Inside: Best Toastmasters Icebreaker Ideas & Quick Speeches to help you become the best public speaker.
Public speaking can be such a mess when you first start out, it’s just the way it is. No one starts out as a master at something, you really have to work towards it. That is where Toastmasters come in!
Toastmasters is an awesome international organization that helps people become great public speakers. Everyone knows that each get together requires an ice breaker speech. I’m here to share my tips and tricks on how to deliver one with confidence and enthusiasm!
Today, I’m going to cover topics such as quick speech ideas, what makes a good icebreaker speech, and advice for bringing energy into your presentation. So if you’re ready to start feeling more comfortable in front of the crowd, let’s dive into some powerful tactics to help you stand out from the rest!
My hope is that this shows you how to find your writing voice.
What is Toastmasters?
I wanted to go a little more in depth about what exactly this organization is. According to their site, they describe themself as follows,
Toastmasters International is a nonprofit educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of clubs. Headquartered in Englewood, Colorado, the organization’s membership is approximately 280,000 in more than 14,700 clubs in 144 countries. Since 1924, Toastmasters International has helped people from diverse backgrounds become more confident speakers, communicators, and leaders.
Pretty cool, right? If you are new to Toastmasters, then you have probably already heard of their icebreaker speeches. This is essentially the first speech of the night, it breaks the tension and connects the crowd.
It can be super nerve-wracking, but from my own experience it is also super rewarding! That is why I created my list of tips below, to encourage you to try it & help you out.
Toastmasters Icebreaker Ideas & Quick Speeches
Coming up with what you want to say in your icebreaker speech can be tricky, and figuring out ways to help yourself feel more enthusiastic and able to connect with the crowd can be even harder. But follow the tips below and you will be on your way to a successful speech.
1. Introduce yourself with a unique fact about you
I know that it can be nerve-wracking to talk to an entire crowd at once, let alone tell them about yourself. But sharing something about yourself will help to the crowd to be drawn in, letting down their guard, and opening themselves up for a great night. It allows them to get to know you a little bit, and it keeps their attention.
If you are really worried about your icebreaker speech, I have something that might help you put this into perspective. We are literally living on a floating rock, hurling itself through space. We live a long(but short) 100 years. Who cares if you stumble over your words, or make a joke that no one laughs to. What is important is that you are up there, doing it.
I tell myself that every time I get nervous.
Toastmasters Icebreaker Ideas & Quick Speeches – 2. Share an interesting anecdote
There are usually reasons that people gather together, especially at Toastmasters meetings. Whatever the theme that you are going to be speaking on, I know that you can find an interesting anecdote to share during your speech. This will help connect you to the thing that you are talking on, which gives people a way to understand how you connect to the event or topic.
I put this tip here to give you a gentle push in the right direction. I think starting a speech can be the hardest part, so I hope this helps!
3. Ask an open-ended question about the audience and get them talking
Now this could be the most daunting, but if you are like me then the planning is more stressful than the doing. Once you get up there, you will have no problem. In fact, you might even enjoy yourself.
The confidence really starts rolling in when you feel yourself killing the game. So engage with the audience! This will help them to feel apart of the moment, and keep them engaged in your speech for longer. Who doesn’t love attention?
The Best Toastmaster Icebreaker Ideas & Quick Speeches
Now that I covered those three awesome tips, I wanted to share some of the best toastmaster icebreaker ideas & quick speeches for you to look through for guidance and inspiration. Take a look at the 3 tips below to become a master icebreaker. Oh, and here is a bonus one: If you want to stay connected to your voice when you aren’t writing speeches, check out these june bullet journal ideas.
Toastmasters Icebreaker Ideas & Quick Speeches – 4. Tell a joke
This one requires some charisma, but I know that you can do it! Making a joke and having the whole room laugh with you is a wonderful way to make sure that the audience is listening and having fun. No one likes a drab speech, jokes are the tools that help you avoid becoming a yawn inducer!
So tell a joke, or two if you can. This may be a quick speech, but it can really pack a punch if you want it to.
5. Share a personal story that’s relevant to your topic
If you are drawing a blank in terms of coming up with new material for your speech, then why not think of a personal story that is relevant to the topic on hand? This will allow you to take up some precious speech minutes without using filler words that have no substance behind them. You want your speech to take the listeners on a journey!
6. Include props or visuals in your presentation
Sometimes, the best way to hit a home run speech is to include some props or visuals in your presentation. The whole point of this night is to practice your public speaking, and to keep people entertained. How can you be a public speaker if you don’t have a little clicker in your hand that connects to a photo slideshow? You can’t!
It helps to keep everyone interested in the topic, by adding some props and visuals, your listeners will never be bored!
So…are you feeling more confident about creating your speech? I hope you loved this list of toastmaster icebreaker ideas & quick speeches. Remember, they don’t have to be long, they can totally just be a few minutes. At the end of the day, I think that confidence is key to a good public speech. I am confident that these tips can help get you there.
I would have never thought that I would be where I am at today, thriving in front of a crowd. I started out nervous and unsure, but now I command the stage, and I know I am going to do good. It’s my wish that you also feel this way by the end of your time with Toastmasters.
Being good at speaking in public can help transform your life by opening up new opportunities that would have otherwise been left closed. There are so many things that public speaking gave me the confidence to do, including building an email newsletter for my blog.
