How to Face and Ace Table topics

We all get very anxious when asked to speak impromptu on any topic and we often pretend that we are unable to unmute or leave the meeting and end up saying that we are having severe network issues.

Well, today let us put a full stop to these excuses and become a master of Table topics.
Settle your nerves with these simple strategies to Face (Face + Ace) Table topics with these Top 12 Tips for Terrific table topics.

1. DON'T PANIC AND NEVER APOLOGIZE:
If you can, just stop caring about Table Topics.

Remember, everyone in the audience has been in your position, has probably dried up at some point and is hoping that you do well. So, you don’t need to worry about their reaction. I have often seen that people do not take up table topics because they have this mindset that the audience sitting there, listening to them, is going to evaluate how they speak.
Some people think that the key to an effective table topics speech is to be fluent throughout. Yes, this is true, but it is not always the case.

We all start our Table topics speech very well, but at some point, in time, we are out of ideas. Just to keep up with the fluency, we often tend to speak faster and in that time phrase, the mind is out of ideas. When that happens, we start using filler words like Ah, Um, give pauses which in turn ruins the flow and the fluency.
Here emerges Point NO 1: DON’T PANIC, GO EASY. In the beginning you may ask for a 30 second break and try collecting some ideas on the particular topic allotted to you. Try creating a connection of the thoughts, relate them and when you are ready with it, exhibit your thoughts out to the audience calmly and with a steady pace.
 

2. BUY THE TIME: Give time for your nerves to calm down and for you to think of something to say. Sit at the back of the room and slowly make your way to the front. Acknowledge the audience and repeat the question. If you need to, ask for 30 seconds to collect your thoughts, just talk for a while about something vaguely related to the theme, or even about something totally unrelated: Sooner or later, inspiration will come, ideas will pop up.
If you run out ideas at any moment, you may also ask your audience a question and, in that time, you can think about what to speak or even carve out something from the audience’s response. This will allow you to not freeze but to keep speaking throughout.

 

3. GO WITH THE FIRST LITTLE IDEA THAT COMES INTO YOUR HEAD: Sooner or later, a little idea will pop into your head. Even if it’s just a little idea, start talking about it. Don’t reject it in the hope that a bigger idea will come along. The small idea must be expressed first.

Believe me, if you do reject it, it’ll sulk and will block the big idea from ever getting through.

Suppose you have been given the topic “How has Climate change affected the whole world”.
A topic such as this has a wide range of aspects and it is often difficult to think which aspect to start with. Here, instead of scratching your head on which topic to start with, talk about the first small idea that comes into your mind. When I was told to speak on this topic, my first thought was that of the Glacier melting incident that took place in Chamoli, Uttarakhand.
I started with that thought and expanded upon it and in that time phrase, I gave my mind the time to think of the harmful effects caused by this and other related tangents and then I closed off with a solution to that problem. So, I created a whole 2-minute speech with the smallest topic of glacier melting and carved about various aspects of it. This is what you have do!

 

4. REMEMBER RULE 3: It is awfully important for beginning a table topics speech effectively and with energy. Go ahead with the first little idea that comes into your head.

 

5. REMEMBER THE RULE OF THREE: You can give your speech some structure by breaking it down into three key points that support or strengthen your point of view.
For example: “My best holiday ever was in Boston and there are three reasons why.”
You don’t need these three reasons all before you start. You can think of the first point while answering the question, then think of the second point while addressing the first and so on.

 

6. REMEMBER THE SIX HONEST SERVING MEN: Alternatively, you can build your argument by using the "six honest serving men" (what, why, when, how, where, and who) as defined by British author Rudyard Kipling.

Consider the following scenario: What was my favorite holiday? Why did I go there in the first place? When did I go on this trip? What mode of transportation did I use? Where did I spend the night? Who did I run into? What exactly did I do there? How was my experience? By actively looking for answers to these questions, we can give ourselves both material and the framework to put together a well-structured speech.

 

7. KNOW WHEN TO STOP: Avoid rambling your way to a lengthy conclusion. Instead, in a succinct manner, summarize your response and the key points of your speech. Finish with a punchy ending and always return the stage back to the Table Topics Master. Please do not digress from the topic and speak unnecessary things which are not related. Keep your key points less in number so that it is easier for the audience to comprehend.

 

8. PREPARE SOMETHING IN ADVANCE: You can often use the theme of the meeting to suggest and indicate a structure for your speech, a style of delivery or a direction to take it in. When your question arrives, you can fit your answer into the framework you’ve already thought of. The Table topics are generally related to the theme of the meeting, so it is advisable to think of a few points on the theme and try fitting them in when your topic comes. 

 

9. DRAW ON YOUR EXPERIENCE: When you’re given a Table Topic, you can ask yourself if there’s anything in your own experiences that will answer the question or illustrate your argument. As well as making it easier for you to answer the question, - a personal opinion, or reply will often sound more heartfelt than other answers you might give.

10. REMEMBER POINT 9: It is the most important point that must be there in any table topics speech. TRY INCLUDING A PERSONAL ANECDOTE, STORY OR EXPERIENCE. 

11. BE ECCENTRIC: The best and the most creative Table Topics responses are often those where the speaker avoids a serious or conventional answer and instead tries something unusual or entertaining with some imaginary characters. For example, you can deliver your speech with avenger characters in it or deliver an unexpected argument/thought. By doing this, you can grab the audience’s attention and free yourself from the constraints of a conventional approach.

12. KEEP DOING TABLE TOPICS: Please, Please, Please, take up as many Table topics as possible, no matter how you speak and what you speak. The more you do it, the less nervous you’ll become, the easier you’ll find it and the more you’ll enjoy it.
The proverb PRACTICE MAKES A MAN PERFECT holds true for every situation.