<![CDATA[Pelaku UMKM di kawasan wisata Situ Bagendit menghadapi kendala dalam kemampuan komunikasi, kepercayaan diri, dan keterampilan mempresentasikan produk kepada wisatawan. Kondisi tersebut menyebabkan interaksi dengan pelanggan belum optimal dan promosi produk masih cenderung pasif. Kegiatan pengabdian kepada masyarakat ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis pelaksanaan pelatihan public speaking berbasis praktik langsung bagi pelaku UMKM kuliner dan suvenir di kawasan wisata Situ Bagendit serta mengkaji dampak awalnya terhadap peningkatan pemahaman dan keterampilan komunikasi peserta. Mitra sasaran kegiatan ini adalah 10 pelaku UMKM, yang terdiri atas 7 pelaku UMKM kuliner dan 3 pelaku UMKM suvenir. Metode kegiatan dilaksanakan melalui tiga tahap, yaitu persiapan, pelaksanaan, dan evaluasi. Pelatihan dilakukan melalui ceramah singkat, diskusi, role-play, simulasi presentasi produk, dan pendampingan langsung saat peserta berinteraksi dengan konsumen. Evaluasi dilakukan menggunakan pretest-posttest dan observasi praktik komunikasi. Hasil kegiatan menunjukkan adanya peningkatan pemahaman peserta, yang tercermin dari kenaikan rata-rata skor pretest sebesar 58,5 menjadi 84,5 pada posttest. Hasil observasi juga menunjukkan perubahan perilaku komunikasi, seperti meningkatnya keberanian menyapa pelanggan, kemampuan menjelaskan produk secara lebih terstruktur, penggunaan komunikasi persuasif, serta peningkatan kepercayaan diri. Kegiatan ini memberikan dampak positif awal terhadap penguatan kapasitas komunikasi pelaku UMKM, meskipun dampak terhadap penjualan masih perlu diukur lebih lanjut melalui data omzet atau transaksi. Practice-Based Public Speaking Training for Culinary and Souvenir MSMEs in the Situ Bagendit Tourism Area Abstract MSME actors in the Situ Bagendit tourism area face challenges related to communication skills, self-confidence, and the ability to present their products to tourists. These limitations may lead to less active product promotion and suboptimal interaction with customers. This community service program aimed to analyze the implementation of practice-based public speaking training for culinary and souvenir MSMEs in the Situ Bagendit tourism area and to examine its initial impact on participants’ communication understanding and skills. The program involved 10 MSME actors, consisting of 7 culinary MSME actors and 3 souvenir MSME actors. The activity was implemented through three stages: preparation, implementation, and evaluation. The training combined short lectures, discussions, role-play, product presentation simulations, and direct mentoring while participants interacted with customers. Evaluation was conducted using pretest-posttest assessment and observation of communication practices. The results showed an increase in participants’ understanding, as indicated by the improvement in the average pretest score from 58.5 to 84.5 in the posttest. Observations also indicated changes in communication behavior, including greater confidence in greeting customers, improved ability to explain products in a more structured way, the use of persuasive communication, and increased self-confidence. This program provided an initial positive impact on strengthening the communication capacity of MSME actors; however, its effect on sales still needs further measurement using turnover or transaction data.]]>
