Rebuild Your Small Club by Focusing on the Guest Experience!

1. Rebuild Your Small Club by Focusing on the Guest Experience! Theo Black, DTM, PID

2. Agenda • Understand Low Member and At-risk Clubs • Assess Club Health Using Moments of Truth • Listen to the Voice of the Potential Member • Simplify the Meeting and Focus on Excellence

3. Part I Understand Low Member and At-Risk Clubs

4. Troubled Clubs • Low Member At-Risk Clubs • Fewer than 8 paid members at the last dues period • At risk of being suspended • Clubs may not have a full officer slate • At-Risk Clubs • 8-14 members • Without a plan, club may be headed lower • Clubs may not have a full officer slate

5. Breakout (5 Minutes) • What are some of the characteristics of troubled clubs? • Club members experience: • What may the guest experience when visiting a troubled club? • Guests experience:

6. Troubled Club Risk Factors • Club members experience: • _____ • _____ • _____ • _____ • _____ • Guests experience: • _____ • _____ • _____ • _____ • _____

7. Troubled Club Risk Factors • Club members experience: • Members doubling up on roles • Spotty Attendance • Same members volunteering • Members who are burning out • Not focused on fundamentals • No focus on the guest Guests are: • Overwhelmed • Called on to fill a role • Targeted for Table Topics • Struggling to follow along with no agenda • Confused by members doubling up on roles

8. Math Quiz What can this club do in order to grow? Will this club be able to retain members? • A club… • Has 20 members • Meets every week • Routinely has two speeches at a meeting • Let’s do the math … • 50 mtgs x 2 speeches = 100 speeches per year • 100 speeches/20 members = 5 speeches per member per year • A club… • Has 12 members • Meets every other week • Routinely has one speech at a meeting • Let’s do the math … • 25 mtgs x 1 speeches = 25 speeches per year • 25 speeches / 12 members = 2 speehes per member per year***

9. Part II Assess Club Health Using Moments of Truth

10. Moments of Truth “As a club, you want every new and prospective member’s initial interaction with the club to be a positive one. These decisive times when initial impressions are formed are known as Moments of Truth.”

11. First Impressions “You never get a second chance to make a good first impression” – Will Rogers • Greet and welcome visitors, and put them at ease • Ensure that the meeting has an agenda and is organized • Focus on simplicity for the guest’s benefit • Show visitors how Table Topics works and do not call on them to answer a topic at the first meeting • Assign a club member to buddy up with the guest • Don’t overwhelm a guest by assigning him/her a role

12. Membership Orientation “According to most studies, people's number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you're better off in the casket than doing the eulogy.” – Jerry Seinfeld • Assign a club member to buddy up with the guest • Provide visitors with a guest packet of useful information, an application, and the Ice Breaker • Explain the education and recognition programs • Encourage guests to make guest comments • Ask, “What did you like about the meeting?” • Explain how the mentoring process works • Ask what the guest wants to get out of Toastmasters

13. Fellowship, Variety, Communication “Friendship ... is born at the moment when one man says to another "What! You too? I thought that no one but myself . . .” ― C.S. Lewis • Most guests come to a Toastmasters meeting to learn how to speak in public • They stay because they are having fun, meet new friends, and continue to learn • Let guests know that each meeting is unique • Offer to assist with the application paperwork • Have the dues laid out in a simple to explain format • Help visitors have a good time and meet new friends

14. Program Planning & Meeting Organization “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail!” ― Benjamin Franklin • Make sure all roles are communicated prior to the meeting • Have a completed, preprinted agenda • Have all meeting participants explain their roles when introduced • Let guests know the Mission of a Club • Mention the Toastmasters Values • State that the goal: every member has an opportunity to speak at least once in every meeting

15. Membership Strength “Strength and growth come only through continuous effort and struggle.” - Napoleon Hill • Even a small club can have a top notch meeting • If the club is small, simplify the meeting and focus on excellence • Invite (don’t beg!) guests to join at the first meeting • If you show guests a high quality, well executed meeting they will want to join • Be honest about the club’s membership and be equally honest about your commitment to ensure the club will once again have 20 members in short order

16. Achievement Recognition “ You're like a song that I heard when I was a little kid but forgot I knew until I heard it again.” ― Maggie Stiefvater • Find ways to recognize club members in every meeting • Recognize guests and ask them to speak • Recognize members who invited guests • Welcome dignitaries and have them address the club • Help all members and guests protect their self esteem

17. Part III Listen to the Voice of the Potential Member

18. Describe a Toastmaster Guest • _______________ • _______________ • _______________ • _______________ • _______________ • _______________ • _______________ • _______________ • _______________ • _______________ • _______________ • _______________

19. Voice of the Guest - Scenario 1 • As a first time guest, you observe… • The Toastmaster filling out the agenda as you arrive. He asks you to be the Table Topics Master • Five attending club members handling multiple roles • The general evaluator doing his best impression of superman changing clothes in a phone booth saying that now he is now the Ah Counter (and goes into the ‘normally there is…’ speech) • The Toastmaster imploring you to join because the club needs members • Would you join this club?

20. What the visitor experiences The visitor sees… • A convoluted process that is hard to follow • A lack of clarity about who is doing what • An incoherent and unprofessional mess The visitor feels… • Overwhelmed, confused, fearful, unamused • Not valued

21. Simplify the Meeting Do not expand the number of roles until the club routinely has a higher attendance!

22. OH! Toastmasters Scenario • In early 2014, the company began moving people among buildings. • The ultimate goal most employees in the new HQ at Shady Oak and Hwy 62 • For several months, there were club members spread across five locations • The most populous of those locations was the HQ with 9 members (5-6 attending)

23. Simplified Agenda with Five Roles • Toastmaster • Speaker • Evaluator • Grammarian/Wordmaster/Ah Counter • Timer • Notes • The Toastmaster does not mention the role of General Evaluator or Table Topics Master. She simply runs those sections of the meetings. • Toastmaster describes what the General Evaluation and Table Topics are, but does not describe the missing roles. • There is no mention of the combined role of Ah Counter, Grammarian, Wordmaster. • Guests do not need to know this at this time!

24. Breakout (5 Minutes) • Role Play Using Simplified Agenda – Toastmaster Transitions • Assume the role of the Toastmaster • Practice the transitions • From speaker to Table Topics • From Table Topics to Evaluations • Repeat with another Toastmaster

25. Focus on Excellent Meeting Quality • Arrive early and set up • Have an agenda • Explain all roles, guests or not • Schedule one speaker and no optional roles until the club reaches charter strength. • Avoid doubling up on roles • Collapse roles into one Toastmaster role and do not mention, ‘we usually have a GE and TT Master. A guest does not need to know this!

26. Voice of the Guest - Scenario 2 • As a first time guest, you observe… • The Toastmaster is the emcee throughout a meeting that is clearly laid out in an agenda • All members have just one role and are proud and having fun with their performance • Roles at the meeting are explained, and you are free to observe a meeting • You see a simple yet coherent and high quality club meeting • You are invited to join • Would you join this club?

27. Review • Understand Low Member and At-risk Clubs • Assess Club Health Using Moments of Truth • Listen to the Voice of the Potential Member • Simplify the Meeting and Focus on Excellence