April 2007 Toastmaster

APRIL 2007®

www.toastmasters.org Wow ‘Em Like Steve Jobs

TOASTMASTEREveryone is

Talking...About the InternationalConvention in Phoenix,Arizona, August 15-18.

Don’t miss it!

5 Sure-Fire Tipsfor Great Speeches

Toastmasters atMcGraw-Hill

Q&A with CEOHarold McGraw III

2 TOASTMASTER Apr i l 2007

Johnny Uy, DTMInternational President

V I E W P O I N TPublisher

EditorAssociate Editor

Editorial AssistantGraphic Design

DONNA H. GROH

SUZANNE FREY

BETH BLACK

JAMIE REYNOLDS

SUSAN CAMPBELL

International President

Senior Vice President

Second Vice President

Third Vice President

Immediate Past President

Executive Director

Secretary-Treasurer

JOHNNY UY, DTMCebu City, Philippines

CHRIS FORD, DTMOttawa, ON, Canada

JANA BARNHILL, DTMLubbock, Texas

GARY SCHMIDT, DTMClackamas, Oregon

DILIP ABAYASEKARA, DTMCamp Hill, Pennsylvania

DONNA H. GROHMission Viejo, California

NANCY LANGTONMission Viejo, California

VAL ALBERT, DTMSaratoga Springs, New York

CHARLES ALBRIGHT, DTMChattanooga, Tennessee

CHRIS EMOND, DTMRockville, Maryland

JAMES FAIR, DTMAthens, Georgia

ANN HASTINGS, DTMSanta Monica, California

CLIFF HEINSCH, DTMBrooklyn Park, Minnesota

LAUREN KELLY, DTMTrabuco Canyon, California

JOHN LAU, DTMKuching, Malaysia

TAMMY MILLER, DTMState College, Pennsylvania

JOHN MOFFITT, DTMHouston, Texas

GARY MULL, DTMRiverside, Ohio

MICHAEL NOTARO, DTMAlameda, California

SUEZY PROCTOR, DTMTacoma, Washington

MARTHA TINKER, DTMWest Des Moines, Iowa

DIETMAR WAGENKNECHT, DTMLake Bluff, Illinois

RALPH WALLACE, DTMAlbuquerque, New Mexico

MARGARET WAN, DTMSaint Petersburg, Florida

GEORGE YEN, DTMTaipei, Taiwan

TOASTMASTER

The TOASTMASTER Magazine (ISSN 00408263) is published monthly byToastmasters International, Inc., 23182 Arroyo Vista, Rancho Santa Margarita,CA 92688, U.S.A. Periodicals postage paid at Mission Viejo, CA and additionalmailing office. POSTMASTER: Send address change to The TOASTMASTERMagazine, P.O. Box 9052, Mission Viejo, CA 92690, U.S.A.

Published to promote the ideas and goals of Toastmasters International, anon profit educational organization of clubs throughout the world dedicatedto teaching skills in public speaking and leadership. Members’ subscriptionsare included in the $27 semi annual dues.

The official publication of Toastmasters International carries authorizednotices and articles regarding the activities and interests of the organization,but responsibility is not assumed for the opinions of the authors of otherarticles. The TOASTMASTER magazine does not endorse or guarantee theproducts it advertises.

Copyright 2007 by Toastmasters International, Inc. All rights reserved.Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Notresponsible for unsolicited material.

Toastmasters International, The TOASTMASTER, and the ToastmasterInternational Emblem are trademarks of Toastmasters International registeredin the United States, Canada and many other countries. Marca registrada enMexico. Printed in U.S.A.

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TI OFFICERS AND DIRECTORSFounder DR. RALPH C. SMEDLEY (1878-1965)

2006-2007 OFFICERS

2006-2007 DIRECTORS

TOASTMASTERS INTERNATIONALP.O. Box 9052 • Mission Viejo, CA 92690 U.S.A.

(949) 858-8255 • Fax:(949) 858-1207Voicemail: (949) 835-1300

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[email protected]

� Several years ago, a friend presided overan orientation meeting for a prospectiveToastmasters club. As he extolled the benefitsof membership, someone stood up and said,“You can’t teach an old dog new tricks!”Taken aback, my friend paused for amoment and in true Toastmasters fashionreplied, “That’s true. But you are not dogs. So you can learn new tricks!”

When I joined Toastmasters, one of our local Toastmasters was an elderlygentleman who had been a member for more than 30 years. I was alwaysawed by his presence. Here was Mr. Toastmaster in the truest sense of theword. He had been around so long (at least from my perspective then) thatI was sure he knew all there was to know about Toastmasters.

Despite his age and failing health, he never missed his club meetings. Whenasked why he kept coming back, he replied, “Because I have never been to ameeting where I did not learn something new.” Isn’t that Simply Amazing!

Have you been in Toastmasters for so long that you feel you “know it all?”Do you think the program no longer offers anything that could benefit you?Try working in the new Competent Leadership manual. Yes, it’s very basic. Yes,it teaches leadership to members who just joined our clubs. And yes, even“old dogs” can still learn “new tricks” from working through that manual.

I know this for a fact, because at the February Board of Directors meeting,Deputy Executive Director Dan Rex said, “I challenge anybody to work on theprojects in the Competent Leadership manual and then tell me they didn’t learnsomething new with every project.” I thought it would be interesting to testhis statement, so I started working on the manual. And wouldn’t you know it?He was right!

Too often, we relegate the “minor roles” of the meeting to new members.“Timer? Let Joe handle it. He’s new. I’m a DTM, and that stands for Don’tTime Me.” Well, the project teaches us the importance of time managementas a skill needed in leadership development. Every project in that manualopened my eyes to things I had taken for granted after having been aroundlong enough. Try it yourself! You’ll be simply amazed.

At that February Board meeting, I also had a chance to visit with PastInternational Director Don Ensch. Don has 50 years of Toastmasters experi-ence tucked under his belt. But the best thing I learned about Don was thatafter years of resistance, he now has e-mail! And what a wonderful new worldthat has opened up for him! He said, “My computer journey is a long one, butI must admit it has been an enjoyable one in spite of my frustrations, difficul-ties and temptations of abandonment. The computer has converted me!”

Learn from Don’s experience. Let our programs and manuals convert you.You can’t teach an old dog new tricks? That only works for dogs, not forSimply Amazing Toastmasters eager to learn new and wonderful things.

Old Dogs andNew Tricks

Apr i l 2007 THE TOASTMASTER 3

T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S

The Toastmasters Vision:Toastmasters International empowers people to achieve their full potential and realize

their dreams. Through our member clubs, people throughout the world can improve theircommunication and leadership skills, and find the courage to change.

The Toastmasters Mission:Toastmasters International is the leading movement devoted to making

effective oral communication a worldwide reality.

Through its member clubs, Toastmasters International helps men and women learn the arts ofspeaking, listening and thinking – vital skills that promote self-actualization, enhance leadership

potential, foster human understanding, and contribute to the betterment of mankind.

It is basic to this mission that Toastmasters International continually expand its worldwide networkof clubs thereby offering ever-greater numbers of people the opportunity to benefit from its programs.

2 Viewpoint: Old Dogs and New TricksBy International President Johnny Uy, DTM

4 Letters to the Editor

5 My Turn: A Question of MannersIt’s OK to thank or apologize to an audience.By Margaret Page, CL

6 For the Novice: 5 Sure-Fire Tipsfor Great SpeechesHow to grab your audience’sattention and keep it.By Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE

13 Update: Your Vote Counts!TI’s proposal for improving theprocess of setting membership dues.

14 Profile: Wow ‘Em Like Steve JobsThe legendary Apple CEO succeedson stage because he doesn’t sellproducts, he sells experiences.By Carmine Gallo

20 News from TI: District 30 HostsThanksgiving ParadeChicago Toastmasters inform and entertainwhile serving as official parade announcers.By Kim Taylor, CC

22 Can We Talk? Confessions ofa Freelance SpeechwriterThe work is hard, independent andanonymous, but the rewards are many.By Colin Moorehouse

29 Convention Registration Forms

&ARTICLESDEPARTMENTS

F e b r u a r y 2 0 0 7Volume 73, No. 4

Look Before You Leapin Front of an AudienceTake a look at your plan, your setup,

your audience and your past performance.

By Dan Naden, CTM

PAGE 8

Toastmasters at McGraw-HillHarold McGraw III, Chairman of the Board,

President and CEO of the McGraw-HillCompanies, Inc., explains his corporation’s

support for Toastmasters clubs.

PAGE 16

Everyone is Talking...Come to the International Convention in

Phoenix, Arizona, August 15-18, 2007, at theJ.W. Marriott Desert Ridge Resort and Spa!

PAGE 24

FEATURES


L E T T E R S

It is evident that club officersare not flocking to these sessionsin overwhelming numbers. Thatthis is so obviously the case that TIneeds to commission an article giv-ing nine reasons for going to clubofficer training is remarkable anddoes not bode well for the futurehealth of the organization.Brian Duckworth DTM • USC ToastmastersSunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia

Support Through Slitsville!I joined Toastmasters in 1994. I hadjust been divorced and neededsupport to go on with my life. Ifound the support I needed andmuch more! Over the years, I havedeveloped more confidence, whichhas enabled me to overcome myshyness at meeting new people.

I’ve learned that if you can over-come the fear of public speaking,you can overcome just about any-thing, because you prove to yourselfyou have confidence in your skills.

I encourage everyone to join aToastmaster club.Jim McMorran, DTM • East Coast RaconteursHalifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Rules CountOn my first visit to a Toastmastersclub, a member presented amarvelous speech. I was veryimpressed. It was so perfect, all Icould say was, Wow! But the eval-uator mentioned that the speakerdidn’t achieve the speech goalsand exceeded the time limit. Whilelistening to the evaluation, onething came to my mind: “No disci-pline, no success.” The speechwas great but the speaker didn’trespect the rules, so he failed. Ifinally understood the meaning ofdiscipline to success in life. I wantto keep learning in Toastmastersbecause it prepares me for every-day life.

Toastmasters is simply amazing!Antoine Fragé, CC • Club Orchidee • Port Au Prince, Haiti

Good LuckI was very impressed with the arti-cle, “Team Commandments” byDon Seaton in the February issue.It was like God’s voice to me.

I feel safe in Toastmasters, andour club members are very consid-erate. But I have been devastatedby poor teamwork at my office.Thanks to the article, I realizedthat my attitude was wrong, andthat I shouldn’t blame others. I amsure that if I follow the 10 teamcommandments not only in Toast-masters but also in my company,my behavior would influence myexecutives and co-workers. Wishme luck!Hiroko Mifune • Fukuoka Toastmasters Club • Fukuoka, Japan

About Club Officer TrainingI was saddened when I read theJanuary Toastmaster. On page 22,the first reason given for attendingclub officer training was to “earn apoint in the Distinguished ClubProgram,” while on page 5 a suc-cinct article told us not to do things

just because we could earn pointsfor our club.

I agree totally with MichelleBaker’s point in “Running theNumbers” article on page 5, that weshould be doing things in our clubsbecause the members need them,not just because we can earn apoint for our club. Ideally, theDistinguished Club Program couldvanish into thin air and the success-ful clubs would continue being suc-cessful because they provide fortheir members what the memberswant and need. Successful clubs goto great lengths to find out whattheir members really need byrepeated use of Member InterestSurveys and every means of feed-back possible. Successful clubs lis-ten to their members.

It is astonishing that SheilaSpencer’s article, “Why attend Club-Officer Training?” ever needed to bewritten. Ideally, club-officer trainingshould be so popular that peopleline up to attend and learn solutionsto the problems their club face.

M Y T U R N

A Question of Mannersomission. But your credibility willsuffer if you tell them about whatyou meant to do or bring.Remember, no one likes being toldabout missing puzzle pieces.

Having said that, is there a timewhen people benefit from yourapologizing? Yes. When audiencemembers have been inconveniencedphysically in some way. (I meanphysically, not mentally, such as giv-ing too much data. Apologizingwouldn’t help your credibility; afterall, you knew the amount of dataahead of time so you’re not refer-ring to something you can’t control.)

However, I suggest you do apol-ogize for problems that affect every-one in the room: If it’s too hot ortoo cold; if the lights go out; ifthere aren’t enough chairs for

everyone; if you have to toleratenoise coming from another room.

As you know, a prepared speakerchecks into these physical considera-tions before presentation time. Butchallenges like these happen in spiteof your being well organized. Sowhen they do, it’s good manners toexpress regret to people in your audi-ence. Let them know you empathizewith their discomfort. It will makeeveryone feel better – including you– and it’s simply the right thing to do.

Good etiquette belongs whereverpeople gather. It’s especially important toshow your best manners when you’rethe one in charge at the podium.

Margaret Page, CL, is a member ofSun Shine Toastmasters in Sechelt,Canada, and is a Vancouver-basedetiquette and protocol consultant.Reach her at www.etiquettepage.com.

When I heard Bill Clinton, theformer American president, give aspeech in Vancouver, Canada, Inoticed he took time at the end tothank everybody right down to thelighting technicians. I found thisimpressive and heart-warming – itdemonstrated consideration andimpeccable manners.

I do, however, agree that youshould avoid using “thank you” as away to sum up or close your speech.Words of gratitude and acknowledg-ment come after you’ve given audiencemembers a compelling close that leavesthem with a message to remember.

What about apologizing? I oftenhear Toastmasters emphatically say“never, ever apologize!” I disagree.The need to apologize changesbased on circumstances.

When is it bad form to apologizeand when is it recommended? Don’tapologize if you forgot to bring ahandout or didn’t get a piece ofresearch done. Never tell audiencemembers what you intended to doand then add on an apologeticexplanation. If you did that, you’dbe apologizing to benefit yourselfand not them. Sure, you may feelbetter by saying something. Butdon’t expect them to feel better as aresult.

In addition, I guarantee your pre-sentation will come across morepowerfully – and your listeners willbe happier – if they don’t hear thatsomething is missing. I compare itto receiving a puzzle from someonewho then says, “Oops, sorry, butsome pieces are still missing!”

Your listeners won’t notice an

� As a Toastmaster, have you beenadvised not to say “thank you” toyour audiences? Or have you beentold it’s inappropriate to apologizeto them?

Well, I’m here to dispute boththese commands from an etiquettepoint of view.

When I’ve heard the advice“never say thank you to your audi-ence” during a Toastmasters evalua-tion, the reason typically is that“audiences should be thanking you!”

Well, audience members do thanktheir speakers – if they’ve receivedworthwhile content. They clap, theysmile, they may even cry as a result ofyour talk. And sometimes they evencontact you afterward to find out moreabout your subject. They don’t have tothank you. But when all goes well, theyhappily say thanks in theseways. Now that’s success.

Remember, you speakto persuade, inform,inspire or entertain others. If thosein your audiences don’t clap, smileor respond in any way, you get themessage loud and clear. It’s time togo back to the drawing board!

Look at it this way. Audiencemembers give you something ofvalue as well: They gave you theirprecious time. What could be morevaluable than that? I presume theyalso listened and gave you their fullattention. Those two things aloneallow you to do what you came tothe lectern to do – present materialof importance to them.

I always thank people who makewhatever I’m doing go smoothly.Don’t you? Then why should goodmanners change from behind thelectern? Saying “thank you” to youraudience members is, quite frankly,just plain good manners.

It’s OK to thank orapologize to an audience.

Apr i l 2007 TOASTMASTER 5

T

“Good etiquette belongs wherever people gather.”


F O R T H E N O V I C E

5By Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE

Sure-Fire Tipsfor Great Speeches

A friend from AT&T called me lateone evening. “My boss is giving aspeech tomorrow. He needs a joke.”

“Is your boss funny?” I asked.“Well...not really,” he replied.“Then don’t try to make him

funny,” I said. “Get him to be inspir-ing.” I looked through my referencebooks and found quotes that fit thespeaker’s points much better thanany joke could.

If you decide to risk humor, askyourself and others, “. . . Am I reallyfunny?” Be brutally honest.

4Organize with a three-part outline.A good way for both beginning

and advanced speakers to organizetheir material is to use the three-part Alcoholics Anonymous format:

� This is where I was.� This is where I am now.� This is how I got from there

to here.

It is a great structure because itis so easy for both speaker andaudience to remember. A woman inYuma, Arizona called me. “I have togive my first speech in three

1 Come out punching! Grab your audience’s attention. One way is to makea startling statement. For a recent speech to the National Speakers

Association, I walked out and immediately started building a word picture:“Columbus, Ohio. December, zero degrees, 2,000 people trudging throughthe snow to hear four speakers...”

Don’t waste your audience’s timewith trivialities. I heard a speaker inmy home town of San Franciscostarting his presentation with hownice it was to be there, how greatthe weather was, and how he lovesour restaurants. Who cares? I didn’trace across town to hear him talkabout weather and restaurants. Iwas there to hear about sales andmarketing ideas and he was sup-posed to be an expert.

2Monitor your “who cares?” factor.Tape your talks, then listen to

them, asking “Who cares?” afterevery statement or segment of mate-rial. If no one really does, don’t sayit. This is a great way to see if youare saying anything of value.

3Be funny. . . maybe. Humor canadd a lot to your speech, but it

must fit you and your topic. Ifhumor is appropriate to your topic,use it, but go for laughs that grownaturally out of your content. Avoidold, tired jokes that may not beappropriate, or that people mayhave heard before.

“You’ll remember

what you intend

to say and your

audience will

remember what

they heard.”


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weeks,” she said. “Would you sendme one of your tapes so I can learnhow to do it?”

“It doesn’t work quite like that,”I told her, “but tell me, what groupare you addressing?”

“The Yuma Board of Realtors,”she said.

“Why have they invited you tospeak?” I asked.

“Because I have been very suc-cessful in the real estate industry.”So I suggested she use the three-partAlcoholics Anonymous outline. (Thefirst two points can be reversed.)

1. This is where I am: “Last year Isold $18 million dollars in realestate in a slow market.”

2. This is where I was: “Eight yearsago when I got my license, I hadnever sold anything but GirlScout cookies.”

3. This is how I got here: “First I...”

5Develop your content This iscontent I suggested:

� Advice from her sales managerthat worked

� What she learned from otheragents

� What she did well naturally� What she did not know that

amazed her once she hadlearned

� Sales she fell into� Sales she almost lost� Sales that were out of the unusual� What she would do differently

based her eight years experience� Anything really entertaining.

I also suggested she keep a notepad on her desk so she could jotdown ideas as they came to her.Then, when it came time to sit

down and put it all together, it wasfine if she lacked some inspirationbecause most of her ideas werealready written down.

She used the structure andreported later that the talk was abig hit. Even if you add more sec-tions to your speech, keep youroutline simple. You’ll rememberwhat you intend to say and, withthese five tips, your audience willremember what they heard.

Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE, is a SanFrancisco-based executive speechcoach, presentation skills trainer andprofessional speaker. She is theauthor of Get What You Want! andMake It, So You Don’t Have to FakeIt!, and is a past president of theNational Speakers Association.Contact her at www.fripp.com.


LeapLook

in Front ofan Audience

Take a look at your plan,your setup, your audience

and your past performance.

tion. But doing so draws focus to the slides and awayfrom the audience. Instead of telling the audience aboutthe various features and functionality in the new service,why not try showing them the new product live? If youmust use slides, use them as supplementary material andkeep the words to a minimum. One of the bestPowerPoint presentations I have seen relied heavily onpictures, images and charts. Surprisingly, the visual pre-sentation contained very few words.

If you use PowerPoint sparingly (my recommenda-tion) or not at all, you may want to consider interactiveexercises or breakout sessions that involve the audiencein your presentation.

Look at Your Setup:Once arriving at the destination for your presentation, besure to check for some key setup particulars.

Technology: You want to LOOK prepared. Arrive at least30 minutes before your presentation begins so you cancheck the complete technology setup. Check yourcomputer, including cables, connections, projector andmouse. Bring extra batteries for your laptop and an extra

You have to give a product training

presentation to a large number of

potential new customers within the

next few weeks. What’s your plan? Is your

audience large or small? What do they

already know about the product? Are you

trying to educate, to inform and/or to help

them grow revenue?

Stay aware and actively ‘LOOK’ as you plan, execute,and ultimately learn from your presentation.

Look at Your Plan:Your presentation’s plan should be simple and straight-forward.

� What are the benefits of the new product?� What are the features and functionality?� How does this product differ from the former product?� What will you tell customers about this new product?

As always, leave plenty of time for questions. Anddon’t be afraid to repeat, repeat, repeat. The more youreiterate a specific benefit or feature, the more likely itwill stay with your audience.

No matter how much it is indoctrinated at your work-place, PowerPoint is not always the best approach todeliver a message to an audience. The problem withPowerPoint is that the program draws too much atten-tion to itself. Professionals often claim to be PowerPointexperts, capable of spinning, zooming and window-shading a myriad of shapes and sizes onto a presenta-

By Dan Naden, CTM


extension cord in case none are available. Be ready togive your presentation technology-free if there is a majorglitch at the facility. A presentation that stumbles out ofthe gate because of a technology or technical issue willhave a long uphill climb to credibility. Your audiencewill undoubtedly remember your awkward start morethan the actual point you were trying to make.

Room configuration: You have requested a certain roomconfiguration, but upon arriving at your destination, youfind something completely different. This happens moreoften than you might think. But you are prepared. You’vearrived early enough that you can help reconfigure theroom to your liking, or even move the entire setup to adifferent room. You will want to check for appropriatelighting, table and chair setup. Remember that slides arenot the focus; the audience is. Your room arrangementshould encourage dialogue, interaction and discussion.

How will the session end? Your setup analysis shouldinclude plans for “how people will leave your session.”What message do you want each attendee to take home?A handout summarizing key points may help reinforcethe covered topics. (You may need an additional table tohouse the handouts.)

Collecting business cards, although cliché, can serveas a simple way to ensure quick follow-up with all atten-dees. Attendees will always have questions afterward,and you may not have time to answer them all duringthe session. Consider distributing your contact informa-tion after the session so that each attendee can contactyou with unanswered questions. Better yet, you followup with each attendee by providing a special offer ordiscount on the new product, or a list of tips on why thisproduct will positively impact his or her business. Keepyour message top of mind even after the presentation.


Look at Your Audience:Without your audience, you are speaking to an emptyroom, so treat them well. Your message should becatered to them:

Look into their eyes. This is not difficult. If you are intim-idated by direct eye contact with strangers, get comfort-able practicing eye contact with those you know (sig-nificant other, parents, friends, dog). If you are alone,practice your speech in the mirror and work on youreye contact. If you stay riveted to something other thanyour audience during your presentation, (the floor, thewalls, your PowerPoint slides) you will lose your con-nection to your audience.

Look at their body language. If you’ve made solid eyecontact throughout the room, yet you feel as if you’velost the audience, check their body language. Do theyhave their arms crossed? (Hint: They’re disinterested.)Are their hands on their hips? (They’re impatient.) Arethey leaning away from you rather than toward you?(They’re detached from your message.) If someone inthe audience is exhibiting any or all of those characteris-tics, check a few things:

� Your tone – Is your voice too loud or too soft? Varyyour voice tone consistently to keep listeners interested.You don’t want to sound monotonous. Think of that6th grade math teacher who put you to sleep. Peopledon’t want to strain to hear you, nor do they want tocringe if your voice is too boisterous or abrasive.

� Your gestures – Get your body into it. Your messagewill come across smoothly if your gestures matchyour words. Think of the last great play or movie yousaw. Was the lead actor or actress dull or lacking anybody or arm movement? No! The actor or actressjumped into the part, using his or her whole being toembrace the character.

� Your message – You certainly don’t want your talkmemorized. Be prepared to make adaptations inmid-stream depending on audience reaction.Depending on the time of your talk, you maycatch your audience at the end of a very long day.Your long-winded, informative talk may need tofreestyle into a punchy, action-oriented summary.Read your audience. Your success or failure isriding on their shoulders.

It is a rarity, but sometimes your audience willwant to hear more from you. Make sure you havematerial that will cover the allotted time and thensome. Give your audience time to breathe and giveyourself time to analyze their status by doing some-thing that scares even veteran speakers – stop talking.Take five seconds during a good transition point inyour presentation and scan the audience. How manypeople are paying attention? Trust me. These five sec-onds will pay huge dividends in how the rest of yourpresentation will go.

Look at Your Performance:You’ve completed your presentation. You take a deepbreath. “It’s over,” you say. Not true. This is where thereal work begins. There will be a ‘next’ speech, so whynot get ready for it now?

Survey. Your audience members want you to succeed.They want you to give a credible, informative evenexceptional presentation, so use them to your advantage.A survey is a great way to get specific feedback fromyour listeners. If you have the resources, distribute a sur-vey immediately after your talk and offer an incentive toeach person who fills it out completely. Or e-mail anevaluation form to each participant shortly after the pre-sentation. You want your presentation fresh in the mindsof your audience when they take the survey.

Ask Your Audience. After the conclusion of your pre-sentation, get out there and mingle with your audiencemembers. They hold the keys to that one part of thepresentation that didn’t quite flow, or the one Power-Point slide that contained too much text. Specifically askfor their thoughts on your performance and encouragethem to be as candid as possible. This spur-of-the-moment feedback will go a long way toward improvingyour effectiveness for that next presentation. Alwaysthank each audience member for attending, and espe-cially thank those individuals who provide specific feed-back on your performance. You will make mistakes inyour presentation; this is a given. The key, however, isrecognizing what those mistakes are so you can mini-mize them for next time.


T

Check yourself. After your presentation is over, andyou’ve talked with audience members, how do you feel?Your hunch is usually right on more often than not. Ifyou think you sounded monotonous, you probablywere. Did your gestures feel stiff and restricted? Younailed it.

As these thoughts come to you, write them down in an“improvement journal.” This journal should contain all ofyour internal talk immediately after a presentation. Nexttime you are preparing for an important presentation,consult your journal. You can probably avoid some typicalmistakes by learning from your past performances. Agreat presentation today happens when you learn andadapt from the mistakes that you made in the past.

It is now time for you to act. If you follow myfour simple points, you will be on your way to solidpresentations:

� Look at your plan� Look at your set-up� Look at your audience� Look at your performance

You can be a superb presenter. All it takes ispreparation and ongoing reflection.

Dan Naden, CTM, is a member of the Balcones Toastmas-ters in Austin, Texas. Reach him at [email protected].

U P D A T E

We’ve Heard Your Call!

other professional associations.Most non-profit, professional andtrade organizations include theirdues structure in policy ratherthan in bylaws.

While most members understandthe need for dues increases, theyprefer to receive them incrementallyas opposed to the 50 percentincrease endured by members in2005. Though there had been noincrease from 1992 to 2005, mem-bers protested when eventuallyfaced with the large increase inmembership dues.

Membership dues will not neces-sarily be increased right away, norwill they necessarily be raised ateach review. If approved, the policywill require the Board to review theissue every three years, beginningin 2009. However, no dues increaseis projected in the near future.

This will benefit districts, clubsand members. With the streamlinedprocess this proposal provides,districts will be able to focus theirenergy and time on providing sup-port for their clubs and members.The smaller increases should keepdues more affordable for members.Also, with more moderate increases,the clubs should be better able toattract and retain members. More-over, this change will allow theorganization to direct its resourcesto develop new materials formembers and clubs.

ability to set fees for new members,new clubs and reinstating clubs.

If the proposal is approved andthe amount of membership dues isplaced in policy, any future duesincreases will be small and incre-mental as opposed to the larger,less-frequent increases of the past.The new proposal will also simplifythe process and allow ToastmastersInternational to conform to stan-dard business practices used by

Your Vote Counts! Please vote “FOR” this proposal

Improving the process ofsetting membership dues.

A p r i l 2 0 0 7 TOASTMASTER 13

Remembering 2005

In 2005 Toastmasters Interna-tional faced a crisis.The organi-

zation needed a 50 percentmembership dues increase tobalance its budget. It was the firstincrease in 13 years, and mem-bership dues went from $36annually to $54, sparking protestsfrom members. World Head-quarters was inundated withe-mails and phone calls. Whilemost members understood theneed for the increase, they wereconcerned about the dollaramount and the timing of it.World Headquarters followedup on these comments with aformal survey of members. Morethan 3,200 replied, and the over-whelming majority were in favorof improving the process forsetting membership dues.

Clubs will vote on this importantproposal at the Annual BusinessMeeting on August 24, 2007.

Following is a description of the pro-posal. If approved, the change willbecome effective after the AnnualBusiness Meeting in August, 2007:

Proposal A: Improving theProcess of Setting DuesThe current process of voting forany increase in membership duesis lengthy and cumbersome. Forall of this effort, no requestedincrease has ever been declined.Your Board of Directors recommendsthat you vote “FOR” this proposal.For more information, visitwww.toastmasters.org. Infor-mation about the proposal will beincluded with the proxies beingsent to all club presidents onMarch 31, 2007.

Currently the amount of mem-bership dues is designated inToastmasters International bylaws.Changing the bylaws requires a voteby the membership – a long, diffi-cult and costly process, as demon-strated in 2005. A member surveywas conducted. Respondents over-whelmingly indicated that a morestreamlined and incrementalapproach is needed. During itsAugust 2006 meeting, Toastmasters’Board of Directors drafted a propos-al to move the dues amount fromthe bylaws and place it into policy.Policy already gives the Board the T


P R O F I L E By Carmine Gallo

The legendary Apple CEOsucceeds on stage becausehe doesn’t sell products,he sells experiences.

Wow ‘EmLike Steve Jobs

it was Apple’s thinnest notebookand comes packed with “amazing”new features like a brighter wide-screen display and a built-in camerafor video conferencing. It’s notabout the technology, but what thetechnology can do for you.

Practice, Practice, andPractice Some MoreJobs takes nothing for grantedduring product launches. Hereviews and rehearses hismaterial. According to a BusinessWeek article on February 6, 2006,“Jobs unveils Apple’s latest prod-ucts as if he were a particularlyhip and plugged-in friend show-ing off inventions in your livingroom. Truth is, the sense of infor-mality comes only after gruelinghours of practice.” The article goeson to say that it’s not unusual for

The Apple CEO is well known for his electrifyingpresentations. Here are five tips to make your next

talk just as mesmerizing – or close.

Apple Inc., now celebratingmore than 30 years of innovation,has revolutionized the way we usecomputers and listen to music.Now its charismatic co-founder,Steve Jobs, has transformed thecorporate pitch. Anyone who haswatched a Jobs keynote will tellyou he is one of the most extra-ordinary speakers in corporateAmerica. Jobs learned a long timeago that a leader must be acompany evangelist and brandspokesperson.

As a communications coach andformer business journalist, I havespent plenty of time with Appleexecutives and have watched myshare of Jobs’ presentations. He ismagnificent. But whether you arepitching a hot gizmo, such as theiPod, or a hot sub sandwich, a storyis a story and your goal is to win

Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO

customers. Here are Jobs’ five keysto a dazzling presentation:

Sell the BenefitSteve Jobs does not sell bits ofmetal; he sells an experience.Instead of focusing on mind-numbing statistics, as most technol-ogists tend to do, Jobs sells thebenefit. For example, when intro-ducing a 30 GB iPod, he clearlyexplains what it means to theconsumer – users can carry 7,500songs, 25,000 photos, or up to 75hours of video. In January whenJobs introduced the first Intel -based Mac notebook, he began bysaying, “What does this mean?”

He went on to explain that thenotebook had two processors,making the new product four to fivetimes faster than the Powerbook G4,a “screamer” as he called it. He said


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Jobs to prepare for four hoursas he reviews every slide anddemonstration

Keep It VisualSpeaking of slides, there are veryfew bullet points in a Jobs pre-sentation. Each slide is highlyvisual. If he’s discussing the newchip inside a computer, a slidein the background will show acolorful image of the chip itselfalongside the product. That’s it.Simple and visual.

Apple’s presentations are notcreated on PowerPoint, as the vastmajority of presentations are. ButPowerPoint slides can be made visu-al as well. It’s a matter of thinkingabout the content visually instead offalling into the habit of creating slideafter slide with headlines and bulletpoints. I once worked with the vice-president of a public company whoplanned to show more than 80 data-heavy slides in a 40-minute presen-tation. Imagine how quickly hisaudience would have tuned out.

After I showed him just how visualhis message could be, he went backto the drawing board, dismantled hisexisting presentation, and reduced it

to about 10 image-rich slides. Thenext day a newspaper reporter wrotethat my client had “wowed” analystsand investors. The stock rose 17% inthe days that followed. Take a cuefrom Jobs and help your listenersvisualize the message!

Exude Passion, Energy,and EnthusiasmJobs has an infectious enthusiasm.When launching the video iPod,Jobs said, “It’s the best music playerwe’ve made,” “It has a gorgeousscreen,” “The color is fantastic,” and“The video quality is amazing.”

The first time I watch my clientspresent, I often have to stop themto ask if they are sincerely passion-ate about their message. Theyusually assure me they are, but theytend to lose energy and enthusiasmwhen they fall into “presentationmode.” Jobs carries his enthusiasminto his presentations.

There is no better example ofJobs’ passion than the famous storyof how he convinced John Sculleyto lead Apple in the mid ‘80s byasking him, “Do you want to sellsugared water all your life or doyou want to change the world?”

The former Pepsi executive chosethe latter and, although the pairingultimately failed to work out, itreflects Jobs’ sense of mission –a mission that he conveyed consis-tently in the early years of Appleand continues to convey today.

“And One More Thing...”At the end of each presentationJobs adds to the drama by saying,“and one more thing.” He thenadds a new product, new feature,or sometimes introduces a brand.He approaches each presentationas an event, a production with astrong opening, product demonstra-tions in the middle, a strong con-clusion, and an encore – that “onemore thing!”

Carmine Gallo is a Pleasanton,California-based corporate pre-sentation coach and former Emmy-award winning TV journalist. He’sthe author of the book, 10 SimpleSecrets of the World’s GreatestBusiness Communicators.

Copyright 2000- 2007 by TheMcGraw-Hill Companies Inc.Reprinted with permission fromBusiness Week.

“It’s not about the technology, but what

the technology can do for you.”


ToastmastMany organizations support

Toastmasters training for their

employees. The McGraw-Hill

Companies even offer a

$1,000 incentive to employees

for earning their CC awards.

To date, they have awarded

close to $120,000 to members

of their 12 Toastmasters clubs.

Harold “Terry” McGraw III, Chairman

of the Board, President and CEO of

The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

graciously took the time last year to explain

his corporation’s support for Toastmasters

clubs. Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill

Companies provide global information

services in the financial services, educa-

tion and business information markets

through brands such as Standard & Poor’s,

McGraw-Hill Education, BusinessWeek and

J.D. Power and Associates. The corporation

has more than 280 offices in 40 countries.

How long has Toastmasters been active within yourorganization?Harold McGraw III: We are proud that 2006 marked our15-year anniversary.

How and where did it get started?Our first Toastmasters club was chartered in 1991 atThe McGraw-Hill Companies’ corporate headquartersin New York City.

Who or what was the driving force behind its inception?Communication is a vital component of any successfulbusiness. It is the lifeblood of The McGraw-HillCompanies and essential for building strong relation-ships with shareholders, customers and employees.With that in mind, we founded our first Toastmastersclub with the goal of fostering an environment thatwould provide our employees with opportunities toenhance this important skill set and that would allowthem to grow as professionals.

Harold McGraw III, Chairman of the Board, Presidentand CEO of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.


ters at McGraw-HillPlease comment on Toastmasters’ growth at TheMcGraw-Hill Companies.I’m very excited about how we’ve broadened ourToastmasters program. Today, we have 400 employeesparticipating in 12 clubs throughout the U.S., and lookforward to those numbers growing as we move forward.

Both personally and corporately, how do you supportToastmasters membership in your organization?Toastmasters has really put together an excellentprogram. We are continually raising awareness ofthe program and the critical skill set it can bringto our employees.

What the Employees Say:M any McGraw-Hill employees have benefited by the $1,000 bonus for earning

their CC (or CTM) award. One of them is Romina DeNicola, an employee atBusiness Week’s customer solutions department in NewYork City, who says:

“Since joining Toastmasters a year and a half ago, it has helped me tostrengthen my communication skills and think on my feet.While I am gratefulfor reaching my CC status, I still feel I have room for growth, and the best wayto improve is by practicing. Toastmasters provides a great forum for doing that.If you are committed to par ticipating in the meetings, your communication skillswill improve immensely.

“While the award from the company was an incentive to start the Toastmastersprogram, ultimately it’s up to you to see how far you want to take it.”

And Tomas Timko, an account manager for McGraw-Hill Construction inHeighstown, New Jersey, says this:

“At the time I was hired by McGraw-Hill, I had not heard of the Toastmasters organization. During my firstmonth of employment, I decided to attend one of the meetings and was greeted by friendly members and officers.

“I continued to attend meetings and enjoyed listening to members speak about various subjects of their choice.The twice-a-month lunch meetings became a very enjoyable anticipated break from work. As I started my programleading to CTM status, it became evident that I was lacking confidence in public speaking.With each Toastmasters

speech I completed, my communication skills improved and I gained self-confidence.“At McGraw-Hill Construction, people I speak to over the telephone appreciate the

communication skills I’ve acquired through my involvement with Toastmasters. And aspresident of my son’s high school’s parent-teacher association, I’m now much moreconfident in my leadership role.

“Mr.Terry McGraw attended our Toastmasters meeting recently and said he wouldgive everyone a $1,000 incentive award to better themselves. It was a real treat tohave the President and CEO visit our club meeting. My $1,000 incentive for earningmy CTM went directly to my son’s college fund.The friends and experiences gainedat Toastmasters have become assets in life and resources to real prosperity.

“Mr. McGraw, thank you for building confidence and relationships among employeesfrom around the globe.”

Romina DeNicola, CC

Tomas Timko, CTM


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For example, we established a $1,000 incentiveaward in 2001 for employees who achieve CompetentCommunicator status. I believe we are the only orga-nization in the country with this type of program. Todate, we have awarded close to $120,000 in incentivesto Toastmasters across the corporation.

We also want to be flexible enough so that ouremployees can be actively engaged in Toastmasters.As a result, most of our Toastmasters clubs meetduring the workday, typically during the lunch hour.

What do you see as Toastmasters’ greatest benefit(s) toyour organization?Having a strong culture that emphasizes effective communi-cation is incredibly important to the success of any compa-ny. That’s particularly true here at The McGraw-Hill Com-panies where we are known as a leading global providerof information services. Together with the strength of ourleading brands such as Standard & Poor’s, McGraw HillEducation, BusinessWeek and J.D. Power and Associates,our employees are delivering insight, analysis and solutionsthat open a world of opportunity for countries, markets,businesses, institutions and people around the globe.

The McGraw-Hill Companies is also a large organiza-tion that operates with a number of different business

units. The Toastmasters program provides an importantchance for employees to expand their peer network andcollaborate with employees whose paths they may nototherwise cross.

Taken together, these professional development andnetworking opportunities strengthen our business byencouraging our employees to develop their talentsand by offering occasions to become more connectedto their colleagues.

Do you personally ever attend meetings or specialToastmasters events?I have in the past and continue to attend meetings asa way to show my support and to encourage otheremployees to become active in Toastmasters. The programis such an asset to our employees that I make a point tobe involved.

What would you say to heads of other organizationsto encourage them to support Toastmasters?Results tend to speak louder than words. All any leaderhas to do is look at the benefits individuals receive fromtheir participation in Toastmasters and, more broadly,examine the results Toastmasters in general has achievedto see the value the program adds.


N E W S F R O M T I

Photos by Ralph Childs

Chicago Toastmasters informand entertain while serving asofficial parade announcers.

District 30 HostsThanksgiving Parade

pride and polish. In the monthspreceding the parade, they pre-pared, practiced and performed toensure this pilot program wouldrepresent Toastmasters Internationalin the best possible light. By allaccounts, it was a success.

Kim Taylor, CC is an area governorin District 30 and member ofToastmasters Plus Club inSchaumburg, Illinois.

� The annual Thanksgiving Dayparade along State Street in Chicagoconsists of a wide variety of march-ing bands that perform with amaz-ing synchronicity. In keeping with a74-year tradition, there are extrava-gantly decorated moving floats,bigger-than-life character balloons,and numerous groups and organiza-tions that come together to cele-brate the season and entertainspectators. The 2006 parade was nodifferent in the variety of perform-ers and participants entertaining thecrowds. What was different how-ever, was the addition of on-siteparade announcers.

Historically, only those watchingthe parade on television learneddetails about the various paradeparticipants. Last November, for thefirst time, organizers decided onhaving onsite announcers informingspectators about entertainers theywere seeing. Who better to fit theneed for energetic, entertaining andarticulate speakers than District 30Toastmasters? Public RelationsOfficer Allen Green networked withparade officials, sponsors, contrac-tors and volunteers through monthsof planning and coordination. Thiseffort resulted in Toastmasters beingofficial parade announcers – andGreen earned his Advanced Leadercertification!

Early on November 23, District30 volunteers proudly donned theircustom-made Toastmasters sashes

and headed for duty. Speaking tocrowds from elevated platformsalong the parade route,Toastmasters informed and enter-tained the crowds during the three-hour holiday event. In addition toproviding the onlookers with funfacts and entertaining statisticsabout the parade participants, theysang, danced and encouragedeveryone – from the very young tothe most senior – to join in the funand embrace the moment! Theywere well received by the crowdsand approached afterward by spec-tators wishing to learn more aboutToastmasters membership.

The members and officers ofDistrict 30 were pleased to repre-sent Toastmasters International with

District 30Toastmasters wereenergetic andarticulate paradeannouncers.

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C A N W E T A L K ?

By Colin Moorehouse

The work is hard,independent andanonymous, but therewards are many.

Confessions of aFreelance Speechwriter

fascinating because you never knowwhat you are going to be asked towrite about – social policy, health orenvironmental initiatives, labor rela-tions and worker compensation,banking, corporate social responsi-bility, international affairs or finance.Your topic could be anything!

The second plus is that wesometimes get to rub shoulders withthe rich and semi-famous. These arepeople who in other circumstanceswould be out of my league. I meanno self-deprecation by this. It’s justthat under normal circumstances Idon’t get to hang out with multi-millionaires or captains of industryor senior members of government.But when they turn their attentionto the words that will come out oftheir mouths, they want to talk totheir speechwriters. And they want totalk to them now! So, we are broughtinto their professional circle for ashort time – a brief vicarious thrill.

What else? We don’t often getroped into office politics or uselessmeetings. Our clients really like usbecause we are saving them theirmost precious commodity – time.And, oh yes, the pay is pretty good.

But the most satisfying part offreelancing for me is this. Asspeechwriters we may not make

Iremember the day I told my professional colleagues that I was quitting myjob in government communications. They e-mailed me back saying howbrave I was – which I took as code for how stupid I was. Here I was quit-

ting my well-paying, fully pensioned, health-cared job to make money as aflak for hire. I could visualize them rolling their eyes, thinking I had taken

leave of my senses. “How could hechoose the most boring form ofwriting?” I could hear them mutter-ing, and reflecting, I suppose, onall the boring speeches they hadheard or written.

I took another view. I hated allthe other stuff: The endless meetings.The bureaucratic rules. Everythingthat actually got in the way of doingyour job. I had written or revieweda ton of speeches on the job, so Iknew I had the necessary skills.I had also come across a statistic thatsaid in the United States alone, morethan 100,000 speeches are givenevery 24 hours. I knew, too, thatmost speakers didn’t write their ownspeeches. Hmm. There might be amarket here. And my timing wasgreat because in 1993 e-mail was justbecoming common. That meant Icould deliver speeches to potentiallyany client anywhere rather thanbeing restricted to my home city.

So I abandoned my doubts toembrace a new challenge. I’venever regretted it for a moment.

But before you chuck your well-paying, fully pensioned, heath-caredjob, let me give you a checklist of thepros and cons of the freelance life.

On the plus side, freelancespeech writing can be endlessly


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policy, but we sure get to “nuance”it. The first time you hear yourwords on a 15-second sound biteon the evening news, you realizethat you get to articulate the firstexpression of a new policy or ser-vice. And if you do a really goodjob, you might find that articulationbecomes an oft-repeated mantrawithin your client’s organization.With all this excitement it might beeasy to forget that there is a down-side. You won’t forget for long.

First, we work like the industriousant. Because we have clients acrosstime zones we get phone calls atvery strange hours. We have to beprepared to work on “emergency”speeches, which can mean many lostweekends and late nights. We needto have very understanding families.

Second, the consequences oferror are huge. Nobody is going toconduct detailed fact checking ofour research. Embarrass a client justonce by putting incorrect facts orclumsy syntax in her mouth, andwe won’t hear from her again.Not ever. For good reason, too.

Also, the joy of sharing theirpassions notwithstanding, once youhave agreed to a speech assignment

you are pretty much on your own.All communications directors wantto know is if you can do the job.If the answer is “yes” they are onto other things. There won’t be alot of hand-holding.

There’s more. Like a newsreporter, you will have to do a lotof mining for factual details andtheir significance and do it all witha certain finesse so you don’t throwany political plans or aspirationsinto disarray. You must be able toabsorb huge amounts of new infor-mation, all the while understandingyou won’t be using 98 percent of it.But you have to inhale the uselessso you can exhale the useful.

You need very finely tuned polit-ical antennae. You may be writing aspeech for the CEO, but you aren’ta senior member of his or her staff.Moreover, your clients might noteven want to let their people knowthat they are using freelancers. Soyou can’t go blundering around likea wounded walrus when you godigging for information.

Did I say the pay is pretty good?Well it is. But not nearly what itshould be. And as for that workingwith celebrities, for every time that

happens, you will have 20 otheroccasions when you never meet theclient. In fact, many of your clientswill be thousands of miles away.

Sometimes you’ll wonder whenburnout will come, or if you canever have another original thoughtfor a long-term client.

Perhaps I have deterred you fromquitting your day job. Perhaps that’sa good thing. If you want to be aprophet honored in your own time,don’t be a freelance speechwriter.

You will be confined to relativeanonymity. The best you can hopefor is a good reputation in the com-munications community and possi-bly “he wrote good rah-rah” as yourepitaph. But it is such fun “rah-rah!”

If I had my life to do over, I wouldbe a Hollywood scriptwriter, compos-ing dialogue. At least, in my currentlife, I’m able to write monologue.I get paid to put words in otherpeople’s mouths…and I never knowwhat the next phone call will bring.

Pretty cool.

Colin Moorhouse has been a freelancespeechwriter for more than a decade.Visit his Web site and free newslet-ter at www.weneedaspeech.com.

“In the United States alone, more than

100,000 speeches are given every 24 hours.”


Everyone isTalking...Perhaps you joined Toastmasters a year ago, and you’re

happily working through your CC and CL manuals. You’ve

attended meetings regularly, enjoying the camaraderie

and learning that come with the experience. But is that the

entire Toastmasters tradition? Could you be missing something?

If you haven’t yet attended a Toastmasters’ Interna-tional Convention, then you have indeed missed animportant part of the TI adventure. Here’s youropportunity to remedy that!Each year, the Convention is staged in a different

location, so you get to expand your horizons geo-graphically as well as socially and intellectually. It’s anopportunity to make new friends from clubs all over theworld. Inspiring seminars will teach you the latest tipsand techniques for success as a speaker and leader.Many speakers have names you’ll recognize from theToastmaster magazine. Special events are included, suchas sightseeing tours for spouses or guests of Toastmasters.For the devoted Toastmaster, the International Conven-tion is the highlight of the year. And if you haven’t yetseen the World Championship of Public Speaking, youdon’t know what you are missing! It’s the ultimatespeech contest, an annual event that showcases the bestspeakers from around the world. Come and find outwhat everyone is talking about!

You will find the schedule of events on the next fewpages. The adventure awaits!

Register Early!Toastmasters International offers registration optionsso you can save money. Early registration is stronglyrecommended. After July 23, 2007, registration feeswill go up by as much as $50. Registering for theconvention is easy. Simply complete the conventionregistration forms on pages 29-31, or register onlineby visiting the Toastmasters International Web site atwww.toastmasters.org.

Convention ScheduleThe convention begins Wednesday, August 15, and endsSaturday evening, August 18, featuring great speakers andfun events. Join friends in a week filled with learning,achievement and fun! Take advantage of an educational pro-gram that lets you choose from four tracks: Communication,Skill Building, Leadership, and Club and District Success.

Come to the International

Convention in Phoenix,

Arizona, August 15-18,

2007, at the J.W. Marriott

Desert Ridge Resort

and Spa!


International PresidentJohnny Uy, DTM

W. Mitchell Dr. Barbara DeAngelisGolden Gavel Award Recipient

Jeff Crilley Ann Barab

Tuesday, August 14Interdistrict Speech Contests – 6:30 p.m.Be sure to attend one of two concurrent interdistrictspeech contests and watch speakers from districtsoutside North America compete for a final spot inSaturday’s 2007 World Championship of Public Speaking.Be sure to mark your registration form to reflect thedistricts you wish to attend.

Wednesday, August 15If you’re preregistered, you may pick up your ticketpacket beginning at 10 a.m. World Headquarters willautomatically pre-select your seats for the Golden GavelLuncheon, the Folklorico Fun Night Dinner and Show,the World Championship of Public Speaking and thePresident’s Dinner Dance. You can purchase remainingevent tickets, but remember, these are subject to avail-ability. So preregister and buy your tickets early.

Visit the District 3 Information Desk. Its hosts will intro-duce you to Phoenix’s popular attractions. The CandidatesCorner and Credentials Desk open Wednesday afternoon.

TI BookstoreVisit the TI Bookstore beginning at 1 p.m. It’s stockedwith great items for you to bring back to your club.Browsers are welcome!

Board of Directors Briefing – 1 p.m.Your Board of Directors briefs you on recent actions takento help achieve the mission of Toastmasters International.

First-Timers Orientation – 4 p.m.International President Johnny Uy, DTM, welcomesyou to your first International Convention. Meet otherfirst-timers, make new friends and learn about excitingevents taking place throughout the convention.

Opening Ceremonies – 7 p.m.Featuring W. MitchellThe traditional Parade of Flags kicks off this popularevent at 7 p.m. Hear the report of International

President Johnny Uy, DTM, and get motivated bykeynote speaker and author W. Mitchell, whose messageis based on his book It’s Not What Happens to You, It’sWhat You do About It.

Candidates ReceptionMeet this year’s international officer and director candi-dates at an informal reception immediately followingthe opening ceremonies.

Thursday, August 16Education in the Morning – 8:30 a.m.Begin your day with a lineup of outstanding speakers.Choose from four tracks: Communication (Track #1),Skill Building (Track #2), Leadership (Track #3), andClub and District Success (Track #4).

“Increasing Your Speaking Powerto New Levels of Excellence ” (Track #1)Jerry Teplitz, CSPBetter understand and tap into your power as a speaker.This interactive session will show you how to maximizeyour presentation power by exploring the elements of ameeting environment.

“Conflict Resolution: From Confrontationto Collaboration with the 3 C’s” (Track #2)Dawn Frail, DTMResolve conflict with an ethical mindset. Compromisefor results that allow you to accomplish your goals.Choose the best solution and implementation plan tomaximize team buy-in and turn confrontation intocollaboration every time.

“Twisting Attitudes, Not Arms” (Track #3)Debra Ann Ristau, DTMLearn a five-step process to develop a cohesive andsuccess team. Discover how to overcome obstacles,understand differences and eliminate distractions thatwill keep you from accomplishing your goals.


“The World’s Worst Evaluators” (Track #2)Steve HowardMark D’Silva, ATMBLaugh while you learn! These self-proclaimed “world’sworst evaluators” will teach you what to avoid duringthe evaluation process. This audacious interactivepresentation exposes the unpleasant characteristicsof bad evaluators.

“To Lead is to Serve: A LeadershipPhilosophy for Toastmasters” (Track #3)Tim Keck, DTMAlfred Herzing, DTMWhat are the core values of leadership and their impor-tance in a club? Past International Presidents Tim Keckand Alfred Herzing lead a discussion about how toprepare yourself for future leadership opportunities.Learn more about the new Competent Leadership manualand the opportunities for leadership development withinthe Toastmasters learning laboratory.

Geraldo, and Politically Incorrect, as well as a regularcontributor to E Entertainment and E News.

Spouse/Guest Tour Package –Day #1 – 2:15 p.m.- 6:15 p.m.Back by popular demand! This tour features the HeardMuseum in downtown Phoenix, which specializes inSouthwestern Indian culture. Native American artisansdemonstrate beadwork, weaving, sculptures and carvings,allowing visitors the opportunity to talk with them whilethey work. Tour does not include refreshments.

Afternoon Sessions – 2:45 p.m.

‘“Blowing the Lid off Canned Presentations” (Track #1)Daniel Goodrich, DTMDan shows you how to personalize modules from TheBetter Speaker Series and Success/Communication Series.You’ll learn creative techniques to modify scripted mate-rials without changing the content or program objective.

Jerry Teplitz

Dawn Frail

Mike RoundsDebra Ristau

Terry Mayfield Steve Howard

Mark D’Silva

“Recruit New Club MembersWithout a Sales Pitch” (Track #4)Terry Mayfield, ATMB, Accredited SpeakerMembership growth is vital to any successful club, butknowing the best way to recruit members is sometimesdifficult. Change your mindset from “selling” to “helping”people become members. Identify four different typesof potential members.

Education continues in the morning – 10 a.m.

“Going Pro: Making the Move toPaid Professional Speaking” (Track #1)Mike RoundsMike Rounds, author of the Clueless book series, sharesindustry tips on what it takes to become a successfulprofessional speaker. Don’t have a media kit? Mike willshow you how to create one that helps you get morepaid speaking engagements.

“How to Get Massive Free Publicity for Your Club” (Track #4)Tony Rubleski, ATMSDo you know the question that will make or break yournext chance for free media coverage? Find out whysome press releases attract media coverage while therest are ignored. Increase your membership by creatingpress releases that win attention and free publicity.

Golden Gavel Luncheon – NoonToastmasters International proudly presents media person-ality Barbara DeAngelis, Ph.D. with The Golden Gavel,Toastmasters’ highest honor for communication excel-lence. An influential teacher in the fields of relationshipsand personal growth, she has reached millions of peopleworldwide with her positive message about love, happi-ness and the search for meaning in life. Barbara is theauthor of 14 books. Well-known for hosting a televisionshow on CBS TV and a long-running radio talk show inLos Angeles, she has been a frequent guest on Oprah,The Today Show, Good Morning America, The View,


Candidate Showcases – 5 p.m.Meet your international officer and director candidatesas they address convention delegates.

Open EveningStop by the host district information desk for somegreat dining and entertainment ideas.

Friday, August 17Annual Business Meeting – 8 a.m.Johnny Uy, DTM, ChairmanHerb Nowlin, DTM, ParliamentarianDelegates gather to elect international officers and directors.

Spouse/Guest Tour Package -Day #2 - 10 a.m.- 2:30 p.m.Enjoy a professional cooking demonstration with thedesert valley’s renowned chef, Vincent Guerithault.Chef Guerithault will delight you with a display of

Hall of Fame – 1:30 p.m.Toastmasters International’s top performers are recognizedfor their outstanding accomplishments in 2006-2007.

General Education Session – 4 p.m.

“Positive PR – The Inside Scoop!”Jeff CrilleyEmmy-award winning television reporter andToastmaster Jeff Crilley shares tips for getting publicity.Combining laughter with learning, Jeff’s interactivepresentation offers practical ideas on how to promoteyour cause without spending money.

Folklorico Show andDinner – 7 p.m.Unwind with otherToastmasters and guestsand enjoy this dinner andcultural performance. Afterthe show, dance the nightaway. Cash bar provided.

Tim Keck

Alfred Herziing

Ola JosephTony Rubleski

Dan Goodrich Jack Mackey

Pat Gangi

“Turn Your Accent Into an Asset” (Track #2)Ola Joseph, DTMSo you have an accent. Everybody does! Don’t let itnegatively influence your presentations. Ola shows youhow to turn your accent into an asset.

“How to Charter a Club in 60 Days” (Track #4)Jack Mackey, DTMDo you know which organizations could benefit fromparticipating in Toastmasters? Find out! Discover a step-by-step method to organize a Toastmasters demonstra-tion meeting that will attract 20 or more people. Walkaway with Jack’s proven give-aways and charter yournext club in 60 days.

Accredited Speaker Program – 2:45 p.m.You are invited to see Toastmasters give their second-level presentations for the 2007 Accredited SpeakerProgram.

kitchen tips and exciting recipes prepared while youwatch. Immediately following the demonstration, lunchwill be served! Bon Appétit!

Club Leadership Luncheon – 11:30 a.m.“They Did What? Handling Ethical Challenges”Don’t miss Pat Gangi’s important presentation at thisspecial luncheon for DTMs, immediate past and currentclub officers. Join fellow Toastmasters leaders andcelebrate the success of Toastmasters International’s2006-2007 Distinguished Clubs.

Toastmasters and Guests Luncheon – 11:30 a.m.Are men commitment-phobic? Are they unable to talkabout feelings and hopelessly resistant to change?Toastmaster Neil Chethik, author of the books VoiceMaleand FatherLoss, tells you what men really think abouttheir lives and relationships. You’ll be surprised! Thispopular event is open to everyone, so be sure topurchase your tickets in advance.

T


Neil Chethik

Keri Sutter

Jon Greiner

Cliff Atkinson

Ed Hearn

Denise Abero

Eileen Hope

Theo Black

Catherine Angus

Saturday, August 18International Speech Contest – 9 a.m.Watch the best in public speaking as 10 finalists com-pete for the title “World Champion of Public Speaking.”This is a popular event, so order tickets now!

Members interested in attending only the InternationalSpeech Contest may purchase an individual ticket forthat event. This is a limited ticket allowing access onlyto the contest. See the convention registration form formore information.

General Education Session – 1:30 p.m.

“Magnetic Moments: How to Connect With Your Audience”Anne Barab, DTM, Accredited SpeakerAnne shows you how to craft a memorable keynotepresentation. Discover the difference between teaching,

“Beyond Bullet Points: Create Presentationsthat Inform, Motivate and Inspire” (Track #2)Cliff AtkinsonUnload those boring, bullet-riddled slides and unlockthe amazing story buried in your presentation. Com-munication expert Cliff Atkinson shares a three-stepsystem for increasing PowerPoint proficiency.

“Overcoming Your Self-Imposed Limits” (Track #3)Edward HearnEd Hearn, the 2006 World Champion of PublicSpeaking, will inspire you with examples of how totake charge of your life and become the leader youwant to be. Learn to overcome negative self-talk andtap into your strengths!

preaching and entertaining and learn tips for improvingyour storytelling and how to punch up your presentationwith compelling visual techniques.

Education continues in the afternoon – 3 p.m.

“Make Your Point with Gestures” (Track #1)Keri Sutter, ATMSKeri gets you out of your seat in this experiential work-shop. Learn the importance of speed, level changes,pathway, direction and rhythm, and how these move-ments can enhance your next presentation.

“Panel Discussion: AchievingSuccess in the DistinguishedDistrict Program” (Track #4)Jon Greiner, DTM - ModeratorDenise Abero, DTMCatherine Angus, DTMTheo Black, DTMEileen Hope, DTMJoin Past International President Jon Greiner, DTM, ashe moderates a distinguished panel of experts who haveserved as governors of President’s, Select and DistinguishedDistricts. Learn from these Toastmasters as they share whatit takes to achieve area, division and district success.

President’s Dinner Dance – 7:30 p.m.Dine and dance in elegance at this extravagant closingevent. Past International President Dilip Abayasekara,DTM, is the Toastmaster for the evening, presiding overthe installation of newly elected officers and directors.

Register On-line!Register on-line at www.toastmasters.org. Receive aconfirmation of your convention registration instantly!

For airline and travel information, tax deductibilityand automatic seat selection, visit the ToastmastersInternational Web site for information and details.


T O A S T M A S T E R S I N T E R N A T I O N A L

76th Annual ConventionAugust 15-18, 2007For quick, easy and instant registration confirmation, register online at: www.toastmasters.org.

(Please Print) Member No. ______________________________ Club No. ______________________________ District ______________________________

Name:____________________________________________________________ First Name or Nickname (as you wish it to appear on your badge): _________________

Addl. Registrants’ Name:_______________________________________________ First Name or Nickname (as you wish it to appear on your badge): _________________

Address____________________________________________________________________________________________________ � Check if this is a new address

City _______________________________________________ State / Province _____________________ Country________________ Postal / Zip ________________

Daytime Telephone ( ) ______________________________________ E-mail Address ________________________________________________________

� This is my first TI Convention � I require special assistance

®

REGISTRATION FORM

2 3“FULL” CONVENTION PACKAGE.. .ONLYWhen received before July 23 – $535.00When received after July 23 – $585.00

A Full Convention Registration Package includes one ticket for each ofthe following:

• Access to all educational sessions

• Golden Gavel Luncheon (Thursday)

• Folklorico Fun Night Dinner & Show (Friday)

• International Speech Contest (Saturday)

• President’s Dinner Dance (Saturday)

• PLEASE CHECK ONE OF THE FOLLOWING:

� Club Leadership Luncheon (Friday)OR

� Toastmasters & Guests Luncheon (Friday)

____ Member(s)/Guest @ $535.00 (received before July 23)

$585.00 (received after July 23) = $ ______

SECTION 2 TOTAL = $ ______

“SPOUSE /GUEST” PACKAGE.. .ONLY $425.00

Spouse/Guest must be non-member. This registration includes one ticketto each of the following:

• Tour: Heard Museum (Thursday)

• Golden Gavel Luncheon (Thursday)

• Tour: Culinary Workshop (lunch provided) (Friday)

• Folklorico Fun Night Dinner & Show (Friday)

• International Speech Contest (Saturday)

• President’s Dinner Dance (Saturday)

No access to any educational sessions!

____ Spouse/Guest(s) @ $425.00 = $ ________

SECTION 3 TOTAL = $ ________

Mail or fax this form to: Toastmasters International, P.O. Box 9052, Mission Viejo, CA 92690 USA • Fax: (949) 858-1207 • Phone: (949) 858-8255

1 “PRE-CONVENTION” INTERDISTRICT SPEECH CONTESTSNote: These contests run concurrently! Immediately following the contests is a reception

open only to members of districts not assigned to regions (DNAR).

Interdistrict Speech Contest A (Tuesday)

(Districts 51, 59, 67, 69, 71 and 79) ____ Member(s)/Guest @ $40.00 = $ __________________

Interdistrict Speech Contest B (Tuesday)

(Districts 70, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76 and 80) ____ Member(s)/Guest @ $40.00 = $ __________________

For district locations please visit our Web siteat www.toastmasters.org SECTION 1 TOTAL = $ __________________


6 REGISTRATION TOTALS

7

SECTION 1 TOTAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . = $ __________________

SECTION 2 TOTAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . = $ __________________

SECTION 3 TOTAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . = $ __________________

SECTION 4 TOTAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . = $ __________________

SECTION 5 TOTAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . = $ __________________

TOTAL AMOUNT DUE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . = $ __________________

METHOD OF PAYMENT (U.S. DOLLARS)

DEADLINE: Advance registrations must reach World Headquarters by July 23. Cancellations and refund requests will not be accepted after July 23. Cancellationswill not be accepted on-site – sorry, no exceptions!

SEATING PROCEDURES: World Headquarters will select your seats for the Golden Gavel Luncheon, Folklorico Fun Night, International Speech Contest and President’sDinner Dance.Toastmasters who wish to sit in a group must mail their registration forms together in the same envelope or register online together.

Check enclosed for $__________________ (U.S. dollars) payable to Toastmasters International.

� MasterCard � VISA � American Express � Discover Card Number ______________________________________________________

Expiration Date ___________________________ Signature ______________________________________________________________________________

STEP 1 ____ Member(s)/guest registration @ $220.00 (received before July 23)$245.00 (received after July 23) = $ _________

____ Golden Gavel Luncheon (Thursday) @ $75.00 = $ _________

____ Toastmasters & Guests Luncheon (Friday) @ $55.00 = $ _________

STEP 2 ____ Club Leadership Luncheon (Friday) @ $55.00 = $ _________

____ Folklorico Fun Night Dinner & Show (Friday) @ $85.00 = $ _________

____ International Speech Contest (Saturday) @ $75.00 = $ _________

____ President’s Dinner Dance (Saturday) @ $85.00 = $ _________

TOTAL STEP 2 = $ _________

STEP 3 SECTION 5 TOTAL = $ _________(Add Step 1 and Step 2 totals)

5 “A LA CARTE” REGISTRATION

In order to purchase additional event tickets, you must have purchased package 2, 3, 4 or the “A La Carte” registration #5. A maximum of twoadditional tickets per event may be purchased – no exceptions! Access to all educational sessions included.

4 SATURDAY PACKAGE – ONE DAY ONLY

This includes only a ticket to the International Speech Contest and does not allow access to the educational sessions on Saturday, August 18. You mayalso purchase a ticket to the President’s Dinner Dance.

____ Member(s)/Guest @ $75.00 = $ _________ ____ President’s Dinner Dance @ $85.00 = $ _________

SECTION 4 TOTAL = $ _________

For quick, easy and instant registration confirmation, register online at: www.toastmasters.org.Mail or fax this form to: Toastmasters International, P.O. Box 9052, Mission Viejo, CA 92690 USA • Fax: (949) 858-1207 • Phone: (949) 858-8255

By attending this convention, attendees and speakers are hereby notified that their image or likenessin the form of live video, recorded video and still photography may be captured.


J.W. Marriott Desert RidgeResort & Spa

Welcomes...

Toastmasters International’s2007 ConventionAugust 15-18, 2007

S P E C I A L C O N F E R E N C E R A T E SSTANDARD GUEST ROOM SUITE

$139.00 Phone hotel directly ifSingle/Double suite is desired. Cost

$30 for third person per night and availability vary.

MAIL THIS FORM TO:

J.W. Marriott DesertRidge Resort & Spa5350 E. Marriott DrivePhoenix, Arizona 85054Hotel: (480) 293-5000Toll Free in Canada andU.S. 1 (800) 228-9290FAX: (480) 293-3891

Arrival Date:_________________Departure Date:____________________

Number of nights you will stay: __________________________________

Number of people in room: _____________________________________

Approx. arrival time:____________________________________________

Method of transportation: � Car � Air � Other

Late departures will be charged a full night’s rate plus taxes.

(CHECK-IN 4:00 P.M. – CHECK-OUT 12 NOON)Please Note: Special conference rates are based on reservationsreceived by July 19, 2007, and room block availability.

After July 19, all subsequent reservations will be subject to availabilityat the current hotel rack rates.

Please Reserve Accommodations For: (please print or type)

Name (Last)____________________________ (First) ___________________________ (Initial) _______ Company ________________________________

Address ______________________________________________________________________________ City ______________________________________

State __________________ Zip _____________________________ Phone ( ) _________________________ Fax ( ) _________________________

Sharing Room With _______________________________________ E-mail _________________________________________________________________

Special Requests: � King � 2 Double Beds � Other (specify)__________________________________________________________________

(Note: Every attempt will be made to honor your request, however we cannot guarantee a special request.) ALL GUEST ROOMS ARE NON-SMOKING!

To guarantee your reservation we require first night’s deposit by credit card or check. All rates are subject to applicable state and local taxes (12.07%per night). DO NOT SEND CASH.

Make check or money order payable to the J.W. Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa.

� Credit Card type_____________________________________________

Credit Card # _______________________________________________

� Check # __________________________ Amount__________________

______________________________________________________________SIGNATURE DATE

Don’t Be a No-ShowTo cancel your reservation call (800) 228-9290 or (480) 293-5000.If you fail to arrive by midnight the day of your scheduled arrival,your room will be released and may not be available. You mustcancel your reservation 7 days prior to arrival to avoid beingcharged one night’s room and tax. Fax: (480) 293-3891

A room confirmation will be mailed to you as soon as possible.

Hotel Registration Form

DO NOT MAIL THIS FORM TO TOASTMASTERS INTERNATIONAL

Documents

April 2007 Toastmaster