Be a Model Marketer: Exhibit the Two Ps of Good Toastmasters

Dean Lampman

In Toastmasters, more than many organizations, marketing is everyone’s responsibility. Our district will continue to prosper only if we each make the required effort; this article offers insight on what that entails and how to do your part.

To propel the growth of District 25, you need NOT be fully versed on the four Ps that compose the marketing mix (product, price, place and promotion). Instead, simply focus on the two Ps characteristic of good Toastmasters: be a good planner and a proponent of what we do.

· Planners prevent poor performance. They have what it takes to lead fellow Toastmasters to put forth their best efforts and think through the myriad of decisions that precede any successful club meeting, officer meeting, open house, Speechcraft program, or area and district events. Planners are servant leaders who set a strong personal example for others to follow. They know the importance of identifying and adopting best practices for operations, member recruiting and member retention. If you have best practices to share or want to learn what’s working for other leaders, please participate in our Marketing Workshop on July 16. Register now.

· Proponents pay it forward. They’ve benefited from Toastmasters and want others to have a similar experience. As marketing expert Robert G. Allen said, “No matter what your product is, you are ultimately in the education business. Your customers need to be constantly educated about the many advantages of doing business with you, trained to use your products more effectively, and taught how to make never-ending improvement in their lives.” Indeed. Participation in Toastmasters helps us make continuous improvements in our lives; it’s reflected in the mission of the club, which Toastmasters proponents should be able to recite from memory. They should also be able and willing to share testimonials about the power of Toastmasters in their own life and the lives of others. If you can now, please share your story.

Professional marketers learn a business can succeed if it puts the right product in the right place, at the right price, at the right time. Toastmasters International is the right product, available at the right price. At $54 annually, it’s an incredible bargain. Similar but less sustained and more impersonal training at a university would cost close to $1,000; it would be thousands more if obtained from a private training group. In a troubled economy, where many professionals in job transition seek a competitive edge, Toastmasters can be the answer. It should not be a well-kept secret, but rather a common denominator that benefits everyone seeking personal growth.

So, fellow Toastmasters, please join me in the effort to make our great product available in more of the right places at the right times for District 25 members. You need only remember to be a good planner and proponent.

Dean Lampman

Lt. Governor Marketing

By Jodie Sanders