I don’t ever remember being that nervous – Well except for one other time, but that is a story for a future post.  I had practiced my speech many more times and shared it with another group in the two weeks between the Division E and the District contests.  I was completely and totally ready for this contest and I had a good feeling about it.

As soon as I walked into the lobby, I saw a fellow Toastmaster who I recognized right away.  Bill was a grizzled Toastmaster veteran and he was normally full of advice.  However, on that day he only had one piece of advice for me.  He told me, “The contest is already over.  The preparation is the actual contest.  Whoever prepared best will be the one to win.  The only thing you have to do now is have fun.”  Then he ended our contest by telling me something that turned out to be prophetic.  He said, “You don’t need to worry about this contest, you will at least place in the top three today.”

I went into the bathroom to get a hold of my nerves and then I went out to meet as many people as I could.  I wanted to meet everyone so I would feel like I was speaking to old friends when I was on stage. Those who knew me and heard my speech had very up-beat and positive attitudes.  The more I spoke to them the more confident I felt.

Before I knew it, it was time to go to the briefing room where I would pick my speaking order.   There were a total of six contestants in the room.  Every one of them appeared confident and ready to compete.  Unfortunately, that unnerved me a little.  I began to ask myself if I was as ready as these people where.

I picked the fourth speaking slot. I was used to speaking first and I wasn’t sure what to do with myself.  I’d have to wait for my speech.  As I found in the next few months, that was a good thing.

The speech contest was now ready to start.  The first contestant was called and she walked to the stage and began her highly entertaining speech and then a thought occurred to me.  “I forgot my speech!”

After about three weeks of preparing for the Division E contest I was ready.  There were two other speakers competing, but I realized that I had three adversaries in this contest.  The third for me was the ghosts of the 2007 Division A contest.  That was the contest in which I did great, except for one thing.  I went over time by two seconds.  I timed myself to make sure I would end at around the six minute and thirty second mark.

Although the speech itself had been a formidable advisory in the past, I practiced it in front of several groups and talked about it to a few friends.  After spending so much time with it, I finally tamed this bucking bronco of a speech.  I now bought into the message of my speech and I was happy to spread it.  The immediate problem was, there were two other competitors who believed in their messages and where happy to spread them.

I pulled the number one slot again.  I liked the number one slot.  It fit me like a glove.  The contest chair called my name and gave the speech title and I walked confidently to the front of the room.  I stood for a moment and looked into the eyes of the audience and I suddenly realized I was very comfortable.  I felt I belonged there, then I opened my mouth and a confident and clear speech came out exactly as I planned.  I was finished with my speech and sat down.  I felt like I had done very well.  Then I realized what competition I really had when the next two speakers spoke.

The next speaker was a cancer survivor who had walked a hundred miles on the Appalachian Trail.  It was a highly inspirational story which made me worry.  I could see the judges voting for his speech because of the whole guilt factor, never mind the fact that it was well done and well prepared.  But in the end I relearned an important lesson about the Division contest.  The judges at that level are looking for more than just a good story or even substance.  They’re looking for effectiveness, body language, vocal variety, passion, connectivity, authenticity, etcetera.  Not that substance and story are not important; in fact, substance and story are what is most important in any speech, however without proper clarity they don’t mean anything.

At the end of the speech contest the announcement had been made that I had won.  The reason I won was because the second place speaker was not careful with his body language.  He had poor eye contact and at one point turned his back on the audience.  With actions like that, it’s difficult to stay engaged.

I was, now, going to the 2008 District 38 International Speech contest.  I felt good and, like before the Division E contest, I had a worm fuzzy feeling.

I was striking chords in other people’s hearts, but more importantly, I was learning something about myself.  The more I shared my thoughts about the teacher who treated me so rudely and what happened in subsequent years, the more I began to realize that, not only was I beginning to believe my own message of “forgiveness sets you free,” I began to realize there was more to the message than I realized.  I felt better about my speech going into the Area 13 contest and, considering what happened the year prior, I thought I may have a good chance.

This year there would only be two competitors; Lillie and Me.  Lillie was the professional speaking coach which I had beat out for the 2007 Area 13 International Speech Contest and she was back to compete again.  I pulled the number one spot.  I felt good about the time I spent on my preparation and the advice I had taken.  I was as ready as I would ever be.

When the contest started, I went to the front of the room and started my speech.  I felt good in my presentation and, like every other time I gave this speech, I felt a little more weight of my grudge fall from my shoulders.

When Lillie stood and began speaking, it was immediately obvious she had spent a lot of time preparing for the contest.  She had researched two characters from history and she sang a few bars from a song toward the end of her speech in which she told us that we must reach for our dreams, no matter how impossible they may seem.  She was truly prepared.

At the end of her speech, I wasn’t sure who had won.  I felt I had put in a great effort, but Lillie came to compete and she was the one with all of the experience.  She sat right behind me and said that she thought she went over in time.  A part of me was happy to hear that, then I realized I didn’t want to win like that.

When it was time for the announcements, there were no disqualifications which meant Lillie didn’t go over.  It was a fair contest in my mind.  The Toastmaster announced the winner.  “The winner of the 2008 Area 13 International Speech Contest is … Michael Donlan.”

I was surprised.  I couldn’t believe that I had beaten someone with so much experience and training under her belt two years in a row.

After I had given the speech, I began to realize that I now believed what I said.  Forgiveness truly does set you free.  After a long fight, I finally made this bucking bronco of a speech mine and I was ready for the division contest.  But this year it would be a different division contest since Area 13 was taken out of Division A and put into Division E.  This would mean competing against new competitors and in front of a new audience.  Despite that, I had a feeling I only had a few other times in my life.  I knew what was going to happen.  I knew I would win the Division E contest.

I was competing against one other club member, and I had heard her speech a year earlier.  It had a lot of power and she clearly believed her message.  I didn’t think I’d make it out of the club with “Wings and Chains.”

My fellow contestant gave her speech first.  She was confident.  Her voice was strong.  She believed what she was saying.  How could I top that?  I only became more nervous.

When it was my turn, I walked up to the front of the room and shook the Toastmaster’s hand and began my speech.  I felt the anger and resentment I had for the teacher build as I told the story and I felt sadness as I explained how an event which happened in the Amish community of Nichol mines, Pennsylvania, showed me what true forgiveness was.  At the end of the speech I actually felt a little bit of a burden I had carried for so many years lighten.  It was still there, but lighter.  I returned to my seat and as I sat there, I felt I did really well, despite the problems I had with the speech.

The announcement came at the end of the meeting.  I wasn’t certain I had not won, but I felt I truly did the best I could.   In the 2008 contest season, that’s all that was important to me.  The Toastmaster stood in front of the room and announced the results of the judging.

“The winner is … Mike Donlan with “Wings and Chains.”

I was stunned.  I didn’t truly understand why I won, but I was very grateful.  As time went on, I did figure out why I won and it really didn’t have a lot to do with the speech itself.  It had almost everything to do with simplicity of the message.  This may be the most important public speaking tip I had ever learned.  The simpler your message, the easier it is to digest and to remember.

My fellow competitor’s message was strong and it was powerful, but it was split into three separate points.  If you asked me to explain what her message was, the explanation would be several sentences long.  Her message wasn’t simple, digestible or memorable.

On the other hand, my message could be described in four words, “Forgiveness sets you free.”  It appeared that a clearer well defined message made all the difference.

A second reason why I won is that my fellow competitor never wrote down her speech.  She delivered it from the top of her head.  In many public speaking cases, in fact in most cases, it’s perfectly fine, even advisable to do that, however a contest speech or any speech where exactly the right words must be chosen, the speaker needs to write it all down, even if they don’t intend on using it word for word.

After the announcement, it was official.  I would be heading back to the Area Contest for the third year in a row and in the days following the club contest I discovered that I would be having a rematch against an old friend.

I guess that’s not entirely true.  I had written two speeches in the weaning weeks of 2007, but they both had their problems.  The first speech entitled “Dig Three More Feet” was a speech I really liked, however it used two stories which did not involve me.  I liked the power and energy of the speech, but the simple fact was, without the personal connection, it was unlikely that the audience would remember my point, which was, “We tend to give up when we’re on the threshold of success.”

The second speech was entitled “Wings and Chains” and it dealt with a couple of incidences which surrounded a very painful moment in my early life.  The speech was very personal and came from deep within my heart, but I didn’t think I captured the true essence of what my message was.  To make a long story short, I wasn’t entirely sure I believed my own message, which was “Forgiveness sets you free.”

I spoke to a fellow Toastmaster and a well-respected mentor of mine about my dilemma.  She brought up two points.  The first was one I had already mentioned above.  Without a personal connection “Dig Three More Feet” may sound great and may make it past the Area contest, but in the Division Contest the judges are looking for more substance.  The second point she brought up was, if I was using two stories I’ve heard from others, that may draw into question the contest’s originality requirements.

I loved one speech and didn’t like the other, but the fact was, the decision appeared to be made for me.  I would go with “Wings and Chains.” Since I felt the speech was so weak, I decided on a strategy for the 2008 International Speech Contest season.  I would ride this speech as far as I could and simply use this contest season as a learning opportunity.   I would use the lessons learned this year to build up to next year.  The only question was, how far would I get?  My bet was, I’d be out by the end of the Area 13 contest.

Despite knowing it so well, I practiced the speech ten times a day, getting to know every nuance. Getting to understand how it made me feel, but most importantly, how it made others feel. Once you get to the division contest level, the flash is not as relevant as how well you deliver the message. I needed to make the audience feel what I was feeling. That is what is important at the division contest … That and one other thing.

Contest day finally arrived, and I was excited and nervous. I knew I would do well, but once you get up to that level, strange things happen in your mind. You begin to think strange thoughts like, “Do I still know my speech? I think I forgot my speech!.” I’ve learned, since, that you never forget your speech. You may draw a blank the very first moment you’re in front of the crowd, but as soon as you utter you’re first sentence, it all comes back to you in a wave.

I went into the contest still feeling high from beating an accomplished professional speaker and speaking coach and I just knew things would go well for me today.

I drew the number one slot.  My name was announced and I confidently walked up and shook the Toastmasters hand and began my speech. As I was giving the speech, I felt good. I was sharing “Me” for the benefit of everyone in the room. As I looked into the eyes of the audience, I knew I was in the process of hitting another home run. I finished the speech and went back to my seat and sat through the other speeches which where all very worthy of a division contest.

We had a break between the speech contest and the evaluation contest. During that break everyone talked to me about my speech. Everyone asked questions and gave me great complements. I was the star of the show. One gentleman who owned a rather sizable company even asked me to come to his company to give the same speech. With all of this attention and the accolades, I should have been excited and thrilled, but I wasn’t, because I knew there was something very wrong.

Then it was my turn.  I walked to the front of the room and shook the Contest chair’s hand and then began to speak.  I started the speech with a story about a boy named Tom who everyone thought of as stupid.  I then connected Tom’s story to my own life.  I talked about my own struggles with dyslexia and then discussed how I was able to reach for my dreams despite my learning disability.  After I told everyone how I had never given up and succeeded at what I wanted to do, I revisited Tom and his life story and told the audience that Tom grew up to be Thomas Woodrow Wilson.

The audience seemed slightly stunned after I reveled who Tom was and that was the reaction I was looking for.   I properly turned the floor over to the contest chair… sat down and immediately asked myself, “Did I do the best I could?”  I thought for a moment and answered, “Yes.”

The third speaker took the floor and then it was Lillie’s turn.  She told an uplifting story about the neighborhood in which she grew up.  Life was tough.  Everyone was poor and barley had enough to survive, but her neighbors stuck together like family and help each other through even the toughest times.

At the end of the speech contest, the contest chair took the stage to announce the winners.  First, the second place winners were announced.   I expected to be the second place winner, since Lillie’s speech was very conversational and effortless.  It was as though she was having a pleasant conversation with the audience in front of her and I wasn’t sure how conversational I sounded.

I heard the second place name and was stunned.  The name I heard wasn’t mine.  It was Lillie.  So, I waited with hope to hear the first place winner’s name.  The first place winner was … Michael Donlan.

I felt great.  I had won against someone who had so much more experience than me.  After some time I began to realize why I had won and why she lost.  I won, because my speech was very personal.  I left myself exposed by allowing the audience to see my weaknesses.  They saw my struggles and most of them identified with them.  A story is a very powerful thing and teaches us far better than quoting names, dates, facts, and figures.

A second reason why I won was the lesson I was trying to teach was clear.  I clearly showed that there is always hope.

I feel Lillie didn’t win, because, although she had a very powerful story, her lesson was not entirely clear.  I think the judges picked up on that and decided my speech was more effective.

I was excited about my great accomplishment and it was time to get ready for the 2007 Division A International Speech Contest.  Although I didn’t know it at the time, I was on my way to learn the most expensive lesson so far.

I prepared for the 2007 Area 13 International Speech Contest for five months.  I took the speech I used for my tenth project in the Competent Communicator manual added a few more thoughts than squeezed it down to fit in the five to seven minutes allowed under contest rules.  I practiced until I felt very comfortable.  I did all of that even before the Reading Toastmasters contest.  As it turned out, there was no Reading Toastmasters contest, but I gave my speech anyway and received very high marks for my efforts.

I was fully prepared for the contest, but I was not prepared for who I would be competing against.  There would be a total of four participants.  There was me – a moderately experienced Toastmaster, two relatively new Toastmasters and one very experienced Toastmaster, which I’ll call Lillie.  “How experienced?,” you may ask.  Well, she had been a Toastmaster for twenty-five years, her husband was a Toastmaster for thirty years, she and her husband ran a public speaking consulting business together and they were both Past District Governors.

I had to assume I would not walk out of this one unscathed.  I personally did not see how I could win.  It was your classic David verses Goliath scenario.  However, instead of calling it a day, I decided that I wanted to walk out of the library at the end of the competition being able to say to myself, “I did my absolute best,” and I resolved to do just that.  I would pure my entire heart out on the stage that day.  I would speak deliberately and think a line ahead of where I was in the speech.  I would hear the speech before it came out of my mouth.

The contest was about to begin and I did my best to relax.  The more I thought about the situation, the more I realized this was my own personal World Championship of Public Speaking and I fully intended to win.

I was fully prepared and felt good as I walked into the library and found the room in which the competition would be held.  When I settled in, I had a conversation with one of my mentors who told me she felt I would do very well in the contest.  After the conversation, I felt even better about my chances; perhaps even a little cocky.

The table topics contest was first.  By the quality of the speakers, I could tell that I was no longer on the club level.  The division contest was a whole new level of competition, which I had never seen before.  Then it was time for the speech contest.  I competed against four other speakers.  Each one was very experienced.  I spoke third in the order and I was ready.  I stood walked confidently to the front of the room, shook the Toastmasters hand and began my speech.  I felt good.  This may sound funny, but I actually felt too good.  I got more laughs then I had ever gotten with anything I had ever done before.  The audience was rolling in the isles – almost literally.

I felt a lot of energy from the group and I was excited about the whole experience.  Slowly, I began to realize I was moving around a lot – perhaps too much.  Perhaps I was losing control.  At the moment, I didn’t care.  I was having fun – lots of fun.  I finally realized how out of control I had gotten at the end of the speech.  When I reached the end, instead of waiting for the Toastmaster, I headed right to my chair.  I didn’t properly give control of the floor back to the Toastmaster.

There were two more speakers left and, to me at least, they were the best of the day.  I sat watching them and thinking about my mistake; a mistake I had never made before … ever.  Would the judges count it against me?  I wasn’t sure, but I had a feeling they would.  As I later figured out, there were several other problems with the speech witch made it nearly impossible for me to win in the first place.

In the end, I didn’t win the 2006 Division A contest.  I didn’t even place.  I wasn’t entirely sure why, but in the time since, I’ve come to the realization of several reasons why.

First:  I was not in control of myself.  I was making many distracting movements and motions.  I had indeed lost control.

Second:  As I already stated, I didn’t properly transfer control of the floor to the Toastmaster.  By itself, this would not have been the end of the world, but at the same time, it’s not something judges like to see nor is it something that makes for a good meeting.

Third:  As a contest speech, my presentation was flawed from the start.  I didn’t have a personal lesson to learn and I didn’t personalize the speech.  A personalized speech, even if it’s completely made up, is far more impactful than a speech which merely discusses historical and current facts and figures.

All in all, this would be an excellent speech to give in a night club, but if I want to have a greater impact on the audience, which we usually do as Toastmasters, I need to remember the above lessons.

The next contest season would be the 2007 International Speech Contest, and as I left the library that day, I already had a good idea of the speech I would do.  I also knew I had a lot to learn from that day’s loss and, with the help of my mentors, I’d be able to do it.