The second speech given by a new member of a Toastmasters club is called Project 2 “Organize Your Speech.” The objectives of this speech are as follows. First, the Toastmaster must create an outline of their speech that is easy for listeners to follow and understand. For example, if the speaker is talking about taking the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery because they are a candidate for enlistment in the United States Armed Services, they may want to discuss first how they prepared for the ASVAB by taking multiple versions of an ASVAB practice test and then how they performed on the actual test. The speech is only five to seven minutes in length so the outline need not be long or elaborate.

 

The second objective is to make the message of the speech clear. This message should include supporting material which contributes directly to the effective delivery of the speech. For example, the message of the speech might be that taking multiple versions of the ASVAB practice test is the best way to prepare for taking the actual ASVAB test itself.

 

The third objective is for the speaker to use transitions in the speech that appropriately move the speech from one topic to the next. In other words, the speaker should try to avoid abruptly switching from one topic to another because this is often confusing for the audience and detracts from the overall effectiveness of the speech.

 

The final objective is to create a strong opening and conclusion. These two elements book end the speech and contribute to its effectiveness. The opening tells the audience what the speech is about and effectively gives them a roadmap to follow. The closing sums up the speech and hammers home the main points the speaker wants the audience to remember after the speech is over.