Voice · rank 4 of 5 · speaking up

The toast

Stand and give a 20-second toast to people you just met. Full commitment, no half-standing.

Free. Nothing to download. Always take no for an answer.

Why it works

A toast is a short speech with a built-in excuse. Ideal cover for public-speaking reps.

You stand all the way up, hold your glass, and give 20 seconds to the people around you. Short, warm, finished on a strong line.

Nobody raises a glass. Finish the toast anyway, sit down, and smile. Twenty seconds of being looked at is the rep.

1
Before
Rate your nerves from 1 (panicking) to 10 (at ease), and guess how it will go.
2
Do it
Play the card. A no counts. A bail counts. Walking up to the moment is most of the rep.
3
After
Rate your nerves again and say what actually happened. The gap between the two numbers is the workout.

The Voice suit · speaking up

Too big for tonight? Start at rank 3, Song request, broadcast. Cleared it? Rank 5 is Stage time.

1

Down-shift

For 10 minutes, end every sentence on a downward inflection. No uptalk.
2

The order, slowly

Order a drink 30% slower and 20% louder than feels natural. Pause once mid-order and don't fill the silence.
3

Song request, broadcast

Get the band's attention between songs and make a request loud enough that people nearby turn around.
4

The toast

Stand and give a 20-second toast to people you just met. Full commitment, no half-standing.
5

Stage time

Get on stage. Sing a line, join karaoke, or get the mic for one sentence.

The worst case is a stranger saying no, and you'll live.