Why Women Almost Never Win the World Championship of Public Speaking

 "Image copyright 2015 Angie Key as Keyframe Photography,
used with permission."

How's that for a charged title?

It could just as easily be this one: Why Asians Almost Never Win the World Championship of Public Speaking

Or: Why Speakers Over 7 Feet Tall NEVER Win the World Championship of Public Speaking

Or my favorite: Why a Father of Six with a Fake Leg has Yet to the World Championship of Public Speaking

In the wake of August's World Championship of Public Speaking, two major arguments quickly hit the Toastmaster world.

1. Order bias (1st, 2nd, and 3rd went to the last three speakers, with the winner, Mohammed Qahtani the last speaker of 10)

2. Gender Bias - no women even made the Final Ten.

I'll save order bias for another day - there's a lot of data crunching that goes into that, and it's not something we can readily fix. Women winning the Championship, however, is something I can talk about. At least from a biased male point of view.

Let start by mentioning a couple major aspects of my own competitive career. First, I have been on the losing end to women several times. At club. At Division (twice!). At District. At the Semi's. And even in the finals, losing to the last woman World Champion, the late LaShunda Rundles.

2008 World Champion LaShunda Rundles

So I get a little amped up when I hear people accuse Toastmasters of being biased against women.

Yes, we've only had four female champions since 1973, when women were first allowed in Toastmasters. We've had a small percentage of women in the Finals in the first place, but we've had more than a few place in the top three. Mary Cheyne, Angela Louie, Katherine Morrison, Kelly Sargeant, to mention some from the past decade. But still, a small percentage overall. Indeed, it isn't even that unusual for the Finals to be all male.

So - there's a problem. Supposedly.

Judging bias? Men like male speakers better? Women don't like other women speakers? Women speakers aren't assertive enough? Women speakers are too assertive? Women speakers pick bad topics? Women have the wrong tone of voice? Too fat? Too Skinny? Too tall? (a love shout-out to Libra Ford!) Too much jewelry? Wearing gawdawful shoes?

The list I've heard from people is endless. It all adds up to women are...well...women!
Yeah, well, SO FREAKIN' WHAT? Men are also...well...MEN!

 "Image copyright 2015 Angie Key as Keyframe Photography,
used with permission."

Flawed. Bad beards. Bad dressers. (I heard this year's world champion criticized for having too small a suit, and an 'unconventional shirt'.) Terrible speech topics. Too loud. Too animated. Too cocky.

Are they as heavily criticized as women? No. In fact, dressing for the stage is far easier for the average male, and no, we don't usually get penalized for being too fat, too skinny, or even being just plain ugly. I do believe society in general is far more critical of women than men in almost every way. That can't help but seep into judging. If we are going to call that judging bias, then yes, it exists, and no, it shouldn't.

But I don't think that's the main reason. A contributing factor, perhaps, but not the main reason.

Let's face facts: more men lose in the contest that women. It's true. I think there were 17 women in the semi's this year. That means, out of 96 contestants, 10 men won, 17 women lost, and 59 men lost. Unbelievable. All those poor men. And several of those women placed, making it even worse for the men. Oh, the humanity!

Therefore, IF there's bias, it's more on the lower levels, right? Gotta be. But then I hear the problem is actually that not enough women enter, lowering their odds in general. Like the speech competition is a slot machine or a dice game. Yes, luck enters in to a degree, but it isn't really an 'odds-based' competition - it's a quality-based competition. Out of 10 speakers, we cannot objectively say each speaker has a 10 percent chance of victory. 'Chance' is directly countered by experience, talent, and performance. Otherwise we could just draw the winner the way we draw for order.

Wait a minute, Rich. Are you saying that women aren't good enough speakers in this competition?

Well.....Yes. Yes I am. And neither are the literally thousands of more MEN speakers in this competition than women. The competition starts with 30,000 contestants. Based on 18 percent of the Semi-Finalists being women, 4100 of the 30,000 are women. That means there were 25,890 men who weren't good enough EITHER. Holy freaking COW!

See - other than a tiny percentage of speakers every year, NONE of us are good enough. Because it's a competition. With ONE winner. ONE winner every step of the way.

Is it possible that a man gave a better speech than any of the other women or men in there Club, Area, Division, District, Semi, or Finals round? OF COURSE. Is it possible a woman who placed second, third or not at all in one contest would have WON in a different heat? Or even a man who placed second, third, or not at all? Of course!

        

Put all the finalists in one semi, and all but one loses, and the Finals is totally reshuffled. For instance, last year, Joe Grondin and James Jeffley were in the same Semi-Final. Joe had been to the Finals before, James was a first year Toastmaster. James won. This year, they were both back, in separate Semis, and both won and went to the Finals. Neither placed. Luck? Maybe. Odds? Maybe. If you really want to game the odds, put all the women in one Semi-Final - yeah, there's a solution built for rioting.

The reality is, allowing a little room for human judging error, that the 10 male Finalists this year simply HAD THE BETTER SPEECH than any of the other women and men in their contests from club on up. Except the champion, who took second at District, but that's a whole other cool and inspiring story.

Could a woman have won a Semi in 2015? Sure. Different set of judges, perhaps. Put them in a different heat, perhaps. The only woman I watched this year who took second that I personally thought could have won her semi was beaten by a speaker who finished in the top 3 of the Finals - so we're really splitting hairs with that one.

Most of you aren't going to like this, but the answer for women is the same answer I have for me. We aren't winning the World Championship of Public Speaking because our speeches, while stunning, spectacular, and skillful, are not as stunning, spectacular, and skillful as those who beat us. Even if they only beat us by a single, measly point. One measly point is enough.

What can you do about it?

Write better speeches. Practice your delivery more. Study what wins, and what doesn't. Don't make excuses. If you're charged up about a woman winning, and know one who should be competing but isn't, convince them to compete! If you think judging stinketh, then volunteer to give judging training - I'm helping with judging training in my own district in just a couple days!

Find coaching - be it from a man or a woman, or both. I know Olivia Schofield, 2011 Finalist, and Chelsea Avery, coach for 2012 Champ Ryan Avery, have started VocalWomen specifically for coaching women speakers. There's no shortage of women coaches available, in Toastmasters OR the real world. I coach women speakers all the time, both in the contest, AND the real world.

Finally, keep in mind two truths. First - you can't control everything. The judges, the audience, the other speakers. Your Sgt. at Arms. Your Toastmaster. The stage size. The microphone. You can only control you, your content and your performance. Focus on winning what you can control.

Second, losing isn't an indictment. It doesn't mean you're not a great speaker. Women, it sure as HELL doesn't mean you aren't as good as a male speaker. All it means for you, and the men, and that father of six with the fake leg - is that we didn't have the best speech that day, in that moment, for those judges. We, and eventually 29,999 others - we ALL LOSE.

Dark Phoenix literally giving Wolverine the Death Stare

OK - I can feel the death stares. Send your hate mail. I'm not a woman, so I don't know what's its like, and I don't appreciate 'male privilege', and I shouldn't even be writing any of this. I know. I'll probably never get another 1st place vote from a woman again. Or a man, for that matter, because, after all, at the end of the day, I've actually just said more of them apparently suck at speaking in the contest than women.

It's almost enough to make me think competition is a bad thing. Almost.

Here's to seeing all the best speakers - male, female, fluid, tall, short, thin, fat, old, young, high-pitched, low-pitched, low energy, high energy, well dressed, poorly dressed, white, yellow, brown, orange, or black - in DC next year. Most importantly - may the winner be a - WINNER.

12 Ways to Make the Most of the Seasonal Slowdown in your Business

When I used to be in a sales job, I'd always hear the same excuses this time of year:

'No one is going to answer my calls'

'No one wants to spend money during Christmas'

'It's the dead season, we should just shut down the office and go home'

I hear similar sentiments now from clients and friends in speaking:

'No one is hiring speakers for this time of year'

'No one will see my emails'

...and of course, the one we ALL use...
'I'm just so busy with the holidays - I'll just regroup and start again in January'

I admit, I'm guilty of saying and doing all of these things over the years. But I've also found success in going the other direction. Instead of shutting down your speaking, what if you ramped up? Particularly when so many others ARE ramping down?

12 Ways to Make the Most of the Seasonal Slowdown

1. Say Thank You - a holiday appreciation message to all those you spoke to, to those who referred you, to your coaching clients, to mentors, to anyone this year who has made a difference. It's a great way to stay top of mind to them, and to remind yourself you're not in this business alone.

2. Update Your Social Media Profiles - do you have the same Twitter/Facebook background as you did a year ago? Even six months ago? Do you have your LinkedIn profile updated with your latest accomplishments? Have you set up viewing lists on your YouTube? Take some time to freshen up your public persona, so you don't end up looking like last years present.

3. Create a New Ethical Bribe - have you been offering the same e-book on your webpage for years? The same list of tips? Come up with something new - maybe start a new list based on the new approach. Reward your current list by sending the new item, maybe an audio or video recording, as a holiday bonus.

4. Start Your Next Book - because you probably never got around to it, right? If you did, congratulations! What's next? Start with an outline, and try writing it in a different way than you did last time. Set a deadline, and get going!

5. Rewrite Your Speech - is your Keynote getting worn around the edges? Pull up a copy, or transcribe your last presentation, and start deconstructing it. What stories can you update? Replace? Are there parts of the speech you, or your audience, are getting tired of saying/hearing?

6. Make Your Phone Calls - as much as most of us hate cold calling, it's still an effective way to secure speaking opportunities and solicit clients. Maybe they aren't there, but you can still leave a message and give them a heads up about the email you're about to send them. You'll be surprised, though, by how many of them still go to work and pick up the phone during the holidays.\

7. Show Up at Events - particularly events you'd like to speak at, whether you're targeting service clubs, associations, Meet-Ups, chambers of commerce, even Toastmaster meetings. Meet the people who can book/hire you, and meet people who can introduce you to people who can book/hire you - and get to see your audience in a more casual, laid-back atmosphere than the rest of the year.

8a. Podcasters - Start Booking Your Guests - if that's your format. All those busy people you want to interview are slowing down a bit, and may be more open than before to something new. Build a list of 'dream' people, and go after them. If you don't interview, plan your programming - what will your topics be the first quarter of the year. Worst feeling ever is getting in front of microphone and drawing a blank!

8b. Bloggers - you can go on a writing binge - write 5, 10, 15 posts to start off the new year. Just as I suggest for the Podcasters - plan your programming. Maybe use the blog to write your book. Create a theme each month. Build a series your readers can look forward to each week. Go to Fiverr.com and and get a redesign. Lots of options to get ready for 2015.

9. Make a Video or Audio (or 12) - Videos can be as short at 1-2 minutes, and probably shouldn't be longer than 8-10. Set up a backdrop, get out the lights, and turn on the camera while everyone else is at the mall, or, if you really want to have some fun, let them come in and watch, or wander into the frame. Some of the most authentic moments come when you're interrupted by your 2 year old, your cat, or your pet python.  Even if videos seem out of reach, just talk into your computer, and make some audio content to sell or offer on your website. If a video turns out poorly on the visual side, save it as an mp3 and salvage the words - your message is valuable!

10. Launch an End-of-the-Year Special - the New Year often brings new rates - encourage your clients to book you NOW at current rates. Or...create a special holiday-oriented training program that is available for a short time. Have old product in stock? Bundle it, and sell it at a special price.

11a. Read a Book - you're so busy the rest of the year. You've probably bought a bunch of books that have just sat there. Pick one, and read it over the holiday break. If it's industry related, take some notes, and start applying what you learned. Or, if it's a leisure book, like my penchant my Science Fiction, just reward yourself and enjoy the mental break.

11b. Watch a Movie - perhaps in the theatre, perhaps one you missed, perhaps an old favorite. I took my oldest daughter to the third Hobbit today - and it was great Daddy/Daughter time. I'm hoping to hit the Theory of Everything on my own in the next two weeks as well. Movies can inspire as well as entertain, and if you feed your brain with the right inspiration, who knows what kind of ideas you'll come up with?

12. Let It Go - that feeling that the year is almost over and you didn't get enough done, and that you're not where you want to be yet. Instead, take inventory of your victories, however small you think they may be, and see them all together, adding up into what was probably a better year than you thought. Even though you can use some of this time productively, don't forget productivity can come in many forms - and spending this time with your family and friends, or even on vacation, can be extremely valuable.

I'm sure you can think of more things to do, that may be more specific to what you want to accomplish - I'd love it if you shared your ideas in the comments. Just don't let yourself get overwhelmed. You don't have to do all 12 - even if you just do ONE, you'll end up ahead of where you would have been otherwise.

Use the Seasonal Slowdown to breathe new LIFE into your business, and start 2015 with momentum and energy, so you'll be able to Speak & Deliver more than ever before!

Save Yourself from Post-Seminar Depression Syndrome!

There's a million public speaking programs out there. Well, almost. They come in pretty clam shell sets of DVDs and MP3 downloads and Teleseminar/Webinar/YouTube trainings, from some of the top names, and sometimes the not-so-top names, in the business.

The same people that provide these products put on live seminars - 3-5 day programs in exotic locations that cost anywhere from $300 to $5,000 dollars (food, travel and lodging not included), promising you a weekend with the experts, a transformational event that will put you on your path to speaking, if you just put into action every step they outline for you.

This is all well and good - there's a market, and the information can be strong. These products, programs, and deluxe working vacations are usually put on by legitimate, top-notch speakers, who earnestly want to inspire you to do something you've never done, and they put their all into their programs. They are providing a service people want, and I consistently hear how wonderful attendees feel when they get back.

But then, you walk back in your front door, and...reality hits.

"I've sat through/listened/watched an 8 hour/3-day intense program/teleseminar series/workshop, and I still don't have a speech?!? I have a 175 page workbook that I actually have to follow? I have to get myself booked? I actually have to DO SOMETHING?

Hey wait, what about a message? They told me how to find a message, but how do I know I've found it, that it's good enough, and that I'm doing it right?"

Poof! The air comes out, uncertainty creeps back in, and the money and the time is gone. I call it Post-Seminar Depression Syndrome - which is very similar to Post New Year's Resolution Syndrome...

Now what? All that information you just paid for is useless if you just put it up on your shelf, waiting until 'you're sure'. Even the people who sold you and trained you for a weekend will tell you that. They also know that most of the people who come will leave excited, educated, and yet still do nothing. It's not what they want, but it's part of the business.

How do you make sure you don't come home and go Poof?

What you need is a Who - a coach - someone to help you find your message, craft it, practice it, and encourage and hold you accountable to deliver it. Speaking coaches abound these days, and all have different levels of experience, and a diverse set of skills and training styles. Some of the legitimate seminar leaders will offer personal coaching, if they have the time and you've got the money. But they can't coach EVERYONE, and it might be the right situation for YOU.

A while back, I did an in-depth post The 7 Questions You Should Ask When Hiring a Speaking Coach.
For review, those questions were:

1. What's at Stake
2. What's their Real-World Experience
3. What's their Speaking Experience
4. What's their Location
5. What do Others Say
6. What are You Willing to Spend
7. How do You Want to be Coached

On my side, I can be choosy with who I work with. Not everyone is an ideal fit with every coach, or client. I work closely with my clients to help them find and refine their messages, construct their presentations, and hone their delivery skills. Closely can mean in person, by Skype, by phone, or simply by email, and it also means repeatedly. I rarely allow for a 'here's your critique, what's your hurry' client. It doesn't serve either of us well.

As we go deeper in, we'll get into the nuts and bolts of marketing, scheduling, creating products, etc - but it all has to start with the right message, delivered the right way.

So go, spend your thousands of dollars, get excited, and come back armed with information and charged to change your life, your career, and your financial future. Then call me - and we'll sit down and work through it all together, and make sure you honor the promises you just made to yourself and your future audiences.

To Speak...and Deliver.

(Disclaimer: I reserve the right to someday offer large, expensive seminars, clam shell encased DVDs and YouTube trainings. A guy's gotta eat, right?)

200 Bricks.

Will Smith tells a story about his father tearing down a wall in front of his business, and telling his two young boys they had to rebuild it. The young kids thought it was an impossible task, but in about a year and a half, they succeeded. The former Fresh Prince said the key was focusing not on the wall they had to build, but laying the perfect brick, one brick at a time.

When I set out to start Speak & Deliver, I had this simple goal in mind, as seen in my first post, Sept. 15, 2009:

"Speak & Deliver will cover both sides of the issue, as we strive to marry the best of Method and Message in order to create the best possible speakers for today's audiences."

Have I succeeded?

Speak & Deliver has certainly been built slowly over the last 28 months, though 2011 was a bit of a breakout year as I dedicated more and more time to posting. I'm honored by the many follows I can see on the right side of this blog, the RSS followers, and those that help me average 300 or so views a day. It either means I'm writing what you want to read, or I'm using enough Glee images that people are hitting my blog just to grab the graphics. Probably some combination of both!

What can I do to make the next 200 posts useful to you? To push you along your speaking journey, one post at a time? Tell me in the comments below, facebook me, or email me with your thoughts. This blog, after all, is for the "Speaking Public", not me.

Thank you for reading Speak & Deliver. Now go out and give a speech. Every speech is a brick. Your wall of success is waiting to be built!