‘IT’S good to talk’ was a tagline that became synonymous with a leading British telecoms firm but that sentiment has been championed on a global stage by one of the world’s most popular international associations with a long history of empowering people in Bahrain.

Toastmasters began as a series of speaking clubs organised in the USA by youth association education head Ralph C. Smedley in the early 1900s to help people to learn how to speak, conduct meetings, plan programmes and work on committees.

The word spread and the need is just as great, if not more so, today, according to Bahraini Khurram Salman, immediate past district director of Toastmasters District 20 in Bahrain & Kuwait.

“Public Speaking has formed an integral aspect of our daily lives,” the 26-year-old from Riffa said. “No matter which field you’re in, at one point or another, you’d have to get involved in public speaking.

“Pick up any great leader in history and you’d find they are were skilled orators and great public speakers. It is through effective public speaking that leaders have been able to inspire, inform and motivate others and change the world.

“With workplaces expanding and the need to communicate better becoming more imminent, public speaking skills are not an option but a ‘must have’. As American business magnate Warren Buffet says if you can’t communicate and talk to other people and get across your ideas, ‘you’re giving up your potential’. Which is why joining organisations such as Toastmasters is more vital now than ever before.”
According to Toastmasters, some of the most famous people in the world tremble at the thought of speaking in front of an audience. Anyone can suffer from glossophobia and get assistance to tackle it.
When Hollywood star Samuel L. Jackson, for example, was a child, his speech therapist suggested acting to help combat his debilitating stutter and speaking phobia. He went on to win an Academy Award and appear in more than 120 movies. Julia Roberts went from a stutterer with a fear of public speaking to giving a memorable acceptance speech when she won the Best Actress Oscar for Erin Brockovich in 2001.
Mr Salman, recruitment and outreach officer at the British University of Bahrain, said he was ‘lucky enough’ to have started in the world of public speaking aged nine by being a part of a youth leadership programme.

“Since then, Toastmasters and public speaking has shaped much of my life,” he explained. “Personally, the biggest development I’ve had from Toastmasters is that of confidence.

“It has helped me develop confidence to communicate and present ideas effectively, deal with and lead people, work in teams along with developing project management skills – to name a few.

“Professionally, Toastmasters helped me secure my first and second job since it not only helps you develop your personality, but also puts you in a supportive and encouraging group of individuals.

“My current work is all about dealing with people and speaking in front of an audience and I’m able to do that effectively due to Toastmasters. A huge credit of any success in my career goes to Toastmasters and the skills I’ve gained from it.”

His top three tips for overcoming a fear of public speaking are:

·         Deep breaths: Whenever you’re about to go on stage and start getting sweaty palms and heart palpitations, deep breaths can do wonders

·         Practice and practice: It’s always best to know your material so you’re confident with it. Practice as often as you can, by yourself, among friends etc. It’s always best to practice among people you’re comfortable with so you could get some constructive feedback to build yourself upon. It’s best to visualise your speech as a success while you’re practicing.

·         Start small – public speaking is a skill and like any other skill, it develops over time and the more efforts you’ll put into it – the better you will become at it. Since it may be hard at first, start small. Start with a group of supportive friends or colleagues. Eventually there comes a time when the size of the audience becomes irrelevant.

There are numerous well-established Toastmasters clubs in the kingdom. In fact, this week GDNonline highlighted the Indian Club Toastmasters Bahrain celebrating its 30th anniversary at the Crowne Plaza Bahrain.

The best way to find out more about Toastmasters is to visit   https://www.toastmasters.org/find-a-club and search for one that would fit your timings. Whenever you decide to go to a club, be sure to call them up, search on their social media and try out more than one club before joining, Mr Salman suggests.