I was just cruising other agents blogs, and came across one posted by Michael DeMello about a month ago, addressing the subject of Fear of Public Speaking. There were about 10 comments in response that offerred suggestions for overcoming the fear, most of which included having a shot of whiskey prior to going onstage.

I will make no comment on the wisdom of that advice, but I would like to make an obvious suggestion, which one of the other commentators actually mentioned in a passing manner: join Toastmasters! I have been a member for over a year and a half, and now I actually look forward to opportunities to speak in public. That is a long way from where I started. Today, I am President of the Mililani Toastmasters Club.

The point I would like to emphasize now though, has to do with a lot more than just public speaking. Toastmasters is a completely voluntary and non-profit organization, which has as it's mission to provide a supportive and positive learning environment in which members have the opportunity to develop communication and leadership skills, which in turn foster self-confidence and personal growth. I have found that the club offers many opportunities for personal growth, especially little lessons on how to communicate with a wide variety of audiences and under a host of unusual situations. One of the most important little lessons that I believe many, many Realtors could use help on is actually learning how to become better listeners. In fact, that is also one of the keys to becoming a better speaker.

In addition to the Communications program whereby one improves his or her speaking skills, Toastmasters also offers a Leadership track. This consists mainly of acting as an officer within the organization, anywhere from the Club level all the way up to International status. Combining the two processes can have outstanding results for any participant. Many former Toastmasters are now professional speakers who do worldwide speaking tours. Governor Linda Lingle is a former Toastmaster who gives high praise to her experience with the club.

I could go on and on about the many benefits of belonging to Toastmasters, but I will be brief and simply re-state the main idea; to better your speaking skills, and enhance other areas of your personal life, consider joining Toastmasters!