Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Owner improves skills through Toastmasters
NORRISTOWN » Twice a month business executives like Don Wallace Jr. and others gather in a comfortable, easygoing environment to practice public speaking for a couple of hours.
These intense sessions with the Valley Forge Toastmasters Club have helped the vice president of Don Wallace Cleaning Inc. to become more articulate and gain the confidence he’s needed to address potential clients, ultimately boosting business, Wallace said.
“I needed to be better able to communicate the value of our work to people, saying what needs to be said and saying it in the proper way,” said Wallace, who, along with his dad, Don Wallace Sr., helps run the King of Prussia-based commercial cleaning operation that the senior Wallace started in 1977.
Wallace said he’d long heard about the professional benefits afforded by Toastmasters International, which will hold its District 38/Area G73/G74 Humorous Speech & Table Topics Contest at Montgomery County-Norristown Public Library, 1001 Powell St., Norristown, Oct. 5, beginning at 5:30 p.m.
“It was at a cleaning convention in Florida years ago where they were talking about the advantages but I actually didn’t join until around six months ago,” Wallace said. “I decided I needed to look into it because I wanted to take my business to the next level and go after the bigger jobs. I’ve seen improvement in my skills in the time I’ve been there. You keep getting better and you know you’re learning.”
The diverse membership of the club includes many folks from the business community, Wallace noted.
“In my club, one guy is a chemist, another is from a pharmaceutical company. They work for companies that are doing pretty well but they really want to improve their communications skills,” he said. “A lot of people in the club are looking to improve their professional speaking skills and leadership abilities; that’s really the hallmark of it,
to be a better leader by being a better communicator … whether it’s at a business meeting, or if you’re a sales guy or presentation guy, all those different aspects come into it. At the club you get evaluated and learn different techniques over time and that helps you become better.”
Thursday’s competition is open to the public, Wallace said.
“Registration is preferred (http://bit.ly/2hMkuif) but walk-ins are certainly welcome. There will be different
types of speech categories in the contest, such as humorous, where contestants present a humorous speech that must be thematic in nature, with an opening, body and close, and not just a series of one-liners.”
The judges are volunteers from various Toastmasters clubs in the area who will evaluate speakers on content, delivery, language and use of speech, Wallace explained.
“The winners of this contest will move on to the district competition, which
will be held in King of Prussia on Nov. 11 this year.”
Toastmasters International was founded in 1924 and has since “helped millions of people become more confident in front of an audience, through a worldwide network of clubs and their ‘learn by doing’ program,” noted Wallace. “Worldwide our organization has more than 352,000 memberships and members improve their speaking and leadership skills by attending one of the 16,400 clubs in 141 different countries
that make up our global network.”
According to the organization’s bio, Toastmasters “will give you the skills and confidence you need to effectively express yourself in any situation. Whether you are a professional, student, stay-at-home parent or retiree, Toastmasters is the most efficient, enjoyable and affordable way of gaining great communication skills. By learning to effectively formulate and express your ideas, you open an entirely new world of
possibilities. You’ll be more persuasive and confident when giving presentations, and you’ll improve your one-on-one dealings with others.”
The Valley Forge Toastmasters has been around for nearly 65 years and meets every second and fourth Monday of the month at 7 p.m., at 590 W. Valley Forge Rd., King of Prussia.
For more information, visit vftoastmasters.com.
To contact Don Wallace Cleaning Inc., call 610-2658258.