On several occasions, Vlastimil Vesely and I have volunteered our time with Europe Unlimited, teaching Central European entrepreneurs how to present their business plans to an investor. The simplest part is teaching entrepreneurs what investors want to see in a business plan. By far, the greater challenge is coaching them on basic presentation skills.
Unfortunately, the art of public speaking is not much emphasized in Central European education. Nevertheless, if you have any ambition in business or public life, there comes a time when you will need to stand up and present your ideas to an audience. You will have to win that sale, convince your colleagues, win new partners and if you’re especially persuasive you might one day address the board of directors and the media.
The good news is there’s an easy way to learn how to speak in public, and you can take part in each of our CENTROPE countries.
For the last three years, I’ve taken part in Toastmasters here in Budapest. Toastmasters is an international club dedicated to helping its members master the art of public speaking. You learn delivering speeches to the group and hearing their constructive feedback. Your first speech is called the ‘icebreaker’ because you introduce yourself to the group. Most people are nervous about (or even terrified) of speaking in public, but the group offers a supportive environment to learn and improve.
Toastmasters meets regularly in Budapest, Vienna, Bratislava, Prague and Zagreb, as well as hundreds of other places around the world. I’m now the president of the Budapest club. Last week, the Budapest team won three out of four top prizes at a regional competition in Vienna. (I won first prize as a speech evaluator.)
A recession is an ideal time to learn a new skill. Why not visit a meeting in your city and see what you think?
Here’s a link to the Budapest Toastmasters club.
You can find a meeting in your town on the Toastmasters International site.
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