Speech Selling Toastmasters

I used this speech, when I was the Target Speaker for a Speech Evaluation contest, being held by another club.

Tonight, I'm going to help you sell Toastmasters. I'll do this, by asking a few leading questions and then answering them:

• Who are our customers?
• How can we make contact with these potential Toastmasters?
• OK, we've made contact with a potential Toastmaster … How will this person's life improve, by joining?
• What are some of the special features of Toastmasters, that we can use, to help us with the sale?

Who are our customers?

Generally speaking, our customers can be divided into two broad groups:

1. People we know - family, friends, neighbors, co-workers and so on.
2. The community at large, people we need to reach out to and find.

How can we make contact with these potential Toastmasters?

• Let them know that Toastmasters is an important part of your life.
• Work it into everyday conversations.
• Say, "I'm going to a Toastmasters meeting."
• Wear your badge! (I admit, this last item is something I forget to do.)

To reach the community at large, here are just a few ideas:

• Help your club organize an Open House.
• Use the Internet - here are 2 ways and there are many more:
  • At the District 10 web site, there is a Guest Book. People write, expressing an interest in Toastmasters and asking for more information. Judi Haven, the Marketing Vice-President of District 10, wants clubs to use these people as prospective members. Look at the listings and write an email to some of them.
  • Help your club start a web site. This could be a speech of its own, but if you contact me personally, I'd be glad to give you some pointers!
• Make up some club flyers. Put them in stores, libraries, your work place and anyplace else that you can think of.

A final note on finding prospects - you'd be surprised! I was making copies of a club flyer at work. A woman who I'd never seen before was waiting patiently for her turn. When I was done, she said, "So, what's Toastmasters all about?"

OK, we've made contact with a potential Toastmaster. How will Toastmasters help improve this person's life?

In today's changing job market, we all need all the communication and leadership skills we can get! And again … Don't forget the listening component of communication! Another benefit is that at Toastmasters, we learn great meeting skills. Toastmasters can help your prospective member to:

• Keep a current job.
• Get a promotion.
• Effectively interview for a new job.

And what about personal life? There's a story that illustrates the importance of communication.

A man, walking on a California beach finds a bottle and releases a genie, who asks him for his "one wish."

"I want you to build me a highway to Hawaii." ... "No way, too hard," says the genie. "Well, then, help me to talk to my wife," answers the man.

"Will that be two lanes or four?"

Perhaps, if that man had been a Toastmaster, he wouldn't have had to ask the genie for help, talking to his wife!

What are some of the special features of Toastmasters, that we can use, to help us with the sale?

Because we tend to remember the more obvious features, such as Table Topics and speeches, I will point out some of the less obvious things we do, which are just as valuable!

• Timing - Often, it's just as important to know, when to stop talking. Toastmasters helps with this, by emphasizing timing.
• Evaluations - Of course, that's what we're doing today! Learning to evaluate critically is a valuable skill.
• Word of the Day - Even a seemingly small thing, such as the Word of the Day is a good selling point. This helps build our vocabularies, in a fun and painless way.
• Toastmasters Magazine - I think we often forget, even as members, that the Toastmasters Magazine is a valuable resource, that comes with our dues.
• I recently summarized Toastmaster's major strength as being a "network of volunteers, backed by the resources of Toastmasters International."

I started out, by telling you that I would answer several key questions, to help you to sell Toastmasters. I've done this ... I've identified our customers. I've helped you to find them. I've reminded you of how their lives will benefit from Toastmasters. And, I've pointed out some of the ways Toastmasters will accomplish this!

Now go out there and sell Toastmasters!