I recently presented a workshop titled, A Toastmaster’s Tips for a Terrific Toast, and I want to tell you about it in hopes that you’ll copy my ideas and do something similar to promote Toastmasters in your area. The workshop was for the Birmingham Rotaract club, which is a Rotary club made up of young professionals 35 years of age or younger.

I talked about five aspects of public speaking: overcoming fear, eliminating filler words, using gestures, adding humor, and knowing your audience. For each aspect, I gave three or four tips, and the final tip for each aspect was to join Toastmasters, and I told them how Toastmasters can help them improve in that area. By the time I got to the last aspect, knowing your audience, I was able to say, “My final tip for this aspect of public speaking is……” and in unison the room chanted, “Join Toastmasters.”

The event was a huge success. Talking to the organizers after the workshop, they feel certain some of their members will join Toastmasters. I tell you this because I believe we need to share our accomplishments and duplicate what works. Think about organizations or businesses where you might give a similar workshop. If you would like more information about my presentation, or a copy of my handout, please reach out to me at [email protected].

                                                         ~ Peggy Hill, Club Retention Chair