Tuesday, January 24, 2012

How to assess your business communication skills

1. Actually listen to yourself talking. Is your telephone greeting automatically cheerful, clear and professional? Can every word be clearly understood by the listener? Do people often look puzzled, or ask you to repeat yourself?

2. When you meet a stranger at a gathering, do you know how to make small talk with him if you choose to do so?

3. How's your hearing? Three groups are most at risk - and one of them is a surprise to many employers. The three are older employees, starting in their late 50's, those exposed to loud noise, and...employees in their late teens and twenties who use earbuds while playing music too loudly. (Twenty percent of teens and those in their early twenties have some signs of hearing loss.) If in doubt, get your hearing acuity checked by a certified audiologist - and wear ear protection when exposed to loud noise (such as lawn mowers).

4. When you try to persuade someone, do you first think of his needs before you plan your reasoning? For example, does he need something done fast, accurately, at less cost, more conveniently or in a simpler manner?

5. If you are an executive, how are your skills in professional listening, delegating, employee retention, leading brain-storming sessions, making employees feel connected to the company and verbalizing ideas concisely?
Most of an executive's work involves professional-level communication skills; do yours need an upgrade?

Business Speech Improvement offers small group seminars, individual coaching, and coaching via telephone or Skype (in selected states only). For details, go here.

E-books on presentation skills, speaking slower, diction, American English pronunciation practice, making small talk,  executive communication skills, or communicating with someone with a hearing loss, click here.

Imagine yourself or your employees with better communication - and visit Business Speech Improvement today!

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Better Business Communication Day: Jan 23, 2012

Think about it; without communication, there cannot be business.
Buying, selling and related activities all require some type of spoken, written or gestural/signed communication.

Better Business Communication Day was started by Business Speech Improvement to highlight excellent business communication techniques.

Here are three tips for better communication. When answering your telephone, smile and speak slowly as you give your greeting. It helps the other person understand you better, especially if there is noise in the background, and calms any callers who might be upset. More importantly, it helps you sound professional.

If you are preparing a speech, start it with a surprising fact or a startling statistic, among other techniques. Get these from the Web. You have just thirty seconds to seize your audience's attention.

If you are proposing a new idea to a group, share it with some other members of the team for their feedback before discussing it with the group. The idea may be stronger and the others will back you in the discussion.


Business Speech Improvement
, in Chattanooga TN, provides intensive seminars, individual coaching and e-books on many aspects of verbal communication.

Sunday, January 15, 2012

How to pronounce three difficult words in English

"How do you say that word?" is a frequent comment I receive. As a communications coach, I work with non-native professionals from all over the world who are in the USA to live and work.

Three of the most common questions are about world, excellent, and schedule. To say "world", pronounce it in 2 parts: "wor" and "uld". It sounds like "WOR-uld". "Excellent" is pronounced as "EK-sel-lent", while "schedule" is
"SKED-jule". (The British pronunciation is "SHED-jule".)

A full three day seminar on American English Pronunciation Improvement for Non-native Professionals is offered periodically by Business Speech Improvement. For more details on this, on e-books and other seminars, click here.

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Follow-up: Tips for Success

You've jut come back from meeting someone (or a lot of people), and want to follow-up to make a sale, or respond to a current customer in hopes of getting more business or a higher satisfaction rating. How can you do this more successfully?

First, when you get the person's business card, really look at it, and comment on some aspect of it, using his or her name. Few people comment on a card, so that alone will be noticed. After yo leave the person, write a note on the back of the card about the person's specific interest in your products or services, and add the date you met him or her.

When you get back to your office or home, enter the information from the card into a database, if you have one. This keeps your information organized, and allows you to add additional details such as the dates you contact the person. If the person mentions something personal, such as the fact that he is leaving for vacation tomorrow to see his new grandchild,enter that on your database so you can ask about the child when you contact him next.

Sales experts report it takes an average of 7 contacts to make a sale, although that could vary depending on the industry. Contacting the person or company by various means (e-mail, telephone, letter, even stopping by with a food treat such as fudge, fresh cookies, etc if it is a business) are better than using just one method. If asked to stop contacting the person or organization, though, comply immediately.Also check on the specific rules for Do Not Call in your state, for individuals who have asked not to be contacted by telephone.

When you contact the person or organization for the first time, remind him how and when you met, and comment on his specific interest, such as a particular product. Try following up at different times of day, or different days of the week for better results.

Business Speech Improvement
provides intensive coaching and e-books in verbal skills. Visit Business Speech Improvement to subscribe to the free e-zine and check out the many types of training available!

Friday, January 13, 2012

Delegating: Is It Clear?

Delegating involves a lot of clear communication. An easy way to do this is to use the 5 W's and an H, as follows.
Who - Who is to be involved in the project and working specifically on this task?
What is each person's and team's role? What are the specifications of the project?
When is each team supposed to complete its' task and when should each check in with the coordinator or project manager?
Where is the work to be done? Where are the components of the project to be found, if online? Where are any other supplies located?
Why is the project important to the client and to the organization doing it?
How will everyone involved know of the progress and any complicating or new factors? Is there a location for this information online? Will there be regular in-person meetings or teleconferences?

Business Speech Improvement provides intensive training in verbal skills, including a one-day seminar on Executive Communication:The Power to Lead.. Open enrollment seminars, individual coaching and tip-filled e-books are available on many topics, from accent modification and pronunciation to presentation skills and leadership training.

Monday, January 2, 2012

New Year's Resolution: Speak Better!

Is one of your New Year's resolutions to improve your speech? Do you want to speak slower, use standard American pronunciation, feel more comfortable giving a presentation, be able to make
"small talk" more comfortably, be able to communicate more effectively with someone who has a hearing loss, or something else?

Business Speech Improvement
offers a wide variety of economical
e-books on all of these topics! Small group open enrollment seminars and individual coaching are also available.