IYKYK - Toastmasters.. if you’re a TM comment as to how it propelled your professional and personal development.

💆‍♂ Mindset
😎 Sales Skills
⏱ Time Management
10
funcoupons
WR Officer
10
👑
I joined a TM club near me, the most exciting thing that happened is a business owner asked if I might be able to help him with recruiting (I was a recruiter at the time) so we set up a meeting over coffee the following week. 

Guy showed up, threw his BMW keys on the table in front of me and told me he'd be down to change our drinks to alcoholic (at 11 am on a Tuesday,) and then got visibly sad when I casually referred to the fact that I lived with my boyfriend (at the time) up the street in an apartment. I also realized after the fact that he had set the meeting for February 14th. He proceeded to dump some of his life problems on me while I chugged down my coffee and got the fuck outta Dodge ASAP. 

He never came back to the TM club and I never heard from him again. I had him in our CRM as a lead, too. Fun explaining why that meeting resulted in fuck all to the boss.
Sniper
Valued Contributor
2
Enterprise Account Executive
Hahaha wtf now that’s a first impression
Notmyrealname
Politicker
2
AE
You invite a guy to watch you shower one time and then this. Why can't people separate their work lives from their personal lives? 
funcoupons
WR Officer
2
👑
I would never let a pathetic specimen like that watch me shower. 
champchamp
Arsonist
0
Certified Savage
What? I completely missed this story lol. What happened? @funcoupons 
TennisandSales
Politicker
1
Head Of Sales
damn! that is insane! sorry you had to deal with that bullshit. 
funcoupons
WR Officer
2
👑
Oh it's more funny than anything, people can be so fucking awkward.
CuriousFox
WR Officer
2
🦊
Nah not my jam.
SADNESSLieutenant
Politicker
2
Officer of ♥️
I was never a TM but i did speech and debate and that put me
Leagues ahead of my bdr competition
TennisandSales
Politicker
1
Head Of Sales
I was in one when I was in financial advising and I really didnt like it. But its all about WHO is in the group IMO. 

its been years for me though
Sniper
Valued Contributor
0
Enterprise Account Executive
I agree, not all chapters are the same. I prefer the open chapters over the private chapters where the members are employees of the company.

I personally loved it and would be lying if I said TM did not contribute heavily to my sales career. Would recommend it to anyone and everyone. Sales or not
Pachacuti
Politicker
1
They call me Daddy, Sales Daddy
A former company had a TM club. Never heard anything bad about it.
bassinshaps
Politicker
1
Territory Sales Manager
I’ve heard great things from my local chapter. Definitely something I’m interested in. Anyone in the east Bay Area who has participated in it feel free to chime in.
Clashingsoulsspell
Politicker
1
ISR
I was never a TM but i did speech and debate and that put me Leagues ahead of my bdr competition
pirate
Big Shot
0
🦜☠️ Account Executive
I think that try out a few clubs before committing. Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's shit.
Sniper
Valued Contributor
0
Enterprise Account Executive
Agreed.
MR.StretchISR
Politicker
0
ISR
I was never a TM but i did speech and debate and that put me
Leagues ahead of my bdr competition
Mr.Floaty
Politicker
0
BDR
We don't have formal annual reviews. The rest of the company does, but not sales. Hit your number and come in under budget are the two rules we have.
Cyberjarre
Politicker
0
BDR
I personally like the more ‘casual’ check in updates for career pathing than a prefilled employee annual review.
SgtAE
WR Officer
0
AE
TM is an interesting beast. I think my biggest pet peeve coming from someone who ran australia's largest TM club which we left toastmasters to do our own thing is that TM speaking is it's own format that doesn't convert as well to the real world. Look at some of the contest champions at worlds and you kind of realise it's a big more theatrical then impactful, sure you use humor, don't say any umms and ahhs and have a story, but it's somewhat not that impactful.
The best speeches of all time we're due to the context behind them, yes we can, I have a dream etc.
Toastmasters has it's place, but it niches itself unnecessarily imho