Giving my first "Hypermiling Speech" on Wednesday. Any ideas/input?

[OG VX]

Hey guys,
As part of my membership and continual effort to improve my public speaking skills, I'll be speaking in my Toastmaster's Club at work, and giving a 4-6 minute speech on Wednesday. I have chosen to speak on the topic of Hypermiling, and am very excited to share with my peers what I have been learning on the subject over the last several months.

Open dialog here, what are some key ideas I should discuss? Audience is 20-30, different walks of life, certainly not a target/"hypermile-hungry" audience. However, many of us drive 20+ miles to work, so I think they will be interested!

Thanks,
Daniel

[Daox]

I'd probably come up with a list of pros and cons, and then briefly hit each point.

Pros:
- lower driving cost
- reduced dependence on foreign oil
- good for the environment
- becomes a fun game to challenge yourself to get a new high score

Cons:
- longer commute time
- tail gaters

Thats just a few off the top of my head.

Sounds like fun. Be sure to let us know how it goes.

[j12piprius]

I usually brainstorm the speech by typing my ideas, printing them, giving the speech to an empty room using the printed sheet as reference while recording the speech, revising the printed copy, and repeating. It helps to give the speech to a friend, note what your friend feels is especially humorous (or incredulous), then be sure to include (and embellish) those things in the speech.

[RedDevil]

Throw in a few analogies.
If you saw a dollar lying in the street, would you pick it up?

I would also make a point of awareness versus 'normal' behaviour.
If you know that the traffic light ahead still needs some time before it turns to green, would you still go chasing towards it and brake hard for red? Or rather reduce speed early and glide through without having to stop at all?
Etc.

I often say it is my hobby, and it saves me money instead of having to spend on it.

[Fat Charlie]

Originally Posted by OG VX

Audience is... certainly not a target/"hypermile-hungry" audience. However, many of us drive 20+ miles to work...

Sounds like the perfect audience: Your right foot can save you money every week, without doing anything crazy.

[OG VX]

Awesome ideas guys, thank you! Great input, please keep them up!

[cowmeat]

Hypermiling has changed my same old boring commute of 18 years into an awesome game I get to play twice a day. The game involves all kinds of challenges, goals, trial and error, tools, tricks, hurdles, an occasional enemy and most of all fun. The game changes daily depending on an infinite set of variables, and the best part is that every day I play, I win the game just by playing!

Your friends at work can play, too! You should give your speech as an enthusiastic invitation to an awesome live action game, played out daily by thousands of players who make the rules as they go and win every time they pass a pump.

Unlike a lot of games, this one never gets old!

[The donkey CRX]

I was going to say the same thing as Cowmeat. Ask them if they would like to turn their daily commute into a fun game to quickly pass the time and also save $200 to $500 per month.

I even took the radio out of my 92VX because it distracted me from saving money every day.

[PaleMelanesian]

Focus on the things with high reward and low cost, like coasting to red lights. Don't focus on the high effort items, like extensive modding and slow speeds. Apart from the few of us crazies here, not many are willing to sacrifice much for mileage. Look at the things they can change without costing them much time / effort / money.

[The donkey CRX]

Also just as encouragement. Before I retired I had the privilege to mentor many young people as they advanced their careers. One of the most helpful steps to advancement was their willingness to overcome the fear of public speaking by joining a Toastmaster group.

It will pay big dividends!