Page 8 - january 2022

COVER STORY

would receive useful and actionable
feedback provided by their peers.
TSP was charted as a bi-weekly
club. Because of Tess, they soon

moved to weekly meetings to
accommodate the additional
members.
Rodger Cook, DTM, long-time

rehearsal. Practice excellence, and member of Wallmasters Interantional,
excellence will become your practice. is also the VP Membership for Shilling
Okay, so you’ve cleaned up your Club Speakers, an online club based in England.
act and visitors are flocking to your The Club just signed up three new

performance. Let’s explore conversions. members last week, bringing their roster
How’s that going for you? Cleon Cox, one to 39. I asked him to share how they are
of District 7 Toastmasters avid supporters, doing it.
says it takes seven touches to convert a “Recruiting new members is an on-going

visitor to a member. Rarely do visitors process. We utilize many social media sites
join during the first visit. When they such as Next Door, Meet Up, Facebook, and
do, likely they’ve compared your Club’s Linked In. Many find us on the Toastmasters
performance to the one down the road. International website and Easy Speak UK

How does your VP Membership follow Ireland. We are also very good networkers.
up with guests? Do they follow up? Hmmm Guests are greeted in a warm and welcoming
. . . might be time to consider a best fashion. Post meeting, we send personalized
practice. I remember a workshop hosted by emails to each guest thanking them for

Tess Daniels, past member of Toastmasters attending, with an invite to attend our next
for Speaking Professionals (TSP) several meeting. Meetings are conducted via Zoom,
years ago. Tess was an amazing VP with members and guests registering to attend.
Membership. She really knew how to fill By doing so, we gather valuable information

the seats. At one time she asked how many about our guests providing the opportunity to
members the Club wanted—at what point invite them to visit again.”
should she dial back her membership Does your Club acknowledge visitors
campaign. Her secret? She asked visitors at the beginning of the meeting and give

if she could call them. What did they talk them an opportunity to provide feedback
about? How membership would give them at the end?
a practice stage to sharpen their skills and Rather than seek platitudes, consider
hone their presentations. As a bonus they asking them if they could use what they

8 ONE COMMUNITY