Did you know that the average person ranks the fear of public speaking above death?
True story. Almost 75% of people are terrified to speak in front of others whether it’s an interview, a small meeting, an important monthly presentation or speaking at a conference.

However, there are only a few skills that can bring you more opportunities in life and one of them is the ability to speak well in public. Katarina Kovalcik knows well why this skill is so important. After winning the European Championship in Public Speaking in 2011, she created dedicated her professional life to helping others “shake off” their fears of public speaking and enhance their personal development.

We had a quick conversation with Katarina. Let’s hear the expert’s opinion:

What makes a good speaker… well, good?

A good speaker is one who knows how to say things he cares about in a way that makes other people care about them, too.

Why do you think speaking skills play a pivotal role in our career?

If you care about what you do (which I hope you do), you naturally want other people such as your employees, colleagues or clients to care too. We cannot succeed on our own. Sometimes, people view things differently and therefore do not always care about the things others do. As a good speaker, you can show them with words how you view the world and help them understand and make a CHANGE.

Tell us about the training you will lead. How interactive will it be?

Very much, every single piece of theory, every single tip or technique you will have the chance to try out and see the difference. Hear the difference! Feel the difference!

Can a two-day workshop actually impact my speaking skills?

Yes, very much

But how? Is it because of the personal feedback you will give to each attendee? Can you explain?

You, the participants, will be my training material. I will not bore you with power points or theoretical lectures on how to present. Everyone has had enough of that already. I will ask you to show me how you speak, give you feedback and some practical tips on what you can do differently. Then, you will speak again to see that it works and help others see that, too. I found that that’s the best way I found how we can learn together.

What are the key- takeaways?

These are probably going to be a little different for everybody. However, the usual takeaways are these:

• You will be more confident when it comes to public speaking.
• You will be more persuasive and convincing as a speaker.
• You will know how to speak simply even about complex topics.
• Your voice will be more powerful and you will know what to do with your body language.
• You will enjoy speaking.