An Open House event is an opportunity to not just attract new members, but an opportunity for members to step out of their comfort zone, to put their leadership skills to work and shine. The first step is understanding the way you need to market this event. To help market to potential members, we’re rebranding as a Professional Development Event (PDE) and recommend you advertise it this way too!

Think BIG! When you give your guests more than they expect, your event will be a huge success. Plan it all out and put everyone in the club to work. Follow these easy steps.

Download this checklist

Start with an Open House / Professional Development Event (PDE) Chair

This is a great opportunity as a Pathways project or a High Performance Leadership (HPL) project.

Phase One – Planning (at least 30 days out)

• Chairperson should give a Motivational Speech to club to gain commitment and volunteers
• Set a Goal for how many guests & members (Don’t just invite 10 people. Invite more because statistically only about 30% will show up.)
• Determine Location, Date & Time to accommodate your goal
• Determine if you’ll have a Guest Speaker or conduct some variation of a Toastmasters meeting. List out who will perform each role on the agenda.
• Confirm Toastmaster of the Day
• Who will give one-minute “Toastimonials” (2-3 to speak during the meeting on how Toastmasters helps them grow)

Phase Two – Publicity and Guest-list

• Publicity and guest-list committee
• Print and distribute flyers for each member to distribute & post
• Invite neighboring businesses
• Press Releases (Make two:  send 1 & 2 weeks prior to event)
• Public Service Announcements (PSA’s) – 1 & 2 weeks prior to event (Target – Radio Stations, Public Access TV, etc)
• Task every member to bring a minimum 2 guests
• Brainstorm a list of every possible place to publicize.
  • Websites
  • HOA’s (homeowners associations)
  • Cable outlets
  • Community newsletters
  • Corporate newsletters
  • Facebook neighborhood groups
  • Add to the District event calendar
  • Blogs
  • Create a Facebook event
    Use the D58 Open House video in your online posts and events invitations to help publicize why Toastmasters can help
    Exterior (download):
    
    Interior (download):
    

Phase Three – Food and Decorations

• Food committee (cookies, fruit, veggies, cheese & crackers, punch & coffee)
• Decorations committee
• Guest Cards from TI catalog, or create your own
• Greeters to welcome every guest at the door
• Floaters to network and answer questions
• Signs to direct to meeting room
• Name Badges
• Door Prizes (have a “punch bowl” for people to throw in business cards or filled out cards with name, email, and phone #)
• Have pre-filled Membership Applications on hand
• Information Table (manuals, brochures, catalog, TM magazines, etc)

Post event (one week after event)

• Follow-up press release & social media with action photos
• Follow-up phone calls or letters to guests. Ask them to attend your next meeting.
• Conduct an after-event meeting to discuss how the event went

Download this checklist

Check out the D58 2019-20 Club Event Incentive opportunity

Calling all aspiring hollywood actors and directors! Your mission: create a video to promote your club and the benefits of Toastmasters. Your goal is for your club video to get social media Likes and Shares via Facebook and/or Twitter.

Entries will be shown at the Spring Conference. Social media engagement activity results and conference votes will decide the winner who will be announced at the conference.

Prizes:

• All entries get $10 gift certificate for the District 58 Store
• 1st place – $50 pizza or bagel celebration and $50 gift certificate to the District 58 Store
• 2nd place – $25 gift certificate to the District 58 Store
• 3rd place – Club Ribbon Pack
• Bonus prize: You’ll have a video to help drive visitors in your door. Post it to your FreeToastHost club website and club FB page.

Imagine how visitors find your club. They likely visit the TI find-a-club tool. Search results return several club candidates. They mull through them and pick one. This means your competition are the clubs in the geo footprint around you. Make your club stand out and get those visitors.

A video shows a visitor the look and feel of your club. They get a warm fuzzy feeling. It helps lessen the anxiety that often accompanies new visitors. This commercial should solely focus on a message a first-time visitor would find appealing.

Contest Rules:

• One video entry per club
• Video duration must be 90-seconds or less

On Jan 1, check the D58 Facebook page for a video contest post. You’ll reply with your submission to that post to enter the contest. This way, everyone’s entry is conveniently listed together.

Ensure to post in time for Spring Conference voting. Earlier postings benefit with like, comment and share points. Also check out these additional video tips.

A Smedley-winning Toastmasters Club

On September 30, the first quarter of the Toastmaster’s year ends. Smedley-winning clubs will have already garnered:

A Smedley Award ribbon for the club banner.

10% off the next club order from Toastmasters International.

One point toward the Distinguished Club Goals.

Plus, for the first 15 Smedley Clubs in District 58, a $10 certificate good at the district store.

Being a Smedley Club requires adding only five new, reinstated, or dual members during August and September.  Here’s a proven idea: make your humorous speech contest into an open house. You can use this proven press release announcement. Just change the dates, times and club name.

For more information about the Smedley Award, follow the link to the TI web site.

Another 1^st Quarter Opportunity: Sponsor a new club by the end of September and get $50 off registration to the Fall District 58 Conference (two sponsors can share).

Published Toastmasters can sell their books as part of a new fund-raiser at Super TLI.

[Read more…]

To jump-start our year, we are offering a free Fall Conference for the following:

Members
Any District 58 Toastmaster member who successfully charters a club by September 30 will get a free Fall Conference registration.  If there are two sponsors, and both wish to attend the Fall Conference, each will receive a 50% discount.

Area Directors
The first Area Director to get ALL of their clubs paid at Charter strength, or a net gain of 5 by September 30^th will get a free fall conference.

Division Directors
The first Division Director to oversee successful open houses (minimum of 8 guests) for all of their areas by September 30^th will get a free Fall Conference.

During the 2015-2016 Toastmasters year, any club that earns Distinguished Club status by April 15, 2016 is eligible to win the little BLUE box. The names of all clubs achieving Distinguished status will be written on a piece of paper, dropped in a hat, and one lucky club will win the little BLUE box.

All clubs that earn Select Distinguished status by April 15, 2016 club is eligible for the medium SILVER box drawing. The names of all clubs achieving Select Distinguished status will be written on a piece of paper, dropped in a hat, and one lucky club will win the medium SILVER box.

All clubs that earn Presidents Distinguished status by April 15, 2016 is eligible for the big GOLD box drawing. The names of all clubs achieving Presidents Distinguished status will be written on a piece of paper, dropped in a hat and one lucky club will win the BIG GOLD box.

The drawing will take place at the Spring Conference in April 2016. Someone from the club must be present to win.

Distinguished Club Program

Clubs with at least 20 members OR with net growth of at least five new members

• Distinguished Club: 5 or 6 goals met
• Select Distinguished Club: 7 or 8 goals met
• President’s Distinguished Club: 9 or 10 goals met

Goals:

1. Two Competent Communicators.
2. Two more Competent Communicators.
3. One Advanced Communicator.
4. One more Advanced Communicator.
5. One Competent Leader, Advanced Leader or Distinguished Toastmaster.
6. One more Competent Leader, Advanced Leader or Distinguished Toastmaster.
7. Four New Members.
8. Four more New Members.
9. Four Officers Trained during summer TLI, AND Four Officers Trained during winter TLI.
10. Submit on time (both required) October or April Renewals, AND New Officer List submitted on time (June 30) are eligible for TI recognition at year end.

TV Talk Show Toastmaster Stars Sharon Durgin, DTM, LGET and Dana Swarner, ACS, CL, Greenville, SC
Don’t Miss watching the Talk Show
12:00 Noon, Monday, November 24, 2014 on WYFF TV Channel 4, Greenville, SC

Coffee Underground Toastmasters Chartering efforts

Toastmasters of South Carolina is starting a new club in downtown Greenville at Coffee Underground. The club meets the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month at 7:00 p.m. for about an hour.

“For professionals that need to improve their speaking skills, or give better guidance to clients or give better performance reviews, or anyone going through job interviews, Toastmasters is the organization that allows you to practice those skills in a completely safe environment,” says Sharon Durgin, DTM, District 58 Lt. Governor of Education and Training . “Toastmasters provides valuable training, feedback and an opportunity for individuals to find their voice.”

Underground Toastmasters is a community club and anyone can visit. The club meets at Coffee Underground on E. Coffee Street and starts promptly at 7:00 p.m. For more information or to attend this or future club events, please contact Dana Swarner at (864) 723-6935 or dana@swarner.com

Dana Swarner & Sharon Durgin interviewed by Geoff Hart, WYFF Greenville SC

District 58 Toastmasters, do you have a newsworthy item for the District? Please contact the District Public Relations Officer!

From the Desk of Subbi P. Mathur, DTM, PDG, District 58 Public Relations Officer

As Lt. Governor Marketing, I have a few incentives that may help you encourage your club members to pay on time:

1. Clubs that renew 85% of club members (round up) by the end of the day September 19th will receive a $20 District Store Certificate.
2. Clubs that renew 85% of club members (round up) by the end of the day September 30th will receive a $10 District Store Certificate.
3. Any club renewing 100% of membership by the end of the day September 30th will receive an extra $10 District Store certificate.
4. Any club renewing 20 members or more by the end of the day September 30th will receive an extra $10 District Store certificate.

At your club meetings, the Club Treasurer should announce that it’s time to pay dues. The Club Treasurer will give the members the dues renewal cost ($36: International + your club dues-if applicable), and how to pay (check or cash).

Kimberly Love

An E-Mail to all of your clubs is a good follow up to the club meeting announcement. The E-Mail dues renewal reminder should include the amount to pay and how to pay (at the next meeting or mail the dues to the Treasurer).

If you have any questions, please contact Kimberly Love at d58lgm@toastmasters-d58.org

Thank you for your hard work and efforts. Let’s get a 100% dues renewal by October 1st!

The results of the BIG GOLD BOX Promotion are in…

Please join me in congratulating the following clubs!

Distinguished Club – Winner of the Red Box

 Fluor Power Toastmasters

Division G, Area 74 Club 981611

Select Distinguished Club – Winner of the White Box

Verizon Upstate Toastmasters

Division F, Area 64, Club 1681402

 Presidents Distinguished 9 of 10 – Winner of the Blue Box

Clemson Toastmasters

Division F, Area 61, Club 5540

Presidents Distinguished 10 of 10 –

Winner of the  BIG GOLD BOX!!!

SCANA Power Rangers

Division C, Area 34, Club 666346

We congratulate all of our clubs who earned Distinguished or Better during the 2013-2014 Toastmaster Year.  Stay Tuned for our exciting Marketing Incentives for 2014-2015!

Fun Meetings

Demo Meetings

South Carolina District 58 Toastmasters, invites Fountain Inn and Simpsonville area residents to two informational demo meetings to:

• Meet members.
• Learn about the Toastmasters public speaking program.
• Find out about two new clubs chartering in the area.

Toastmasters provides a supportive and positive environment with opportunities for members to develop their communication and leadership skills,

says Sharon Durgin, Lt. Gov. of Marketing for District 58 for Toastmasters.

A Toastmasters meeting is the safest place to find your voice. Some people join and are scared of public speaking, and after only a few meetings, they are comfortable getting up and speaking, giving status updates and facilitating meetings in a timely fashion.

When and Where

These informational demo meetings will be held:

• Monday, April 28, 6:30 pm at the Simpsonville Library.
• Tuesday, April 29, 6:30 pm at the Fountain Inn Library.

This is a free event open to the public and will be about 45 minutes. Please join us.

Contact Sharon Durgin by email or 864-346-2347 with any questions.

Members improving their communication skills

“What if” every Monday for the next two months throughout the whole district every Toastmaster member wore their Toastmasters badge?  All day long? Everywhere they went?  the grocery store, the convenience store, the pharmacy?  What would happen?  Would membership increase?  Let’s see what happens!  Get ready and wear your badge.  And when someone asks “What’s Toastmasters?” have your elevator speech ready, tell them what Toastmasters has done for you, and give them your Toastmasters business card with your club meeting information on it, and invite them to your next meeting.  If you don’t have a badge or Toastmasters business cards, contact Sharon at d58LGM@toastmasters-d8.org for instructions or go online to toastmasters.org and order your badge and make your business cards.  Send Sharon your Marketing Mondays stories and best story will win a prize at Spring Conference!

Lt. Governor Marketing, Sharon Durgin, DTM, recommends scheduling your club’s Open House in January 2014.

Why? All of those New Year’s Resolutions to improve ourselves in the new year. And, why are we discussing this now? It takes several months to plan a successful Open House.

Currently, there is planning for a Mauldin Area Clubs Open House in January. They have an organizing meeting this Tuesday, November 5, 2013.

And, don’t forget, you can request financial assistance for your Open House.

For more information, contact Sharon Durgin, DTM, LGM, District 58. d58glm@toastmasters-d58.org.

Be proud we’ve got three super-star clubs in our District. Three clubs in District 58 are on the top 20 worldwide list of 1+1 campaign top achievers.

They are:

• Millennium Toastmasters Club #2964
• ScanSource Club #5885
• Young Professional Toastmasters #7531

Division G Governor, John Rogers, ACG discovered how they did it.

Wynne Smith, ScanSource Club #5885

I was happy to help the ScanSource Toastmasters Club participate in the 1+1 Program! The timing was right, as we had just had a very successful Open House when the contest was announced. We were able to sign our new members from the Open House up through the 1+1 program, and then get additional members signed up in the Spring, carrying the momentum created in January on through.
I am so proud of my Club, and of my fellow Toastmasters for this exciting accomplishment. It would not have been possible without everyone’s help and participation!

Checkout the official announcement from Toastmasters International and the original campaign video promotion below.

TEDx Charleston is accepting applications through Oct 22 to speak at their 2014 event.

Interested? Get more details on their Facebook page and website.

Mary struggled with public speaking, tried Toastmasters but had a horrible experience. What happened & what could the club have done differently?

Well for one thing she worked up the courage just to attend a meeting.

Then as a first-time visitor she was called on for a Table Topic. Whoa! Way too much way too soon.

Mary sits next to a member who tries to reassure her…

“Don’t worry,” he said, probably in response to the fear on my face. “You probably won’t have to speak today. The only time that guests ever have to speak is maybe at the beginning, during table topics. But those are easy. The Toastmaster asks a question and you just talk for like two minutes.”

“Two minutes?” I squeaked. It would be just like the staff meetings, only here,  there was no telling what I’d have to talk about.

Seems Table Topics are not a big deal to this member. For the guest however the thought of speaking was a too much. Picked on to do something for which she was far from ready.

Does your club call on visitors to speak? If so perhaps its time to reconsider the practice.

Table Topic horror

The question she received was not hard. Well not hard for those who are comfortable with Table Topics.

For someone who’s just worked up the courage to attend a public speaking meeting its beyond dreadful.

“The last question is: Would you rather spend the Fourth of July with family or friends? And answering this one will be…” the Toastmaster looked down at the list in his hand then looked up and, with his face void of recognition, said: “Mary.”

I felt a familiar tingling—like fizzy soda flowing through my veins. Bumping people’s knees and mumbling apologies, I made my way to the front of the room. With the mindset of someone who’s terrified of heights but who’s already paid to go skydiving, I braced myself and dove right in: “Um, well, let’s see, family or friends. Well, uh, you know, my family is pretty far away, um, so I guess, you know…”

I paused. This was worse than a staff meeting; at least there my speech-making skills were not on trial—I doubted anyone cared about the copywriting updates, much less about how I presented them. But here, thirty faces looked at me expectantly, rooting for me to triumph over the power of the ums, uhs, and you knows that garbled my speech.

“So anyway, um, I’d probably stay here, um, in New York, you know, with friends. Uhh…Thanks!”

Empty Evaluations

Although she only attended one meeting she observed the evaluations seemed to lack real value.

There were more speeches. More enthusiasm. The room swelled with a collective devotion to public speaking. Everyone wanted to be the best. Everyone got applause as if they were. The only criticism all night was for certain speakers to project their voices and “utilize the stage.”

Consider having the General Evaluator include comments on the evaluations? This helps improve evaluations and thus your speakers.

A visitor’s journey to your meeting may have been long and arduous. You often never don’t know the struggles in people’s lives. Next time you have a visitor remember public speaking is a real fear.

Original article: How Toastmasters cured me of the desire to speak in public – Salon.com