Attracting Guests

When we have guests, they usually join, but we don't have a lot of guests. How do we get more guests to attend? Publicize your club.

Posters are available from Toastmasters International. Or, you can create your own. The posters and pamphlets can be posted at libraries and area businesses.
Pamphlets are available from Toastmasters International. These pamphlets can downloaded via the internet also.

"All About Toastmasters" (http://www.toastmasters.org/pdfs/124.pdf)
"Better Communication is One Word Away" (http://www.toastmasters.org/pdfs/99.pdf)
"Bringing Successful Communication into Your Organization" (http://www.toastmasters.org/pdfs/103.pdf)
"To Be Successful It Only Takes One Word" (http://www.toastmasters.org/pdfs/101.pdf)

List your club in the community events column of your local paper. You may be able to have your club listed in company newsletters also.
Does the district have the current address of your current President? Each month a list of people who called the district phone are sent the president of record.

While publicity is a useful tool, talking to people is much more effective. Invite your friends and co-workers. Talk to local companies. Toastmasters is a cost effective training program.

Many people join Toastmasters because it is a safe place to practice their speaking and leadership skills. Inviting people to your club requires them to get out of that safe zone. How can we encourage people to leave that safe zone and invite people to our club meetings?

Hold a contest. You can hold a contest within your club, or participate in a district or International contest. Sometimes, prizes will motivate people. Other times, being part of a team will be a better motivator. If prices don't motivate people, hold another contest with based around teams.
Holding a special event will give your members a specific date to work towards. This can be a meeting where one of Success/Leadership Modules on leadership or the Success/Communication Module on creative thinking is presented. It could be a theme meeting based on the expertise in your club. It could be a "bring your boss" meeting. It just needs to be something special you can advertise and your members can invite people to a specific meeting.
Speechcraft is Toastmasters is a mini Toastmaster program in an eight week course. It's not only Toastmasters most effective program, it's Toastmasters most popular. Check with neighboring clubs, so all the clubs in an area don't offer Speechcraft at the same time. As good as Speechcraft is, it doesn't publicize its self. You still need an effective publicity program.

Toastmasters International has information recruiting new members. These are part of the Successful Club Series. In addition to providing information to your club, the Toastmaster who presents can get credit toward the Competent Leader. These manuals are Finding New Members for Your Club and Closing the Sale.

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