Finding New Members in a Corporate Club

Submitted by Kimberly McBrayer, ACB, ALB

Finding new members in a Corporate club is as easy as A–B–C.

A – Ask Everyone – You can expect to get a couple of "no, not at this time, this is our busy time of year." Ask anyway and then ask again later. You may find yourself introducing people to Toastmasters for the first time.  After you have asked your co-workers, ask your manager and team members from other departments. Ask to advertise your club meeting time and day in the café, in the breakrooms, and on any electronic signage within the company. Ask and then ask again.

B – Believe in your club by holding consistent meetings.  If only a few members show up for the meeting, hold your meeting at the advertised time and give manual speeches. Assign roles the week or two prior and send reminder emails 2 days and 4 days in advance. Consistently celebrate the accomplishments of the club and always send notifications of your member’s new educational awards to your member’s manager. Consistent meetings are a sign of stability and will improve the skills of those who attend regularly. Be Encouraging, Be Supportive, Believe in your club.  

C –A Corporate Champion is essential to the health and continuity of your club. Chances are, your company President and Officer team will be familiar with Toastmasters. If they are familiar with Toastmasters or even Toastmasters alumnus, they already know how the company will benefit from Toastmasters training which builds leaders and confident communicators. Meet with them and tell them again, and provide specific examples from the members of your club. Get in contact with the club’s Charter Members. If the Charter Members have left your location or left the company, speak with the Charter member about the possibility of joining and attending meetings virtually. Schedule an appointment with Human Resources and ask if the Toastmasters program can be considered as an individual development tool on the company’s performance appraisal. Speak with leaders in various departments including Sales, Marketing, and Information Technology (IT). Your Corporate Champion is just waiting to be asked.

If you are looking for new members to join your Corporate Club, Ask everyone, Believe in the consistency of your club, and get a corporate Champion. It’s as easy as  A–B–C.