DSD-021 My Toastmasters Experience

That is correct. You heard it right.  I am a Toastmaster Rookie.

Toastmasters has been described to me as Boy Scouts for Aspiring Speakers. 98% will never make a dime as a speaking but they’re there anyway. This is why I went, and this is why I’m staying.

 

I firmly believe that you cannot get better at anything unless you practice, practice, practice. Well, that’s exactly what I’m doing… 5-7 minutes at a time.

 

Your potential Toastmaster’s experience will be more fun, less awkward and, more importantly, opportunistic by having some guidelines going in.

 

I wanted to get better at speaking in front of a live audience because I hadn’t done it in over 10 years. I needed an audience, a venue, a place to hone my craft. I found all of that at a toastmaster’s meeting.

 

I have a good friend down in the Las Vegas area that had been involved in toastmasters in the past. For him, it’s an on again-off again relationship. He didn’t speak highly of the experience, but he didn’t run it into the ground either.  He assured me there was value in being in a club. He never told me what that value was, exactly, but it was worth the time.

Checking it out online I searched for a local club and found 8-10 within driving range. Cool. I picked one based on one personal criterion alone: Time of the week. I had absolutely no idea what to expect.

Even though I am an almost-off-the-charts introvert, I went in blindly.

 

I showed up about 3 minutes early. Early enough to shake a few hands and find a seat but not too early that I had to mingle. Introverts don’t mingle well. At least this one doesn’t. Here’s my initial assessment.

They are Prompt:We started right on time with the swing of the gavel from the Sergeant-at-arms. (The what???) We also ended on time. In the world of too many meetings, this is a good thing. One I can respect.

There is Procedure:Early into the meeting, Roberts Rules of Order ruled our time together. I understand the process well but never knew it was still in use. Perhaps Toastmasters is what’s keeping it alive. I’ve not been in a meeting with such order in decades.

There remains a Process:As the weeks went on, some things kept repeating themselves. A role is introduced and the person filling the role tells the group what they’ll be doing. The roles never change, only the fillers of the role. It gets monotonous but for a visitor, it helps a little. 

The most awkward part of the meeting is the role of the “ah-counter” and the clicker. When someone, anyone, says words like ah, um, er, etc., filler words, the clicker clicks. Over time, it helps you break the habit of speaking

Here’s why I keep going… to the first group I jumped in with.

I get to practice my craft.  Try out new material, a new joke, a new story. This is the good news. The not-so-good news is the time constraints. I want to practice 30-45-minute keynotes. I’m yet to speak in a framework longer than 7 minutes. So, I’m honing my delivery, one point at a time within the framework Toastmasters dictates.

I’m stretching myself.  I’m deliberately practicing when I’m not speaking. By practice, I mean forcing myself to mingle before and after the meetings. I’m becoming less awkward as an introvert in public setting. I’m involving myself in the various roles offered in a Toastmaster’s meeting… Being the toastmaster,

I get to help other people.Everyone in this group needs help in some aspect of their public speaking. I love helping others succeed. In this venue, I’m able to give guidance and advice.  I love it.

Content leading up to the release of the book "Conquer What's Next" available now. Bill McConnell is the content creator and author of the book.  amzn.to/2HBZ6s8    Websites:https://DoingStuffDaily.com  https://BillMcConnell.me  Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/wmcmcconnell  Facebook Page:https://www.facebook.com/DoingStuffDaily  Twitter:https://twitter.com/DoingStuffDaily  Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/billmcconnell  Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/+WilliamMcConnellDSD LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-mcconnell-5b96aa80/