rasharonmidpa.com

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Vice Presidentof Public Relations

• by Rick Sharon, DTM
• rasharon_at_midpa.com
• www.midpa.com/toastmasters/DivE

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Agenda

• What does VP of PR do?
• Standards and Methods
• Resources
• Creative Strategies
• Brainstorming
• Your Challenges? What works?

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Introductions

• Your name
• How long have you been in Toastmasters?
• Club name
• When where you meet
• Company or community club?
• What do you hope to take away from this session?

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What doesVP of PR Do?

• Promotes the club to local media
• Keeps club members informed
• Club Website and/or Newsletter
• Publishes stories and advertising
• Promoting your Club
• Upcoming events
• Member and Club brags achievements
• Attends and participates in Executive Committee
  meetings (of club officers)

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What doesVP of PR Do?

• Attends District-sponsored Club officer training
• Arranges for a replacement if unable to attend
  club meeting
• Prepares successor for office
• Prepare a notebook of everything you had to learn
  to do the job give it to your successor
• Sets Standards for office

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Internationals StandardsOutside of Club Meeting

• Promote the club to local media
• Produce a club newsletter and/or Website
• Promote membership programs
• Attend every Club Executive Committee meeting (at
  least monthly meeting of Club Officers)
• Attend Other Toastmasters Events
• Area and Division Speech Contests
• District Conferences

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Internationals StandardsOutside of Club Meeting

• Attend District Sponsored Club Officer Training
  EVERY six months esp. Toastmasters Leadership
  Institute (TLI)
• Arrange for a replacement if unable to attend a
  club meeting
• Prepare your successor for office

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Promote the Clubto Local Media

• Target your audience
• Who? What are their unique characteristics?
• Develop a media list
• How does targeted audience get their news?
• Contacts for each news source
• Send promotional materials to media members
• Cover letter, press kit, contact info, articles,
  website links, flyers
• Follow-up, mention Toastmasters is non-profit

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Publicity Materials

• Maintain a press kit
• Send news releases
• Give interviews
• Maintain a website
• Kit for guests and guest prospects
• Kit for new members

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Why a Club Newsletter and/or Website?

• Document and publicize current events
• What? When? Where? Why? Who?
• Inform with educational material
• How Tos, Did you know?..., Where to find,
  useful tools, tips, and tricks
• Provide visitors with publicity / information
• Provide club contacts
• Brag about member achievements

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Important Newsletter Features

• Content
• What? When? Where? Why? Who?
• Size -- max words per article?
• Readability
• Reverse pyramidSummary followed by detail
• Keep It Simple
• Whats in it for them? Why should they care?
• Visual Impact
• Attention getting photos or graphics, headlines,
  variety, color, layout

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Keep in Touch With Toastmasters Events

• Be aware of Area, District, and International
  events
• Calendars District, Area
• Attend whenever possible
• Monthly Area Councils
• Area and Division speech contests
• District, Regional and International Conferences
• Promote the benefits of the organization

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Guest Kits

• Welcome note from Club President
• Calendar of upcoming events
• Newsletters Clubs, Districts
• Toastmaster Magazine
• Toastmasters Brochures
• A Toastmaster Wears Many Hats
• Top Ten Speaking Tips
• History of Our Founder, History of Toastmasters
• Membership Application, Dues Structure

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Internationals StandardsAt Club Meeting

• Announce upcoming events and programs
• Display and distribute
• Newsletters
• Promotional Flyers
• Kits for guests and new members
• Ask for contributions to the newsletter
• Greet members and guests

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Ricks Extra Standards

• Prepare a notebook for you successor,anything
  needed to do the job
• Club officer manual from International
• District 25 Calendar
• Any additional calendar items (Club, Area)
• Advertising flyers Yours, Districts,
  Internationals
• Contacts and Correspondence
• Club Officer meeting minutes
• Notes

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Ricks Extra Standards

• Publish a Club Newsletter
• Set a publication schedule
• At least monthly
• Better after every meeting
• Publish deadlines for submitting articles
• How much lead-time do you need between receipt
  and publishing? (for editing, packaging)
• Ask other Club Officers to provide columns
• Send each issue to Area Governor
• Upcoming events and promotions, Member
  Achievements, Summarize meetings
• Put copies in Guest New Member packets

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Ricks Extra Standards

• Publish a Club Website
• Club meeting location, time, and contacts
• Member testimonials and profiles
• Club officer list
• Club resources downloads and links
• Agenda Templates
• Promotional flyers
• Guest new member orientation materials
• Links to other websites e.g. International,
  District 25
• Club dues structure, how to join, membership form
• Upcoming Events, Calendars
• Club Roster (may need to password protect)

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Ricks Extra Standards

• Publish a Club Website
• Newsletters Club, Area, Division, District
• Hall of Fame anything you can brag about
• CTMs, ATMs, CLs, ALs, DTMs,
• Holding District Office, serving on District
  Committees
• Speech contest winners
• Speech contest judges contests judged
• Outstanding Club Officers
• Sponsors, mentors for a new club
• Coaches for a rebuilding club
• District 25 Elite Members

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Ricks Extra Standards

• Publish a Club Website
• Hall of Fame anything you can brag about
• Club DCP achievements
• International promotions earnedTalk Up
  Toastmasters, Beat The Clock, andSmedley Award
  ribbons
• District promotions earned
• Talk to anyone who will listen
• Benefits of Club Toastmasters
• Club and member achievements
• When where club meets

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Resources

• Your Club Officer Manual
• Club President received one for every club office
  last May or June
• Get it from your predecessor
• Or order anotherfrom on-line storeor supply
  catalog
• District Store may sell itat TLIs and
  Conferences

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Resources

• Club officer notebook from your successor
• If they didnt make one, start one!
• Pass it on to your successor
• Internationals Publications
• Publicity Promotion HandbookLet The World
  Know
• Various Promotional Brochures
• Order from Supply Catalog or download from
  www.toastmasters.org
• DFW Media Guide

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Resources

• Your other club officers
• Form a Public Relations committeerecruit club
  members to help you
• Other VPs of PR in your Area
• Your Area Governor and their team
• Area Council Meetings
• Other District Officers
• Toastmasters Leadership Institute (TLI)
• District 25 Conferences

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Resources

• Internationals website www.toastmasters.org
• District 25s websitewww.d25toastmasters.org
• Division Es websitewww.midpa.com/toastmasters/D
  ivEVisit the Public Resources page!
• Links to Internationals publicity guide, DFW
  Media Guide, awesome promotional flyers from
  District 50
• Club and District websitesuse on-line search
  engines to find them

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Resources

• Free club websites available from
  freetoasthost.org!!
• Template based just fill in the blanks
• No software neededMaintain via admin pages
  right in the website
• On-line membership roster (password protected)
• Public and private downloads
• Club calendar
• On-line duty roster for meetings, members can
  update
• On-line discussion forums
• Meet The Members page
• Club DCP tracking, Individual member goals
• You can add custom pages

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Resources

• Free club websites available from
  freetoasthost.org!!
• District 25 clubs using freetoasthost.org
• Keller.freetoasthost.org
• FAA.freetoasthost.org
• PET.freethoasthost.org
• Lakeside.freetoasthost.org

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Creative Strategies

• Elevator Speech
• Host a Toastmasters table at events
• Employee conferences or HR trade shows for
  company clubs
• Community Events
• Entrepreneur shows
• Conduct free food meetings
• Discount Dues
• Donate a free membership to charity auctions,
  raffles, or employee events

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Brainstorming

• What are your challenges?
• What works at your club?
• What ideas have you thought of during this
  meeting?
• What have we missed?
• What do you want to know more about?

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Summary

• What does VP of PR do?
• Standards
• Resources
• Creative Strategies
• Brainstorming
• Your Challenges? What works?
• More questions? Feedback? Contact Rick Sharon at
  rasharon_at_midpa.com

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If you put into Toastmasters what you get out of
Toastmasters You will never get out of
Toastmasters!