Toastmasters is an organization that helps us to grow our communication and leadership skills. And one of the ways we do this is building strong clubs with active and engaged members. But just how do we build such a club?
In this article, we are going to look at ways to both build and retain membership in our Toastmasters clubs. We need to have a positive, supportive, and fun environment that keeps members and guests coming back, and that inspires people to transition from guest to member.
Our Mission
The mission for the Toastmasters International organization is:
We empower individuals to become more effective communicators and leaders.
The mission of a Toastmasters club is:
We provide a supportive and positive learning experience in which members are empowered to develop communication and leadership skills, resulting in greater self-confidence and personal growth.
These powerful mission statements, which capture the purpose of a Toastmasters club, are detailed on the Toastmasters International mission page along with our core values of Integrity, Respect, Service, and Excellence.
One of the most important things we can do to carry out this mission, and to live these values, is to embrace the following message from the founder of Toastmasters International, Ralph Smedley: “People learn best in moments of enjoyment.”
What makes Toastmasters great?
Toastmasters is a great organization because through our Toastmasters clubs we have a place to make friends, to develop our communication skills, and to develop our leadership skills. I have met a lot of great people at Toastmasters clubs and events. I have also gained a lot of self-confidence and I enjoy giving speeches and serving in leadership roles thanks to my experiences as a Toastmaster.
Member Retention
How can we provide an environment that keeps existing members coming back and that inspires guests to become members? One of the best ways to do this is to embrace the idea that Ralph Smedley shared in his quote about people learning best in moments of enjoyment. And we can do that by having fun club meetings.
Meeting Themes
One way to have fun meetings is pick themes for every meeting. The Table Topics Master could base the Table Topics questions on the theme of the day. Or the entire meeting could be based on the theme, with both prepared speeches and Table Topic speeches being done based on that theme.
For example, the Massey Toastmasters club in Windsor, Ontario, had a fun food themed meeting with snacks, including pizza. All of the prepared speeches were about food, and so were the Table Topics. It was a fun and memorable meeting.
Mentorship
Another way to keep members engaged is to establish a club mentor program. You can do this by assigning experienced members to mentor new members. New members can learn from their mentors, and even mentors can learn something from the mentoring relationship. And mentorship does not have to be restricted to new members. Even experienced members can benefit from having a mentor to help them with their next speaking or leadership project.
New Member Induction & Orientation
Inducting and orienting new members is another way to boost member engagement and to make new members feel welcome and supported. A member induction ceremony is when you formally welcome a new member to the club during a club meeting, and Toastmasters International provides a member induction ceremony script to get you started.
New member orientation is when a club officer, often the VP Education or VP Membership, meets with new members to teach them about Toastmasters and the Pathways program. Toastmasters International provides a new member orientation slide deck that can be customized to meet your club’s needs.
Special Events
Yet another way to keep members engaged is to have club special events. For example, the Toastmasters LaSalle Club in LaSalle, Ontario, had a debate meeting where two members debated a topic. One member was in favor of the topic being debated, and the other member was opposed to the topic. It was a fun meeting that broke from the standard meeting format and was enjoyed by all who attended.
Other special events include club speech contests. A speech contest gives members the opportunity to present a speech in a meeting with a different format. And members who win the contest can go on to compete in front of new audiences at the area contest, and maybe even the division contest and the district conference.
Moments of Truth
Another way to engage members is with a Moments of Truth meeting. This is a meeting where a club member, often an officer, conducts a presentation about how to run a successful club. The Moments of Truth meeting is also interactive and gives members the opportunity to share their feedback on what the club does well and where the club can improve. Clubs can use the Moments of Truth handout and slide deck provided by Toastmasters International to facilitate a Moments of Truth meeting.
Recognizing Achievement
Recognizing member and club achievements is another avenue for member retention. When you celebrate a member’s achievements, he or she will feel appreciated. For example, in the Toastmasters LaSalle club, members giving their Ice Breaker speech are recognized with a standing ovation and are presented with a tin of Ice Breaker mints at the end of the meeting.
Other ways to celebrate member achievements are to recognize members who complete a level in Pathways. You could also celebrate members who take on a new meeting role for the first time.
Encouraging Engagement
Getting members involved in events outside the club is also a way to increase member engagement and to help your club retain members. You could have your members attend area, division, and district level speech contests, or club officer training.
You could also have members visit other Toastmasters clubs. This could include a joint meeting with another club.
Help members get out of their comfort zones to gain new skills and new confidence by encouraging them to serve as club and/or district officers.
Building Membership
Now that we have talked about member retention, let’s switch our focus to building membership.
Following Up
When you have guests, one of the most important things you can do is to follow up with them by phone and/or email.
I still remember a time when I phoned a guest and she thanked me for calling her because she had been waiting for someone to call after having visited our Toastmasters booth at a tradeshow in West Edmonton Mall in Edmonton Alberta Canada. We had taken contact info from everyone who visited our booth, and then it was my responsibility to follow up with the people who had visited our booth.
If you don’t follow up with guests, they may not come back. In the example I shared above, the woman I had phoned had been expecting someone to follow up with her. In other cases, guests may not be waiting for you to call, but contacting those guests will remind them about your club and could inspire them to visit you again.
Asking for the Sale
When it comes to getting guests to become members, an important step is inviting the guest to join your club. A famous Toastmaster from Edmonton, Alberta, Peter Kossowan, who chartered more than 150 Toastmasters clubs, says you have to ask for the sale. What this means is that you need to invite them to join your club. If you don’t, they may
not realize they are welcome as members of your club and they may not come back. You don’t have to make it a hard sell, but it is important to let them know they are welcome as a guest at future meetings and that they would be welcome as a member should they choose to join your club.
Club Environment
Environment also plays a role in converting people from guest to member. If you have a warm and welcoming club environment, people will be more likely to join. Having a fun and educational meeting also helps.
Online Presence
In addition to your club environment, you need a strong online presence. This includes having an up to date club website. It also means having accurate and up to date information on the Find a Club page on the Toastmasters International website.
Our district has Meetup.com groups that clubs in the district can use to promote their meetings. Having club meetings advertised on Meetup.com will attract guests. One thing to do with the Meetup group is to do more than just announce that a meeting is happening. Sharing details about the meeting helps. You could even promote guest speakers at your meeting and/or your theme for each meeting.
Other social media platforms are also places to promote your club, including Facebook and LinkedIn. When posting on social media, you can post more than just notifications of club meetings. You can post public speaking and leadership tips. You can also share club and member achievements.
More Membership-Building Strategies
Other strategies for membership building include advertising in local media or on local bulletin boards. You can also run regular open house meetings. An open house meeting is a meeting focused on bringing in guests and advertising that your meeting is open to having guests. Something else you can do is to have guest packets and membership applications to give to guests at every meeting.
Another idea to consider is to turn a club meeting into an educational workshop and to invite the public to attend your workshop. This can give people a reason to attend your meeting who would otherwise not be interested in attending. It could be a public speaking workshop or a workshop on some other topic that would be provide valuable learning for those who attend.
Something else you can try is to run a promotional booth at a local community event or in a public place, such as a mall. For example, every year in Edmonton, Alberta, District 99 runs a promotional booth at West Edmonton Mall.
Club Coach Program
If your club is at or below 12 members, you can request a coach for your club. A club coach is an experienced Toastmaster from another club who works with your club to help them build and retain members, and to get the club to distinguished status or better.
Learn more on Toastmasters International’s club coach program page.
Effective Club Promotion
To effectively promote your club, focus on benefits and value, not features. For example, don’t talk about meeting roles and meeting structure. Focus on what people gain from being members and how it helps them to build confidence and to develop their communication and leadership skills.
One way to do this is to share stories about how Toastmasters has impacted you or other members personally. For example, one member of Toastmasters went on to be a Canadian diplomat thanks to the skills she built as a Toastmaster.
And the best way to build a strong Toastmasters club is to focus on the club experience, not the numbers. Having lots of members is important but focusing on how many members your club has will not help you to convert guests into members. Having fun, engaging, and educational meetings is what will help you to inspire people to join as members.