Top 10 Ideas & Tips For Building Toastmasters Club Membership

by Mary Swanson, DTM, District 6

Make sure club members know and understand the DCP.

Involve club members in the development of the club’s DCP plan.
Encourage club members to help club achieve DCP goals.
Present a DCP status report to club members at least once a month.

Make sure every club officer is trained and understands their responsibilities.

Make membership building EVERY member’s responsibility.

Conduct a quality meeting whether you have 2 people or 20+ people in attendance.

Begin and end meetings ON TIME.
Have a meeting agenda. The agenda should indicate what time each section of the meeting will take place. This will help the meeting progress within the specified timeframe.
Assign meeting roles at least one week prior to allow time for preparation.
Each meeting role should be explained at the beginning of the meeting to help guests understand and to serve as a reminder to members.
Make it a habit to not apologize for being small, inexperienced, or doing things incorrectly.
Every speech given should be a manual speech. The manual provides objectives for the speaker and guidelines for what the evaluator should look for during the presentation.
The General Evaluator should give an honest evaluation of the meeting.
Use name tags or name tents to help members and guests remember names. It creates a positive and warm atmosphere.
Set a good example for others to follow.

Treat guests like royalty.

Offer them a guest packet (including a membership application).
Sergeant-At-Arms (or other club member) should greet the guest when they arrive.
Invite the guest to sign the club guest book (include name, phone number, address).
Club members should introduce themselves to the guest.
Introduce them to the group at the beginning of the meeting.
Seat the guest next to an experienced Toastmaster who can answer questions during the meeting.
Do not call on them for Table Topics unless you have asked permission before meeting began.
At the conclusion of the meeting: Ask them to share their comments. Invite them to join.
Make sure every officer understands how to correctly complete a membership application form.
If a guest wants to join, help them complete a membership application form and take their payment.
Process all new member applications promptly.
After the meeting, send a thank-you note to the guest and invite them to return.

Take new members under the club’s wing.

Assign a mentor to each new member.
Encourage the new member to sign-up for the “easy” meeting roles first (I.E. Timer, Ah Counter).
Invite the new member to schedule their Ice Breaker soon after they join.
Help the new member learn how to perform each meeting role.

Conduct the Moments of Truth module each Toastmaster year (July 1 – June 30) with the purpose of evaluating how well the club is meeting the needs of its members.

Make sure guests can find your club meeting.

Meeting day, time, and location should be consistent to help bring people to your meeting.
Notify all club members when a schedule or location change is necessary.
Send a note to a recent guest to inform them of change in venue or meeting day/time.

Get everyone involved in the meeting. Make sure that everyone has a chance to speak.

Have FUN!!

Ideas for Community OR Company Clubs

Conduct a Speechcraft. Don’t know what it is? Contact your Area or Division Governor.
List the club with the local Chamber of Commerce.
Place an ad in your church newsletter or bulletin.
Challenge each member to bring at least one guest to a meeting.
During a club business meeting, ask each member to jot down the names of 5 people they know that could benefit from Toastmasters. Have the member send an invitation to each person listed.
Send press releases to local media on all special events, awards, contests, and honors.
Ensure that every guest receives a follow-up phone call and/or note. Invite them to attend another meeting.
Create a club newsletter on a regular basis (monthly, quarterly).
Contact local businesses to see if they will allow your club to hang a flyer or have a counter display.
Have club business cards printed with the club name, location, time, and contact person. Ask members to hand them out to guests and potential members.
Consider having a booth at a local fair, craft show, trade show, career fair, etc.
Wear your Toastmaster pin – all the time!
Ask your doctor, dentist, optometrist, chiropractor, etc., if you may leave Toastmasters brochures/magazines in their waiting area. Make sure you have a phone number or email address on each brochure or magazine.
Leave club brochures/magazines at your hair salon or barber shop.
Develop a club website: see our FreeToastHost page for more details.
Give your local library and/or bookstore copies of the Toastmasters magazine, brochures, or club flyer.
If your club is a strong club, consider serving as a “big brother” to a struggling club. Contact your Area or Division Governor if interested.
How many clubs do you belong to? If the answer is one, consider joining another club (at work or home) or maybe an advanced club.
Celebrate the accomplishments of your members. Make the club a place that members want to come to share their successes.
Don’t lose members after they achieve their CTM. Make sure members are aware of the outstanding advanced manuals that are available. Encourage them to continue on the Toastmasters journey.
Develop a list of potential members who have email. Forward information to them about upcoming events as long as there is interest. Remove people from your list, if requested.
Contact local business and vocational schools. Ask to do a presentation regarding communication skills and how valuable they are in the job market. Have Toastmasters club information available to pass out and encourage students to attend a meeting.
Make a list of the best things about your club. Distribute the list to club members so that they can use them as selling points when recruiting new members.
Do you have children over 18? They can join Toastmasters!!
Conduct a Table Topics session that is based on membership building ideas. Make sure someone writes down all of the ideas offered and then develop a plan to follow-up on them.
Place an ad in the local newspaper. Some newspapers will print notices about community events for free.
If you meet in a public place (i.e. restaurant), have a sign that announces that your Toastmasters club meets there on this day & time. This technique is used by Lions, Rotary, and Kiwanis clubs.
Invite a member of another club to present an education module at one of your club meetings.
Have at least one meeting each quarter that is dedicated to educational speeches. Each speaker could give an education module that is of interest to the entire group.
Invite a district officer to come to a meeting to give an inspirational membership building presentation.

Ideas for Company Clubs only

Ask Human Resources to include a flyer about the club in the new employee orientation packet.
Ask Human Resources to insert a flyer about the club with the payroll checks.
Ask Human Resources for an appointment to give a 20 minute presentation on the benefits of Toastmasters and how it can help the company’s training efforts.
Inquire about the possibility of club members earning continuing education credit.
Place an ad in your company newsletter.
Post a notice on your company electronic bulletin board.
Notify communications department about upcoming events: contests, award presentations, etc.