What happens when a prospective Toastmaster walks into your club meeting for the first time?
Here are some prompt actions you can assign to members. This does two things: One, your current members feels like part of the team and it helps ensure involvement. Two, it gives your prospect a positive image of the club propelling them toward making a decision to join.
First Impressions
Ask members to help with the following:
- Greet with a smile. Shake hands and introduce yourself as well as officers and members.
- Sign in. Ask them to sign your guest book and provide your visitors with a name tag.
- Meeting buddy. Some clubs – after introducing them to other members – will have their guest sit next to another member. “Joe will be your meeting buddy during today’s meeting. He will show you the manuals we use, help explain the agenda and answer any of your questions.” This helps the guest create an emotional bond with a member as well as helping the member feel part of the team.
- Acknowledge their presence. At the beginning of the meeting, the club president asks guests to introduce themselves to the group. Some clubs even ask, “What brought you to Toastmasters?”
- Invite to join in. Beyond just acknowledging your guests make sure they have an opportunity to join in. Perhaps they could answer a Table Topics question – but don’t pressure them to do so.
- No one goes empty handed. Toastmasters international offers a guest packet. https://www.toastmasters.org/Shop/387–Guest-Packet. Whether your club makes its own or you purchase one from Toastmasters International make sure you include the following:
- A membership application
- Copy of a Toastmasters Magazine
- A letter from your club president
- A one-page information sheet about your club and/or a copy of your club newsletter
- Ask the question. Make sure they see the membership application and ask if you can help them fill in the paperwork. Never let them walk out the door without asking, “Would you like to join our club?”