Rebuilding Toastmaster Clubs
Club Coaching Workshop
Jim Heeren, DTM
Region Advisor
dgov45@aol.com
703-220-0420 (m)
703-791-3547 (h)
January 28, 2011
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Mission of the Club
The mission of a Toastmasters club is to
provide a mutually supportive and positive
learning environment in which every
individual member has the opportunity to
develop oral communication and leadership
skills, which in turn foster self-confidence
and personal growth.
Vision
Toastmasters International empowers
people to achieve their full potential and
realize their dreams. Through our member
clubs, people throughout the world can
improve their communication and leadership
skills, and find the courage to change.
A Toastmaster’s Promise
As a member of Toastmasters International and my club, I promise . . .
 To attend club meetings regularly;
 To prepare all of my speech and leadership projects to the best of my ability, basing
them on projects in the Competent Communication manual, Advanced
Communication manuals or Competent Leadership manual;
 To prepare for and fulfill meeting assignments;
 To provide fellow members with helpful, constructive evaluations;
 To help the club maintain the positive, friendly environment necessary for all
members to learn and grow;
 To serve my club as an officer when called upon to do so;
 To treat my fellow club members and our guests with respect and courtesy;
 To bring guests to club meetings so they can see the benefits Toastmasters
membership offers;
 To adhere to the guidelines and rules for all Toastmasters educational and
recognition programs;
 To maintain honest and highly ethical standards during the conduct of all
Toastmasters activities.
Request a Club Coach from the
District
A member that is appointed by the District
Governor or Lt Governor Marketing
Knowledge of Toastmaster programs
Provides guidance to club
Term of office
What skills, abilities and qualities should you
bring?
 Enthusiasm
 Knowledge of Toastmasters
 Keen interest in helping other
Toastmasters
 Leadership
 Your testimonial speech
 A plan to get the club back on track?
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Attend meetings and
club executive meetings.
 Listen
 Learn
 Observe
 Demonstrate
 Persuade
 Get Commitment!
 Motivate
 Team Build
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Introducing the Coach to the Club
Club welcomes the support
Explain the role of the coach to the club
and set expectations
District leadership can make the
introduction as well as the coach
The Testimonial Speech
Developing a 3 Month Plan for Club
Success
Club Assessment
Improve the Club Meetings
Marketing
Holding an Open House
Finding and Establishing Partnerships
Provide a Service to capture new
members
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Characteristics of Successful Clubs
Characteristics of Successful Clubs
Distinguished every year
Characteristics of Successful Clubs
Distinguished every year
Officers attend training
Characteristics of Successful Clubs
Distinguished every year
Officers attend training
Members and officers are committed
Characteristics of Successful Clubs
Distinguished every year
Officers attend training
Members and officers are committed
Club executive meets monthly
Characteristics of Successful Clubs
Distinguished every year
Officers attend training
Members and officers are committed
Club executive meets monthly
Guests are welcomed and recognized
Characteristics of Successful Clubs
Distinguished every year
Officers attend training
Members and officers are committed
Club executive meets monthly
Guests are welcomed and recognized
Agenda
Characteristics of Successful Clubs
Distinguished every year
Officers attend training
Members and officers are committed
Club executive meets monthly
Guests are welcomed and recognized
Agenda
Friendly, Fun and ……
Characteristics of Struggling Clubs
Low membership
Low attendance at TLI
Incomplete agenda
Members do not fulfill commitments
Few educational completions
Month 1 – Club Assessment
 Evaluate strengths and weaknesses of the club
 Answer the questions in Moments of Truth and
determine the clubs weaknesses.
 Ask the question, “Why should we save the club?”
 What are the strengths?
 Who does the club appeal to, who would be attracted to
joining the club?
 What is this club’s market? (Profile demographic, ages,
occupations, geographic)
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Club Troubleshooting Guide and
Moments of Truth
Month 1 – Improve Club Meetings
 Improve Club Meetings so much that people will be
compelled to join the club.
 Using the Club Assessment from work immediately
to improve the club meetings.
 Focus on meeting planning and meeting execution.
 A well planned, well run meeting is the club’s best
marketing tool.
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Create Interest – Special Theme Meetings
Invite a guest speaker
Study the Art of Debate
Borrow the District copy of the World
Championship of Public Speaking
 Invite Corporate Executives/Military Officers
 Display the World Champions
 Entertain and continued organization support
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How Can I Attract Guests to our
Club Meetings?
Month 2 – The a-b-c’s of Tapping into your
Market
 Business Cards provided to friends, acquaintances and
coworkers.
 Inexpensive Advertising – Flyers posted in the right
places. Creating a club identity on a website.
 Public Service Announcements placed in newspapers,
newsletters, radio, and local cable.
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Promoting Your Club
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Promote Toastmasters in the Community
1. Newspapers
2. Broadcast Media
3. Social Media and Blogs
4. Local Government
5. Chamber of commerce
6. Libraries
7. Company Publications
and Websites
8. Employee Orientations
9. Community Packets
10. Universities and
Community Colleges
11. High Schools
12. Community Events
13. Billboards
14. Websites and Newsletters
15. Offer Speechcraft and
Youth Leadership
16. Create Club Business Cards
17. Display Toastmaster Products
18. Wear Your Toastmasters Pin
Websites
• FreeToastHost 2.0
• Google
• WordPress
Guerrilla Marketing Tactics
1. Members throw a flash mob skit promoting the club,
dressed as pirates on Talk Like a Pirate day.
2. Door hangers (like do not disturb at hotels) that you hang
on door knobs to promote your club.
3. Pay it Forward – Buy movie tickets for the person behind
you in line. Ask ticket agent to pass them your club
business card.
4. Doctors Office Magazines – Drop off your old Toastmaster
magazines with contact and meeting information on them.
Find more of these ideas at www.bootstrappingblog.com
Resources
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Holding an Open House
Promote to fill seats
Provide guest package
Refreshments
Demo meeting
Toastmaster themes
Question and Answer
Socialize after meeting
Turning Your Guests into Members
Welcome your guests and have sign guest
book
Introduce guests at the start of the meeting and
promise that Toastmasters is Fun, Friendly and
the best place to develop communication and
leadership skills
Before close of meeting ask guests if the
meeting was Fun, Friendly, and a great learning
environment
Relationship Visits
Planned meeting between a Toastmaster
representative (experienced district leader,
RA, ID) and high-ranking official of a
corporation or organization that sponsors
a Toastmaster group
Purpose
Reinforce the relationship between
Toastmasters and the sponsor
Enhance understanding of how membership in
Toastmasters contributes to their organizational
success
Enhance understanding of the communication
and leadership skills individuals gain
Reaffirm the organization’s high level support for
Toastmasters
Month 3 – Finding and Establishing
Partnerships
What organization(s) in the proximity have
members that need what they have?
Create a Community Contact Team
Plan and hold demonstration meetings.
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Month 3 --- Provide a Service to capture
new members.
Promote and schedule educational
sessions that people in the market attend.
Success/Leadership modules and
Speechcraft serve this function.
Provide the course for the cost of
becoming a member of the club.
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Show Your Leadership! What types of
things can you do?
 Lead and facilitate, “Moments of Truth”
 Present an improving club meetings educational session.
 Presenting “From Guest to Member,” educational
session.
 Coaching the club to create marketing materials and a
Club Community Contact team.
 Recruit a Toastmaster (working on AC Gold) to present
Speechcraft or other Success/Leadership module.
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ARE YOU READY?
What additional training do you need?
Find a club rescue buddy or mentor.
Execute your rescue with a High
Performance Plan and recruit a guidance
committee that has master-minded
guidance
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District Support
Mentor Coordinator
Coach Coordinator