A new English speaking club in Szeged is about to be formed, and Csaba is one of the founding members of the Sun City Toastmasters. A new club usually needs to recruit new members, and oftentimes the best strategy for this is to ask old members to talk about their experiences as Toasties to bring the Toastmasters atmosphere closer to potential Toastmasters club members.

As you know, Toastmasters is a perfect place to practice leadership skills, too. Csaba is currently the Vice President of Public Relations in both the Hungarian and the English club. The VPPR’s responsibility is to “generate positive awareness of the Toastmasters brand”. They keep the public (external audience) and members (internal audience) informed about club activities through effective communication channels and media relations. Csaba is doing an excellent job in this role as his enthusiasm and commitment to spreading the Toastmasters message are undiminished.

When did you join Toastmasters?

I joined Toastmasters two and a half years ago. I attended several meetings when I realized that I really have to commit myself for the long term because I knew this is the place where I can develop my communication skills.

What was your initial motivation to join the club?

At my new workplace, I realized that I am not self-confident enough when it comes to communication. I felt the lack of routine and practice so I decided to improve my communication skills at Toastmasters to be able to handle everyday situations better in my new position.

How did this motivation change over time?

It changed more than I expected. I learned the structure of Toastmasters meetings, I tried different roles and took new challenges as a club member. This initial knowledge gave me the motivation to try more and more things. I started with the „safe” challenges, which were closer to me. Then later I decided to face bigger challenges where I felt myself out of my comfort zone. The club is a safe place to practice.

What did you benefit from the club?

I became more self-confident which has a positive impact on my professional and private life. I’m braver to take new challenges because I learned it in my club that I either win a prize or an experience. I took challenges I have never dreamt of, for example, I participated in a German speech contest in Bratislava where I won the first prize. It was a wow experience!

Do you hold a position in the club management?

Last year I was the Sergeant at Arms in my Hungarian speaking home club (Ez a Beszéd Szeged Toastmasters Club), and this year I have started in the position of PR. Since I already collaborated with the last PR manager it gave me the idea to try it.  By the way, I plan to take the same role in the English speaking club, too.

How much do you prepare for a speech and what are the difficulties you are facing during the preparation?

I need one or two weeks to prepare for a speech. During this time I transform the idea into a structured text, I learn the speech and practice the stage presence. I usually practice in front of the mirror or video record it because this way I can immediately see what to improve. The biggest difficulty is multitasking because for me it is not easy to focus on my voice and body language at the same time. (The solution is to practice, practice and practice.) 

What is the difference to prepare a speech in English than in Hungarian?

I try to use the same technique in English as in Hungarian but it is a double challenge because I try to bring the same speech quality and try to be as correct as I can be. My technique in Hungarian already works but I think, in a foreign language the best way is a combination of „learning the main expressions and the main parts of the text by heart” and „using a more natural, improvised technique for the rest of the speech”.

What is your motivation for joining the English speaking club?

At work I mainly use German but last year I had the opportunity to try myself in English too. It was only a temporary offer but I decided if next time the opportunity knocks on my door, I will take it. That’s why my plan is to improve my English speaking skills.