On January 16th, 2024, JCI Luxembourg organized its first monthly training session of the year at the Chamber of Commerce. The focus of this session? Getting to grips with the basics of effective Public Speaking, a skills everybody needs in their daily lives. Participants delved into specifics of what makes for a good public speaker and what not to do. This session aimed to equip attendees with actionable insights, empowering them to makes visible strides to become better public speakers.

The training was led by Dirk Daenen, an accomplished educator and psychologist, who serves in the Ministry of Education, impacting lives from high school through university levels. As Managing Director of a social organization, he spearheads diverse events, notably TEDxLuxembourgCity. In the academic realm, his focus as a lecturer and PhD candidate lies in public speaking and human cognition. With a rich tapestry of 30 years’ international experience, Dirk has been a pivotal figure in teaching and coaching across various sectors—from the European Parliament to Fortune 100 companies and dynamic start-ups, spanning multiple continents. Attendees were privileged to gain insights from Dirk’s expertise in performing a great speech or talk in pblic.

Participants learned that public speaking is “all about perception” and everything we do when speaking about a topic is a matter of how we present it. Dirk covered all areas of public speaking with a special focus on how you present information with your voice, tone, body language. Using his many years of experience and many stories from working in the public speaking industry for so long, Dirk enlightened us with easy tricks one can use to grab an audience’s attention and retain to deliver a given message effectively.

Public speaking is a vital skill with broad implications for success in many realms. It can boost one’s confidence when done correctly. Throughout the training Dirk placed a lot of emphasis on confidence and being aware of the space around us and how to use it well. Participants were able to witness the impact of these insights with some light hearted and fun demonstrations.

As we wrap up our training, we’re filled with enthusiasm and determination to apply these valuable insights in our everyday lives. Mastering this key skill equips individuals to navigate the modern world with conviction and impact.