How to evaluate a speech

See these quick tips for presenting an evaluation at the Newcastle Toastmasters club.

See these external resources about evaluating speeches in Toastmasters:

Grow your analytical skills and speaking techniques with encouraging evaluations.

When you share a balanced evaluation of a prepared or impromptu speech, you can share techniques with the audience and the speaker. You can identify presentation methods that could inspire your future speeches. You learn to provide suggestions constructively, building positive relationships in ways that demonstrate teamwork skills.

Plus Minus Minus Plus

Introduce your evaluation by focusing on the speaker’s goals and congratulating the speaker for having the courage to make the presentation. Minimise or avoid summarising the content because the audience already knows this information.

Structure your evaluation into three or four parts.

Choose either + - - + or +-+.

What does this involve?

Identify a technique that was implemented successfully.

Then, suggest one or two aspects that could be changed. These sections are sometimes known as “points for improvement.” However, keep in mind that every speech evaluation or judgement is a subjective option for the speaker to take with a grain of salt.

The next main section should focus on another method that went well, to start ending on a positive angle.

Conclude by summarising your main points and encouraging the speaker to present again in the future. Applaud the speaker for their efforts.

Evaluations can encourage us.

— Newcastle Toastmasters Club

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