English Toastmasters Association

I am very pleasantly surprised to find a really professional attitude and approach to the wedding business, but it appears to be by only a very small number of companies.

Some people understand networking, but strategic alliances take a lot of working at and need deeper knowledge and care.  There is so much to be gained from spending time with the right people so that knowledge may be shared and working parnerships formed with non competitive professions in our business. 

I enjoy learning from the professionals in our business.  It does not matter what other professions we are working with, it will serve us well to get to know how to give them the best level of help and to make sure that they are able to furnish our mutual clients with the best possible results.  The business of giving our clients the best possible help, advice and service is what we are about.  Any time that you can spend with our colleagues in the other professions, will be justly rewarded with a higher level of knowledge that you can use for helping them to achieve higher levels of service and results for our mutual clients.  To work in harmony with our colleagues will enhance your relationship with them and help to create a true understanding of what our work is about.

I am truly amazed that there are some more people out there that also care for their clients to the same demanding standards that we at the English Toastmasters Association try to work to.  To some people their work is just a job.  Our work should be a passion for excellence and this will show when you are working with or helping anyone around you.  If you do not feel the passion - you are in the wrong line of work!!!!!!!

There  is a difference between doing a job and being passionate about excellent client service.  When you are passionate about making your clients feel special and about being the best in the business, the satisfaction obtained from each job is much higher.

Andrew Morgan Toastmaster came over earlier in the week to discuss moving our services to an even higher level.  I need all of our members to give me feed back about how they see the English Toastmasters Association, in terms of gaining greater awareness from potential clients.  Why are we so different from other Associations?  We aim to be more professional in our approach to potential new members and our clients.  We focuss on our clients needs and look for the best ways to meet those needs with a wow factor.  We are passionate about our work and about learning and growing together.  We share our experiences and our knowledge to help each other progress.  There is a great deal of satisfaction in sharing knowledge and all growing together.  There is also cover for each other, if ever there should be an issue about looking after clients.  Our clients should all have total peace of mind when using a member of The English Toastmasters Association, safe in the knowledge that we all care about each other and our clients.

Thank you Iain Wagstaff for your time on Wednesday (Wednesday 14th May 2008) ( iainwagstaff.co.uk ).  Iain is a very kind and gentle man who is a real pleasure to work with.  The DVDs that he produces are absolutely top notch quality and Iain was very kind to me during a wedding that we worked at on Sunday 6th April at Parklands, Quendon.  It was great to find out just how passionate Iain is about his work and getting the video just right for his clients.  He dresses in a suit when working and is very unobtrusive.  The fly on the wall approach.

Thank you Dave Court for your time yesterday (Thursday 15th May 2008)( www.courtoncamera.co.uk ).  Dave is always so helpful and is a truely great professional to work with.  Dave is another quietly calm, gentle giant who is always passionate about his work and the quality of service that he offers to his clients.

This is only a short start to our blog page, but I will make the time to get as much useful and helpful information here as possible.  Please do not hold back with your comments, I am always willing to learn.

I have had a comment about not belonging to the Toastmasters General Council and why we are not a member.  The most useful thing about the TGC from discussions with other members, is the £2,000,000.00 Public Liability Insurance that they are able to provide.  We have this insurance as a group from a major insurance broker and they are pleased to extend this insurance to a higher lever for any members that would like to make use of this facility.  The brokers are also willing to offer advantageous terms to our members for any other insurance services that they offer.  For our members, please see the members area for full details of these offers.

Excellent news.

Quality is appreciated, and we are getting an influx of excellent quality enquiries from potential new toastmasters who will be very client focussed.

I have to rush now as I am off to the Royal Chace near Enfield to meet up with Jeff Best ( www.toastmasterbest.co.uk ) to learn more about Jewish functions. 

Now 19.05hrs on Friday 16th May 2008.   Back from meeting with Jeff.  Jeff has a real passion for his work.  He loves to work for brides on their wedding day, and he puts his heart into it.  Thank you Jeff for your help, advice and professionalism, and for the couple.

Since writing my previous comments, Jeff has agreed that some brides and potential clients may like to see some testimonials.  He has loads but has not realised that they may influence potential new clients as to the quality of the services that he delivers.  I have persuaded Jeff to let me put a few of his excellent testimonials on our site, on his member's page.

We are seeing more members go through their training and join the association.  Quality of service delivery is a prime consideration for potential new members.  A good way to determine the quality of service delivered by our members is from their client testimonials.  Please do not hold back on letting me have any testimonials for your members pages.

Very best wishes everyone

Richard Palmer

Exciting news

My wife (Linda) and I, Richard Palmer, have been very lucky and privileged to meet with two very kind gentlemen who are twin brothers, Partrick and Richard Stevenson, and are the great grandsons of William Knightsmith, the very first toastmaster to wear the red jacket in London in 1894.

Patrick (left) and Richard Stevenson holding a picture of their great grandfather.

The original was displayed in the Tudor Suite at the Cafe Royal, but is now safely back in the hands of The National Association of Toastmasters whilst the building undergoes major refurbishment.

What lovely and kind gentlemen.  We had a very enjoyable and informative meeting where we learnt so much more about their great grandfather, who was known as The London Toastmaster.   We now have so much more information about the great man who was the greatest toastmaster in our history and we look forward to sharing that information over the course of the next few months.

It is with sadness that we have learnt about the death of Ivor Spencer MBE, one of the greatest toastmasters of our time.  Born on 20th November 1924, he died at the age of 84 on 10th January 2009.  He is survived by his wife, son and daughter.

Ivor Spencer had an easy but respectful relationship with most members of the Royal Family and it was said that the Queen Mother was his favourite.

Ivor Spencer was the Founder and Life President of the Guild of International Professional Toastmasters which he established over thirty years ago, a Deputy Lieutenant for Greater London, and in his role as a master of ceremonies he officiated at well over 1,000 royal occasions, an achievement that became the subject of a congratulatory parliamentary motion after his 1,000th event in 1992.

He derived wry amusement and pride from being labelled “a snob” by the late Princess of Wales.  One of his favourite members of the Royal Family was Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, and on her landmark birthdays he and his fraternity of toastmasters would be in attendance at Clarence House to present her with a Nebuchadnezzar of champagne, the equivalent of 20 bottles.  Ivor Spencer told her: “It will be very nice when your family come round,” to which Her Majesty, who hugely enjoyed a tipple, replied: “Even if they don’t, I’ll polish it off myself.”

Now for something completely different - The NSPCC

At the English Toastmasters Association members meeting on Tuesday 21st October 2008, we discussed working for charities.  This is an odd ball in the way that I have tackled it. 

I (Richard Palmer) had a call from the NSPCC who needed help and fast.  They wanted a fire breather to do a stunt at the Colchester United Football Club at 10.00am, Friday 24th October.  Well here is the photo of me in action.  I'm the guy breathing fire at the back.  This picture was taken by David at www.stourvalleyphotography.com     Now where does this lead to. 

They have just had their Emerald Ball on Saturday 29th November 2008 at the Colchester United Football Club stadium.  I was their toastmaster and what a fabulous and excellent night out it was all in aid of the NSPCC.  Please go to www.colchesternspccbusinessgroup.org.uk to get more information about their group or make donations.