The members of IMS Toastmasters Genesis Club at The IMS Ghaziabad, University Courses Campus, participated in session on Public Speaking Masterclass by Dr. Ushy Mohan Das on 10 May 2020.
Dr. Ushy Mohan Das is also known as Tongue-fu Master who is into mentoring and guiding the students across at all levels. She shared few useful insights on public speaking skills which is no less than a nightmare for many. The tips she shared were simple and easy. According to her everyone knows what to say but very few know how to say. So to excel at public speaking one needs to know the art of ?How to say?. A good speech demands a little efforts, she emphasized on five points majorly. Firstly, the speech should have a purpose, it can be either to inform or persuade or educate or entertain. Secondly, understanding the audience is important, as you can select the content when you know what your audience wants and will appreciate. Hook on to what the audience likes and not what you want to share. Engage the audience in the initial 30 seconds, use emotions or a personal story, this helps to establish rapport in the very beginning. Thirdly, gathering the content worth sharing. Keep in mind that the speech is the idea, thought or an emotion. Fourth, providing a shape to the content, structuring and knitting it is essential part of drafting. Last, divide the speech into paragraphs and milestones to memorize it.
Further she also shared few cheat codes with the audience. In case somebody forgets the speech, they should use the body language and the voice-quality. This is an art which can be learnt by practicing. At the end she also gave few preparatory tips. After drafting the speech, it should be practiced in front of friends and family for taking the feedback and improvisation. Practice in front of the mirror, look for the subtle facial expressions, body language and gestures that might deter and eliminate them at the earliest. Record the speech and work on the tone, pronunciation and voice modulations.
The informative insights and tips shared by Dr. Ushy Mohan Das were noted by the toastmasters to apply them in their future performances. The session culminated with a question and answer round where Dr. Ushy clarified all the doubts beautifully.