New year new skills: Brussels Toastmasters boost confidence in public speaking

If part of your job involves giving speeches and presentations, and you dread the idea of perspiring in front of a bored audience, who impatiently check their watches as you stumble over your words, then an organisation here in Brussels can help.

Toastmasters International is an international group which has been teaching people how to give the perfect speech as well as providing leadership skills. The first Toastmasters club was founded in California in 1924, and currently 15,900 clubs exist in 142 countries, with several clubs in the Brussels region.

The ingredients used to make a perfect speech in Toastmasters are the same as in the corporate world says Carsten Wendt, president of the Brussels Toastmasters Club. "So many speeches in the corporate world are very boring. People try to give you a lot of information but don’t vary the energy. You need to add your passion and personality and show a willingness to impress people."

The first thing newcomers may notice about Toastmasters are the structured methods used when teaching public speaking and leadership skills. New members have to complete up to 10 different assignments with a big emphasis on evaluation and feedback. "We learn step by step and this has helped me grow as a public speaker beyond what I ever imagined," says Wendt.

Embracing failure

"The most important part of delivering a speech is to receive the right feedback in order to grow," says Kirsten Ujvari, Toastmasters education manager and president of the Artful Orators, an advanced Toastmasters club in Brussels.

Ujvari believes you have to fail first in order to properly succeed. "It depends on how you bounce back - people here are very nice and help you through the fear of failing. You can experiment and nothing will happen to you as opposed to a work environment where there could be consequences."

So the role of speech evaluators is of utmost importance. "It has to be very personal, constructive, requires active listening and must motivate the speaker to help them improve," says member and speech evaluator Blaga Popova. "I love the appreciation that speakers have for feedback."

Advancement

After completing the 10 assignments in Brussels Toastmasters, progression is possible through a recent initiative, called the Artful Orators, designed for those who want to further challenge themselves to become the perfect communicator.

This involves undertaking a series of challenging projects. Toastmaster and Artful Orator Sandra Lizioli describes it as "a space where advanced speakers can continue to learn".

She says: "You look at your own professional environment then pick a manual which best suits where you are professionally. You can go further and deeper with these advanced manuals. These can include becoming an entertaining speaker, a professional speaker or a discussion forum leader."

Daniel Mouqué is one example of the club's success stories. He become the first Belgian member to address the world finals of public speaking in Toastmasters, in front of 3,000 people in Washington DC. His preparation involved lots of practice, giving his speech, about his grandfather’s role in the second world war, to more than 30 clubs in Europe, receiving feedback and constantly tweaking it before the finals in August 2016.

"Something can sound good in your head but on stage it might not sound so great so you need feedback," says Mouqué.

While not on many schools' curriculums, public speaking can be an important part of professional life. Despite not winning in Washington, Mouqué described it as an "incredible experience and a real challenge".

Respecting time limits

Timeliness in presenting is a key leadership skill taught in Toastmasters. "Some corporate meetings go horrendously overtime," says Egwin Gonthier, a member of the Antwerp Toastmasters and regular visitor to the Brussels club. "Timeliness shows respect to your audience. An event that goes over time does not show respect. When you give a speech you are not the only star of the show."

As a testament to the success of Toastmasters, clubs are now springing up in several corporate organisations, such as Ernst and Young and Deloitte. In addition, several bilingual clubs are also forming among the various nationalities in Brussels.

Luc Bollen, of the Dutch-English language Atomium Toastmasters club says that given the linguistic diversity in Brussels, several different bi-lingual clubs now exist, combining English with French, Dutch, German, Spanish, Italian or Romanian.

"There are several way to conduct a bilingual meeting," he says. "In the Atomium Toastmasters we explain things simultaneously in both languages, but our members do speeches in the language they are most comfortable with."

New bilingual clubs are in the pipeline. "It’s amazing for someone coming from another country to a new city like Brussels to find there’s a Toastmasters club in their language," adds Bollen.

Using the body to speak

While people understand what is being said in a speech, body movement is as noticeable and significant, says Artful Orator Marzena Gawenda. "How you present yourself on stage will give people clues as to who you are and how confident you are. It’s an important factor in being a competent communicator and getting your message across."

Improvisation is also an important skill: "People can train themselves by exposing themselves to situations that require improvisation. We do 'table topic' contests where people are suddenly thrown a topic, they have a few seconds to think and then have to talk about something meaningful, creative and interesting on the topic."

Toastmasters is open to anyone who wants to improve their public speaking, be it for professional reasons or a desire to boost confidence and overcome shyness.

"There’s no such thing as not being a naturally born speaker - some just find it easier while others are more introvert. This is a safe place to try out your ability to deliver a message," says Popova.

http://www.toastmasters.be