Club Membership Tactics
Helping members and their clubs succeed
A healthy club starts with its members.
The tips on this page are compiled from the District’s club leaders and their experience helping members succeed.
What to know:
A healthy club has 20 members or more. Toastmasters International’s benchmark is 20 members. This allows members to experience different roles, speak regularly, and meet their goals even if they occasionally miss a meeting. When clubs fall below 20, they have a harder time filling roles and members get overwhelmed.
Cycling leadership and committee roles leads to member success. Changing roles within a club gives members a chance to grow and learn something new. Stagnant leadership isn’t healthy for a club or for those members.
Mentoring and induction activities strengthen the club. When a club inducts its members and provides guidance, it shows that the club is serious about its new member and the skills they will gain from Toastmasters. Pairing new members with experienced members provides a new friend and guide to help them achieve their speaking and leadership goals. It is important that members grow together, and have a common direction.
Open Houses and Speechcraft invite the community in. These activities can increase membership and give existing members a leadership challenge that supports collaboration and common goals.
On this page:
- Tactics to retain members
- Tactics to add members
- Welcoming new members
Membership building resources
- Open house checklist (pdf)
- Sample open house flier (doc)
- Open house agenda (doc)
- Guest guide (doc)
- 116 Ways to recruit new members (pdf)
Resources on Toastmasters.org
- New member flowchart (pdf)
- Membership building resources→
- Public relations Toastmasters.org resources →
- Toastmasters brand portal → (logos, images, templates, marketing materials, etc.)
Retain your members
Create a welcoming, fun meeting. Toastmasters recognizes and awards great meetings for a reason: members return if they enjoy themselves and each other. In this environment, guests will want to be a part of your club.
VP Education:
- Everyone knows their role in the meeting.
- Roles are planned a month in advance.
President: set the tone of the meeting with positive energy.
Foster mentoring and a social culture. Members that learn together, grow together. When members get to know each other, either in a formal or informal setting, they can help each other succeed in Toastmasters.
VP Membership:
- Greet guests warmly.
- Analyze reasons for poor attendance. If needed (and members agree) adjust time, location, or length of meetings.
- Nurture potential non-renewals with new goals, or a lighter load.
- Host social activities.
- Help new members understand the history of your club and invite them to participate in your club’s activities and social events.
Understand member challenges, support their goals, and award their accomplishments. When members see the value of Toastmasters through their accomplishments they will continue their membership.
VP Education:
- Complete a member interest survey.
- Plan meeting roles to fit member goals.
- Hand out awards annually and celebrate big accomplishments.
- Give members topic-specific training (Pathways, website resources, and role responsibilities).
Leadership team: Plan your club’s year using the Distinguished Club Program and Club Success Plan.
Adding new members
- Hold a special event:
- Hold an Open House.
- Conduct Speechcraft—a short, seminar-style program introducing basic speaking and evaluating skills.
- Create an internal competition to bring in new members.
- Announce your club and its benefits to your office and HR team, Meetup groups, business networking groups, associations and Chambers of Commerce.
- Publicize your club on Meetup, with fliers to local businesses, and press releases.
- Provide guests with useful material: sign-in book, name badge, brochures, Toastmasters Magazine. Add a new mailing sticker with your club’s name and meeting information.
- Welcome guests warmly and introduce/seat them next to a member—get them talking about their goals and reasons for attending. Get them involved in the meeting through introductions, Table Topics and feedback.
- Make sure to follow up with an email inviting them back, providing a contact, and letting them know of any upcoming events.
- Induct new members with a formal ceremony to create a sense of belonging.
- Orientate new members to familiarize them with the club’s history, meeting roles, and the educational program. Let them know how to get the most from their Toastmasters experience.
- Pair them with a mentor and set up their first meeting role.
Programs
Open Houses
Clubs are encouraged to host an Open House monthly.
Speechcraft
Introduce Toastmasters in a short program with no commitments.
Speech Contests
Advance members’ speaking skills. Contests begin in the fall.
Track your club’s progress
Keep track of achievements
- Keep track of your club’s goals using the Distinguished Club Program Goals.
Keep your club and its members informed
- On a monthly basis, review achieved and remaining goals with your club.
- Reward members as they achieve their goals
The Successful Club Series Set
Purchase the set, or download a specific file from Toastmasters.org →
The series includes:
- Moments of truth
- Finding new members for your club
- Evaluate to motivate
- Closing the sale
- Creating the best club climate
- Meeting roles and responsibilities
- Mentoring
- Keeping the commitment
- Going beyond our club
- How to be a distinguished club
- The Toastmasters educational program