Posted by Dorothea Stuart
At every Toastmasters club we meet people who've developed and grown as a result of joining. We thought you might enjoy hearing about some successes - particularly where members are using their speaking professionally.
Jenny Betts, Riverside Communicators finds she's increasingly asked to speak at conferences and other events. And she is doing so with a confidence she wouldn't have thought possible 4 years ago.
Jenny, why are you interested in professional speaking? I speak to promote myself and my business (I'm a solicitor). Talking at conferences etc. has raised my profile in the local community and beyond.
Why did you join Toastmasters? I joined Riverside because I was giving presentations at work and occasionally being asked to speak externally. I didn't know if I was a good speaker or not and thought I should find out!
How have you benefited by joining Toastmasters? I was very nervous about speaking to outside groups even though I talk about areas of law I'm expert in. Now I am a much better speaker and have benefited in ways I never imagined. For example, I'm a much more effective leader in my business. I have better relationships with colleagues because my communication skills have improved. I find the combination of structure, the support from other people, the mentoring and constant feedback that you get at Toastmasters is invaluable.
How has your professional speaking developed? I'm being approached to speak mostly as a result of word of mouth referrals. During the past 12 months I have spoken at a London Borough of Richmond conference, for MenCap, Action for Elder Abuse, and Kingston Hospital. This week I spoke to our local ladies Probus club having been recommended by the men's club.
What are you learning from speaking to different audiences? I notice how much more confident I've become. For example, handling interruptions and questions. On Monday I had to contend with noisy air conditioning and traffic. I took this in my stride. I also find that I'm able to adapt what I'm saying in response to the audience - I'm learning not to be tied to my script.
What's next? I feel I'm at a crossroads at the moment. I have come a long way so I'll be setting myself some new goals to continue developing my speaking skills and make the next leap up. I'll also continue to support my fellow club members - we all learn such a lot from each other.
Thanks Jenny and good luck with your future speaking engagements.
