Frequently Asked Questions

Here are a few Frequently Asked Questions and the answers to go along with them.

What are the benefits of membership?

Whatever your goals in life may be, your success depends on your ability to communicate. Individuals who can express their ideas – so that they are heard, understood and acted on – possess one primary quality of leadership. By joining Wessex Speakers Club, you will be embarking on a programme that will multiply your communication and leadership skills.

As a Toastmaster, you’ll learn to overcome the initial nervousness everyone feels when called on to speak before an audience. You’ll learn how to organize and present your ideas logically and convincingly. You will improve your ability to listen to other people’s ideas and evaluate them. In addition, you will develop self-confidence that will radiate in every situation involving other people.

Club Members have a wealth of experience to offer one another. Many members form lasting friendships and quite a few Clubs can boast husband and wife members.  And it’s not expensive: Toastmasters is a not-for-profit organization and membership costs about the same as a night school course.

There are opportunities for competitive speaking – four contests are held annually – a speech contest, a humorous speech contest, an evaluation contest, and an impromptu speaking contest.

Why join our Wesssex Speakers Club?

From experience, we have found that 90-95% of our members join our club because they have to address a small group of people from time to time. In many cases, the group may be as small as 6-8 people. In this type of situation – say a departmental meeting – a member may have had the knowledge, but lacked the ‘know how’ when it came to communicating his or her ideas to other members of the group.

In the warm, friendly atmosphere of our club, members have found that they overcame nerves, gained tremendous confidence and assertiveness and were able to motivate their fellow workers.

Even if you are not involved in business, you can still gain from membership of the Wessex Speakers Club. Are you currently looking for another job, but finding your confidence waning as the weeks progress? Are you a housewife? A teacher? A retired person? An employee who has passed all the promotion exams, but doesn’t have the confidence to take a leadership position? Are your views sought after and respected at meetings?

Think of the pleasure, satisfaction and stimulation you will derive from association with other people like you – part of the lively and interesting interaction with other members of our Wessex Speakers Club.

Will I be welcomed?

Our Wessex Speakers Club is not a classroom: it is a workshop in which you will develop your communication and leadership skills among a group of friends – people who are there for the same reason you are. This shared commitment to a worthwhile goal gives our welcoming and friendly club a special energy. Our members draw strength from one another and take pride in helping one another grow and develop. This spirit of camaraderie and mutual support is one of the most satisfying benefits of our Wessex Speakers Club.

As you get started, we will provide you with a mentor if you so desire to help you with your first few projects. You can rely on this experienced member for advice and guidance for she/he has faced the same challenges you are facing and understands how you feel.

Like your mentor, the other members of the Club are there to help you become an accomplished communicator.  So, please come along to any meeting and see what it’s like: you’ll be made very welcome.