No One Needs Toastmasters!

We build a mouse trap, think it's pretty good and hope people will come.  I never met anyone yet who was looking for Toastmasters.  No one ever said, "Toastmasters? Oh yeah, I need Toastmasters!" No one needs Toastmasters. (That ought to raise some Distinguished hackles!)

Photo credit: Monica Durante

Instead, I HAVE heard the following:

• Oh I don't like giving presentations.
• I don't need to give presentations.
• I am speaking at a wedding next week. Can you help me?
• I am running for provincial/state/federal office in the next election. Can you help me?
• I have to give a presentation at work next week. Can you help me?
• I am already comfortable speaking in public. I don't need Toastmasters [or any other training].

So who are the people who could benefit from the training experience provided by Toastmasters or at least knowledge of the Toastmastersprogram?  Here are some ideas that might help you approach specific segments with specific interests:

• job seekers - job interview skills
• employees aspiring to higher management/leadership - to practice running meetings, leadership roles and speaking
• anyone aspiring to become an elected politician
• team leaders - to develop or hone meeting and speaking skills
• entrepreneurs - to present their product or service
• sales and selling - duh!
• inmates - to build positive life skills
• English as a second language (ESL) students (or the languages of your Club)
• authors - to present their material and market their book(s)
• high school students - to become comfortable with public speaking and running meeting, through the Youth Leadership Program before the skills are required
• post-secondary students - to prepare for the job market or to present their thesis BEFORE the skills are required
• contest judges for other organizations
• speechwriters - nothing like first-hand experience to know what works and what doesn't work
• corporate communications professionals - to practice and hone their craft
• video and media students - great place to practice creating how to videos, articles, press releases, and reports
• people who generally struggle with interpersonal skills
• people for whom datting is difficult

The following people might already be comfortable with public speaking, but could benefit from experimenting and practicing in a place where the results don't matter:

• professional speakers - new material
• public speaking trainers, presentation skills coaches
• middle and executive managers - elevator speeches; speaking with credibility; networking
• sales managers
• storytellers
• college instructors and university professors
• public speaking trainers - to practice methods and material; to develop clients; referrals

The following people and organizations might benefit from knowing about the Toastmasters training program even if they do not personally attend:

• human resources/training coordinators - to understand and refer employees to the program
• job seeker services - to refer job seekers
• sales managers - to refer their salespeople
• high school teachers, university professors, and college instructors - to refer students

The mantra for public relations of the Message Masters Toastmasters Club in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada is:

provide valuable information and connections worldwide;
build membership locally (Tuesdays, lunchtime, downtown Ottawa)

No one needs Toastmasters! Stop trying to sell it. Just connect people with resolving their pain or pleasure from their accomplishment. Many people need the benefit of the Toastmasters training program, primarily to develop communication and leadership skills in an environment where the results do not matter... BEFORE those skills are required.  If the time is urgent, get professional training and augment it with Toastmasters for on-going, candid feedback from peers.

How about YOUR mouse trap? Regardless of your product or service, ask whether you make mouse traps or whether you help people to get rid of mice...

Craig Senior

Comments

[Fran Watson]

Great article... We had guests at our meeting tonight - they came because of an ad I placed in the community calendar "Anyone over the age of 18 is welcome to come and see what Toastmasters is all about. You can start any time. There is a curriculum, but everyone moves through it at their own pace. I do agree, however that the word "Toastmasters" often causes people to back away, but what the guests shared with us tonight spoke volumes.

Their comments were -" I always thought that I would be too late if I didn't start at the beginning." "The words "you can start any time" caught my attention." " I've been thinking about Toastmasters for several years (my mother was a founding member in Prescott) but I had no one to come with." " I thought you had to get up and talk all the time." " I didn't realize there was such a structure to the program." " I didn't realize there was so much that could be applied to my life." " I have difficulty staying on track and often put my book down as I can't concentratee, but I was drawn in by your speech and it kept my attention the whole time(10-12 minutes). " "I quit my book club because they started a new practice of passing the stick and all I could think about was that I would have to talk and I panicked and then quit." (She spoke for at least 5 minutes at the meeting.)

One of our newer members gave a talk on Conversation Styles and how Toastmasters encourages everyone to use Assertive Communication, not aggressive or passive.

Remember - good public relations is anything that encourages someone to visit your club and/or check out the TM website www.tm61.org

Fran