What is Toastmasters?

Jerry Seinfeld said that “According to most studies, people’s number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. So at a funeral most people would rather be in the casket than giving the eulogy!”

Is Toastmasters the answer for those people?        Perhaps!

I joined Speak For Success just 3 or 4 months ago and one thing that I have found out when I have mentioned what I am doing is that almost everyone has heard of Toastmasters. “Aaah! Toastmasters!” they say, nodding knowingly.

At this point, I am amazed at the brand awareness Toastmasters has, right up until the inevitable next comment which is usually “What is that exactly?” or “What do you do there?”

Is Toastmasters a well kept secret?      It would appear so!

          How can so many people have heard of Toastmasters but remain almost completely clueless as to what it actually is?

Toastmasters helps us overcome some of our shyness, fears and nerves, (especially when it comes to speaking in front of others), in a supportive and friendly environment. We could all find the skills and education that Toastmasters provides useful in both our private and professional lives.

          More important than the skills and education that Toastmasters provides is the fun and enjoyment we have.

I joined Speak For Success primarily to have fun. I always look forward to the meetings and I have a blast when I am there. It is my vacation away from my life, where I get to spend a few hours a month having fun with interesting people from all walks of life.

 Do you want to have more enjoyment and fun in your life?

          If you are considering joining Speak For Success, come visit and experience what we do. Guests are warmly welcomed, after all, more guests mean more members, and more members mean a much greater variety of speeches. It also means more feedback from a much more diverse group. That will make you and make us all better speakers.

That way, when given the choice at that funeral, we will gladly choose to give the eulogy rather than to be the one in the casket.

Jonathan Richardson

WHAT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON I’VE LEARNED FROM TOASTMASTERS

 

I Spent 44 Years In The Workforce With Over 30 Of Those In Management.

As A Manager My Responsibilities Required Me To Assemble And Supervise Teams Of People, Organize Trade Shows, Sales Meetings And Seminars That Included New Products Training.

In My Personal Life I Convened A Fastball League, Organized Fastball Tournaments And Literally Hundreds Of Golf Tournaments And Curling Bonspiels.

I Didn’t Join Toastmasters To Improve My Communication And Leadership Skills But To Use My 3 Decades Of Experience To Help Teach Others Overcome Their Fear Of Public Speaking And To Improve Their Leadership Skills.

Now, With All That Leadership Experience You May Ask “What Could I Possibly Learn From Toastmasters”?

My Most Valuable Lesson Was My High Performance Leadership Project. Those Who Have Completed It Know It Contains 5 Individual Projects.

1.  Learning About Leadership

2.  Choosing Your Objective

3.  Winning Commitment To Your Objective

4.  Working The Plan

5.  Analyzing And Presenting Your Results

It Is The First Project (Learning About Leadership) I Wish To Address As That Is The Project That Taught Me A Most Valuable Lesson.

3 Key Elements Of That Project Are:

VISION, MISSION STATEMENT AND CORE VALUES.

The Vision Part Was Easy As I Visualize Pretty Much Everything, The Results Of A Golf Or Curling Shot Or A Given Project.

It Was The Mission Statement And Core Values That Taught Me The Most.

I Think Back To All Those Events I Organized And Realized How Much Easier Those Events Would Have Been Had I Written A Mission Statement And Listed The Core Values.

For Those Interested In Improving Their Leadership Skills I Encourage you to Select An HPL Project. I Guarantee You Will Be Surprised At What You Will Learn.

I Was 66 When I Did Mine So You’re Never Too Old To Learn.

Al Steele