Toastmasters Advanced Manuals

 

After a Toastmasters club member has completed the 10 speeches in the basic manual and achieved the Competent Communicator (CC) certification, he/she may proceed to the AC (Advanced Communicator) levels. Presented below is a brief overview of each of the 15 Advanced Manuals. Two manuals must be completed for each ATM-level certification, each manual having 5 speeches, for a total of 10 speeches.

 

The AC levels are:

 

ACB (Bronze) requires completion of 2 manuals (10 speeches)

ACS (Silver) requires completion of 2 more manuals (10 speeches)

ACG (Gold) requires completion of 2 more manuals (10 speeches)

 

The Entertaining Speaker       

1        The Entertaining Speech:
Entertain with humor and/or drama from your personal experience (5-7 min)

2        Resources for Entertainment:
Entertain with humor and/or drama from sources other than personal experience (8-10 min)

3        Make Them Laugh:
Prepare a humorous speech drawn from your own experiences and strengthened by adapted material from outside sources (8-10 min)

4        A Dramatic Talk:
Develop an entertaining dramatic talk about an experience or incident, or give a dramatic reading (10-12 min)

5        Speaking After Dinner:
Prepare an entertaining after-dinner topic on a specific theme (13-15 min)

 

Speaking To Inform 

1        The Speech to Inform:
Select, organize and present useful information to motivate your audience to learn (5-7 min)

2        Resources for Informing:
Through researched information, focus your presentation on the audience's level of knowledge (8-10 min)

3        The Demonstration Talk:
Conduct a demonstration speech to explain a process, product, or activity (10-12 min)

4        A Fact-Finding Report:
Prepare a report on a situation, event or problem of interest to the audience (10-12 min)

5        The Abstract Concept:
Research and organize the thoughts of experts on an abstract concept, theory, historical force or social/political issue (10-12 min)

  

Public Relations 

1        The Public Relations Speech:
Prepare a talk that will build goodwill for your organization (5-7 min)

2        Resources for Goodwill:
Prepare a talk designed to build goodwill toward an organization or your company (8-10 min)

3        The Persuasive Approach:
Persuade your audience to adopt your viewpoint using both fact and emotion (8-10 min)

4        Speaking Under Fire:
Persuade a hostile audience to at least consider your position on a controversial issue (6-8 min for speech, 8-10 for a question and answer session)

5        The Media Speech:
Write a script on behalf of a social cause and present to a general television audience (8 min)

  

The Discussion Leader 

1        The Seminar Solution:
Briefly discuss a topic, then lead a discussion about that topic (20-30 min)

2        The Round Robin:
Use the circular discussion technique to brainstorm a solution to a problem (20-30 min)

3        Pilot a Panel:
Act a moderator for a panel discussion that will inform the audience (30-40 min)

4        Make It Make Believe (Role Playing):
Direct a role playing enactment that will help solve a human relations problem (20-30 min)

5        The Workshop Leader:
Guide workshop participants through an investigative discussion of a problem (30-40 min)

  

Specialty Speeches 

1        Speak Off the Cuff:
Learn how to prepare for an impromptu speaking situation (5-7 min)

2        Uplift the Spirit:
Develop a speech style and delivery and moves the audience to adopt your views (8-10 min)

3        Sell a Product:
Learn how to close a sale by using the four steps of sales presentations (10-12 min)

4        Read Out Loud:
Understand the principles of presenting an effective interpretive reading (12-15 min)

5        Introduce the Speaker:
Focus on the special occasion talk from the standpoint of the introducer (13-15 min)

 

 Speeches by Management 

1        The Briefing:
Present critical information and then handle a question and answer session (8-10 min for presentation, 5 min for questions and answers)

2        The Technical Speech:
Convert a technical paper or technical material in a technical speech (8-10 min)

3        Manage and Motivate:
Deliver a motivational speech that will persuade an audience to agree with your management proposal (10-12 min)

4        The Status Report:
Organize and prepare a status report according to a four-step pattern (10-12 min)

5        Confrontation: The Adversary Relationship:
Prepare for a confrontation on a controversial management issue (5 min for speech, 10 min for question and answer session)

 

The Professional Speaker 

1        The Keynote Address:
Learn how to meet audience expectations and fit your style to the occasion (15-20 min)

2        Speaking to Entertain:
Use personalized material to entertain and establish rapport (15-20 min)

3        The Sales Training Speech:
Demonstrate to a sales audience the dynamics of successful presentations (15-20 min)

4        The Professional Speaker:
Plan and present a seminar with specific learning objectives (20-40 min)

5        The Motivational Speech:
Deliver a speech that persuades your audience to emotionally commit to an action (15-20 min)

  

Technical Presentations 

1        The Technical Briefing:
Tailor your technical material into a concise presentation (8-10 min)

2        The Proposal:
Prepare a presentation advocating a product, service, idea or course of action, then conduct a question and answer period (8-10 min for presentation, 3-5 min for questions)

3        The Nontechnical Audience:
Communicate complex information to nontechnical listeners (10-12 min)

4        Presenting a Technical Paper:
Deliver an interesting speech based on a technical paper or article (10-12 min)

5        The Team Technical Presentation:
Orchestrate the planning, preparation and delivery of a team technical presentation (20-30 min)

  

Persuasive Speaking 

1        The Effective Salesperson:
Learn a technique for selling an inexpensive product in a retail store (8-12- min)

2        Conquering the "Cold Call":
Learn a technique for cold call selling of expensive products or services (10-14 min)

3        The Winning Proposal:
Prepare a proposal advocating an idea or course of action (5-7 min)

4        Addressing the Opposition:
Prepare a talk on a controversial subject that persuades an audience to accept or at least consider your viewpoint (7-9 min for speech, 2-5 min for questions and answers) 

5        The Persuasive Leader:
Communicate your vision and mission to an audience (6-8 min)

  

Communicating on Television 

1        Straight Talk:
Present your opinion as if it were part of a television broadcast (3 min +- 30 secs)

2        The Talk Show:
Prepare for a televised interview and present a positive image (10 min +- 30 secs)

3        When You're the Host:
Conduct a successful interview and project a positive image on camera (10 min +- 30 secs)

4        The Press Conference:
Employ appropriate methods and strategies for communicating your organization's viewpoint (4-6 min for presentation, 8-10 min for questions and answers)

5        Training on Television:
Learn how to develop and present an effective training program on television (5-7 min for presentation, plus 5-7 min for video playback)

 

Storytelling

1        The Folk Tale:
Tell a folk tale using vivid imagery and voice to enhance the tale (7-9 min)

2        Let's Get Personal:
Create and tell an original story based on a personal experience (6-8 min)

3        The Moral of the Story:
Create a story that offers a lesson or moral (4-6 min)

4        The Touching Story:
Tell a story that encourages emotional feelings (6-8 min)

5        Bringing History to Life:
Tell a story about an historical event or person (7-9 min)

 

Interpretive Reading 

1        Read a Story:
Learn to present an effective reading by applying vocal techniques (8-10 min)

2        Interpreting Poetry:
Recognize how poets use imagery, rhythm, meter, cadence and rhyme (6-8 min)

3        The Monodrama:
Portray a character's physical and emotional aspects (5-7 min)

4        The Play:
Portray several characters in one reading (12-15 min)

5        The Oratorical Speech:
Interpret and present a famous speech (10-12 min)

 

 Interpersonal Communication

1        Conversing with Ease:
Identifying techniques to use in conversing with strangers (10-14 min)

2        The Successful Negotiator:
Employ win/win negotiating strategies to achieve your goals (10-14 min)

3        Diffusing Verbal Criticism:
Respond non-defensively to verbal criticism (10-14 min)

4        The Coach:
Coach an individual to improved performance (10-14 min)

5        Asserting Yourself Effectively:
Learn how to address a problem and receive help (10-14 min)

  

Special Occasion Speeches 

1        Mastering the Toast:
Present a toast honoring an occasion or a person (2-3 min)

2        Speaking in Praise:
Prepare a speech praising or honoring someone, either living or dead (5-7 min)

3        The Roast:
Conduct a humorous and positive recognition of a particular person (3-5 min)

4        Presenting an Award:
Present an award with dignity and grace (3-4 min)

5        Accepting an Award:
Accept an award with dignity, grace and sincerity (5-7 min)

  

Humorously Speaking 

1        Warm Up Your Audience:
Prepare a speech that opens with a humorous story (5-7 min)

2        Leave Them With A Smile:
Prepare a serious speech that opens and closes with humorous stories (5-7 min)

3        Make Them Laugh:
Prepare a speech that opens and closes with humorous stories (5-7 min)

4        Keep Them Laughing:
Prepare a speech that opens with a self-deprecating story (5-7 min)

5        The Humorous Speech:
Use exaggeration to tell a humorous story (5-7 min)

 

 

Click here to read more about Competent Communicator (Basic Speaking Skills) curriculum.