Excerpts from Lucille's notes:

As I visit clubs throughout the valley, I am astounded by the variety of Public Relations I see from one club to another. Gilbert Toastmasters has a sign in their restaurant. It's called "Silent Witnessing." They tell me they regularly draw new members from it. Dobson Toastmasters has a flyer at the cash register. Diners can't help but see it. One of our Leaders Plus members hangs her club awards in her cubicle at work --- next to her family pictures. These people are achieving results. They are getting the news out that we are a good organization.

Creative Public Relations is the most important and most cost effective way of marketing our organization. 

What are the objectives of PR? Here are four:
1) increasing visibility, 2) improving image, 3) attracting new members 4) building goodwill.

1. Increase visibility:  According to the experts you can never have enough visibility. You must have a well defined PR strategy. Think ahead and plan. 

Our August plan included: a) Club contests. New Horizons Toastmasters started a contest to wear their pins on club day. To make it fun, they formed groups. Losers brought popcorn for the winners next week. 
b) To be prepared with the 16 second elevator speech on why I joined Toastmasters. c) I asked people to help me blanket the neighborhoods with flyers, or what is called silent witnesses. d) We also set up a web site of publicity templates (wwww.angelfire.com/az/2/d3tmPR).

In October I'm asking Toastmasters in Arizona to check their signs where they're have their club meetings, both inside and outside, and to use bumper stickers and license tag holders. Let's advertise like Mary Kay: be a reminder as people are driving or stuck on the freeways.

2. Improve image. You should always be concerned about your organization's image in the eyes of potential guest/members and your community. Let's use November to organize the party and organize the newspapers by January.  For ideas, check the site for copies of last year's winners. 

3. New members.  Good PR gets you visibility which gets you new people. Without new members, your club is toast. PR needs to be an essential part of all club's marketing plan. Wouldn't it be silly to think of belonging to a club with only you as a member?

As Toast Medic for the ASU club, our most effective PR was to get the Masters Business Department to let us send a simple invitation to the members. a) we had to have a solid group to get the students to stay once they did show. We went from myself, Dee Dees, Art Neito, and two students to a current membership of 40.

4. Build Goodwill: Building goodwill will not only increase participation, it will help you through drops in membership. In fact when you buy a company the good will is expensive. Invite the boss, have an open house in December and brag about having the boss there.

There is no magic formula for promoting Toastmasters. It is as simple as letting those who surround us each day know of the experiences we enjoy. Your love of Toastmasters allows you to share your interest in a friendly effective way even at a copy machine.