Frequently, as part of my coaching engagements, I accompany my clients on their customer meetings. And consistently I witness their eagerness to continue a presentation and hammer down 8 more features and benefits when their customer has already asked them what’s the next step, and when we can get started, or more sadly when the customer starts talking about more serious problems that they hope my clients can help them with, and these are typically problems that if solved, not only bring more income to my client, but also turn these customers into longer term repeat business and great sources of referrals. So often we leave that extra money on the table because of our preoccupation with saying what is on mind as opposed to be fully present and responsive to what we are being told.

Now everyone, including myself, thinks we are better listeners than we really are. Are we capable of listening better? Absolutely; but just like anything else our listening muscles need exercise and here again another very important part of Toastmasters function, that is, evaluating speeches can be of enormous value in improving our listening skills. And the fact that our evaluation is also evaluated gives us timely feedback that can help us improve on this most important transferable skill.

Now I don’t think many people at Toastmasters International are aware of this but one of the exercise we regularly do during a Toastmasters meeting is a very valuable tool for becoming more comfortable at cold calling. I am talking about table topics when without warning you are asked to stand up and talk about something you had no clue about a minute ago. I think table topics really help strengthen one’s objection handling muscles and almost everything else one learns at Toastmasters help us conduct a more effective telephone conversation.

So nowadays besides helping my clients develop a laser sharp sales plan, if its execution involves cold calling I encourage their staff to go find a Toastmasters club near them and join, have a lot of fun and get more commissions thanks to improving their skills.

For those who have known me in a professional context the fact that as a younger man I was a closet introvert is hard to believe. Then the idea that I would one day stand in front of audiences and have a ball was as remote as travelling to Mars. In fact I was so introvert that from the day I was told about Toastmasters to the day I actually went for my first meeting took more than three years!

I went to Toastmasters to improve my speaking skills. What I learnt was that Toastmasters had a lot more to offer and it ended up helping me professionally in areas I could have never imagined.