Three months ago I joined a local Toastmasters club - First Toastmasters of Lithuania. I feel privileged to have an opportunity to speak, listen and be a member of such a unique community.
Some information for all those who haven’t heard about Toastmasters before. It is a non-profit organization developing public speaking and leadership skills through practice and feedback in local clubs. To put it simply, the organization gathers public speaking enthusiasts who want to improve even more. All of them are crazy about eye contact, diction, hands, gestures, structure, etc. Most importantly, everyone should obey the time that has been given to him/her.
Toastmasters is definitely something wider than just public speaking. Here’s my top 5 reasons everyone should visit a local Toastmasters club.
1. You’ll become a better speaker. It’s obvious.
2. You’ll become a better listener. By watching other members’ speeches and evaluating their performance, you’ll soon become a better listener. This gets you into the habit of listening, absorbing and analyzing…which becomes a great learning opportunity.
3. You’ll develop stronger leadership skills. As you become more comfortable as a speaker and more experienced in your club, you can serve as a mentor to new members.
4. You’ll expand your network You will meet many new friends and acquaintances in a wide range of industries.
5. You’ll have a great time. In the first few meetings you might feel a bit fresh and nervous, so it might be hard to enjoy yourself. But I’ve found after just a couple meetings members have often told me that they come just for the stress relief or laughs.
You can find more information about this awesome organization on the official website http://www.toastmasters.org/