These are the slides I used when I did my Toastmaster education speech "Select Your Topic" from the Better Speaker Series.

1. Selecting
Your Topic
The Better Speaker Series

2. The Better Speaker Series

3. Selecting
Your Topic
The Better Speaker Series

4. The Better Speaker Series

5. Two Sources
Personal Experience
Reference Material

6. Two Sources
Personal Experience
!Interests, hobbies, activities
!Career or job
!Family, friends, colleagues
!Education or training

7. Two Sources
Reference Material
!Books
!Magazines
!Newspapers
!Facebook
!Blogs
!Websites

8. The Better Speaker Series
Inspiration

9. The Better Speaker Series

10. The Better Speaker Series

11. The Better Speaker Series

12. The Better Speaker Series

13. The Better Speaker Series
sixminutes.dlugan.com

14. The Better Speaker Series
lifehack.org

15. Narrow Your The Better Selection
Speaker Series
lifehack.org

16. The Better Speaker Series

17. The Better Speaker Series

18. Narrow Your Selection
Your Audience
The Occasion
Your Own Abilities
Be Specific

19. Narrow Your Selection
Your Audience
!How many people?
!Age range?
!Familiar with the subject?
!Similar education, interests,
backgrounds, and experiences?

20. Narrow Your Selection
The Occasion
!Does the event have a theme?
!When are you scheduled to speak?
!What will happen before your speech?
!What will happen after your speech?

21. Narrow Your Selection
Your Own Abilities
!Enthusiasm and interest
!Knowledge base
!Are you an authority?

22. Narrow Your Selection
Be Specific
!Is the topic specific enough for
the time allotted?
!Do the sub-points support the
topic and add to the speech?
!What can be cut from the body of
the speech?

23. Conclusion
Personal Experience
+
Resources
+
Consideration
=
An Excellent Speech Topic!

24. The Better Speaker Series