Lexington, KY - You say you're not a public speaker and you have no desire to get in front of 20,000 people at Rupp Arena? Fine. But you do make presentations for clients and have conversations with bosses and colleagues. You'd probably like to be more confident when you talk, and do so without any of those "ah, er, um, well, you know" hesitation sounds, right? Enter Toastmasters International, founded in 1924, with clubs in 106 countries.
The Toastmasters Bluegrass Division comprises 10 clubs in Lexington, Frankfort, Georgetown, Richmond and Winchester. During weekly meetings, members learn the mechanics of speeches (or audio presentations, as some prefer to call them), including researching a topic, organizing and writing outlines, body language and effective listening skills. Meetings also cover essential skills such as how to get to the point, how to run meetings and how to conduct them with minimum interruptions. And yes - how to give a toast. Dues range from $33 to $51 for six months.
Former FBI agent Bobby Ricks attributes two job promotions to his involvement with Toastmasters.
"I had worked for the government and tried for four years to get promoted," he said. "Within a year of Toastmasters, I had better presentation skills."
He was promoted twice shortly afterward. Today he runs Ricks International Consulting, a law enforcement and security consulting firm. His son, Graham Ricks, is an IT consultant who gave his first speech at 8 years old and "fell in love with public speaking." Fifteen years later, he appreciates the feedback from fellow attendees at Toastmasters meetings to help him improve his presentation skills.
"The big thing is confidence," he said. "When I started my own business, I had a rough time until I joined Toastmasters."
He has also gotten business through networking with group members.
Vocal communication is important for more than just business applications, of course. Longtime member Linda Stewart said Toastmasters "helps in ways you would never think." She recently gave a presentation titled "Do you know what it's like to be blind?"
Stewart has learned to organize her thoughts to be able to express what she really wants to say.
"I would go on a tangent," she said of her speaking ability prior to joining the organization. She credits Toastmasters with helping her improve her interpersonal skills with family members. By practicing the "HARDR" method of answering questions - humor, avoid, refer, direct, reverse - Stewart was able to deal with an aunt who always put her on the spot.
"The last two years of her life, we had a good relationship," said Stewart, whose husband, Rodman Stewart, is also a Toastmasters member.
Another acronym the group uses is "INSANE" - I Never Should Apologize Nor Explain - particularly before giving a presentation. Saying you're sorry for something makes your audience uncomfortable and diminishes your credibility before you even start.
The current governor of the Toastmasters Bluegrass Division is Jim Adams, whose day job is senior security engineer for TranSystems in Louisville.
"Toastmasters has served me well," he said. "I get paid to convince people to spend up to a half-million dollars with our firm - without hiccups. Toastmasters is a great laboratory for me, and I'm happy to go every single week."
Jim Rogers is vice president of membership for the Sunrise Toastmasters group that meets Tuesdays at 6:30 a.m. A management and IT consultant, and Business Lexington columnist, he entered the annual Toastmasters International speech contest and won at the division level. In August, he will compete at the World Championship of Public Speaking competition in California with his speech "The Bug Whisperer."
Al Edington gave a recent presentation on "Speak to express, not to impress." A past Toastmasters area governor, Edington is the safety manager of a transportation company. "I use Toastmasters skills to help employees become better drivers," he said.
Susan Coates joined the organization 16 years ago. She had seen her mother become more confident because of the program.
"I built a resume off my Toastmasters experience," said Coates. A broker for speakers and entertainers, her business is called The Speaker Studio. "I keep coming because I can always improve my speaking and leadership skills," she said.
Toastmasters is celebrating its 30th anniversary in Lexington with an open house on June 3 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Crowne Plaza Campbell House. The event is free for the public to see what Toastmasters is all about. The district's fall conference is in Lexington this October, with keynote speaker Story Musgrave.
To find a Toastmasters group near you, visit www.kytoastmasters.ning.com.
Kathie Stamps posts grammar tips weekdays at www.facebook.stampscommunications.com.