Here are some statistics regarding Toastmasters:

Did you know that only 1% of Toastmasters become DTM’s (Distinguished Toastmasters)? According to Wikipedia, as of 2020 there were 364,000 Toastmaster members. There were 16,400 clubs in 2020 making the average club approximately 22.5 members. Our goal for each Toastmasters club is that we add 8 new members per year. That means that Toastmasters expects a turnover of about 35.5% each year. Have you also heard that on average only 164 people become Distinguished Toastmasters each year?

All that to say most people who start their Toastmasters journey don’t finish. Most members quit too early. As a Toastmaster I’m always sad to see a member quit Toastmasters or one slowly fade away. If you notice that a member is starting to fade away, try asking them to finish instead of quitting their journey. No one feels good about themselves for quitting, but everyone feels good about finishing. Ask the fading member to consider, finishing their path or at bare minimum the level in which they are working instead of quitting the club.

Who knows, maybe your encouragement will give them the boost they needed to become a 1% Distinguished Toastmaster?

D – Didn’t Quit
T – Took the Time to Finish
M – Mastered the art of the 5 to 7-minute speech

Created by Randy Moore DTM Finance Manager 2021-2022