Have you any experience with Toastmasters?

[Sheree Bobbins]

Someone recommended this club as a good way to improve your verbal skills. Any one have experience with it. Why did you like it, or not?

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

Someone recommended this club as a good way to improve your verbal skills. Any one have experience with it. Why did you like it, or not?

It is a good program. I was involved when I was younger and starting out. My kids have been through their teen version.

 

[sand2270]

I have been involved for a year now and I like it. I like that even if you aren't giving a prepared speech it is unlikely that you attend a meeting where you do not have a meeting function and do some type of speaking.

It is a very comfortable, welcoming, non-judgemental environment. Now don't get me wrong, you do get feedback (not criticism ) always positive and with suggestions for improvement. I am not saying it is touchy feely but if you have trouble speaking in front of others, the last thing you need is to hear everything you did wrong.

 

[mickeylove2]

Have been a member of TM for a few years, great program. I advanced fairly quickly, I love leadership roles as well as the personal betterment that's involved. I was Treasurer for a year then Vice President of Education and then President. My mentor is trying to persuade me to continue on to the District level, but I'm content working on my own Educational goals for a while. I can try to answer any questions you have, but honestly it's best to find a local club and go to a meeting.

 

[Sheree Bobbins]

I am just interested in hearing people's impressions and opinions. I hadn't seriously considered taking it until I heard it mentioned a couple times as being helpful. We have one in the nearby rec centre so access would be easy.

 

[mickeylove2]

Well, my experience has been nothing but positive. I've always been a pretty shy person, don't like to speak in public, ya know...anyway, I've been able to give speeches in front of many many people and not faulter at all. I also had to take a Public Speaking class for my degree and my instructor asked me at the end of the course how I managed to do so well, highest GPA in the class, and I told him I was a member- he was very impressed and said that he hasn't had a student excel in his class like I did. Mainly because people don't take the class seriously, I did and used the knowledge that I gained from TM and did great. My boss gives me more work, is that a good thing??? LOL Anyway, he gives me more projects to work on that have to be presented to upper management, he only allows me in on these assignments. I pretty much get him kudos from his boss! But I love it. I have given presentations for the whole agency that I work for, afterward 1 presentation I got the director to join our TM club. (We meet at work.)

 

[Imzadi]

I know several people who've done it. We belong to a Tony Robbins empowerment networking group, so many of them are into becoming empowerment speakers & coaches. They say Toastmasters really helped them. It gave them lots of opportunites & practice speaking in front of people and becoming comfortable with that. Then it helped them to hone in and get their points across effectively.

Piublic speaking is supposedly one of people's greatest fears. They either become self conscious which pulls in their focus and therefore don't know how to connect with their audience, speak from a place of passion, enthusiasm and authenticity, or they ramble and drone, become scattered and lose their audience that way.

As with any group/teaching situation, if you have a good leader who focuses on gentle, positive feedback & how to improve, it can make a difference in your experiences.