Take the Challenge
Toastmasters can help you reach your public speaking goals
Have you ever dared yourself into doing something totally new? I have.
After 10 years of excuses, I took the challenge and went to my first Toastmasters meeting. I sing praises of Toastmasters because every aspect of my life has improved since I joined.
Communicating with others is something that we all need to do. The better we are at expressing ourselves, the more likely others will understand what we are trying to say. The attention span of people generally isn’t very long so the more succinct we can be, the better.
Toastmasters is the perfect, safe, place to try public speaking. There are eleven different paths in the Pathway program. Each path has a different focus like Presentation Mastery, Dynamic Leadership, and Visionary Communications. Every path starts out with an Ice Breaker speech. This speech is your chance to tell your story. There are five levels to each path. I’m currently on level four of my path and I’ve had a lot of fun with electives such as Creating a Podcast. I don’t think I would have tried it on my own without the gentle encouragement of Toastmasters. Writing this blog is for the level 4 elective, Writing a Compelling Blog. Each level gets more challenging. As I complete each level, I feel my confidence increasing. By the time I finish level 5’s, Preparing to Speak Professionally, I will have given a 20 minute keynote speech. It sounds intimidating, but I know from experience that I will be able to complete the challenge with practice and encouragement from my fellow Toastmasters.
Not only do you get to practice your public speaking, you also get to hone your leadership skills by practicing in roles at the meeting like an Evaluator and Table Topics Master, or try a leadership role on the Executive Committee. Corporate clubs give you a chance to meet with your peers at work. Where I work, we can even list our Toastmaster achievements on our accomplishments for the year because Toastmasters is widely known for delivering real world public speaking experiences. I recommend that you visit several clubs. Each club will have its own unique flavor.
The takeaway I’d like you to know is that Toastmasters can help you to be the public speaker that you’ve always wanted to be. Making lifelong friends is a bonus. Don’t be like me and wait 10 years. Take the challenge soon. You won’t regret it!
Toastmasters is a safe place to practice public speaking. There are clubs all over the world. Find a club near you: https://www.toastmasters.org/find-a-clubhttps:
Come visit Linda’s Toastmasters Club the first and third Tuesday of the month: https://7877.toastmastersclubs.org/
Linda Salzer is a Senior Network Engineer working to pivot towards a technical Product Manager position.
