerful invocation!

The Toastmasters special occasion was the Speech Competition: Table Topics and the International contest, the greatest contest in Toastmasters. Both these contests are very essential to the Toastmasters community. And the theme of the competition was “Mardi Gras.” We had just observed Fat Tuesday and the competition chairmen wanted to use this as their theme. It was my job to weave Mardi Gras / Fat Tuesday into this contest.

Here I discuss the three-and-a-half factors for creating a dynamic thought of the day, and the talk I gave at this contest.

There are three factors: R, S, S. Don't let that mix you up and think I am referring to the web and Real Simple Syndication -- though an invocation should be genuine and simple, and well, I am not too sure about syndication.

The first R is RESEARCH. Don't let the two-minute duration of this kind of talk fool you. I do more research for an invocation than I do for some of my other presentations.

The first S is SIGNIFICANCE. While you are doing all this research, see if you can find the benefit, the relationship between the theme and the company or occasion. You would be amazed how directly Mardi Gras / Fat Tuesday can connect to a Toastmasters contest once you look for it.

And the second S is SUMMARY. Since you only have two to five minutes for this presentation, you have to review and summarize. Look for the key terms.

And the half point: find the one shocking truth that ties it all together and land on it.

Now that I look at this… this is a pattern, a template. It shows me the template I discuss at my Presentation Template Intensive. Even though this seems difficult -- how can it appear sensible and have a full thought when I just have two minutes of time? -- it is possible when you have a design, a program, a template to help you with your concept.