Members and club officers can achieve Pathways credit by using this project to prepare themselves to network at Toastmasters Leadership Institute events, Toastmasters conferences, speech contests, social events, and visits to other networking organizations.
Article: "How to Network Like a Pro" ( using your Toastmasters training to create a connection)
The Benefits of Networking
Establishing new contacts and building relationships can give you fresh perspective, advice, and support. Opportunities are created by sharing ideas and knowledge with others through collaboration and partnerships. By networking, you can better understand the ways in which interpersonal communication contributes to personal and professional growth.
In this project, you will learn how to present yourself as friendly and engaging, maintain contact with those in your network, and engage and interact with people to network effectively. You will also learn how to acknowledge the interests of others to cultivate mutually beneficial relationships and behave as a competent and professional ally to all the people in your network.
Purpose: The purpose of this project is to develop and practice a personal strategy for building connections through networking.
Overview: Prepare for and attend a networking event. After the event, present a 5- to 7-minute speech to your club. Your speech can include a story or stories about your experience, a description of what you learned, or a discussion on the benefits of networking. Your speech may be personal to you or informational about networking. If you attend a non-Toastmasters event, you must give your vice president education a signed Project Completion Form.
Where to Network
Go to a social event
Community Service Event
Professional Event
Online
Develop Your Plan
What are you going to accomplish?
Prepare to Network:
(This Prepare to Network resource serves as a tool for the member to gather his thoughts before entering a networking environment.)
Items to consider during preparation
Elevator pitch
Personal objectives for making connections at this event
Ideal connections
Skills and knowledge
The Networking Event
Make an Effective Introduction: Also known as a good "ice breaker" speech.
Take the initiative to interact with new people. Ask open-ended questions and demonstrate your interest by actively listening. Make it your mission to discover the value in each person with whom you speak.
The Toastmasters Communication Program sharpens you with:
Communicating better on TikTok,
Selling yourself in job interviews
Improving your ability to network and connect at business or social events
Creating or improving your online presence
Communicating better on YouTube
Creating awareness of your improved leadership or communication style through a speech
Becoming an influential public speaker
Improving your ability to speak off-the-cuff (saying something without having prepared or thought about your words first)
Providing and receiving effective feedback. (also how not to take it personally)
Communicating better on Podcasts
Blogs:
#networking #buildingconnections #toastmasters #toastmastersinternational #toastmastersclub #toastmastersmeeting #toastmastersinternationalclub #toastmasters #toastmastersinternational #oklahomatoastmasters #toastmasterspathways #d16toastmasters #toastmastersvppr #toastmastersvppublicrelations #toastmastersvicepresidentpublicrelations
Email: lindsey@lindseylwilliams.com
Networking is essential in making good connections to help advance your business while you help others advance their business. Most importantly, networking helps keep your pipeline active.