What's in it for you?
Your success in business is based on how effective you are. Through participation in the Toastmasters program, people from all backgrounds learn to effectively speak, conduct meetings, manage a department or business, lead, delegate and motivate. Whether your goal is to grow your skills as a speaker and a leader, to enjoy the social aspects of meeting new people and making new friends or to serve others through encouraging and mentoring, there is a place for everyone at Toastmasters. Learn More
Why this club?
We are a very active club with experienced and novice members who are committed to grow as communicators and leaders.
How do I join?Come and experience a Toastmasters meeting with our club. You won't regret it! We meet every Tuesday from 12:05 PM to 12:55 PM in Suite 2070-East Tower, Floyd Building, northeast from the Georgia State Capitol Building.
Click Here for Directions For more information, please contact our Vice President of Membership -
vpm@capitolhill.freetoasthost.net
Membership FeesThe Toastmasters program is cost-effective, especially when compared to seminars charging hundreds of dollars per day. For specific fees, please contact the Treasurer -
treasurer@capitolhill.freetoasthost.net
Still not convinced?
Below are five ways that Toastmasters can help you become a better speaker, entrepreneur, employee and person and get a boost in confidence.
1. You Speak In Public More Often Than You Know
You probably speak in public more often than you realize, and will be required to do so even more in the future. Each time you pitch an idea, rally you team to accomplish something, inspire others to join you, do an interview with the media, or meet a new person, you are speaking in public.
We all know how important it is the build relationships in business, and if you can be the person who fearlessly networks with big shots at a conference, wows the media with your eloquence, or inspires employees to gladly work overtime for the good of the company, then you will rise to the top faster than your peers.
One interesting part of every Toastmasters meeting is called Table Topics. The presenter will call out a short question and then randomly pick on someone from the audience to come give an impromptu two minute speech about it. It can be quite nerve-racking to give a two minute speech with zero preparation! I can’t tell you how valuable this skill is in learning how to interact with others, hold a group’s attention, and just become a more interesting person!
If you can’t effortlessly talk with anyone (man or woman) at a party for 10-15 minutes and have them remember you in a positive light afterwards, then you are missing out on valuable opportunities. Toastmasters can help you become more comfortable in those social interactions.
2. A Sense of Humor Is A Valuable Tool
At every Toastmaster meeting there is also a member selected to tell a joke. This is used as an icebreaker to bring the meeting participants together.
Guess what? The first few times I held this job, I got nothing more than a few courtesy laughs. I realized that I didn’t know how to tell a joke!
I decided to work on this area in Toastmasters (there is also a manual you can work through to practice giving humorous speeches) and eventually started to learn the structure of humor.
I even went to the “open mic” night at the local comedy club a few times (talk about anxiety!) after going through the Toastmasters manual. I certainly wasn’t the funniest person there, but I learned a lot in the process and once again built my confidence.
Humor is a powerful tool in your arsenal that can be used to defuse embarrassing situations and make others like you (and want to work for you).
3. Entrepreneurs Must Be Leaders
The third thing that Toastmasters will teach you is leadership. There are numerous positions in the club that need to be filled from time to time. They don’t require a huge commitment, but they do help you practice working with a team.
However, the most important lesson that Toastmasters can teach you about leadership is how to evaluate others.
After every speech in Toastmasters, you will be given an opportunity to evaluate the speaker and give them instant feedback (sometimes in the form of, you guessed it, giving another speech). One of the most important lessons I learned here was how to mix criticism with praise. Helping someone improve without crushing their spirits is a lesson every leader should know, and it’s better to practice it in a safe environment before you need it in the “real world”.
Providing constructive feedback and commanding an audience’s attention are indispensable skills that every leader must posses. If you are serious about becoming successful, and don’t yet consider yourself a powerful leader, this is one way to make progress.
4. You Must Spend Time With Right Type of People
Finally, Toastmasters does a remarkable job of putting you around the right type of people.
One of the most important keys to success in life is to surround yourself with people who are more successful than you are. Toastmasters is the kind of group that attracts people who are interested in improving their life and becoming successful.
In my group, for example, I’ve made friends who’ve taught me about real estate investing, web server technology, and sales. When you get around the right type of people, they will start to invite you to other events around town, introduce you to other clubs, and share inspiring books they’ve read.
5. Your Body Language Could Use Improvement
No matter who you are, your body language needs improvement. Many people are totally unaware of what message they are communicating with their bodies, and how fast people are making assumptions about them.
Some recent studies have shown that people form an opinion about you in as little as two seconds after meeting you. In one such study, evaluations of professors at a particular university were compared with evaluations of people who had only seen two-second video clips of the professors with the sound turned off. Remarkably, 78% of people who only saw the two-second video clips rated the professors the same as the class who had spent an entire semester observing them!
Your dress, your eyes, your hands, your stride, your expressions, your voice tone, and your posture are broadcasting out a strong message to everyone you meet (whether consciously or subconsciously). Do you know what it’s saying?
If not, you may want to get in a supportive environment where people can give you specific feedback.
Toastmasters is a brilliant concept that has provided quite a bit of value to me in the past year and half, and I’d encourage anyone (especially entrepreneurs) to join.
Many other seminars exist out there which cost thousands of dollars and provide similar classes to executives. Toastmasters can offer you many of the same advantages in a non-profit organization.
Remember that the way to overcome anxiety and grow as a person is right THROUGH that fear. Feel the fear, and take action in spite of it.
