I'm a new member of Toastmasters. Let me explain what it's like to join
Where do you find opportunities for public speaking? Looking around, you may realize that most media is merely talking to you and you're there to listen. You can spend hours simply consuming media, from new talkshows on CNN about Trump or Kamala, or listening to a podcast on Youtube, or binge watching movies on Netflix. There are online communities or comment sections to share your thoughts, but for the most part, we are all bombarded by media and other people speaking. After a while, that wasn't good enough for me.
Why is it important to find these opportunities for public speaking? I am a good speaker, but I need opportunities to get better. Keeping my own skillset up to speed was important to me. I realized that the more I just consumed media, the less opportunity I had to practise and become better at communication myself. It's been studied by scientists that the skills you do not use will atrophy. I wanted more for myself.
So what did I do? I turned to Toastmasters, where I knew that I'd get all the opportunity I needed to become a better public speaker and communicator.
But how do you find the right Toastmasters club?
I went to the official website and searched all local clubs in my city that had the dates and times that worked for me. Over a period of a few months, I attended all the clubs I was interested in as a guest, which was a fun and eye-opening experience. It's really neat to join each club for the 1.5 hours and see how they work, and each club made me feel so welcome. When I was ready, I picked the club I wanted and committed.
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Here are the steps for you to consider
1. Readiness
When you are ready to work on your public speaking and communication, then you face the familiar scenario: you start looking for opportunities to speak. You can pick a course or a workshop; some are being offered at local colleges. You can also look to Toastmasters, which has been trusted in training public speakers for 100 years. I went with Toastmasters.
2. Curiosity
Visit the Toastmasters website and use the search function well. Toastmasters is thriving so there are probably many clubs in your region. Take, let's say, 10 minutes to scroll through that massive list and pursue clubs that seem interesting to you. You might see some noontime clubs and that'll fit into your schedule. You may want a Saturday morning club. You may want an evening on a weekday. Many clubs have a zoom component so you can attend without travel. Once you have the list, create a shortlist of the clubs that seem exciting and let's go
3. Reach out
Send the clubs you are really interested in an email to introduce yourself as a guest. This is often how you get the zoom information for the zoom meeting. The VP of Membership is probably the one receiving the email and their job is to welcome you. It won't feel awkward at all. The Toastmaster community is incredibly responsive, professional and supportive. Once you get the replies, make a note on your calendar and join.
4. Attend
Attending as a guest can be nerve-wracking. No, you don't get to sneak in and watch, and leave. The Toastmasters of the group will welcome you and encourage you to get on camera to say "Hello". You'll be asked to say something about yourself and how you found the club, all before the club starts. Let's say the meeting starts at 7 pm. The Toastmaster club will start opening zoom at 6:45 pm and it's in those 15 minutes that the group will focus on you and make you feel welcome. The benefits? You're already speaking! You as the guest then get the chance to take in the full meeting which is always professional and engaging. You might get an opportunity to give a mini speech in Table Topics, which is 2 minutes of impromptu speaking on a topic. Since you're here for public speaking, that's a great opportunity. Do it!
5. Decide
Once you've visited all the clubs you're interested in, it's decision time. Here's the thing, you can register with as many clubs as you want, but for me, I wanted to pick one club right now and focus on it. I was thinking of several clubs, but I decided to go local. I actually live in the area and the club was so small that I knew that I'd get speaking time often and many opportunities for advancement. Once I decided, the forms were completed, dues were paid and I was in.
The Takeaway
Public speaking with Toastmasters is a good thing. This is going out of your way to find opportunities to develop your skills. You can't just watch them weaken. You can't just sit there, consuming all the media and not working on yourself.
I hope that by sharing my experience with joining Toastmasters you're now inspired to look into the program yourself. It is immensely rewarding and interesting.
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