One of the great benefits of Toastmasters is that when we deliver a speech, we have someone who is ready to give us feedback so that we can improve next time. That feedback is called an Evaluation. An evaluation is a short speech intended to help the speaker become better. Done properly, it can also provide tips to the audience on improving their speaking skills. Because it is a speech, it requires an opening, body and conclusion.

To evaluate, we have to develop a format that will allow us to quickly organize our impressions and focus on a few key items. One recommended format is the "SANDWICH APPROACH": positive comments, then suggestions for improvement , followed by words of encouragement. Begin with an opening comment to introduce the major areas of the speech. Then proceed to the body of your evaluation, including strong points and positive impressions of the presentation. Follow with areas needing improvement and offer tangible suggestions on how to improve. Conclude with highlights of the speaker’s strengths, your positive impressions, suggestions for improvements and a final encouraging statement.

Keep in mind the type of speech and the level of the speaker’s oratorical ability when developing the evaluation. For example, when evaluating an Ice Breaker speech, provide initial feedback on general strengths and weaknesses as well as basic areas to improve. However, evaluate an advanced speaker on more subtle aspects such as timing, pacing, gestures and language. In both cases, build your evaluation around the formal objectives for that speech plus any personal objectives the speaker asks you to comment on.

Your evaluation will be most effective if you observe the speaker closely, watching the effectiveness of the speaker’s actions and words. You must be specific. You have to let the speaker know what grabbed your attention, why something was effective. Use terms that stimulate mental pictures of how the speaker appeared to you and let your words speak to as many senses as possible.

Evaluating the speech of a fellow club member is a tremendous opportunity for us to challenge ourselves to make each evaluation benefit not only the speaker and the audience, but ourselves as well.