Episode highlights:

A big part of today’s communication happens digitally. So why does good public speaking remain essential?

Communication hasn’t decreased – it’s simply changed form. While much of our interaction happens through text nowadays, a lot of meaningful content still comes through video and audio. That’s where speaking and presentation skills are more important than ever.

Many find digital communication soulless because it lacks human contact. The value of face-to-face interaction might actually be increasing – its significance is emerging in new ways. Interestingly, people seem to complain about its absence more than ever before.

You often talk about emotions in your trainings. How can speech and storytelling be used to evoke emotion and influence an audience?

The first method is straightforward emotional impact. Say something beautiful – it evokes a positive feeling. Say something scary – it evokes something entirely different. Almost anything that grabs attention can trigger an emotional response.

Empathy arises when someone recognizes something familiar – something that reminds them of themselves. What’s crucial is the feeling of connection. Creating relatable content requires understanding people and stories.

How do you see the connection between public speaking and marketing? How does speech actually make people to act?

Public speaking and marketing are fundamentally connected. Sales pitches, company presentations, anything that communicates “hey, we exist” – that’s marketing.

Many Finns think public speaking means some kind of poetic eloquence – standing on the podium, quoting old plays, and sounding overly artistic. But in reality, public speaking is about getting your audience to react exactly the way you want them to.

In that sense, public speaking is very close to marketing. The goals and methods may vary slightly, but philosophically, it’s the same thing.

Is the Finnish business world still dominated by a reserved and formal style, or is there a shift towards more emotional and personal communication?

There’s definitely a trend emerging – and it’s heading in a good direction. The Finnish way of speaking is still very information-focused: we write everything down first and read straight from the page – like a newsreader. It’s factual, but completely expressionless.

Fortunately, I’m seeing signs of change. TED Talks and other inspiring speech content are extremely popular among Finns. That shows people are drawn to expressive and emotionally engaging speech. It inspires people – and it inspires me too, even though the change is slow. But we’re moving in the right direction, and that’s pretty cool.

What advice would you give someone struggling with stage fright?

Any little technique that helps you in that moment is good. Breathing exercises, slowing down your speech, holding a small object in your hands, standing firmly – whatever works for you.

Stage fright can actually help you focus, sharpen up, and bring out your best. It’s not your enemy – it’s your ally. Everything that scares you tends to feel amazing afterward.

That’s exactly how stage fright works – when you get through it despite the nerves, the feeling afterward is incredible. And that’s the best part of it.

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