Tips for a First-Time Toastmaster

Tips for a First-Time Toastmaster

If you’ve signed up for the Toastmaster role and need some tips and pointers, this is the blog for you!

Today, you’ll read about 10 great tips!

Let’s get started shall we?

The Toastmaster‘s role is to serve as the meeting’s emcee, introducing the Functionaries, the Speakers, and the Table Topics Master. The Toastmaster is introduced by the President and gets the meeting underway by introducing the theme of the day and offering appropriate remarks about the theme. They make sure the meeting flows well, keep time, and most importantly, make the guests feel welcome.

A good Toastmaster will explain each step of the meeting so that all guests have as complete an understanding as possible so that they can participate, if they so desire, or simply follow the agenda without getting lost.

10 Tips to Help You Succeed Your First Time as Toastmaster

1. Relax and don’t let the role unnerve you.
2. Call a more veteran member to ask for advice or suggestions.
3. Choose a theme that is familiar or interesting to you.
4. Prepare some opening and closing comments about your theme that invite the audience to want to participate and learn more.
5. Keep your opening and closing comments brief — you are there to keep things moving, not to pontificate for long stretches of time.
6. Pay attention to the clock … you are largely responsible for keeping the meeting on time.
7. Make an effort to explain each step of the meeting for the benefit of guests who are first-time visitors to Toastmasters.
8. Smile and make eye contact with the audience. These are your friends and they’re all rooting for you!
9. Remember it’s your job to provide an enough copies of the Agenda for all members and guests in attendance.
10. Have fun!!!

The more relaxed you are and the more you enjoy yourself, the better meeting experience you will create for everyone.

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If you’re reading this as a potential guest of Airpark Toastmasters, we sure hope you’ll visit us next week! We’re friendly and supportive – and we do lunch after almost every meeting! Hope to see you soon. 

That’s all for now, but before I leave you, one last thing… I get asked this question all the time!

“Does Toastmasters Really Help?”

Personally, I’ve witnessed transformation after transformation of those joining the Airpark Toastmasters family terrified to speak in public – but then turn into public speaking rock stars! Of course, past history doesn’t guarantee you that same success – you’ll have to make your own intelligent judgements about whether or not we are a fit to help you reach your professional goals.

But I can say this: despite the countless public speaking successes our members have experienced (including 5 media appearances) there are people who race to join Toastmasters, have revealed to them a ‘blue-print’ for public speaking success and yet a few months down the road are still stuck or parked in the same spot!

You do get what you put into it.

I don’t think this will be your experience. After all, you found our blog and read this far so you must be interested in furthering your personal and professional goals through public speaking. Congratulations on completing the first step.

Now, the next step is to stop by as a guest, introduce yourself and watch and learn as we all move forward overcoming our fears, growing professionally through better public speaking and having a great time doing it!

Scottsdale based Airpark Toastmasters, meets at noon every Thursday at the JCC building at 12701 N Scottsdale Rd, Scottsdale, AZ 85260. That’s on the SE corner of Scottsdale and Sweetwater Rd. Please click here for directions and feel free to drop in anytime as a guest.

Happy Speaking,
Dana – President | Airpark Toastmasters

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