Speak-A-Min Contest

Ever since man has learned to communicate, we have considered the people who could speak well to be the people who could speak... non-stop. The glib talking salesman was once looked up to. Hence, we have associated good speaking to long speaking. 

Unfortunately, times have changed. A second is now too long for some operations. A nano second is now the new minute. Long, boring speeches... now put people to sleep...or they get back to their Blackberries or I-Phones. Attention spans have shortened, and people who cannot  deliver their message in a minute will soon become Dinosaurs... and Fossils. 

The ART of the ONE MINUTE SPEECH is here... and

It will change ....

The way we communicate! 

Time is precious.. and we do not have enough of it... 

We need to MASTER this new art form of communication, and I guarantee you... LIFE will be so much better. Here are some apparent advantages of the ONE MINUTE MESSAGE.

1. Don't say I have to discuss something with you. Say I need a minute of your time to share... a concern of mine. Then complete your message in ONE MINUTE. 

2. Rather than shut someone out because you don't have time to talk to them... wouldn't it be nicer to say.... I'll  give you a minute to state your point... and your time starts NOW! 

3. Before you attend a meeting, prepare your key point in a way that you can deliver it in just a minute. People will be happy to attend meetings as others follow suit. Meetings will last just minutes... instead of taking hours. 

4. Imagine using the Elevator Pitch as a daily practice, not just as a prepared sales methodology !

The SPEAK-A-MIN contest will prove that: 

• We have within us the ability to SPEAK SUCCINCTLY and EFFECTIVELY 
• We can SHARPEN our SPEAKING SKILLS
• We can HONE our abilities and use words SPARINGLY
• ANY Message can be delivered effectively in A MINUTE 

If you want to know more about this... follow this blog... or even better... watch videos of classic prize winning speeches. (which will be on Youtube soon) 

If you have the guts... Take part in the contest! 

The first of these contests will be in Bangalore, India. Next we will hit the other major cities... and by the end of the year.. we will conduct an ALL INDIA Speak-a-min contest. 

For starters... 

Here are some of the categories that you can compete in... as a participant in

 SPEAK-A-MIN 

The World's First one minute speech contest. 

INFO-MIN

To share information of value in a very interesting manner. Listeners should be drawn into the speech and hooked to the information like we get hooked to breaking news on a subject that we are interested in. 

FUN-MIN 

To entertain/create humour. The objective here is to increase the Fun/Happiness Factor. After the narration, the listener should feel a sense of lightness of heart. 

JOSH-MIN 

To motivate and inspire. Quite simply to get people to take action or change/improve their thinking. Persuasion, Inspiration, Motivation.. this is what this section is about. It is for speakers who can INFLUENCE through WORDS and ACTIONS. 

EMOTI-MIN 

This is to bring out emotions through sharing of a story/incident. The emotion could be any Joy, Sorrow, Pain, Pleasure, Relief, Elation... just make the listeners feel what you are 

expressing. 

AD-MIN 

This is an impromptu round of speaking. We look at it as Impromptu Selling. The objective of the session is to build a desire in the audience that the object being advertised, is worth acquiring. Only 10 seconds grace will be given at the start. The idea is to create a desire of ownership in the audience. This is selling at its best. 

The participant can also add value to the object... or new attributes (which even the original might not have had) So creativity is allowed, and of course, it should be logically backed up... and finally, the credibility of the speaker should be built up, and not eroded. 

SPEAK-A-MIN will be in three categories:  

1. Open Speak-a-min. Here candidates should be 18 years of age
2. Inter-corporate Speak-a-min. Open only to Companies with more than 100 employees.
3. Inter College Speak-a-min. Open only to the leading colleges in Bangalore. 

More details will appear here. 

Queries are welcome. 

Let the Battle Begin! 

Ian Faria. 

World's first ONE MINUTE SPEAKING CONTEST

Every great speaker who follows the traditional speaking pattern of the Opening, Body and Conclusion (OBC) Paradigm would know that there is approximately 10 - 15% of the time allocated for a speech, which can be apportioned for the Opening. Similarly 10-15% of the time can be reserved for the closing. That leaves us with about 70 to 80% for the Body of the speech. 




So for an average Toastmaster style speech of about 7 minutes, the Opening or Closing would be about 42 to 60 seconds long. So when I was competing in, or Judging oastmasters Contests, I was well aware of the importance of allocating no more than 1 minute for the opening or the closing of a normal contest speech. 


Now here is where the Game Changes, and listen carefully, for what I have to say will probably SHOCK YOU! 


Here it is... 

We have just conducted the WORLD's first ONE MINUTE SPEAKING CONTEST on the 30th of May, and the 17 participants who took contested will surely go down in History as the first ONE MINUTE SPEAKING CONTESTANTS. 


I know ... the question in your mind still lingers... 


HOW IS IT POSSIBLE TO COMPLETE a WHOLE SPEECH in under ONE MINUTE? 


Follow this page, and you will soon be privy to what will be the next generation of Public Speaking Contests that will sweep across the world. There is no time for long winded 7 minute speeches... Move aside dinosaurs of Public Speaking ... the Commandos are here... 


One Minute Speakers ... will rule! 


Can you imagine how effectively meetings will be conducted? 


Can you imagine Parliamentary Sessions lasting for minutes instead of hours? 


Can you imagine what this would do to the world of communication? 


Yes, my dear friends... this is no longer in the realm of FANTASY. 


Bangalore, India will host the 
World's First OPEN Speak-a-Min Contest 
in August this year. 
Details will be released soon, but briefly... here are the contest categories: 

• INFO-MIN - to share information of value in a very interesting manner. 
• FUN-MIN - To entertain/create humour. Basically to increase the Fun/Happiness Factor. 
• JOSH-MIN - To motivate and inspire. Quite simply to get people to take action or change/improve their thinking. 
• EMOTI-MIN - to share a story of loss or pain, joy or gain... basically an EMOTION FILLED NARRATION. 
• AD-MIN - Impromptu Speaking to sell an object that will be given to the participant. 

Contests will be ONE MINUTE LONG. 

First Indicator Light        - GREEN     - 30 secs
Second Indicator Light    - YELLOW   - 60 secs

Final Light                     - RED         - 76 secs 

If you see the RED light glow before you have completed your speech.. you are already disqualified. 

The contest is open to individuals and teams in the following categories:

1. INDIVIDUALS - Working Professionals and Business people 

2. Inter-Corporate TEAM Contests

Details will be announced on the net shortly. Do follow this blog or join us on our FB page for more details. https://www.facebook.com/groups/399760643399612/

An exclusive website will also be launched soon. Look out for us... as we create history. 

Would you like to be a part of it? 

Contact us: 

1. Ian Faria +91 96200 20000

2. Talk Temple Office =91(80) 41507000 or 22271700

Check out our website: www.talktemple.com for details on when our new website for the contest will be launched. 

We would like to share more with all of you, and we request the serious communicators reading this blog to come forward to partner with us... or to join the contest. Come and be a part of something which will soon be the NEW STANDARD in VERBAL COMMUNICATING.

Remember ...

You can't waste a sec... when you Speak-a-Min. 

All the best, 

Ian Faria.