3. What Factors Should You Watch For?

3.1. The New Guest Packet

Would you like a tool that helps introduce the value and experience of Toastmasters to new guests, even after they leave your club? What about something that can help guests immediately sign up to become members? The new guest packet can do this.

With that being said, what should be in your physical new guest packet? Here's a checklist of items to include; adjust them according to your club's needs and ideas.

  • The folder itself can be plain folders you can buy in bulk, envelopes, or Toastmasters-branded folders
  • A copy of a Toastmasters Magazine (have members bring in issues they don't want), or a printed article relevant to your club (that someone in the club creates to avoid copyright issues)
  • A Toastmasters new member application
  • The Features, Benefits, and Value chart
  • The Mini-Survey, available in the resources section. The mini-survey is a way to capture guest information and should be used in conjunction with your guestbook. Be sure to instruct the guest to fill out the survey and turn it in before the end of the meeting, and get that survey to the membership committee
  • Brochures, including Confidence: The Voice of Leadership and Find Your Voice, preferably with a sticker listing your club's name and marketing site URL
  • A dues chart (sample available in the resource section)
  • Ice Breaker sample

For guests that show up at your meeting, this packet will do a number of things:

  • It will help introduce the value of Toastmasters and your club
  • It will give the guest something to take home so they think about your club a bit more than just coming to the meeting
  • It gives you something to talk about with guests; walk them through the packet contents
  • It allows the guest to sign up immediately if they like at the meeting
  • The mini-survey will help identify guest wants as well as serves as a backup method for collecting contact information
You should hold a "packet party" whenever your stock runs low. Have the materials printed and assemble a few sample packets. You should make around 30-50 packets, depending on how many guests you get. This should keep you supplied for a year. Keep a minimum of ten on hand at your meeting.

In addition, it can help to have a digital version of the new guest packet available on your marketing site. This should have:

  • A letter from the VPM
  • A New Guest Orientation Guide
  • A new membership application
  • A copy of the dues chart
  • Digital versions of the Features, Benefits, and Value chart, plus the brochures from above

A sample version you can customize to your club's needs is available in the resources section of this course. It's useful to refer to prospects who call or e-mail you so those who want to get started can do so.