Listen!

Sharon Lipinski's theme of Listening proved very thought-provoking in a fantastic meeting! Due to time constraints she was not able to relate all the material she had - please scroll to the bottom of this post to read this great reflection.

Jim Burlison was the Humorst:


Glenn Woodson won best Table Topics(again!):


Nell Turley gave her #2 speech In Case of Fire and was voted Most Improved Speaker:


Nell was evaluated by Michelle Banazwski, who was selected Best Evaluator:


Katharine Danies Kurz was voted Best Speaker for her #8 speech How One Pesky Little Protein Changed My Life:

Kate was evaluated by Stanley Wong:


Brian McGinnis continued his sprint through the CC manual with his #7 speech The Last Astronaut:


Brian was evaluated by Nusret Denizci:


Sharon's Thoughts on Listening

God gave us twice as many ears as mouths, so we can listen twice as much as we talk. I wish I always followed this advice, but I like to talk and I have a lot to say. But nevertheless, listening is a critical part of public speaking, and I’ll share with you three different areas where it’s important to listen.

The first happens when someone asks you to speak. Then, it is time to start asking them questions and listening carefully to the responses. Ask simple open-ended questions, and listen to the response.

Why did you ask me to speak?
What would you like me to speak about?
What would your group like to hear?
Why is this important to your group?
Who else will be speaking?

Listen carefully to responses for two reasons. First, responses will help you determine if you will accept the invitation to speak. Second, listening will also help you put together a presentation that is of interest to the audience. Remember, the audience is the most important ‘person’ in the room, not the speaker. You can only speak to their needs if you ask what they are, and then listen to their response.




The second time to listen is at the event you’ll be speaking. Arrive early to meet people before the event begins. When you meet, ask about them and their organization or group. Ask what interesting projects the group is working on. You may learn that they just raised $10,000 for the local Children’s Hospital. Listen carefully and make a mental note or add to your speaking notes. Congratulating the group on the success of this worthwhile project at the beginning of your presentation will help you to connect with them. And remember, your objective is to learn about them, not talk about yourself. We never learn anything when we are speaking, only when we’re listening.

When you are speaking at an event that has multiple speakers, try to listen to as many of the other speakers as you can. In particular, don't miss the keynote or general session speakers. By doing this you are able to add a polish to your talk and to the event as a whole. It also might save you some embarrassment from covering material other speakers have already covered.




The third time to listen to the audience is while you’re giving your speech. A speech is really a conversation where you won’t be interrupted, but listening to your audience will help you connect and more effectively deliver your message. Toastmasters are great listeners, but that won’t necessarily be your experience when you speak at a non-toastmaster event.

How do you do listen to your audience? Looking at their faces is a good place to start. Is there interest or boredom? Which way are their heads tilted? Are they looking at you, looking down or looking elsewhere? Firstly, make eye contact with selected members of the audience from different parts of the room to establish rapport and don't forget to smile. Look out for their facial expressions to see if they are happy, interested or bored with your speech.

React to the audience! If they laugh, pause to let the laughter permeate and then subside. If they are looking look puzzled or confused, you may want to slow down and articulate your next point carefully and take your time to speaker clearly. If they are frowning, then you may have to make some changes or lose your audience.