Toastmasters

Toastmasters International is an organization that is dedicated to assisting individuals to become public speakers and leaders. This is accomplished through a series of local clubs throughout the world. Toastmasters clubs offer a safe environment in which you can practice the speaking skills that you are learning and be exposed to new skills.

I highly recommend investigating a Toastmasters club near you.

To find out more about Toastmasters International you can visit their website at http://www.toastmasters.org. Among the wealth of information that they have at their site, you can perform a search to find a local club.

What is Toastmasters?

A lot of people found Effectively Speaking because they were looking for Toastmasters on the web. Some people have even confused Effectively Speaking with Toastmasters International. To help everyone understand, I would like to:

• Explain who I am in relation to Toastmasters and what I think of Toastmasters
• Give you suggestions on what to look for in a club
• Tell you how to find a local Toastmasters club that you might want to join

Who I am in relation to Toastmasters.

In the past, I have been a member of a Toastmasters club.   I walked in the door in December 2003 and didn’t know what to expect. It didn’t take me long to realize that this was a place for me. I joined the club during my following visit.

For me, the single most important aspect of the club is that it provides its members with a safe place to practice public speaking. It is a place where you can learn to risk a little and break out of your comfort zone. You can experiment with various speaking skills and learn what works and what doesn’t. When I started I had a hard time using variation in my voice. My mentor pushed me to break out of the comfort zone and I learned (in that safe environment) that I could use all sorts of vocal variety that I didn’t normally feel comfortable with.

I had studied public speaking for two years before I joined Toastmasters. With that in mind I was pretty comfortable with the assignments – I just wanted the practice. I set a goal for myself to show up prepared to speak every week. If someone who was scheduled to speak was unprepared, I was ready to step in.

The previous studying and the goal paid off – I achieved my first Toastmasters designation or CTM (Competent Toastmaster) within twelve weeks. I showed up every week prepared to speak – and ended up doing so.

Shortly after achieving my CTM I was nominated to be Vice President of Education for my club. I held that position for two years.  The following year I was vice president of public relations.

I went on to achieve the Toastmasters designations of Advanced Toastmaster Gold and Competent Leader (ATM-G/CL). I have also won numerous speaking contests including our club’s Evaluation Contest, International Speech Contest, Humorous Speech Contest, and the Tall Tales Contest twice.  I have also placed in our Area’s Evaluation Contest and International Speech Contest. (An area contest is when then winners from a number of local clubs compete against each other).

I have found Toastmasters to be a very rewarding experience. It has provided me with a great opportunity to practice and learn. I would encourage you to find a club that will provide you with a similar experience.

As I fulfilled my roles as VP of Education I continued to research public speaking and started to develop some of my own ideas about how to conquer fear and grow ones public speaking skills. I received a lot of positive feedback from individuals who I mentored and shared this information with. I created http://www.EffectivelySpeaking.Com to expand the group of people who are able to benefit from this information.

Effectively Speaking is not a replacement for Toastmasters, a competitor with Toastmasters, or even a supplement to Toastmasters – it is simply another source of information about public speaking. Some people who participate are Toastmasters – others are not. I encourage you to participate in either/both organizations in whatever way best meets your needs.

What to look for in a Toastmasters club.

Each Toastmasters club is a community made up of unique individuals. It operates within the Toastmasters organization as a whole, but it will have its own culture. Some clubs are very rigid in their approach. Other clubs are very fun loving and more of a social club. I personally like a balance. I want to make sure that the club is structured enough that members are learning and growing – that they have the opportunity to reach their goals. I also want to make sure that the members are able to have a good time while doing it. I find that most people learn more when they are enjoying themselves – even having fun. This is the right mix for me, but it might not be for you. You might want it more rigid or more fun. There may be other factors that you find in club that you really like. So there really is no right club – just the right club for you. If you are thinking about joining Toastmasters try visiting several clubs and stop when you find one that feels right.

How to find a local Toastmasters club.

Finding a local Toastmasters club is very easy. Simply visit their website at http://www.toastmasters.org and click on the link titled “find a club”. You will be able to specify your geographic location and the site will provide you with a list of clubs in your area. You will want to find a club that is “open”. Closed clubs are open only to members of a particular organization (such as employees of a company that is hosting the club).