Embrace the Opportunities…

Run a Corporate SpeechCraft Workshop

What is it?
SpeechCraft is one of the Toastmasters educational workshops. It is a hands-on, highly-interactive program
that combines delivering speeches, introducing speakers, and evaluating speeches with informative educational
sessions to give potential members and new members a jump start into the Toastmasters program.
“Corporate SpeechCraft” is a variation of the basic SpeechCraft program I developed to meet the needs
of the corporate environment – a meeting time of 1 hour (although the last session lasts a bit longer), and a
program that lasts no longer than 6-weeks. The accompanying 6-week outline is meant to be used in
conjunction with the SpeechCraft materials from Toastmasters International.

Where would you use it?

The Corporate SpeechCraft Workshop can be used in a variety of situations:
• as a Club building tool for new Clubs building membership towards chartering,
• for struggling Clubs rebuilding membership to Charter strength,
• to rejuvenate a Club with a lot of new members,
• for Clubs with an influx of a large group of new members,
• as a community service, where length of meetings is a factor.

What is involved?
The program is delivered over a six-week period with each meeting lasting 60 minutes in length. From
practical experience, the 6-week format is limited to 6 to 8 participants.
The personnel required at each meeting to run the SpeechCraft Program include:
• the Coordinator
• several advisors to assist in evaluating the “Ice Breaker” speeches and facilitate small group
discussions
• one or two Presenters for the Educational modules (varies by week)
• a General Evaluator
• a Topic Master
• a Timer
For a small support group, the advisors can do double duty and fill in other meeting roles. If a larger
support group is available, each person could have individual roles. Many of the newer, less-seasoned members
will benefit from the new material covered in the educational presentations, while the seasoned members will
benefit from the review of the fundamentals and making the presentations.

What’s in it for the presenters?

Presentations at the SpeechCraft workshop are applicable towards the Toastmasters awards as follows:
• The Successful Club module “Evaluate to Motivate” is applicable towards the CL (Competent Leader)
award or the ATM-S (Advanced Toastmaster-Silver) award
• The Better Speaker Series modules (see next page) are applicable to the ATM-S award.
• Coordinating the overall SpeechCraft program is applicable towards the ATM-G (Advanced
Toastmaster-Gold) award. (Only one Coordinator can receive ATM-G credit per SpeechCraft
workshop, which must have a minimum of 5 participants to qualify for credit.)

Compliments of
Bill Bienia, DTM
Candidate for International Director Region VI
 Corporate SpeechCraft Workshop

What Resources are available for the Educational Sessions?

The educational sessions are based on the Better Speaker and Successful Club series, or other Toastmasters
publications. The presentations should be supplemented and illustrated with personal stories, anecdotes, and
examples. Six educational sessions will be presented: "Selecting a Speech Topic" (10 min.), "Gestures" (5
min.), "Introducing a Speaker" (5 min.), "Vocal Variety" (5 min.), "How to Evaluate" (10 min.), and "Speech
Organization" (10 min.). The resources for each of these sessions are:
• Selecting a Speech Topic: Better Speaker module "Selecting Your Topic"
• Gestures: "Gestures: Your Body Speaks" from the basic membership kit, and project #5 from the 2003
C&L manual (or project #4 from the 1999 C&L manual)
• Introducing a Speaker: Better Speaker module “Creating an Introduction”, pamphlets: "When You're
the Introducer" and "Introducing the Speaker", Advanced C&L manual “Specialty Speeches” Project
#3
• Vocal Variety: "Your Speaking Voice" from the basic membership kit, and project #6 from the 2003
C&L manual (or project #5 from the 1999 C&L manual)
• How to Evaluate: Successful Club module "Evaluate to Motivate", "Effective Speech Evaluation"
from the basic membership kit, and Success/Communication module "The Art of Effective
Evaluation", District Evaluation Contest winners and runners up
• Speech Organization: Better Speaker module "Organizing Your Speech", and project #2 from the
2003 C&L manual (or project #3 from the 1999 C&L manual)
To prepare for the 5-minute discussion on "Speaking with Conviction", review Project #2 from the 1999
C&L manual.

Compliments of
Bill Bienia, DTM
Candidate for International Director Region VI
 Corporate SpeechCraft Workshop
(The timing for this outline is based on 6 to 8 participants)
SESSION 1
1. Welcome and Introductions Coordinator 5 minutes
2. Introduce Speechcraft program and distribute Speechcraft manuals Coordinator 7 minutes
3. Discussion on the importance of Public Speaking skills Coordinator 10 minutes
4. Evaluation of present speaking skills Participants 3 minutes
5. Introduction to Table Topics 15 minutes
6. Educational presentation on Selecting a Speech Topic 10 minutes
7. Discussion of assignments for Session Two Small groups 5 minutes
The Coordinator asks the participants to read chapters 1-3, and to prepare a speakers-advisor
2-3 minute “Ice Breaker” speech – ½ for next meeting, the other ½ for workshop
following meeting.
8. General Evaluation 2 minutes
9. Announcements, Comments, Q & A (Questions & Answers) Coordinator 2 minutes
10. Adjournment Coordinator 1 minute
Total time 60 minutes

SESSION 2
1. Welcome & review agenda Coordinator 2 minutes
2. Educational Presentation on Gestures 5 minutes
3. First ½ “Ice Breaker” 2-3 minute speeches/brief introductions by Chair Participants 15 minutes
4. Speech evaluations by advisors (1 ½ to 2 minutes) Advisors 8 minutes
5. Discussion on Speaking with Conviction 10 minutes
6. Table Topics 10 minutes
7. Discussion of assignments for Session Three Small groups 5 minutes
The Coordinator asks the participants to read chapters 4 – “Introducing a speakers-advisor
Speaker”, and 5 – “Be in Earnest”, and to prepare a 3-4 minute “Be in Earnest” workshop
speech – ½ for the fourth meeting, the other ½ for the following meeting.
8. General Evaluation 2 minutes
9. Announcements, Comments, Q & A Coordinator 2 minutes
10. Adjournment Coordinator 1 minute
Total time 60 minutes

SESSION 3
1. Welcome & review agenda Coordinator 2 minutes
2. Second ½ “Ice Breaker” 2-3 minute speeches/brief introductions by Chair Participants 15 minutes
3. Speech evaluations by advisors (1 ½ to 2 minutes) Advisors 8 minutes
4. Educational presentation on Introducing a Speaker 5 minutes
5. Table Topics 10 minutes
6. Educational presentation on Speech Organization 10 minutes
7. Discussion of assignments for Session Four Small groups 5 minutes
The Coordinator asks the participants to read chapter 7 – “Evaluate the speakers-advisor
Speaker”. Tell participants they will be doing the introductions and evaluations workshop
at next meeting – assign speaker-introducer-evaluator# pairs.
8. General Evaluation 2 minutes
9. Announcements, Comments, Q & A Coordinator 2 minutes
10. Adjournment Coordinator 1 minute
Total time 60 minutes
#
Evaluator will introduce the Speaker, then listen to the speech and prepare the evaluation of the Speaker.

Compliments of
Bill Bienia, DTM
Candidate for International Director Region VI
 Corporate SpeechCraft Workshop
(The timing for this outline is based on 6 to 8 participants)
SESSION 4
1. Welcome & review agenda Coordinator 2 minutes
2. Educational presentation on How to Evaluate 10 minutes
3. First ½ “Be in Earnest” speeches/brief introductions by participants Participants 16 minutes
4. Speech evaluations by participants (1 ½ to 2 minutes) Participants 8 minutes
5. Discussion on experiences with evaluation Coordinator 4 minutes
6. Table Topics 10 minutes
7. Discussion of assignments for Session Five Small groups 5 minutes
The Coordinator asks the participants to read chapter 6 – “Organize Your speakers-advisor
Speech”, and to prepare a 3-4 minute speech for the sixth week when everyone workshop
will present a speech – assign speaker-introducer-evaluator# pairs.
8. General Evaluation 2 minutes
9. Announcements, Comments, Q & A Coordinator 2 minutes
10. Adjournment Coordinator 1 minute
Total time 60 minutes

SESSION 5
1. Welcome & review agenda Coordinator 2 minutes
2. Second ½ “Be in Earnest” speeches/brief introductions by participants Participants 16 minutes
3. Speech evaluations by participants (1 ½ to 2 minutes) Participants 8 minutes
4. Discussion on experiences with introductions Coordinator 4 minutes
5. Review of Progress Participants 3 minutes
6. Table Topics 10 minutes
7. Educational presentation on Vocal Variety 5 minutes
8. Discussion of assignments for Session Six Small groups 5 minutes
The Coordinator asks how the introductions and evaluations went for the speakers-advisor
second group, and reminds the participants to complete the 3-5 minute workshop
“Organize Your Speech” project for next week.
9. General Evaluation 2 minutes
10. Announcements, Comments, Q & A Coordinator 2 minutes
11. Adjournment Coordinator 1 minute
Total time 60 minutes

SESSION 6
1. Welcome & review agenda Coordinator 2 minutes
2. “Organize Your Speech” speeches/brief introductions by participants Participants 32 minutes
3. Speech evaluations by participants (1 ½ to 2 minutes) Participants 16 minutes
4. Presentation of Certificates/expressions of appreciation Coordinator 5 minutes
5. Guest Speaker (optional*) (5-7 min.*)
6. Invitation to join Toastmasters, provide list of Clubs or tell how to start a Club¢ Coordinator 6 minutes
7. Comments, Q & A Participants 5 minutes
8. Wrap-up and Adjournment Coordinator 2 minute
Total time 68 (to 85)
minutes *
* Extra time may be required on the last day for a bigger group, particularly if having a guest speaker, but also to
allow more time for discussion, Comments, and Questions & Answers as warranted by the particular group.
¢
The will depend on purpose of the SpeechCraft program, and expectations of participants. For a new Club, discus-
sion could include next steps in forming a new Club. (These 3 projects can be applied as first 3 in C&L manual.)

Compliments of
Bill Bienia, DTM
Candidate for International Director Region VI