Every person has a unique story to share.
Sometimes, though, they need a little help telling it. That’s where Speak Prep comes in.
The newly formed company is the brainchild of Randa Bassil, a Halton resident who came to Canada with her family four years ago after working as a media trainer for the US State Department in Dubai. Her role there was to prepare spokespersons from other countries – mainly American diplomats – to deliver their messages effectively.
With Speak Prep, Bassil aims to teach those skills to anyone who needs them, whether they are in front of a job interviewer, a boardroom full of colleagues or members of the media at a press conference.
The seed for the idea is rooted in Bassil’s own experiences when she arrived in Canada. Even with 20 years of high-level international communications experience, she faced the challenges that come along with becoming established in a new country.
“When I arrived, I thought, ‘I am very excited, and I’m going to launch my career,’” she recalls. “I did whatever was needed: I volunteered, I got the Canadian experience, I also did a lot of orientation sessions for newcomers."
But when it came to that first job interview, despite her background, she didn't feel prepared.
"Although I do have experience training others to present themselves, the irony is that I wasn’t thinking about my teachings," says Bassil. "And I thought that if I need that, then probably others do, maybe youth, other newcomers, or people who haven’t been working in a while. This is where the idea came from. I thought about my own experience in training spokespeople and I thought this is something I could do, and there’s a need.”
Bassil – who went on to ace the interview with Our Kids Network, where she is the Public Relations and Communications Specialist – stresses that everyone needs to practise their public speaking skills. And everyone, even the most seasoned presenter, gets nervous. The idea is to be aware of the verbal and non-verbal cues you have (maybe flicking your hair or tapping your pen) that impact the credibility of your message, and to overcome them.
Bassil says her approach is to create a nurturing, safe space where people can not only learn the tools, but can also get some hands-on experience using them. The process includes a mock interview, followed up with feedback; first a self assessment, then comments from Bassil. Then, they can work on learning the new tools and incorporating them into their presentation.
The techniques she teaches include awareness of body language and other non-verbal cues, and using the “rule of three” to craft a concise, effective message. The key, she says, is to teach both the theoretical lessons, then follow them up with hands-on practice.
Speak Prep offers individual and small group training, as well as workshops. A recent session was split into two parts: a presentation by Bassil, followed by mock interviews. Bassil and the group members provided their input, and the participants took a second stab at the interview, implementing what they learned.
Bassil says her “aha” moment came when she realized her unique experience and skill set was transferable to any situation where it’s important to speak effectively and deliver a clear message. “I felt that this is my calling; I knew I could do something, I knew I could put my skills and all my experience into practice,” she says.
“This is not a job – it’s really a passion of mine.”
To share that passion, Bassil has launched an Instagram page (@speak_prep) where she regularly posts videos that focus on techniques and tips for effective communication.
“I want to give people a taste of how important it is to be prepared when you have any speaking opportunities,” she says.
To find out more about Speak Prep, email Bassil at [email protected].
