Strong leadership and communication skills are vital for many professionals. In particular one needs to communicate well with the clients and the other employees. Unfortunately, schools put great emphasis on examination and academic achievements and disregard equipping students with pivotal skills such as leadership, time management, critical thinking, survival, decision making, communication and public speaking. Public speaking training helps one to build confidence, to manage time and become a good decision maker and is a must for one to compete in the business world and also to be a good leader. It then suffices that a marketer has to have excellent communication skills and a leader must have good management skills.
At Toastmasters seminars one gets excellent training in public speaking and guests are free to attend and participate in these seminars that are held in many venues. For marketers and salespersons afraid of standing in front of the crowd it is a good start to attend these seminars and be trained at Toastmasters. Standing in front of the potential customers puts one within a handshaking distance of attaining good prospects and a big possibility of closing sales before leaving the room. Speaking is a marketing strategy that is mandatory if one has to win customers and get referrals. Although one-on-one meetings with the customers is also a good idea selling goods and services in front of a crowd offers better prospects as one is able to reach to a bigger audience. Having good communication skills and speaking regularly fills the prospect pipelines and ensures there is a steady stream of new buyers.
On the other hand good managers need excellent communication skills to ensure they effectively carry out their duties. As already indicated a leader should be a good speaker as he or she is required to hold regular meetings with the employees in order to build a strong sense of community and ensure there is effective communication throughout the company. According to McMara (2010) besides problem solving, decision making, planning, delegation, self management and meetings management, communication is one of the basic skills in management and leadership. Managers are also required to direct and lead the other employees and they cannot be able to handle this task adequately if they have low esteem and lack self confidence. Voyagers seminars offer solution to those wanting to become better managers and good speakers. Moreover, the weekly meetings and seminars are resourceful to anyone yearning to develop and enhance communication and management skills while improving personal growth and self-confidence.
These skills are not reserved for those in marketing and in management positions but they are resourceful for everyone in day to day life. For instance, a coach is required to motivate his players and counsel them on how to deal with the off-field problems and the voyager’s experience makes him to become a better leader. The first rate speaking and listening skills acquired at Voyagers Toastmasters give coaches and the managers the courage to communicate with players and motivate the employees who are required to contribute to other functions in an organization. On the other hand, communication skills are very important to those working in marketing sector and the Voyagers Toastmasters is resourceful in helping them attract more clients and gain more credibility through speech. A common slogan says ‘speaking is selling’ and this proves true for the marketers who are supposed to sharpen their marketing skills through public speaking.
References
McMara, C. (2010). Basic Skills in Management and Leadership. http://managementhelp.org/fp_ progs/mng_mod/mng_ldr.htm accessed on January 4, 2010
