Toastmasters

Toastmasters? What are they all about, learning how to give toasts at events? No, they are about improving your speaking skills so that you may fairly represent yourself and your topics well.

At Toastmasters, members learn by speaking to groups and working with others in a supportive environment. A typical Toastmasters club is made up of 10 to 30 people who meet once every week or two for about an hour. Each meeting gives everyone an opportunity to practice:

Conducting meetings. Meetings usually begin with a short business session, which helps members learn basic meeting procedures.

Giving impromptu speeches. Members present one- to two-minute impromptu speeches on assigned topics.

Presenting prepared speeches. Three or more members present speeches based on projects from the Toastmasters International Communication and Leadership Program manuals. Projects cover such topics as speech organization, voice, language, gestures, and persuasion.

Offering constructive evaluation. Every prepared speaker is assigned an evaluator who points out speech strengths and offers suggestions for improvement.

Survey after survey shows that presentation skills are crucial to success in the workplace. Many people pay high fees for seminars to gain the skill and confidence necessary to face an audience. Toastmasters provides an option that is less expensive and held in high regard in business circles. This organization has been around for more than 84 years and offers a proven – and enjoyable – way to practice and hone communication and leadership skills.

You will...

Learn to communicate more effectively

Become a better listener.

Improve your presentation skills

Increase your leadership potential

Become more successful in your career

Build your ability to motivate and persuade

Reach your professional and personal goals

Increase your self confidence

www.toastmasters.com