Speech trainers’ advice: Strive to be magical

“You can’t be magical all the time, but you can strive to be magical all the time,” said Dutch speech trainer Bas Mouton. “Take risks, and step outside your comfort zone because that is where the magic lies,” he added.

Mouton, founder of Speech Republic, a communications training and consultancy group based in The Netherlands, was in the Philippines in January 2019 for a series of workshops. Together with vocal coach Jurko van Veenendaal, they shared their formula for effective communications: Let me tell you something -

• More me: Show your strongest self, even when it scares you
• More you: Inspire others to take action and display real leadership
• More something: Have the courage to say what you want, even when the going gets tough

​14 staff of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF) attended the workshop. Representatives from FNF Offices in Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam joined the activity. “One particular aspect that made this training different from other trainings is the fact that the participants were taught to think of the positive values that they possess instead of focusing on their shortcomings as a communicator. We’re reminded of the “me” component that creates magic,” shared FNF Malaysia Program Manager Vera Putri.

The group also became students of a writeshop conducted by Philippine Daily Inquirer columnist John Nery. Nery summarized his tips on news writing with FNSt:

F – frontloaded: all the important information should be in the first two paragraphs
N – noteworthy: the significance of news varies on the audience
S – simplified: use active voice and action verbs, and simple sentences
T – topical: the story should be relevant

Nery encouraged the Foundation staff to write opinion-editorials as well, highlighting that the Foundation can offer valuable viewpoints on liberal democracy especially today when it is under attack.

FNF recognizes the role of effective media relations and communications to reach more people. “Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not around,” defined Liberal Party of the Philippines’ Deputy Director General for Communications Kael Co who was also a speaker at the workshop. FNF is building a global profile that positions itself as the creative innovation platform for the promotion of freedom.