The club website functions as the online front page of your club. Visitors should get a sense of who the club is, why they should visit and get an idea of what to expect when they do.

It is not a hub for educational materials and content.

It doesn’t matter which platform it is hosted on (FreeToastHost is most common but others are fine if that’s what the club already has). All other online spaces should link back to this website, so it is worth the time and effort to get right. Maintenance need only be semi-annual or so.

• Accurately branded, and makes the club look professional

• Has no more than three pages (home, directions, contact us)

• The home page has <500 words total and more space dedicated to photos than text

• Directs visitors to visit the club or contact the club only

• URL has no numbers (eg. 789456.toastmastersclubs.org versus smileyspeakers.toastmastersclubs.org or smileyspeakersclub.com.au)

• All details are correct, including an email address/form and a phone number

• Copy qualifies readers, is non-distracting, and gives only enough information to introduce your club specifics.

Great examples to gain inspiration from:

• Downunder

• Waterloo

• Mt Gravatt

• Dalby

• Caloundra

Extra resources and training

When guests visit, they know very little about you, your club and the organisation. The guest kit begins to enlighten them about the club and give enough information to have them return with a view to joining.

A guest kit is not the encyclopedia of Toastmasters. It should be presented at the meeting by a member with a conversation, not just handed to the guest without any explanation.

Go to Guest Kit Project

Location-based online searches are easy and common. And Google loves to prioritise Maps results in all it’s queries. And when the vast majority of people use their phone to navigate, it’s a big advantage to have your club accurately listed in Google Maps. The best way to learn how to do it: do a Google search. Changes/additions can take a couple of weeks to update. But, the best way to check is to open Google Maps and search for your club.

• All details are accurate. Club name, meeting place name, meeting time (as best you can), phone number and website

• The location should be exact. Zoom right in and make sure it is where people should go (think, the front door rather than the middle of the building)

• The phone number listed will call someone who will answer and/or return the call the same day

• Photos of the club have been added (at least 10) and members have left some reviews.

Great examples:

• Downunder

• Waterloo Bay

• Dalby

Extra resources and training

To enable the VPPR and VPM to keep a record of all inquiries and guests to the club, track all guest-to-member conversion processes and enable smooth handover of the role, a club must have a Guest Tracker. A Google Sheet is ideal, and enables multiple club officers to have access where required.

Go to Guest Tracker Project

With passive marketing setup and people now being driven to contact the club, having a predictable and careful email invite is required.

Having a response pre-prepared ensures all details that need to be shared are mentioned, and saves time for the club officer dealing with new guests (this also makes it more likely that they are consistent with this task).

In addition to all new contacts receiving an email, all previous leads and past guests should be warmly invited to attend every meeting.

• A templated email that succinctly but warmly invites a new contact to visit the club, mentions it is a safe place, the details they need to find you, and some personal love for the club.

• A templated email that is used to send the agenda and a reminder to all leads and guests for all meetings, inviting them to return.

Extra resources and training

Who wants that guest to join? Everyone! Who knows how to join? You do - and not the guest. We must be very clear in stepping them through the process of how to join. Aside from conversations in the meetings and the guest kit, this is best done via email.

• Have a templated email that is sent to a guest soon after their first visit that thanks them and outlines exactly how to join, the benefits of joining and attaches the documents they need (membership form and schedule of fees).

• Have a templated email for after a guest visits a second meeting which is similar but adds a little more suggestion to joining as a member to get involved

• Have a templated email that shares with a new member what the induction process will be like, when they will be on the agenda, and the club’s handbook of meeting roles

Extra training & resources

Clubs need a social media presence. There are many options, but Facebook remains the best choice for 99% of clubs. A club need only be on one platform, so forget about Instagram, TikTok etc. until your Facebook page is set up. A Facebook page is designed to be outward-facing and aimed at the public as a marketing strategy, and not designed for your members (though they will likely love it too). How Facebook operates changes constantly, so Google how to set up a Page if you need.

• It is a Facebook Page. Not a Group!

• All details in the "About" tab are accurate.

• Add the Mission Statement to "About" and meeting details to "Additional Information"

• Have a professional profile image or design (based on the TI logo is a good start).

• Ensure the banner image is a whole-club photo less than 1 year old and is not from the Christmas party.

• The page admins monitor messages. They reply the same day and know exactly what to say to inquiries.

• The page is maintained, meaning people who like posts are invited to like the page, inappropriate comments are deleted, and all content is branded to Toastmasters and your club.

Great examples to gain inspiration from:

• Downunder

• Waterloo

• Dalby

Extra resources and training

A change to the club requires a vote of all members, including adding a new member to the club. It is also a lovely ceremony for a new member to have an official and professional and welcoming into membership of the club and organisation.

• The club has a script and process for voting in, and inducting new members to the club

• It is done during the meeting and a badge is also presented to the new member at that time

• No off-hand comments should be made about “voted in if you’re lucky” or “we vote you in so we can vote you out” - these jokes create doubt of security in the member

The purpose of social media is active marketing; giving social proof to the world that you are an active club to visit and join. Posts should be regular, interesting to your target market and make the club look welcoming, active, valuable and enjoyable to be a part of.

Go to Social Posts project

It can often take a conversation or two to get a new member to select a path and able to access their projects. The best way to give information on how to get enrolled into a path is via email (because whenever Pathways changes, it’s easier to update a template email than say, a video walkthrough). Also, emails can be read at any speed and multiple times while the new member clicks through Base Camp

• Have a templated email that explains Pathways is the education program, how to find it, how to select a path, how to access their projects and mentions their mentor is available for help

Extra training & resources

When a club is focused on its product (ie, the meeting), it significantly increases the chance of members seeing value from their membership. Even if the club has a more “social” focus, speeches and Table Topics are excellent ways of learning more about each other, and provide talking points for during breaks.

Go to Agenda Content project

Table Topics is way more to your club than just a segment that’s expected to be there and scare new members. It is a powerful tool to use wisely within the meeting. They can raise the energy, momentum and participation of the meeting when done well. Additionally, it is the greatest segment we have for learning more about the human stories in our club and building an environment that is warm and gives a sense of belonging to all. However, done poorly, they are a turn-off for guests and members and can make the meeting unpleasant.

• Table Topics is understood to be about getting members not already on the program to speak. It is not about trying to “stump” members (even if they’re experienced, confident members!)

• Questions are simple, and drive towards sharing a real, personal story. They should not require imagination - we want people to SPEAK on their feet, not THINK on their feet.

• Speakers are selected from those not otherwise on the program

• The segment is long enough to ensure all members not on the agenda can have a topic (6-8 topics every meeting)

• Table topics are presented from the front of the room and timed 1-2 minutes

If members don’t know, they won’t go. All meetings should be planned in advance to ensure all members are engaged and equitably given roles, and to plan progress for educational achievements and DCP Success. Forward Planning is done independently of the meeting, and should be available to view for all members at least 3 meetings in advance.

• The forward planner is created and kept updated by the VPE, per members' goals

• The planner is available to all members and at least 3 meetings fully planned into the future

• The planner is also updated after each meeting to reflect any changes

Quick tip - how to forward plan

Clubs are a safe place to be courageous. As such, we do not expect every member to perfect every role. What we should do though, is provide all members with expectations and a pathway to executing roles to the best of their ability. The meeting roles that appear on your agenda most of the time should be outlined and available to all members, enough to explain to a first-timer what the role looks like, and as a reference for General Evaluators.

Go to Meeting Role Expectations Project

Agendas should look professional and attractive. The design of a document is too often overlooked, but if the agenda looks professional, guests are more likely to visit, and if members are proud of their club’s agenda, they are much more likely to invite their friends.

A good agenda acts as a marketing weapon for your club, helping to attract guests. It should also provide plenty of information for members so they feel secure and well-informed in the club, and it should be a meeting multitool that helps members perform their roles to the best of their ability.

Follow the Agenda Amplifier Bootcamp Checklist to ensure your agenda design is strong.

Agenda examples and training

Effective feedback is a big part of what makes Toastmasters great. And having a great evaluation culture includes more than just a few members who are good at it. We want to develop the ability of all members to give feedback effectively at every opportunity.

Go to Evaluation Culture project

We hold contests for 1 or 2 meetings per year. Which means we’re never super practised and polished. However, like all meetings, contests are an opportunity to provide an empowering and inclusive event that builds enjoyment in the club and adds variety to the year.

A club should have a system that allows the best possible chance of equitable contests in as professional and un-confusing manner as possible that respects the time and dignity of all members.

Go to Club Contests Project

Ask yourself the question “if I was not a member, would I want to come back to this club?”. This means that there is a true sense of warmth to the relationships in the room, that no strong personalities dominate the space ongoing, and all members are respected as individuals. Often the meeting vibe can be witnessed by how the members interact outside of the agenda. And during the meeting, energy should be vibrant, warm and buzzing.

• The club members naturally hang around each other outside of the agenda; before and after the meeting, and conversation is strong during the break

• The club has a focus on the development of members, rather than artificially forcing “fun”

• The meeting venue shows a standard of excellence and sets a professional scene for the club meetings

• All members are given autonomy with support, and permission to contribute at the level they are at

• The club delivers on all points of the Mission Statement:

  • supportive and positive

  • learning experience

  • members are empowered

  • develop communication and leadership skills

  • greater self-confidence

  • personal growth

• Ideas to start fostering a better meeting vibe:

  • Play upbeat music to remove the quietness of a room - this helps people chat without being overheard by everyone in the room

  • Ensure the SAA or VPM knows how to greet guests with energy and enthusiasm

  • SAA opens the meeting with positivity, energy and enthusiasm

  • The Toastmaster is well-informed and confident in their position

  • Every member knows every other members full name and pronounces it correctly

At times, a year of the VP Education role can move by slowly. But, ~24 meetings can pass by quickly if not prepared in advance. The block plan forecasts each meeting strategically for at least the current year.

• The dates for all meetings is forecast for the year, including any dates that will be skipped (ie. Christmas)

• High-level meeting themes are assigned, such as contests, changeover, showcase, elections, anniversaries, end-of-year etc.

The club has a system that can be applied by any reasonably experienced member to onboard a new member. It covers what to expect of the club, the responsibilities of each member, and the pathway through learning speaking and leadership skills. It does not offer all the information at once, but lasts around six months.

Toastmasters is an education organisation. And the education program is Pathways. Every member should be enrolled in a path, able to find their way to their next project, and mark completed projects as such.

• The club promotes all speeches are based on a Pathways project and ensures all members are working on a path

• There is an orientation, whether mentoring, document or video that ensures all new members can quickly choose and work on a path

• Attitudes around Pathways difficulties are kept in check and whinges are not allowed in the club as a whole, thus demotivating members from participating and learning

Knowing exactly what tasks are in each Club Officer Role helps give members solid direction and feel confident taking action. The Leadership Success Trackers are used to help officers know what to do throughout the year, and give them tangible, actionable tasks. They also give something for each individual to measure their progress against, see their successes, and be super clear on what is required of them month to month.

At each meeting, a couple of the same club officer roles say very similar things. To ensure preparation, flow and professionalism, these should be scripted (or at least dot-point cheat-sheeted) for those people. And, they can make a handover much easier, or if the club officer is away at a meeting and someone steps in.

Whenever a member completes a level, we celebrate by promptly approving and publicly recognising that achievement. It’s important for self-confidence and member retention.

• When a member completes a level, it is quickly approved in Base Camp and Submitted in Club Central

• The certificate of completion is printed and presented to the member at the next meeting

• It is known which Base Camp Manager will approve and submit awards (suggest the Secretary)

Extra resources and training

The Club Officers were elected to lead the club, make decisions for the club and strategically plan and track the progress of the club. As such, the club officers should have a dedicated meeting every month or two to discuss, plan and track. The Leadership Success Trackers are a good measure for the club officers themselves. And refer back to the Planning DCP to track the clubs goals overall. This is also the place to identify issues within the club and what might need to be asked of the Area Director etc.

When members know what the club is aiming for, they are empowered to actively contribute. Getting members to understand DCP takes time and repetition. While it isn’t the main focus of a club, it is an indication of the health of a club, and when members understand where their educational awards, new members, club officer training, and administrative tasks fit into the club as a whole, they are more driven to complete levels, and support the club officer team.

Some of the ways a club can help members understand the DCP are:

• Have the current DCP achievements on the back of the agenda (Agenda example here)

• Schedule an educational session

• Ensure club officers attend training

• Discuss the DCP at each club officer meeting

Once members and club officers understand the DCP, you can start planning it well in advance. Ways to plan and ensure goals are met:

• Have members know what level/s they will achieve within the year, and ensure they have the opportunity (i.e. speech spot) to do so

• Support members to speak outside of the club to increase their speeches - test speakers for other clubs, work speeches can be used as Pathways speeches, etc

• VPPR and VPM have plans in place to gain and retain members (see other projects)

• Club Officers are encouraged to attend training, and if they are unable to make it to their home division, other division’s events are shared

• Club Officers are encouraged to complete administrative tasks such as on-time submission of dues and club officer lists

Once a member has been around 2-3 years, they will be familiar with all meeting roles, Pathways and mostly waiting for their next speech opportunity. Before they start thinking seriously about their DTM is the ideal time to empower them to take on small amounts of responsibility by having them lead smaller projects that improve the club. You should find ideas on this page of projects that can be delegated.

• The club recognises which members sit in its part of their Toastmasters career and have enthusiasm to help out a little more.

• The club officers are comfortable delegating known parts of their role to a finite project.

• Members are mentored and recognised for their contributions.

• Project goals and successes are linked to future leadership roles.

Come elections, clubs should have a decent idea of who is going to step into each role. This process starts months in advance and is generally lead by the Immediate Past President, who has conversations with members and explains the benefits (and time cost!) of each role. With elections held in May, it is advised that nominees for each role are known by late March. Having the Leadership Success Trackers helps those conversations as potential officers know exactly what is being asked of them.

Once a member is comfortable in their club, they will start to look for opportunities and achievements that can be found outside of the club. This should be encouraged, as club collaboration is essential for the health of all clubs.

If a member is showing interest, ensure that you let them know what other opportunities are available, what events they can attend, and who they can speak to to continue their journey to DTM. Often, the next step after completing a Path or two is district leadership. Speak to your Area Director about the role and how to pursue it in the next few years.

Go to DTM Project

An area has 4-6 clubs. And each year the Area has a Director. So every few years, a club can offer up a member to be the Area Director. It’s not a requirement, but a good way for the club to contribute and members to see opportunities beyond the club. Always be keeping an eye on members who have been around a few years, and shown interest and/or potential in leadership outside the club. Of course, there are District Leadership roles beyond Area Director as well.

Resources for Area Directors