Toastmasters Public Speaking Fear

[Annalek07]

My Comment: Most folks that join Toastmasters have a level of motivation, that being "they want to improve" I don't know anyone that joins Toastmasters to become a 'professional speaker'

However, I know several people who found out the Toastmasters program built their confidence, enough for many to become very good presenters, some even signed up for "professional" training. Toastmasters does not claim to turn members into "professionals"!

[ilovedrumz]

No offense but you misrepresent Toastmasters. You clearly have no understanding of the organization or its efforts. This video is a cheap shot at Toastmasters and an overt sales pitch.

[markmh835]

A member of a Toastmasters Club gets coaching, tips, and feedback from many members who are at different stages of their personal development and can personally relate to the new member's fears and anxiety. A "professional speaker"?...... not so much.

As a training program, Toastmasters International is an absolute BARGAIN, costing just $27 every six months + whatever club dues are charged. Stack THAT figure up against the THOUSANDS of dollars charged by professional speaking coaches.

[markmh835]

A bit misleading here. A member of Toastmasters International receives a wealth of WRITTEN study guides, manuals, monthly magazine, etc. with thousands of public speaking tips and ideas that have been "tried and tested" by millions of speakers over the 85 years of the existence of Toastmasters. (How much experience do you have, Mr. Staneart?)

[RichieGB]

I think this gentleman makes some good points, but I don't recall him addressing how Toastmasters could *increase* your fear of public speaking.

I have spoken with someone who says that a problem with Toastmasters is that he is now confident in speaking in front of the club that he's familiar with, but is shaky in front of strangers. He does real well at competitions, so he might be a bit modest.

I just joined, myself! I'm really looking forward to giving the ice breaker in a few weeks.

[TheEnigmaX]

well said nighthauke....plus i like the fact that i'm able to network with other people with toastmasters.

[nighthauke]

If I had a pro teach me, I would take notes and try to absorb all his info in a few hours or days and then try to apply it to myself. With Toastmasters, I get weekly practice and constructive criticism from my peers. Eventually, i develop good public speaking habits that I can apply to an array of situations. It's like cramming all night for an exam vs daily studying a week in advance.