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Frequently Asked Questions
Why should I join the Speakers Express?There are lots of reasons to join the Speakers Express ! Here are just a few of the most common reasons people join: You'll gain valuable experience and improve your skills by speaking to new audiences. By stepping outside of your comfort zone of your own Toastmasters Club, you'll improve your communication skills and increase your confidence. These additional speaking engagements will also give you a chance to hone those skills and speeches you've already developed. It's a chance to give back to your local community and introduces more people to Toastmasters! The Speakers Express is a community service of District 63 Toastmasters. We provide speakers, MC's, judges, panelists and other meeting roles to local organizations such as Rotary clubs, Chambers of Commerce, schools and other community groups. As a part of Speakers Express , you'll not only provide valuable information on the topics of your choice, you'll also be a walking representative of Toastmasters--the best example of how the Toastmasters program can help other individuals just like you. You'll network with a variety of business people and increase your professional opportunities. The audiences that you'll be speaking to are filled with business and community leaders who are looking for professionals with your expertise. You'll have the chance to connect with them and impress them with your advanced communication skills. Speakers Express is your next step in self-improvement and personal growth! Sign up to be a member TODAY! Back to TopWhy should I pay $5 to speak for free?Each year, Speakers Express prints brochures and a directory with information about all of our speakers. We also maintain a website where groups and organizations can search for speakers. Twice a year, we will market to your local organizations--reminding them to check with Speakers Express for speakers, MC's, and experts, etc. All of this takes money. The District budget is not able to accommodate such a large undertaking at this time. Thus, we are asking those individuals who will benefit from the program to help defray the costs and enable us to provide a professional image to the community. It's a small cost for the exposure that you will receive. The $5 is an annual fee because these costs will be incurred each year. Back to TopCan I make a lot of money with Speakers Express?No. You may not accept money for speeches that were booked through Speakers Express. All Speakers Express services are free to those community organizations who request them. If an organization gives you any money, you must turn it in to Speakers Express. It will be considered a donation to Speakers Express and used to cover the expenses of the service only. No individual may profit from Speakers Express. Back to TopWhat type of organizations will I be speaking to?You will speak to a variety of community organizations, such as: Rotary clubs, Kiwanis clubs, Garden clubs, Women's groups, Chambers of Commerce, Exchange clubs, Church groups, Schools, and other civic organizations. These groups typically have weekly and/or monthly meetings that require speakers, yet they have no budget to hire speakers. Back to TopWhat topics will I be speaking on?You choose your own topics! Choose only 3-4 topics that interest you or that are your particular expertise. These topics will be listed with your picture and contact information in the Speakers Express directory and website. You may also choose to deliver speeches on the Toastmasters International program, but you are not required to do so. If you have a broad range of knowledge on a particular subject, you may choose to list a broad topic, such as "Change." Or if your knowledge is more focused, you may choose a topic that's specific, such as "Changing Careers After You've Been Laid Off." Keep in mind that some people will be looking for a speaker on a particular subject; others will have no criteria. When you are contacted by an organization through Speakers Express, you should ask them what they want you to speak about. Regardless what your topic is, you may want to mention in your speech or in your introduction that you are a member of Toastmasters International. However, remember that Toastmasters International does not endorse or promote any person, cause, charity, political party, etc. So, you may not state or otherwise imply that you are speaking for Toastmasters or that Toastmasters International in any way endorses your viewpoint. Back to TopHow do these groups/organizations find me?Twice a year - around January and July - Speakers Express will send out brochures to community organizations across District 63 to tell them about our bureau and to remind them to use our services when looking for speakers and other meeting participants. The brochure will refer them to our website and also give them a way to request a printed directory, if they prefer. The printed directory will be organized by location. For example, those speakers in the Chattanooga vicinity will appear alphabetically in one section; those in the Nashville area alphabetically in another section, etc. Organizations looking for speakers will browse through the directory, reading bios and topics for each speaker. On the website, these groups will be able to search by Topic and/or Area to locate a speaker, or they may simply choose to browse through an alphabetical listing. Either way, once they've made a selection, they can contact you directly, or they may choose to contact their local "Depot Manager" who will help them make a selection and may act as liaison between you and the requesting group. Back to TopHow long will I be asked to speak?This is entirely up to the organization you are speaking for and will vary greatly. Typically, you can expect to speak anywhere from 15 minutes to 1 hour. You should ask this question up front and be sure that you can accommodate the time limit BEFORE you accept the engagement. Back to TopWhy do I need a CTM to be eligible to participate in the Speakers Express?Each time a Speakers Express member speaks in front of an audience, they potentially are exposing a new audience to the benefits of Toastmasters. It's important, therefore, that our speakers have a good working knowledge of speaking basics. Earning your CTM is a great way to acquire that knowledge! Back to TopDo I get "credit" for speeches delivered for the Speakers Express?You may receive credit for a manual speech if:
Back to TopHow else can I help the Speakers Express?There are several ways you can help the Speakers Express besides giving speeches. Fund Raising/Sponsors - Are you good at fund raising or finding sponsors? Perhaps you, your club, or your company would like to donate some money to the Speakers Express? Have ideas for advertising? We need it all! Depot Managers - We need volunteers to help match speakers with organizations, make the initial contact if necessary, and generally act as a liaison between the speakers and the local organizations. Marketing Help - Do you have contacts with local organizations in your area? Or could you help us find the contacts? We need accurate and up to date information to know who to send the brochures to. If you've got ideas or talents in any of these areas, or if you have another idea of how to help, please contact Speakers Express Back to Top |
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