Team Alpha 375

A New Approach to Networking: A Toast to Toastmasters by Whitney Bishop Where can you meet prospects, make friends, improve your presentation and communication skills, leadership skills and develop meaningful and profitable relationships? Your local Toastmasters club, of course! Never heard of Toastmasters before? Or you have, but you just haven’t gotten around to looking into membership yet? Get ready to change your network and your confidence level forever! I first heard of Toastmasters during a presentation Jeffrey Gitomer made in 2007. I went straight home and found a club less than half a mile from my house that met weekly. The relationships I made there have resulted in friendships, business, leads, referrals, and opportunities to connect people to one another. And I’m a far better speaker and presenter to boot! My fellow Toastmasters have been able to secure jobs, create business partnerships, find love and lasting friendships, all for the small cost of membership and showing up! When I was offered a position in a new community, my first order of business was to find a local Toastmasters club and transfer my membership. I knew it would be an effective way to get to know the people and the issues. Most clubs average 20 to 30 members and meet weekly or bi-weekly. You have the opportunity to bring a guest with you to each meeting and to listen to 2-3 speeches, practice speaking off-the-cuff, and network with your fellow Toastmasters and honored guests. Networking events can be expensive and if you don’t go there with purpose and intend to follow up, it can be a waste of your time and money. Why not make an investment that allows you to develop lasting relationships with people? Here are four ways to think (or rethink) about Toastmasters: 1. As a professional development tool. This is one of the best and most cost-effective forums for improving your presentation and communication skills. For less than $100 a year you have the opportunity to create and deliver dozens of presentations to a group of community members who will provide you with the constructive criticism and support you need to improve your presentation, communication skills, and leadership skills. 2. As a networking opportunity. Each meeting is an opportunity to connect with your fellow Toastmasters and honored guests. The structured format provides you with much more inside information about each person who has the opportunity to speak than you would be able to pick up at a networking breakfast or happy hour. 3. As a relationship builder. Your customers want to become better at making presentations too. They have customers and professional development goals. Instead of taking them to an overpriced lunch or milling about at an overcrowded event, why not bring them with you to your Toastmasters meeting? You will have enough information about your fellow Toastmasters to be able to connect others -- providing referrals and leads that will lead to lasting relationships and business! 4. Consider chartering a group yourself. Bring together a group of 20 people -- your power people perhaps -- and get busy improving your skills and creating a referral network engine at the same time. If you’re not a member of Toastmasters yet, what are you waiting for? Find a club near you, visit many, take a prospect, take a friend and learn how investing your time and money in Toastmasters will pay dividends to you and your network.