William Benkő was brought up in the United States, where he was exposed to many people with self-confidence. He was surprised to see how many people are struggling with low self-confidence in Hungary, a country full of extraordinary talents struggling to find a voice. We are afraid to stand up for ourselves , to openly express our ideas in public and to defend them without feeling attacked. However, a successful country needs confident citizens. We need people, who trust themselves. If they trust themselves, they will take risks and dare to do things others only dream of. According to William Benkő, the shortest way to build and improve self-confidence is by practicing public speaking. Most people detest speaking in public. If you want to get ahead of your competition, do what they don’t want to do. That is the main reason why he has established the Speak Academy, because you need a tool to build the confidence.
Those, who have excellent communication skills, find that they achieve greater success in their business and personal life. Everyone can improve in their speaking, even if they are more quiet and shy by nature and feel anxious about standing in front of the audience; but it takes more than wanting to be better. You have to apply yourself. We agree with Ralph Waldo Emerson’s words -impressive and influential speaker of the 19th century -, saying that:
„ All the great speakers were bad speakers at first”.
In the workshops at Speak Academy, step-by-step we help break down the discomfort associated with speaking. We find topics tthe students can not only identify with, but simultaneously encourages them to speak. We provide ample feedback to guide them along the way. We also coax emotions from them to add spice to their speeches. As for a topic, they are encouraged to talk about a personal experience, which had a profound effect on the speaker. As these stories unfold, we realize again and again that we humans have a lot more in common than we may have thought.
The specific topic of the graduation speech can be a personal, inspirational response to an important social issue as well. The world is full of serious problems and conflicts, so our mission is to contribute to their solutions with the help and power of public speaking.
The training consists of 12 two-hour sessions. We work in groups, listen to one another, and give feedback and support. At the end, we organize a Graduation Gala, where the students give their first public speech in front of their family, friends and guests. After hearty rounds of applause, the students are presented with their certificates.
