九色

Speak up winner

Speaking up has its rewards. Just ask Debbie Wentworth.

Wentworth, who works at Maine Employers’ Mutual Insurance Co. (MEMIC), won the National Association of Insurance Women’s Communicate with Confidence Speak-Off recently. Wentworth won local, state and regional contests over the last 10 months, earning the right to compete at the national conference.

“They kind of threw me for a loop,” she said. “I thought they might ask me a question related to my first speech and I was prepared for that, but they gave me one word: ‘Dreams.’ I was a little worried but it all worked out.”

The competition included a three-minute prepared speech and a one-minute impromptu speech on a topic presented by the judges. In her presentation, she spoke about the value of involvement in local professional development organizations. Then the judges provided her the topic for her one-minute talk.

When asked her winning strategy, her answer is confidence. “I went into the competition thinking I had a great chance of winning and it paid off. The nerves were there, but I was excited to compete.”

For those looking to improve their public speaking skills, Wentworth offers straightforward advice: “Practice.”