4 Influencers of Membership Retention

Do you remember what you came looking for at your very first Toastmasters meeting? Think back to when you didn’t know what to expect. How did you feel?

Reflecting on your Toastmasters experience since, did you find what you were looking for? Do you know someone who did not?

Making sure members are able to achieve their goals and get the fulfillment they need out of their Toastmasters journey is key to clubs being able to keep members for many years.

A Positive Start

I vividly remember going to my first meeting—it was also the first meeting of Twinspirations Toastmasters Club, a hybrid club in Ohio that was just chartering and would become my home club. And I was the first speaker at that first meeting! My palms were cold and moist, my voice trembled, and my heart drummed against my ribs as I shared my love of gardening in my Ice Breaker speech, “A Place of My Own.”

Afterward, I received a surprise bigger than the positive encouragement people gave me—a fellow member, 80-year-old Barb Baumgartner, asked me to be her mentor. “I want to stay young, and I know you can help me be just that!” she told me. Her words transformed my perception of who I was, and why I thought people joined Toastmasters.

Robin Walshesky joined Progressive Messengers, a corporate club in Ohio, in 2016. Despite describing herself as a “loud, outgoing, talkative person,” she needed to find a way to overcome the fear that enveloped her every time she got up to speak, especially in a formal setting. Through the support and mentorship from club members, she earned a promotion, became an ordained minister, and officiated two weddings—all in one year.

Maurice “Mo” Holloway, also a member of Progressive Messengers, returned to Toastmasters after eight years away to refine his presentation skills, but stayed because he enjoyed being part of an incredible group “where support and encouragement were almost unbelievable—magical,” he says. He loved the vulnerable stories members shared about themselves, allowing them to build trust and comfort with one another over time.

Why People Join Toastmasters

Barb, Robin, Mo, and I joined for different reasons, and we all invested time and effort to achieve our goals. But we also all found something well beyond our expectations, and much of that was due to supportive club environments and enriching educational and growth experiences.

People join a club for a variety of reasons—some are looking for opportunities to grow their communication or leadership skills; some want to learn something new; some are looking for a group of people with similar interests.

When members decide not to renew, it may be because they already accomplished their goals or found the club, or program, not aligned with their expectations; however, the majority do so for a reason out of the club’s control: Their schedule has changed, they have a new life circumstance, or they felt it was too much work.

While club leaders cannot control unexpected events, they can ensure members are committed to their goals, understand the resources available, and receive encouragement along the way.

What Members Want and Need

Over the years I have studied what makes people stay in their clubs, a topic I spoke about at the 2024 Toastmasters International Convention. I have compiled four of what I call “key influencers” that affect the value and success of each member. If clubs and leaders can tap into these areas, they can positively influence the experience of every member.

• Education – helping members learn and grow through Pathways
• Environment – ensuring everyone feels welcomed and has a sense of belonging
• Enrichment – including programming for members to learn from people outside of their club
• Empowerment – providing opportunities for members to continue to grow after achieving their original goals

Let’s look at these four influencers to better understand what club leaders and members can do to make their club strong, healthy, and vibrant—one that people want to join and stay with.

Education

People join Toastmasters to enchance their communication and leadership skills. There are many ways this happens, so make sure guests and new members know about the opportunities.

• Pathways – Toastmasters’ education program offers a variety of paths and projects, and is fully customizable. In addition to its expansive content, Pathways is a self-paced, structured program, allowing each member to learn at their own pace to achieve their individualized goals.
• Experiential learning – Toastmasters learn by doing, without teachers or trainers. We grow not only through delivering speeches but also through evaluations—which enrich our active listening skills and help us focus on what makes an impactful speech—and club meeting roles.
• Leadership opportunities – Anyone can be a club officer, and Toastmasters provides resources to help you understand how to successfully navigate these positions. The Club Success Plan, Distinguished Club Program, and a variety of other resources help you understand your members’ needs, and how to create a quality club. Don’t forget to use them!

Environment

A Toastmasters club isn’t just about learning, it’s also about feeling and belonging. When a guest or a new member attends, they probably feel slightly anxious, but if they are welcomed warmly and have meaningful interactions with other members, they will feel encouraged and comfortable. It’s nearly impossible to learn and grow if you are in an environment where you don’t feel welcomed or valued.

• Physical – The location, accessibility, seating, audio/visual resources—all of these make your first impressions that much more impactful. If it’s hard to find the meeting location or link, or there aren’t enough seats, or there is no way for someone in a wheelchair or walker to access your space, people are likely to be turned off.
• Social – Consider how you greet people. Is there a warm welcome? Are there meaningful interactions between members? Are you helping guests and new members find a place to sit and introducing them to others? Are you extending the same warmth in virtual environments?
• Cultural – We need to have a respect for diversity in all its forms and make a conscious effort at being inclusive. The cultural aspect of our environment is vitally important; you want guests and members to feel like they belong at your meeting, as persons. And we all grow from hearing stories from other cultures.

As an immigrant, non-native speaker of English in the United States, I have found members in my online Speak to Lead Toastmasters club to be kindred spirits—members such as Sundari Chilukuri, Srilata Mootha, Tazul Shaik, and Umesh Yalavarthy. They say the same. We have similar barriers to overcome and goals to achieve.

Since joining the club, these members have found freedom from self-doubt, made close friends, and felt an impact on their lives. Some enjoy the structure and support, some the momentum of growth and learning, and others the professional skills they have gained.

Enrichment

Some members want a little more than what the club and club meetings have to offer, or the meetings and members need to be energized differently. How do you make that happen?

• Special events – Invite a guest speaker, host an open house, have a joint club meeting. Allow your members to be exposed to new people and new ways of thinking and doing.
• Field trips – Go outside your club. If we are only confined to our meeting rooms, we are limiting the fundamental aspect of Toastmasters—experiential learning. We are influencers and we are leaders, and opportunities to equip ourselves for life are all around us.
• Celebrations – Celebrating events or occasions is so enriching! Recognizing achievements and milestones is a golden approach to enhancing morale.
• Mentorship – A strong mentor program is enormously beneficial, both for the mentors and the mentees. Both groups gain important skills and perspectives and grow through the mentor-mentee relationship. I know I have reached this level of progress because of so many mentors who believed in me.

“I initially joined Toastmasters to enhance my ability to organize my thoughts and communicate clearly,” says Stephanie Hill, Vice President Education of the online club Diversity 4 Success Toastmasters. “Over time, my purpose has evolved. Now I am driven by a desire to help others grow and discover their own voices.”

Empowerment

How are we helping our members continue to grow and get more out of Toastmasters? Challenging opportunities like these can be the answer.

• Stretch assignments – Speechcraft, the Youth Leadership Program, and Interpersonal Communication are great ways for experienced members to help non-members learn valuable communication skills.
• Leadership – Look beyond the club level for many opportunities to hone leadership skills—Areas, Divisions, and Districts offer many ways for members to get valuable experience in a variety of skills. Equally important are testimonials where members bring back stories of how they applied their Toastmasters learning outside of the meeting room.

When a seasoned member feels their personal, professional, and social goals are being met, they are likely to step out of their comfort zone, try something new, and thus grow in unexpected ways.

“I loved writing and delivering speeches, but that was secondary to learning how to inspire, motivate, and lead people,” says Wendi Polman, DTM, a former Division N Director in Ohio. “I found that leading at a club level was different than at an Area, Division, or District. Each level brought new learnings and experiences that I incorporated into all aspects of my life.”

Applying These Concepts

Think about your club in terms of these four areas. How are you measuring up? Opportunities abound within each of key influencers.

• Find what you are already doing in your club, and what you might want to try.
• Match activities, programs, and resources to member needs and talents.
• Create avenues for engagement and involvement.
• Appreciate authenticity. Recognize effort.
• Ask for feedback, formally and informally.
• Define, refine, and evolve—pivot to adapt to new ways of thinking, doing, and being.

Paying attention to the four areas of influence brings extraordinary value to our Toastmasters experience. When guests or new members come to a meeting, we need them to be engaged and excited about the potential—the potential of the program, of the club, of their ability to reach their goals and gain self-confidence. Through our efforts, we help them visualize a future where the skills and competencies they learn at the club unfold in powerful ways.

Success is the sum of small iterative efforts on a continuum. Use these building blocks to design the Toastmasters experience of choice for yourself and your club members.

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