YBP Toastmasters

Have you ever been nervous about giving a speech? Sometimes, no matter how confident you are, anxiety can get the best of you when you are speaking in public. The ability to “think and speak on your feet” is an important skill that often determines your success in job interviews and presentations. All kinds of careers and occupations require this skill. The key to conquering any inadequacies or fears of public speaking is practice. With practice you can succeed at anything, even something you never thought you’d be good at. While there are many resources, classes, and books you can use to enhance your speaking skills, no program has a better reputation than Toastmasters.

Toastmasters International has grown to become a world leader in helping people become more competent and comfortable in front of an audience. The nonprofit organization now has nearly 220,000 members in 11,300 clubs in 90 countries, offering a proven – and enjoyable – way to practice and hone communication and leadership skills. There is most likley a Toastmasters group in your city or at your school. Joining is as easy as searching the website directory and showing up at the next meeting.

Survey after survey shows that presentation skills are crucial to success in the workplace. Many people pay high fees for seminars to gain the skill and confidence necessary to face an audience. Toastmasters provides an option that is less expensive and held in high regard in business circles. These skills will also help you in your personal life. When I asked my sister, and Matron of Honor, if she wanted to give a toast at my wedding, she smugly replied, “I think I learned enough in my Toastmasters program to make a wedding toast!”