Pros and Cons of Toastmasters Public Speaking Club

Pros and Cons of Toastmasters Public Speaking Club

 

I do my best to be an unbiased guy.

Today, I am going to do my best to hold myself to that standard.

 

If you’re new to the ArmaniTalks brand, I have created a lot of content on Toastmasters.

Toastmasters is a public speaking club.

 

I have gotten a lot of benefits from Toastmasters.

Ranging from overcoming shyness, creating opportunities in jobs, and even starting ArmaniTalks!

 

However, I am aware that this is not a flawless club.

In this article, I am going to do a pros and cons comparison.

I was thinking about how to present the information.

 

Should I just start with the pros?

Then the cons?

Or interchange between the 2?

 

Eh… let’s go with interchanging between the pros and cons of Toastmasters.

I’ll start with a pro!

 

Pro: Place to Practice Public Speaking

 

The fear of public speaking is known as glossophobia.

It is a fear that haunts many.

 

If you have the curiosity to learn public speaking, then it’s best to reduce resistance.

Sure, you can invite your family and friends to watch you speak.

But you may be at the stage where you prefer learning in front of strangers.

 

Well, you’re in luck because Toastmasters has the audience already selected for you.

Aka: the members and guests in a Toastmasters meeting.

 

Con: Feelings Hold A Lot of Importance

 

One con of Toastmasters is that tears influence the crowd.

I’ve seen times when a polished speaker lost to a sloppy speaker who shed tears in their speech.

 

Emotions hold power.

Especially when someone cries on stage.

 

When crying on stage, it’s easy for the audience to be like:

‘Wow, this speech is compelling.’

 

I believe this is a con because the polished speaker is somewhat punished for not crying.

While the sloppy speaker is rewarded for crying.

 

I do not know a fix for this.

Because the crowd decides the best speaker.

However, it is a con that I noticed.

 

Pro: Like Minds to Evolve With

 

A lot of Toastmasters have a thing called “after-hours.”

This is when you network with the members outside of the meeting.

 

Humans are creatures that learn through modeling.

When modeling behaviors, it’s easier to learn a skill.

 

If your close friends are obsessed with the skill that you’re trying to improve, then you speed up progress.

You guys live, breathe, and talk about this stuff.

That’s what Mr. Beast did with his friends in order to rise on YouTube.

 

The general public doesn’t have an interest in public speaking.

They talk about other stuff.

 

So when you come to Toastmasters, you have a niche community that is also trying to improve their speaking skills.

 

Con: Too Delivery Focused

 

For one of my first-ever table topics (impromptu speech), I said um 30ish times.

Afterward, a bunch of members came to me and let me know how many times I said um.

They suggested different ways I could fix it.

 

I was grateful at the time.

However, in the long run, it did a number on me.

 

Anytime I said um during a speech, I’d be like:

‘Geez, I messed up.’

 

This was not the right way to think.

In communication, the idea is king.

 

A lot of times, when the idea is very grand, you will naturally say um a bit more.

If you say it a lot, then it will distract from your message (like it was with me).

But in doses, filler words are fine.

 

I am grateful that Toastmasters gave me fixes for the filler words.

But at times, I believe they place so much focus on the delivery, that they take away focus from the message.

Lead with the message and amplify with delivery.

 

Pro: Different Paths

 

 

When I first started Toastmasters, all the members worked out of the same book.

Nowadays, you get to choose your path.

 

Because different people want to learn public speaking for different reasons.

With the pathways program, the speaker can choose the right path for them.

You have more control over your public speaking destiny.

 

Con: Non-Savvy Evaluators

 

Some clubs are not big.

They have a few members.

 

When the members are few, the newbie speakers get bumped to be evaluators much faster.

 

A speaker is assigned an evaluator.

Once the speaker gives their planned speech, an evaluator gives feedback on what the speaker did right and what they can improve.

 

Normally, it’s expected that a member has gotten through 3-5 speeches successfully before becoming an evaluator.

However, when the members are scarce, a newbie is bumped up to the evaluator role much quicker.

 

But a newbie can’t evaluate properly!

Because they can barely give a speech properly.

They still need to grow.

 

Final Verdict on the Pros and Cons of Toastmasters

 

Now my bias will come back in.

I say the pros outweigh the cons.

 

I believe Toastmasters is a great vehicle to learn how to communicate better and be social along the way.

If used correctly, you will articulate a lot of great ideas.

If your club is smart, they are recording speeches.

So you have a catalog of your work as well!

 

Are there cons?

Yes.

There are cons to any complex system and organization.

 

But do not only take my word for it.

Find a local Toastmasters club near you…

Better yet, find 2-3 of them near you.

Then check out a couple of meetings as a guest.

It’s free to attend.

 

I recommend going to a few clubs because some clubs are not properly ran.

While others are fine-tuned machines.

Experience the meetings for yourself then make your verdict!

 

If you end up joining the club and want to speed up your public speaking progress, then be sure to check out my book:

 

This book will teach you how to build a speech, practice a speech, and deliver with confidence.

Grab a copy here

– ArmaniTalks ????️????

 

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