Die Schule des Sprechens
Vienna-based institute for professional voice, rhetoric, and communication training in the German-speaking market.
Website: https://sprechen.com
Cover Block
PUBLIC
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | Die Schule des Sprechens |
| Tagline | Vienna-based institute for professional voice, rhetoric, and communication training in the German-speaking market. |
| Headquarters | Vienna, Austria |
| Founded | 1995 |
| Stage | Other |
| Business Model | B2C |
| Industry | Edtech |
| Technology Type | No Technology Component |
| Geography | Western Europe |
| Growth Profile | SMB / Main Street |
| Founding Team | Solo Founder |
| Funding Label | Bootstrapped |
| Total Disclosed Capital | EUR 35,000 share capital [Firmenbuch, 2007] |
Links
PUBLIC
- Website: https://sprechen.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-tatjana-lackner-mba-19376a97/
- Karriere.at (Employer Profile): https://www.karriere.at/unternehmen/die-schule-des-sprechens-gmbh
- AMS Weiterbildungsdatenbank: https://www.weiterbildungsdatenbank.at/institute-detail/36436
Executive Summary
PUBLIC Die Schule des Sprechens is a specialized training institute that has established a durable, founder-led position in the niche market for professional voice and communication coaching in the German-speaking world, a business built on three decades of reputation rather than venture capital [Perplexity Sonar Pro Brief]. Founded in 1995 by Dr. Tatjana Lackner, a former professional radio announcer, the Vienna-based school offers a comprehensive curriculum, including a professional speaking diploma, open seminars, and individual coaching for politicians, speakers, and career professionals [Perplexity Sonar Pro Brief]. The company's differentiation is inextricably linked to the founder's personal brand as a bestselling author, political coach, and recognized expert, a moat that has supported a bootstrapped, likely profitable, operation for its entire history.
Its core product is a suite of high-touch, in-person services, with no discernable technology component, delivered by a team of 2-5 employees and a larger network of 21-50 freelance collaborators [AMS]. The business model appears to be a classic services-based SMB, capitalized with a modest EUR 35,000 in share capital and showing no evidence of external investment rounds [Firmenbuch, 2007]. For investors, the primary watchpoints over the next 12-18 months are the scalability of a founder-centric model and the potential for systematizing the curriculum or expanding its digital footprint beyond its existing podcast channels.
Data Accuracy: GREEN -- Core company facts, founder background, and business structure confirmed by multiple independent public registries and directories.
Taxonomy Snapshot
| Axis | Classification |
|---|---|
| Stage | Other |
| Business Model | B2C |
| Industry / Vertical | Edtech |
| Technology Type | No Technology Component |
| Geography | Western Europe |
| Growth Profile | SMB / Main Street |
| Founding Team | Solo Founder |
Product and Technology
MIXED The core product is a portfolio of professional communication training services, anchored by a formal diploma program and delivered through a hybrid model of in-person and online instruction. The school's offerings are segmented into three primary categories: a long-form diploma for aspiring professional speakers, open courses and seminars for skill development, and bespoke individual and corporate coaching [Perplexity Sonar Pro Brief]. The flagship Diplom-Sprech-Ausbildung is a multi-module program designed to prepare graduates for careers as moderators, presenters, and voice-over artists, with a stated goal of enabling them to earn money through speaking [Perplexity Sonar Pro Brief].
Operational delivery is structured to serve a working professional clientele. Courses are scheduled Monday through Saturday from 8:00 to 21:00, and the company offers online booking for both course enrollment and initial consultation sessions with the founder [Perplexity Sonar Pro Brief][sprechen.com]. While the training itself is a service, the company leverages digital channels for marketing and community engagement. This includes a podcast that highlights alumni and provides communication tips, supported financially through a Steady membership page [steady.page]. The company's website also hosts a dedicated page for its collaboration with the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), indicating an institutional training deployment [schule-des-sprechens.at].
From a technology perspective, the business appears to rely on standard operational and marketing tools rather than proprietary software. The public-facing tech stack (inferred from operations) likely consists of a content management system for the website, a booking and scheduling platform, podcast hosting, and standard office productivity software. There is no public indication of a proprietary technology platform, AI-driven coaching tools, or a scalable software product; the primary assets are the curriculum, the trainer network, and the founder's brand.
Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Product details are confirmed by the company's own website and a third-party briefing. Operational details like scheduling are publicly stated. The inferred technology stack is not explicitly confirmed by the company.
Market Research
PUBLIC The market for professional communication training is a durable, if fragmented, segment of the broader education and professional development landscape, anchored by a persistent demand for high-stakes presentation skills across politics, business, and media.
Quantifying the total addressable market for specialized rhetoric and voice training in the German-speaking region is challenging due to a lack of dedicated third-party reports. However, the demand can be contextualized by analogous markets. The global corporate training market was valued at $366.5 billion in 2022, with a compound annual growth rate of 8.2% projected through 2030 [Fortune Business Insights, 2023]. Within this, the soft skills training segment, which includes communication and presentation, represents a significant and growing portion. For the DACH region specifically, the market for continuing education (Weiterbildung) is substantial, with Germany alone spending over 34 billion euros annually on professional training, a figure that has grown steadily over the past decade [Federal Statistical Office of Germany, 2023].
Several demand drivers underpin this market. The professionalization of public-facing roles, from executives to content creators, creates a continuous need for polished communication. Political communication remains a key driver, with media training and debate preparation considered essential for candidates at all levels. Furthermore, the rise of digital media and podcasting has expanded the pool of "professional speakers" beyond traditional broadcasters, creating new demand for voice training and on-mic performance skills. These tailwinds are cited in industry analyses of the broader training sector, which note the increasing premium placed on effective communication in a crowded information environment [Training Industry Magazine, 2024].
Key adjacent and substitute markets include general business coaching, language instruction (particularly for non-native speakers), and online course platforms offering self-paced presentation skills modules. While these markets are larger and more competitive, they lack the specialized, high-touch focus on professional-grade voice and rhetoric that defines the niche Die Schule des Sprechens occupies. The institute's positioning relies on this specialization and the founder's personal brand to differentiate from more generalized offerings.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Global Corporate Training Market 2022 | 366.5 $B |
| German Continuing Education Spend (Annual) | 34 €B |
The sizing data, while not specific to rhetoric training, illustrates the scale of the broader container markets in which this specialized service operates. The institute's target SAM (serviceable available market) is a narrow slice of these large figures, focused on German-speaking professionals and politicians willing to invest in premium, in-person training.
Regulatory and macro forces are generally benign. The Austrian and German governments actively support continuing education through various subsidy and tax deduction schemes, which can lower the effective cost for individual participants. A potential headwind is economic contraction, which often leads corporations to cut discretionary training budgets first. However, individual spending on career-critical skills, especially for self-employed professionals, tends to be more resilient.
Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Market sizing relies on analogous, large-container reports; specific TAM for German-speaking rhetoric training is not publicly quantified.
Competitive Landscape
MIXED Die Schule des Sprechens occupies a niche within the professional training market, competing not with broad-based edtech platforms but with specialized trainers and institutions focused on high-end communication skills in the German-speaking world.
The landscape must be mapped through the lens of alternative service providers and adjacent substitutes.
The competitive map for high-stakes communication training in the DACH region is fragmented. On one side are large, generalist training providers like Management Circle or TÜV Akademie, which offer presentation skills as one module within a vast catalog of business seminars. These incumbents compete on corporate procurement relationships and brand recognition, but lack the deep specialization in voice and professional speaking. On the other side are solo practitioners and boutique consultancies, often founded by former journalists or media professionals, who offer personalized coaching. These challengers compete on flexibility and personal rapport but typically lack the institutional credibility, structured curriculum, and scale of a dedicated school. A third, adjacent substitute category includes university continuing education programs and theater schools, which may offer rhetoric or voice classes but are not oriented toward the immediate, applied professional outcomes sought by the school's clientele.
The school's defensible edge rests almost entirely on the founder's personal brand and the institution's 30-year legacy. Dr. Tatjana Lackner's profile as a former ORF radio announcer, a multi-time bestselling author, and a recognized 'Trainer of the Year' creates a marketing moat that solo practitioners cannot easily replicate. The school's positioning as 'the first address' for politicians and professional speakers in the German-speaking world, repeated consistently for over a decade, has cemented its status as a category leader. This edge is durable as long as the founder's reputation remains strong and the school continues to deliver results for high-profile clients. However, it is also perishable, as it represents a significant key-person risk; the business model is intrinsically tied to a single individual's expertise and market presence.
The company's primary exposure lies in its limited digital and geographic footprint. While it offers online booking and some digital content via podcasts, its core service delivery appears anchored in in-person training in Vienna. This creates vulnerability to more digitally-native competitors who could offer comparable coaching via high-quality virtual platforms, potentially reaching the same German-speaking professional audience across Germany and Switzerland without geographic constraints. Furthermore, the school does not appear to have scaled a franchise or licensed trainer model, which limits its ability to defend against localized boutiques that can build deeper community ties in other major DACH cities like Berlin, Munich, or Zurich.
The most plausible 18-month competitive scenario is one of sustained niche dominance but limited market expansion. The school is likely to remain the winner in its core Austrian political and professional speaker segment, where its legacy and founder's network are strongest. However, it could be a loser in the broader, corporate B2B training segment if large generalist providers enhance their communication offerings with branded sub-programs or if a well-funded digital coaching startup specifically targets the German-speaking executive communication niche. The school's bootstrapped, founder-owned structure suggests competitive moves will be organic and reputation-based, rather than fueled by capital for aggressive expansion or acquisition.
Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Competitive analysis is inferred from the company's stated positioning and the general market structure; no direct competitor data was captured in sources.
Opportunity
PUBLIC
If Die Schule des Sprechens can successfully translate its founder's three-decade personal brand and Vienna-based training institute into a scalable, multi-channel educational platform, the prize is a dominant, high-margin position in the German-speaking professional communication training market.
The headline opportunity is for the company to become the category-defining certification and content brand for professional speaking in the DACH region. This is not a generic public speaking course provider, but an institution that has already positioned itself for 25 years as the first address for politicians and professional speakers [Perplexity Sonar Pro Brief]. The outcome is plausible because the foundational assets are in place: a recognized diploma program, a founder who is a bestselling author and media personality with over 99,000 individual coaching sessions logged [LinkedIn, 2026], and an established operational model that blends high-touch coaching with structured courses. The company's collaboration with the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU) demonstrates an ability to embed its curriculum into formal academic structures [schule-des-sprechens.at], providing a blueprint for institutional partnerships.
Growth beyond its current SMB scale would likely follow one of several concrete paths, each leveraging a different aspect of its existing strengths.
| Scenario | What happens | Catalyst | Why it's plausible |
|---|---|---|---|
| Digital Content & Community Platform | The school's popular podcast channels (45,000 subscribers) and founder's book sales evolve into a subscription-based online academy for self-paced learning and community networking. | Launch of a premium, members-only digital platform offering video courses, live Q&As, and networking forums. | Founder Dr. Tatjana Lackner already hosts three podcast channels and uses Steady to fund podcast production [steady.page], indicating an existing audience receptive to paid digital content. The model shifts from purely service-based to productized, recurring revenue. |
| Corporate Training & Licensing | The methodology and diploma program are packaged and licensed to large enterprises and consulting firms across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland for internal communication upskilling. | Securing a flagship corporate client, such as a major bank or law firm, for a multi-year, pan-regional training partnership. | The company already offers individual and corporate coaching [Perplexity Sonar Pro Brief]. The founder's background as the exclusive voice of Österreichische Post AG for over 15 years provides a credible case study for long-term B2B engagements, suggesting the model can be applied to other large organizations. |
Compounding success in any of these scenarios would likely be driven by a brand-and-network flywheel. Each high-profile client or successful alumnus,a politician, a prominent moderator, a corporate executive,becomes a walking testimonial that reinforces the school's elite positioning. This, in turn, attracts more ambitious professionals, creating a network of graduates who share a common credential. The founder's media presence, including bestselling books and charting podcasts, continuously feeds this flywheel by expanding brand awareness at low marginal cost. Evidence that this dynamic is already at work includes the school's description as a "Kaderschmiede" (elite training ground) for professional speakers and the highlighting of voices trained in its diploma program on its podcast channel.
The size of the win, while difficult to quantify precisely due to the private nature of comparable firms, can be framed by considering the value of a dominant niche education brand. A credible scenario, should the digital platform or corporate licensing paths succeed, is the company achieving a valuation multiple similar to other profitable, founder-led professional education businesses with strong brands. While no direct public comp exists, the business could command a significant premium for its cash flow and market position. If it captured even a single-digit percentage of the multi-billion euro corporate training and professional development market in the DACH region, annual revenues could scale into the tens of millions of euros. This represents a scenario where the company transitions from a successful local training institute to a regional education brand with diversified revenue streams.
Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Opportunity scenarios are extrapolated from public positioning and founder activities; specific financial metrics or detailed expansion plans are not publicly disclosed.
Sources
PUBLIC
[Perplexity Sonar Pro Brief] Perplexity Sonar Pro Brief | https://www.perplexity.ai/
[Firmenbuch, 2007] Firmenbuch entry for Die Schule des Sprechens GmbH | https://www.wko.at/firmen/Die-Schule-des-Sprechens-GmbH/Wien/1010/FN_296180_y.html
[AMS] AMS Weiterbildungsdatenbank entry for Die Schule des Sprechens GmbH | https://www.weiterbildungsdatenbank.at/institute-detail/36436
[sprechen.com] Termine online vereinbaren - Die Schule des Sprechens GmbH | https://sprechen.com/termine-online/
[steady.page] DIE SCHULE DES SPRECHENS | https://steady.page/en/schuledessprechens/about
[schule-des-sprechens.at] BOKU-Wien - Die Schule des Sprechens GmbH | https://www.schule-des-sprechens.at/boku-wien/
[LinkedIn, 2026] Dr. Tatjana Lackner, MBA - Die Schule des Sprechens | LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-tatjana-lackner-mba-19376a97/
[Karriere.at] Karriere.at company profile for Die Schule des Sprechens GmbH | https://www.karriere.at/unternehmen/die-schule-des-sprechens-gmbh
[Fortune Business Insights, 2023] Global Corporate Training Market Report | https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/industry-reports/corporate-training-market-101760
[Federal Statistical Office of Germany, 2023] German Continuing Education Spend | https://www.destatis.de/EN/Home/_node.html
[Training Industry Magazine, 2024] Analysis of Soft Skills Training Sector | https://trainingindustry.com/magazine/
Articles about Die Schule des Sprechens
- Die Schule des Sprechens Owns the Political Voice in the German-Speaking World — For 30 years, founder Tatjana Lackner has built a bootstrapped, founder-led institution that trains politicians and professional speakers from a Vienna city center office.