Most people believe that Toastmasters is just a public speaking club.
Often I hear people say one of the two things.
- I’m afraid of public speaking
- How much does it cost?
Overcome your fear
When you overcome your fear of public speaking, you gain the communication skills to be an effective leader.
Toastmasters gives you confidence by reinforcing what you do right, rather than what you do wrong. With Toastmasters, you have the opportunity for regular practice, which is different from other public speaking forums.
In addition to improving communication and leadership, Toastmasters will also improve your listening skills and ability to think quickly and clearly.
Being a past member of ToastMasters myself, I can attest to the benefits. Toastmasters do emphasize improvement in communication skills, which will lead to opportunities previously not offered.
What’s Next?
Find different clubs in your area and attend a few different groups to find on that fits you. Meetings can be found at http://www.toastmasters.org/Find-a-Club