Becoming a Great Speaker Starts with Being a Great Evaluator

Dear Reader,

This week I served as the General Meeting Evaluator at my Toastmasters club.

It’s one of my favorite roles because it gives me the chance to provide feedback to those who often don’t get it, like the Toastmaster (the meeting facilitator), speech evaluators (those who evaluate the prepared speeches), and other meeting participants.

During the meeting, I overheard two members talking about how much they disliked being speech evaluators.

They said the role felt intimidating, and they didn’t know how to give feedback. I couldn’t believe it.

For me, being a speech evaluator is one of the most enjoyable and rewarding aspects of public speaking.

Listening to a speech, identifying its strengths, and offering constructive feedback doesn’t just help the speaker. It helps you grow too.

The Power of Speech Evaluations

Here’s the thing: Evaluating speeches forces you to listen actively and critically. It helps you:

• Recognize what works in a presentation and what doesn’t.

• Articulate feedback in a constructive way that encourages growth.

• Reflect on your own speaking habits and identify areas to improve.

And you don’t have to be in Toastmasters to benefit from this practice.

Watching and critiquing great speeches online, like those on YouTube, TED.com, or The Moth, can help you grow as a speaker too.

The “3 Cs” of Speech Evaluation

In my coaching, I often use the 4 Cs of storytelling to help people learn the basics of storytelling. For evaluations, I want to share the “3 Cs” evaluator framework:

1. Compliments: What did you enjoy about the speech? Be specific. For example, “Your opening grabbed my attention right away.”

2. Critiques: What could the speaker improve? Phrase it positively. For instance, “Your conclusion could be stronger by summarizing your main points.”

3. Calls to Action: What actionable steps can the speaker take? An example might be, “Try slowing down during key moments to emphasize your message.”

Using this framework ensures your feedback is balanced, constructive, and actionable.

Quick and Dirty Guide to Speech Evaluation

Want to practice? Here’s a simple way:

• Watch a speech online, whether on YouTube, TED.com, The Moth or any other website where you can watch speeches.

• Write down:

  • What you liked (compliment).

  • What you didn’t like (critique).

  • What could be improved (call to action).

• Apply the 3 Cs to structure your feedback.

The more you practice, the better you’ll become, not just as an evaluator but as a speaker too.

Your Challenge This Week

Take 10 minutes to watch a speech online and critique it using the 3 Cs framework. Think about what you can learn from the speaker’s strengths and areas for improvement.

I’d love to hear how it goes. Reply to this email and share your favorite insights.

Closing Thoughts

Becoming a great speaker takes practice, and one of the best ways to practice is by evaluating others. Whether it’s in a Toastmasters meeting or while watching a TED Talk, every evaluation is a chance to grow.

Keep challenging yourself to listen, critique, and improve. You’ll be amazed at how much you grow along the way.

Until next time,
Rico