We all have our reasons for joining Toastmasters and examples of how being a Toastmaster has helped us in our personal and professional lives. Here are a few stories from some of our members...
"I joined Toastmasters as
a tool to help with self-improvement. I know I need help with public speaking - it is part of what I do for a living! To try and always improve can only
help my job security! I have gained more confidence and tools to help me get on the way to being a
better presenter. I know I have a long ways to go -but I also know where I can
get the help I need!" -Jennifer D.
"All my
life I have been uncomfortable speaking to larger groups; part of it may stem
from a an unfortunate situation in which I had to fill in once for my boss and make his presentation to approximately 100 people, many, many
years ago. Rather
than telling the crowd that I was not prepared, I felt I
was forced into making the presentation with miserable results. In
1990 or 91 the opportunity to join Toastmasters right here in our office
presented itself and one of my partners encouraged me to join. I never regretted this decision. What
have I gained? Toastmasters
have instilled a level of confidence that I never had before, too bad that I
had not seen that 30 or 40 years ago." - HeinzR.
"I find that Toastmasters keeps
my verbal skills sharp. I particularly enjoy table topics because it is
spontaneous, fun and unrehearsed. Unrehearsed discussions before the
courts and with clients are important to my practice. The formal speeches
are helpful practice for presentations; but, in terms of the day to day value
in my career, it is the ability to communicate quickly, briefly and effectively
in a spontaneous environment that pays the most dividends. The other
reason I joined is the social interaction. I personally need outlets
outside of the work bubble and family bubble we all find ourselves in. To
me, Toastmasters provides an outlet to interact with people I would not
normally meet or know." - Joe T.
"I joined
Toastmasters after being invited to a local meeting. Quickly, I realized
the skills Toastmasters teaches would help me with my profession. As a
consulting engineer my ability to communicate concisely and confidently is
often more important than my technical abilities to my clients. Having
attended only 5 meetings, given one speech and a handful of table topics, I can
already tell that my day to day communications at
work has improved." - Adam C.
"I joined Toastmasters primarily to improve
my public speaking and my response time on unexpected questions. I have gained a
much higher confidence level when speaking 'unprepared' and the ability to
present a clear and concise opinion on a topic when asked. It has really helped
me to organize my thoughts quickly into an opening, body and conclusion.
Sometimes I still get tripped up, but I feel much more calm and collected when
I do. I have learned that taking a moment to stop and think before responding
to a question is often much more valuable than responding quickly (no matter if
you are right or wrong in your response).- Zach S.
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