Talk is cheap. Speaking well is an invaluable skill.

The members of Lake Mary Toastmaster’s Club 6440 know that better than most people.

Every Tuesday morning at 7:30 a.m. they meet in the back conference room of Panera’s Bakery on Lake Mary Boulevard. They tune out the coffee talk and morning chatter in the rest of the restaurant to take turns carefully speaking, listening, and critiquing each other.

Some are salespeople whose jobs depend on their giving effective presentations. Some are managers who want to do a better job of leading meetings at work. Some are retirees who just want to be able to speak up at their homeowners’ meetings.

But all of them know that by speaking better in public, they can improve themselves, advance in their careers, and, in many cases, dramatically change their lives.

“It’s really good for business skills,” says club president Julia Kauffman. “But the added benefit is that you learn a lot because everyone is from a different walk of life. You’ve got programmers, businessmen and women, college students, and retirees. We have such a variety of people, and when you hear their stories, it’s a great opportunity to broaden your horizons.”

Toastmasters, because of its structured programs and the support of fellow Toastmasters, is one of the best and relatively painless ways to overcome the fear of public speaking, which can rank right up there with the fear of death, according to researchers.

“Toastmasters creates a growing, supportive environment where you can go and improve yourself without fear of failing,” says Chris Brown of Trinity Mortgage in Lake Mary. “You realize that every person you talk to at a meeting is in a supportive mind-set. They’ve got the same fears you do and go through the same steps you do. It creates that atmosphere of ‘it’s okay to mess up and fail,’ because everyone is there for the same reason and wants to help you, as opposed to the real world.”

Once you get past that fear and it symptoms – sweaty hands, dry mouth, knotted stomach — your world opens up, says Julia.

“It made a huge difference for me,” she says. “I was petrified of speaking to a group, and (Toastmasters) got me past that. This is my third year and when I look back I’m amazed at my progress. I work for Scholastic, and now I do training sessions abroad. I got a promotion because it boosted my confidence in terms of speaking in front of people.”

Longwood resident Bob Moore’s employment life depended on his being able to speak effectively.

“A change of management at my job put me in a position where I needed to be in front of senior executives at Convergys on a regular basis,” he explains. “If I hadn’t been participating in Toastmasters for a year, I probably wouldn’t be employed today. It made a huge difference.

“The older I get, the more I realize it is key talent to be able to get in front of a crowd, speak eloquently, and be comfortable, because the message is so much stronger if you don’t have that tense feeling inside that most people have when they speak in front of a crowd. It really can change people’s lives.”

Toastmaster Marc April, a public relations coordinator with Qualified Marketing Group in Lake Mary, has a similar story. But he saw his career path take a dramatic turn during a recent Toastmasters competition.

He was about to participate in “Table Topics,” an impromptu speaking competition in which contestants have no prior knowledge of the topic, but are asked to speak for two minutes immediately after the topic is announced.

If that wasn’t enough stress – just then his boss walked into the room!

“I was a bit nervous as this was my first time competing and I had just joined the club in November,” says Marc. “As I began to relax, I noticed a figure entering the room. At first I paid no attention and then I realized it was the CEO of the company I work for. Talk about putting on the pressure. Not only am I competing against people that have been in the club for years, but now I competing against them in front of my CEO.”

Contestants drew numbers to determine speaking order, and Marc drew the last position, making him the “grand finale.”

“As I walked onto the stage, everyone was looking at me,” he remembers. “Dead center in the room was my CEO. The topic I was to speak on was my most memorable moment, so I began telling them the story of my first Habitat for Humanity experience. After my two minutes were finished, I had captivated the audience and especially my CEO. I won the division competition and the respect and admiration of my CEO.”

Toastmasters International was founded in 1924 in Santa Ana, California. The first club met in the basement of the local YMCA. Today there are more than 10,500 clubs and more than 200,000 members in 90 countries.

Toni Gitles of Lake Mary joined the Central Florida Facilitators Toastmasters Club #9958 in Altamonte Springs, shortly after leaving the healthcare field in 1998 to pursue a career as a motivational speaker

“I wanted to try out material and get feedback and polish my speaking skills,” she explains. She was pleasantly surprised to learn Toastmasters also offers leadership training.

“Since 2003 I’ve been an officer in my club. It has given me a lot of skills and training I didn’t know available,” she says.

She was the group’s president until July 1 when she became area governor and took on the responsibility of leading seven local clubs.

Toastmasters has helped her as a motivational speaker, says Toni, who also runs her own business called Heart Pages to help people write their life stories. But she says it can help just about anyone learn to speak better and be a better leader.

For proof she points to her 90-year-old mom May, who lives at Heritage at Lake Forest in Sanford. After attending meetings as a guest for many months, May gave her first Toastmasters speech at her daughter’s club this past February. For her topic she chose how she met her “Prince Charming” — her late husband Manny.

When she finished her seven-minute presentation, she got a standing ovation, the first in the club’s history.

“She had the audience both laughing and in tears,” says her daughter. “The club demonstrates that every person, no matter what age, background, or profession, is a contributor. Beginners and experienced speakers learn from each other all the time.”

For more information, visit Toastmasters.org