The ability to speak convincingly and impactfully is key to success

Introduce yourself in a few words..

My name is Desi Stoyanova. Founder of HOW to SPEAK. Instructor and consultant on presentation and media skills.

Tell us what are the philosophy and values of the company you currently represent?

I believe that everyone could become better at public speaking and presence. The ability to speak convincingly and impactfully is key to success in almost every sphere and in almost every context. Our cause is to help people with meaningful ideas to communicate more effectively with the audiences that matter to them and to become the voices that stand out. We primarily work with representatives of business and the entrepreneurial community, as well as with individuals who have something to say and want to know how to say it in the most captivating way. People who clearly realize that in order for their ideas and projects to have a future, they need to be able to present them well. We rely on a pragmatic approach, on training that is based on real examples and includes many practical exercises.

How long have you been developing your current company? What are the most valuable lessons that the events of this period have taught you?

The official start was in June 2022, when the premiere of the site howtospeak.bg. Before that, there was a long preparatory period during which I created and tested in real conditions training on presentation and media skills, which are at the core of HOW to SPEAK. And even further back in time was the moment of realization that this is the new professional direction I want to take. How did it happen? At that time, I had already accumulated solid experience as a host of “Before Noon” on bTV. Behind me were all the years I had worked as a political reporter and lifestyle editor. Through the prism of all this accumulated experience, I noticed how ineffective many people from business are in their communication with the media and the audience. I repeatedly observed the same mistakes or gaps. The examples of how great the need is to improve presentation and media skills came one after another, day after day. At the same time, I felt an internal need to find a new application for everything I know and can do. The two needs met, and thus I embarked on the path that led to the development of training and the founding of HOW to SPEAK, and then to the decision to leave television to fully dedicate myself to my new calling.

What are the lessons? That just like with presentations and public speaking in general, good preparation and attention to detail always matter. That when your focus is on the needs and requirements of the audience and you develop your products and services with the aim of meeting them to the greatest extent possible, what you are doing is recognized as useful and valuable. That dedication and putting 100% into your work is seen and appreciated.

What makes you look forward to going to work? How do you handle difficult and stressful moments?

The pleasure and satisfaction are there because I truly like and love what I do. When I have people in front of me who want to enhance their skills and have trusted me to guide them on the path to their better public “I”, for me this is a responsibility that motivates me. And when the results come and positive feedback arrives, that is the greatest reward I can receive. It energizes me to continue giving my best. If there is anything I recognize as a difficulty, it is that time is always lacking and many ideas have to mature until the day comes when there will be enough time for their realization.

How do the ongoing global technological changes affect your business?

If we talk about the emergence of generative artificial intelligence, for now, for me, this is a new tool that offers many opportunities. I am getting to know it and looking for ways to use it to become even better at what I do.

What is your career advice for all people who are building a strategy for their professional development?

Not to stay in one place, even when they have the comfort of a good position. To seek development that will challenge them to become better both as professionals and as people. Work takes up a huge part of our lives, so I wish everyone to find that job which they will feel is their calling.