The Toastmasters Club of Berne

Background to Toastmasters

Toastmasters of Berne is part of Toastmasters International - the world's leading organization devoted to the improvement of individual communication and leadership skills. Toastmasters is a non-profit training and educational organization, which teaches its members communication, leadership, training and management skills and builds their self-confidence.

It is the largest and most successful organization of its type in the world with approximately 200,000 members of over 10,000 clubs in around 80 countries New clubs are starting at the rate of about one per week! There are about 70 clubs in mainland Europe, divided into various areas. No matter where you go in the world, there is likely to be a Toastmasters' Club nearby and you will be welcome to attend its meetings.

How Toastmasters Can Help You

Your success in business is based on how effective you are. Through participation in the Toastmasters Communication and Leadership program, people from all backgrounds learn to effectively speak, conduct a meeting, manage a department or business, lead, delegate, and motivate.

What Toastmasters Can Do For You

As your improved communication skills become obvious within the workplace, increased visibility, recognition and promotion will follow.
Your improved presentation skills will win you the respect and admiration of your colleagues and employees - and make them wonder what you did to change!
Leadership skills acquired through participation in Toastmasters will increase your management potential.
As a Toastmaster you will acquire an increased ability to motivate and persuade, making you more effective as a supervisor or manager.
Members of Toastmaster Clubs have access to a wide range of educational materials, including books, audio and videotapes, and seminar programs available at reduced cost through the Toastmasters International Supply Catalog.

How Toastmasters Meets Your Needs

Established in 1924, Toastmasters International uses time-tested programs that are continually updated to meet participants needs.
Self-paced programs allow you to progress as rapidly or gradually as your needs dictate.
The hands-on Communication and Leadership program provides the "how-to" and the practical experience so critical to progress.
Toastmasters Clubs meet at various locations in the morning, at noon and in the evening. You'll be sure to find a Club that fits your needs.
At less than $50 per year, the Toastmasters program is cost effective, especially when compared to seminars charging hundreds of dollars per day.
An atmosphere of professional camaraderie makes your Toastmasters Club a unique learning environment - informal, yet dedicated to learning.
The Toastmasters program can be tailored to meet your personal objectives. Whether you desire improvement in prepared or impromptu speaking, greater skill in the use of visual aids, experience and knowledge is to be gained in the areas that most interest you.

How The Program Works

The Toastmasters program exposes each participant to a wide range of communication experiences.

Each new Toastmaster receives a New Member Kit. The kit features a copy of the basic Communication and Leadership manual, general orientation materials and information regarding skill improvement in areas such as speech evaluation and the use of gestures.
The initial prepared speeches, as outlined in the basic Communication and Leadership program manual, are designed with the new Toastmaster in mind.
A variety of assigned speeches help the participant develop competency in areas such as organization, voice inflection and persuasiveness.
During the meeting's Table Topics session, members learn to think on their feet by delivering short impromptu speeches, lasting one to two minutes.
After giving a prepared speech, each Toastmaster receives a constructive speech evaluation. This process recognizes speakers for their strengths and provides valuable insight into problem areas.
Upon completion of the basic Communication and Leadership program, Toastmasters may participate in the Advanced Communication and Leadership program. Participants may choose from specific business oriented topics such as Speeches by Management and Technical Presentations.
Workshop style Success/Leadership programs are also available, offering opportunities for further skill development in areas such as leadership, public speaking and conducting business meetings. These programs are especially effective as in-house training and can be tailored to meet the needs of your company.

Persuasive Speaking

An excellent article on persuasive speaking was written by by David Garfinkel, and printed in the magazine The Toastmaster edition of December 2005.

Multicultural Benefits

Toastmasters meetings provide an international and multi-cultural experience which is extremely valuable in the modern world o globalization and multi-national companies.

For members of native tongues other than English, there is the opportunity to practice conversation, presentation and formal debating and parlamentary procedure. This means much more than grammatical and vocabulary practice, it also includes getting to understand gestures, body-language, idiom and the mind-set of English speakers.

English speakers? Swiss clubs have members from the U.S., Canada, England, Ireland, Scotland, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. There are many dialects and ways of talking! We have also members with second language English: from India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Nigeria and Ghana. A wide range of cultural attitudes and habits ...

The multi-cultural environment can benefit all members in a special way. We hold interactive workshops, role-play interviews and negotiations, simulate business meetings. As the theme of Toastmasters is improving communication, we have the benefits of an "international laboratory."