Club Growth Director

Club Growth Newsletter – May 2023

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Eight Weeks to go: Let’s Finish Strong!

We are just eight weeks away from the end of the Toastmasters year, and I want to encourage you all to finish strong.

District 91 is currently sitting at an impressive number four in the world for member payments and with Select Distinguished status, which is a testament to the hard work and determination of all clubs in recruiting new members and renewing existing ones.

I am pleased to announce that we have welcomed almost 2000 new members since July 1st, 2022, and I want to extend a warm welcome to you all.

We’ve accomplished so much already, but there’s still work to be done when it comes to the number of paid clubs.

To ensure that we end the year on a high note, I would like to ask for your help in completing any outstanding renewals as soon as possible. Every renewal counts towards our overall success, and with your support, we can achieve our goals.

Additionally, if you or anyone you know is interested in starting a new club in the community or within your workplace, then please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. This is a fantastic opportunity to expand our reach and make Toastmasters accessible to even more people.

I want to share with you my top tips to help you finish strong.

1. Don’t give up on your goals. Even if progress has been slower than you had hoped, keep pushing forward and identify what you can do in the next eight weeks to achieve them.

2. Use this time to make a final push to bring in new members. Invite friends, family, and colleagues to attend meetings and experience Toastmasters.

3. Encourage members in your clubs to work together to achieve their goals and finish the year strong for added motivation.

4. While growth is important, it’s equally important to focus on the quality of your meetings and the experience your members are having. Ensure your meetings are engaging, interactive, and fun, and encourage your members to take on leadership roles and give feedback to improve the club experience. This will also motivate guests to become members.

Finally, take a moment to reflect on what you and your club have achieved this year so far, whether it’s a successful speech contest, a new member achieving their goals, or a great meeting. Celebrate your successes and use them as motivation to keep going.

To further motivate you, here is a reminder of incentives still to be won:

Net Growth 10

The first 20 clubs who, by the 15th of June 2023, achieve a net growth of ten new members from their 1st July 2022 base number will win £100 to boost their club’s funds. Will your club win?

Beat the Clock

Clubs adding five new, dual, or reinstated members with a join date between May 1 and June 30 receive a Beat the Clock ribbon to display on the club’s banner.

District 91 will offer an additional monetary incentive for unique new and reinstated members only of £30.

Phoenix Award

This is an award to any club that started the year with 12 or fewer members and throughout the same Toastmaster year built their membership to charter strength (20 members) by 30th April 2023. Three clubs were so close to achieving this award but sadly missed out on this deadline.

So, to give everyone a fighting chance, we are extending the deadline to 15th June.

Let’s use the next eight weeks to complete our goals and finish strong.  I look forward to seeing you at the finish line, I’ll be holding a virtual (sustainable and reusable) bottle of water for you for the final month in the next newsletter.  Let’s keep going and let’s win together!

Debbie Williams
Club Growth Director, 2022-2023

Club Growth Newsletter – April 2023

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First things first: Thank You!

As your Club Growth Director, I wanted to take a moment to express my appreciation for your dedication and commitment to growing membership numbers so far this Toastmasters year. I trust that this has made a difference to your clubs.  Your passion for learning, improving your communication skills, and supporting one another is truly inspiring, and it’s what makes District 91 such a special community.

I want to encourage you to continue spreading the word about Toastmasters and the benefits of membership. Your enthusiasm and willingness to invite guests to our meetings and events are crucial to our growth and success. Every person you bring to your club has the potential to become a valuable member of our community, and I thank you for your efforts in helping us grow.  We are in the final quarter of the Toastmasters year, and I encourage you to keep growing.

Here are my top tips:

  1. Host an Open House to showcase your club to potential members. Consider hosting an open house event that highlights the benefits of joining Toastmasters, offers guests the chance to observe a typical meeting, and includes opportunities for guests to ask questions and engage with current members. Be sure to promote your open house on social media and local community bulletin boards.
  1. Social media can be a powerful tool for attracting new members to your club. Share information about your club’s meetings, events, and activities, as well as testimonials from current members about the benefits they have experienced through Toastmasters.
  1. Consider introducing Toastmasters in your place of work. A corporate Toastmasters club can provide a range of benefits to both employees and the organisation including improved communication skills, increased employee engagement, professional development, networking opportunities, cost-effective training, and enhanced company culture.

I would encourage you all to review your current membership goals so that your club can finish the Toastmasters year as strong as possible.

Renewals are Open!

We’ve barely finished our April membership renewals and I ask you to start preparing for the October 2023 renewal period, Toastmasters International’s semi-annual membership dues will incur a small increase and will now be $60 USD.  This still represents great value for money and Toastmasters continues to be the best and most cost-effective way to become a confident communicator and inspiring public speaker or leader.

The price increase takes effect from 1st August 2023.

Incentives: Net Growth 10 Challenge

The Net Growth 10 challenge is an exciting opportunity for Toastmasters clubs to grow their membership and win a prize to support their club’s activities. By participating in this challenge, clubs can increase their membership and create a more dynamic and diverse club experience that benefits current and future members. So why not take up the challenge and see how much your club can grow?

The goal of Net Growth 10 is simple: to achieve a net growth of 10 new members from the club’s base number as of July 1, 2022, by June 15, 2023.

However, to meet the challenge criteria please note that. “Net growth” refers to the difference between the number of new members a club has gained and the number of members who have left the club during the specified period. So, for example, if a club had 20 members on July 1, 2022, and gained 15 new members by June 15, 2023, but lost 5 members during that period, their net growth would be 10, which would meet the challenge criteria.  If a club successfully achieves this net growth target, it will win a prize of £100 to boost its club’s funds.

The Net Growth 10 challenge can help support the club’s activities and initiatives. By attracting new members, clubs can benefit from fresh perspectives, new ideas, and increased diversity, which can all contribute to a more vibrant and dynamic club experience.

However, you have every opportunity to plan for this and submit renewals before the increase date.  Yes, the renewals window is open!

Talk Up Toastmasters

Talk Up Toastmasters is a membership-building program that takes place annually from February 1 to March 31 2023. The program is designed to encourage members to invite guests to their club meetings and promote Toastmasters to others.  During the Talk Up Toastmasters program, members are challenged to add five new, dual, or reinstated members to their club.

They say it’s good to talk, and the following clubs have achieved this award:

104 London Debaters

1st London Toastmasters

Basingstoke Speakers

Beckenham Communicators

Bloomberg London Toastmasters

Brighton & Hove Speakers Club

Bristol Central Speakers

Central London Toastmasters

Chiltern Speakers Club

City of London Toastmasters Club

Data Science Speakers Club

Epsom Speakers Club

Farnham Speakers Club

Holborn Speakers

Kent Speakers Club

Lloyds Banking Group Toastmasters

London Communicators Club

London Public Speakers

London Victorians

Society Speakers

The Speakers of Croydon Club

Trojan Speakers Club

Winchmore Hill Speakers

Woking Speakers Toastmasters Club

All the above clubs also managed to introduce 5 or more unique members to their clubs.  They will all receive an award of £30 and will be notified by email on how to claim their award. Congratulations.

Debbie Williams
Club Growth Director, 2022-2023

Club Growth Newsletter – March 2023

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Renewals Renewals Renewals

Please encourage all members to renew asap.  The deadline is 31st March 2023.

Some clubs experienced delays in their September renewals, so I encourage you to not leave renewals close to the final deadline.  Below are the winners of the early renewals incentive.  These clubs renewed 20 or more members by 28th February 2023.  Well done!!

All clubs will be notified by email with details about how to claim their £50 award:

1st London Toastmasters

Beckenham Communicators

Berkeley Square Speakers Toastmasters Club

Bloomberg London Toastmasters

BMS Uxbridge Toastmasters Club

Bristol Central Speakers

Bromley Speakers

City of London Toastmasters Club

Early Bird Speakers

Excalibur Speakers

Infineum Milton Hill Speakers

Kent Speakers Club

Lloyds Banking Group Toastmasters

London Cardinals

Microsoft Speakers Club

Oxford Speakers Club

Paddington Toastmasters

Riverside Communicators

Shilling Speakers

Thame Speakers

Trojan Speakers Club

Worthing Speaker’s Club

Member Self Pay

All club officers were recently notified about member self-pay.

Here is a general walkthrough of how a club might manage self-pay. First, the club officers should discuss this option with the entire club and vote on whether or not to enable this feature. If agreed, any current club officer can enable this feature for the entire club through Club Central. Once enabled, all members will have the ability to self-pay their dues through their My Home Page. Additionally, any current officer can also disable this ability for a specific member or leave it on for the whole club. Once members have paid their dues using Self-Pay, they will show as paid on the club roster. Note that World Headquarters is only accepting international dues at this time, and all club dues will continue to be collected and managed at the club level. If your club collects club dues, it is recommended that you discuss the process, of how best to collect these dues prior to or at the same time as renewal dues, with your fellow club officers. Once a process has been agreed upon, it should be shared with your entire club membership and included in your club policy.  Further details about self-pay are here: https://www.toastmasters.org/footer/faq/Self-Pay

New Members – the Road to 5000

Did you know that since July 1st 2022, District 91 has gained 1,348 new members?

A piece of additional news on our goal to achieve 5000 unique members by June 2023, we currently have 3904 unique members.  Well done to all clubs for achieving this.

Talk Up Toastmasters

Have you seen the latest Talk Up Toastmasters videos? Everyone’s talking up Toastmasters! Check out this link for more:

The Talk Up Toastmasters membership program is the chance to encourage your members to invite guests to a meeting where prospective members can learn about Toastmasters’ many benefits. Then add five new, dual or reinstated members with a join date between February 1 and March 31, and you’ll receive a special Talk up Toastmasters ribbon to display on your club’s banner.

In addition to the above, there is an additional incentive for the first 15 clubs that gains 5 new unique or reinstated members only. The award is £30.

Check out the incentives page here: https://d91toastmasters.org.uk/members/resources/incentives/

Debbie’s Top Tips!

  • Are all members making the most of their membership?In addition to club meetings, there are various training, webinars and leadership opportunities.
  • Are members not given the opportunity to participate as much as they’d like? Try a rotation method so that everyone gets a chance to fulfil all the roles at club meetings.
  • Does your club have a specific onboarding process for all new members? All new members should be enrolled in pathways asap after they join and are integrated into the club straight away.

And here’s a reminder of the Toastmasters’ Promises

As a member of Toastmasters International and my club, I promise:

  • To attend club meetings regularly
  • To prepare all of my projects to the best of my ability, basing them on the Toastmasters education program
  • To prepare for and fulfil meeting assignments
  • To provide fellow members with helpful, constructive evaluations
  • To help the club maintain the positive, friendly environment necessary for all members to learn and grow
  • To serve my club as an officer when called upon to do so
  • To treat my fellow club members and our guests with respect and courtesy
  • To bring guests to club meetings so they can see the benefits Toastmasters membership offers
  • To adhere to the guidelines and rules for all Toastmasters education and recognition programs
  • To act within Toastmasters’ core values of integrity, respect, service and excellence during the conduct of all Toastmasters’ activities

Debbie Williams
Club Growth Director, 2022-2023

Club Growth Newsletter – February 2023

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Renewals

The renewals window is open. As some clubs experienced delays in their renewals, I encourage you to submit them early. As further incentivisation, there will be an early payment award of £50 for the first 30 clubs that submit their renewals with a minimum of 20 members by the end of February.

If you have already submitted your membership renewals, thank you for investing in your personal growth. If you haven’t already done so, it isn’t too late!

Talk Up Toastmasters

February 1 – March 31 2023

The Talk Up Toastmasters membership programme gives members the chance to invite guests to a special meeting where prospective members can learn about Toastmasters’ many benefits. Add 5 new, dual or reinstated members with a join date between February 1 and March 31, and you’ll receive a special Talk Up Toastmasters ribbon to display on your club’s banner.

Special events might include members bringing a friend, inviting former members, hosting an ‘Open House’ meeting, or speechcraft workshop.

A guide to all incentives is here: https://d91toastmasters.org.uk/members/resources/incentives/

Open House Meetings

An Open House Meeting is a fun meeting to publicise Toastmasters to members of the public, friends, family or work colleagues. They are very similar to a normal club meeting, but feel more like a demonstration of the benefits of Toastmasters while providing a taste of what a regular meeting is like. Some roles will be carried out a little differently, and the agenda will be planned to give guests the opportunity to actively participate. Organising an open-house meeting can be done either by the club’s committee or an ad-hoc organising team – perhaps you have a member that would like to complete a Pathway Project, for example.

The key to a great Open House meeting is teamwork, and getting all club members on board to ensure it is a success. As a great example of an Open House recently, please see the write up of the City of London event on 17th January in the link below

Welcoming the World to Toastmasters

 

Debbie’s Top Tips

  • Do you remember your first Toastmasters meeting and why you joined? Share your testimony with your club members and guests. Do this at regular club meetings in addition to special events. You might inspire someone to achieve something that they never thought was possible, including potential future leaders!
  • Do you inform guests and new members about all the exciting training opportunities available to them? Did you know that new and existing members can attend club officer training and other District webinars? Please share, so everyone can benefit.
  • When was the last time that you invited an external Toastmaster to your club as a General Evaluator? Sometimes we can get too comfortable in our clubs, and it’s always helpful to see how we’re doing by bringing in fresh eyes. We grow from evaluations, and external evaluators provide an opportunity to learn about what your club is doing well and receive suggestions on how you might improve

Here’s a reminder of the Toastmasters’ Promises

As a member of Toastmasters International and my club, I promise  

  • To attend club meetings regularly
  • To prepare all of my projects to the best of my ability, basing them on the Toastmasters education program
  • To prepare for and fulfil meeting assignments
  • To provide fellow members with helpful, constructive evaluations
  • To help the club maintain the positive, friendly environment necessary for all members to learn and grow
  • To serve my club as an officer when called upon to do so
  • To treat my fellow club members and our guests with respect and courtesy
  • To bring guests to club meetings so they can see the benefits Toastmasters membership offers
  • To adhere to the guidelines and rules for all Toastmasters education and recognition programs
  • To act within Toastmasters’ core values of integrity, respect, service and excellence during the conduct of all Toastmasters’ activities

And if you want a refresher on how to integrate the Promises into your Toastmasters life, then join us on Friday 17th February for a LinkedIn Live event all about the promises brought to you by D91 Toastmasters.

You can sign up here: https://www.linkedin.com/video/event/urn:li:ugcPost:7028417454993219584/

Debbie Williams
Club Growth Director, 2022-2023

Club Growth Newsletter – January 2023

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Renewals

Happy New Year! The renewals window is now open. Some clubs experienced delays in their September renewals, so I encourage you to submit them early.  To further incentivize you, there will be an early payment award of £50 for the first 30 clubs that submit their renewals with a minimum of 20 members by the end of February 2023 at the latest.

Welcome to New Members – The Road to 5000

Did you know that since July 1st 2022 to date, District 91 has gained 936 new members?

A piece of additional news on our goal to achieve 5000 unique members by June 2023, we currently have 3468 unique members.  Well done to all clubs for achieving this. One of these new Clubs, PA Consulting is featured below:

PA Consulting

Rosie Wainwright the Club President wrote on LinkedIn commenting after their second meeting online:

“If you know me well enough, then you’ll know I’ve done quite a bit of public speaking in my lifetime. It’s taken years of practice to turn that sick feeling you get right before a speech into a feeling of excitement. It’s taken years to change my mindset from “what if I mess up and forget my words” to “what impact can I have on the audience with what I’m about to say”. The journey is still on-going, and you only get better through continuous learning, making mistakes and practice.

At PA Consulting we pride ourselves on developing our people and I’m so proud of the journey we’ve taken this past month. I knew I couldn’t be the only one that wanted to improve my skills when it came to public speaking, so when I presented the idea of setting up a public speaking club with Toastmasters International at PA, I couldn’t have imagined a better outcome.

I’m excited to announce that we have 100+ colleagues across the UK who are involved in PA’s Toastmasters, with the potential of opening more opportunities overseas. It’s been such a pleasure networking across the firm and meeting everyone that’s been involved as a member (I would tag you all but there’s a character limit!). It goes without saying there was no way I could have set this up alone. A fantastic group of leaders at PA stepped forward to support and I am ever so grateful.

I can’t thank you all enough for making this happen, I’m overwhelmed with gratitude. Who knew you could feel so energised from an after-work meeting ay? Until the next meeting!”

Laura Autumn Cox, a PA Consulting employee and new Member of the Club also commented:

“I’ve already met some incredible people not just in PA and they’re so encouraging and it’s really good to know that this is something that lots of people want to get better at and lots of people have good, tangible strategies for improvement”

Incentives

District 91 offers incentives for clubs to grow their memberships.  Winners of the Net 5 Incentive are listed below.  This is awarded to the first 20 clubs who, by the 31st December 2022, achieve net growth of five new members from their 1st July 2022 base number.  The great news is that 66 clubs managed to achieve this.  However, the first 20 clubs are listed below and have won £50.

Congratulations to the following clubs:

  • Bristol Central Speakers
  • Broadgate Speakers
  • Riverside Communicators
  • Worthing Speaker’s Club
  • Beckenham Communicators
  • TPR Speakers Club
  • Central London Toastmasters
  • London Public Speakers
  • Bank Street Toastmaster
  • Kings Cross Speakers
  • City Women Speakers
  • HOD Speakers Club
  • Farnham Speakers
  • Early Bird Speakers
  • Paddington Toastmasters
  • MLP London Bridge
  • Kings Cross Speakers
  • Bayes Speakers

For more details on incentives check out the incentives page here: https://d91toastmasters.org.uk/members/resources/incentives/

Debbie’s Top Tips for Club Growth

  • The best way to pick up tips and ideas for your club is to visit other Toastmasters’ clubs.Other clubs may spark ideas that you can bring back to your own club, give it a try!
  • Are your club details (address, contact name and telephone number) up to date on Toastmasters International, your clubs’ website and any other place where your clubs’ details are displayed e.g. google maps, meetup etc?This is the time of year when potential guests may contact you.  Now is a good time to ensure all details are displaying the correct information.
  • Recognition of your clubs’ successes will draw interest from others.If your club is celebrating an anniversary or is holding a special annual event, then celebrate this loudly.  Equally, don’t forget to celebrate individual member successes in your club as this will inspire guests and other members

This leaves me to wish you all Happy New Year and as you ponder the year ahead, here is a reminder of the Toastmasters Promises:

As a member of Toastmasters International and my club, I promise  

  • To attend club meetings regularly
  • To prepare all of my projects to the best of my ability, basing them on the Toastmasters education program
  • To prepare for and fulfil meeting assignments
  • To provide fellow members with helpful, constructive evaluations
  • To help the club maintain the positive, friendly environment necessary for all members to learn and grow
  • To serve my club as an officer when called upon to do so
  • To treat my fellow club members and our guests with respect and courtesy
  • To bring guests to club meetings so they can see the benefits Toastmasters membership offers
  • To adhere to the guidelines and rules for all Toastmasters education and recognition programs
  • To act within Toastmasters’ core values of integrity, respect, service and excellence during the conduct of all Toastmasters’ activities

Debbie Williams
Club Growth Director, 2022-2023