3 Ways to Improve Your Communication Skills in 2015

Have you ever heard of a business encounter without some form of communication, whether written, verbal or even sign language?

Neither have I.

Clear communication is vital for business. Studies show that soft skills are highly valued by employers!  Here are three tips to help you improve your communication. Write them down and post them where you will see them, to improve your chances of carrying them out.

First, listen carefully to both the message and to the speaker's emotions.

It is especially easy to do this when listening to someone answer the telephone, in what I call "the hello test". Does the speaker sound friendly, brusque, tired or something else? If it's a business transaction and the speaker does not sound friendly, the rest of the transaction is not likely to go well; see if there is a better time for you to call.

Second, when calling a stranger on the telephone, speak a little slower and more clearly. The person could be in a noisy place, have a hearing loss, be distracted or speak English as a second language, and need a little help understanding you. This is especially true when leaving your telephone number and spelling your name on a voice mail; say them twice.

Third, when speaking, watch the listener's face to see if you are understood clearly, or if the other person is puzzled. If you are not being understood, you can repeat yourself, more slowly, use other words, or ask what part of the message was unclear. Maybe you are using technical jargon the other person does not understand, you have used an idiomatic expression (such as "get over it"), a regional expression (such as "mash the light"), you have a strong regional or foreign accent, a speech impairment, or the listener has a hearing loss. It is your responsibility as a speaker to make the message clear.

If you are making a presentation, make sure to look at the faces in the audience. This is one reason why you want to avoid reading your presentation. Looking at the audience helps establish a bond between you and them.  The audience wants you to do well; who wants to listen to a boring speech? They are usually very supportive; looking at them should not be scary.

If any of these skills above are difficult, get speech coaching! Business Speech Improvement offers intensive coaching, and hourly coaching (including online in some cases). Inexpensive concise e-books on communciation improvement are available as well,  for people who need help immediately and prefer to be "do-it-yourselfers".

In the USA, many companies will pay for speech coaching, especially if the employee requests it. Requesting this help indicates self-motivation to improve.

Try out these tips now, and if necessary, get the help you deserve. 2015 can be a better year for you!

Accent modification: they missed the point!

In the news today, there have been many stories about Oak Ridge National Labs canceling a class on modifying a Southern accent. The class was requested by an employee, but the response from other employees was that they were proud of their accents. ORNL canceled the class.

The point they, and the hundreds of others who have commented on this in various blogs, missed was vital. All business requires communication, and easily understood speech is essential. Now that clients can be across the country or the world, when speaking to them, both parties need to be easily understood, and that requires a neutral-sounding speech pattern.  The message is what matters, so a common speech pattern is needed.

At least two studies show this to be true. One study done in Illinois showed that speakers with strong Illinois accents who were supposedly supervisors were rated as "impatient" by women managers, while those who were supposedly employees were considered "immature".

Another study by Patricia Cukor-Avila and Dianne Markely found that hiring managers  rated prospective employees more highly when they had a less identifiable accent. The accented participants were from all over the country.

Accent modification does not have to be a long-drawn out program. It can be done intensively, in a short amount of time, in a group or individual program.

Business Speech Improvement in NC offers accent modification for foreign and regional accents, as well as other types of speech coaching. A small group open enrollment seminar on American English Pronunciation Improvement for Non-native Professionals is enrolling learners now!

For those who are in other parts of the USA and Australia, and want local, in-person coaching, visit the Corporate Speech Pathology Network to find a trainer closer to you!

American Slang and Idiomatic Expressions: Between the Insiders and Everyone Else

Have you ever wondered what a group of people was talking about? The words did not seem to fit their literal meaning. "What's up, man?" ,"Sorry, Charlie!" ,  "Bless your heart", "Table it!", and "Mash it" are all examples.

Idioms and slang are ways we distinguish between linguistic insiders and outsiders of a group. For those on the outside,  and that can be people new to English, new to a community, or new to a small work group, there are such things as idiom dictionaries, which are free and online. Although not all slang is included, it's worth checking to see if a particular expression is included. One we recommend is http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/. Note, though, that this covers slang from the UK as well as the USA; be sure to check the location where a given expression is used.

Sometimes the meaning of the expression varies depending on the person's tone of voice, as in the expression "Bless your heart". In that case, it can mean a sarcastic "you poor thing" (with the sarcasm showing the person means the opposite of that) or "you did something wonderful".

Sometimes the expressions are regional or even local, with outsiders left to wonder the true meaning.

Business Speech Improvement provides intensive coaching in American English Pronunciation Improvement for Non-native Professionals, and includes coaching in the use of idioms if requested.

Responding to a Compliment

Some people have difficulty responding to a well-earned compliment. They may not like to accept praise, may not feel they earned it, or feel embarrassed by the compliment because they consider themselves humble. Nonetheless, a compliment is a verbal gift, an acknowledgement that someone has noticed and considers your action to be praise-worthy.  As such, the proper response is a simple, "Thank you!" 

If making small talk is also difficult for you, the e-book "Small Talk:Connecting with Others" explains small talk's big impact. It also gives you tips on starting, continuing and ending a conversation with others. Get this helpful e-book here.

Speech training: what to ask

As a speech coach, one of the most common questions I get asked is, "Can speech training really help? When I talk to prospective clients at conferences, or on the telephone, they seem to focus on how I talk, not what I am saying."

Speech coaching with a motivated learner and an expert coach can make a real difference, based on my experience, if the learner is willing to continue practicing the newly learned skills.

When building trust with a listener, for any reason, it helps to emphasize the ways people are alike, and clear communication makes this easier. Maybe both of you like a certain sport, or a particular city or industry. Possibly the two of you are in the same company or are solving the same problem.

If your listener can understand how you are speaking, he can then focus on your message. Make this as easy as possible for your listener.

How do you determine an excellent speech coach? Look for someone who has considerable experience and qualifications in coaching corporate clients or individual adults. Ask about the class size, and how much feedback you will get from the instructor. Is the course customized for you to your specific needs, or does the entire class learn the same lesson even if some of them don't need it? Will you have time to get help saying specific words that are hard for you, such as peoples' names, processes or products you sell?

How many hours of instruction is the course? Is it done in an intensive manner, of 1 - 3 days long, or in 1-2 hourly sessions a week?  Intensive training offers faster results, less travel time, less time to forget what was learned before building on that skill, and may keep motivation higher. It should include some type of follow-up plan for skill maintenance.

 If the presenter is a speech-language pathologist, is not licensed in your state (which you should ask) and is offering speech coaching online, be cautious if she does not ask your state of residence. In at least one state, such coaching by speech-language pathologists who are not licensed there is illegal.

Speech coaches often specialize in the services they provide. Accent modification, presentation skills,
speech rate, executive communication skills, diction improvement,  sales communication skills  and more may be available.

If you need the coaching, but can't afford it, can't get to it,  or don't have time for it, are e-books with helpful tips available as an alternative? Although not as effective as regular coaching, they can offer some helpful information.

Business Speech Improvement offers intensive training in all of the skills mentioned above. It is located in Durham, NC (USA).

Six Things to Consider In a Speech Training Program.

You've decided to make some changes in your speech. You want to speak slower, modify your accent, get rid of your lisp, make better presentations, communicate more clearly with your staff, or some other difference.

What should you look for in a speech coach or trainer?

First, ask about the person's training. For example, does the person have a master's degree or doctorate in speech-language pathology? Does he have a Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC-SLP) after his name?  Is he state-licensed as a speech-language pathologist in your state?  Some speech-language pathologists specialize in corporate work, working with professionals in the workforce; they are called corporate speech pathologists or corporate speech trainers. Being certified as a "coach" is nice, but exactly how does this certification pertain to your communication issues?

Second, ask about his experience in working with your type of communication issues. You want someone who has experience, if possible.

Third, find out how services are provided: in-person, individually, in a small or large group, or online.
Some states have laws that limit if speech coaching can be provided to residents online, unless the corporate speech trainer is licensed in your state. If the speech coach is not licensed in your state as a speech-language pathologist, and won't take the time to find out what the laws are in your state, you should be asking him or her about this. Some reasons are legitimate, but other people are unaware of the laws.

Fourth, ask how often the services are provided. Intensive speech training often gets results faster, because less time is needed for review. It is done in full-day sessions, sometimes 3 or 4 days long, and should include a follow-up plan for skill maintenance.  Having 1 - 2  one-hour lessons a week often requires a long time to get results, and some clients may not remain motivated.

Fifth, after finding out the cost, ask your supervisor if the company will sponsor you for this training. Some companies will sponsor you if you seek out the speech program and ask for sponsorship.This usually is part of career development. The fact that you have taken the time to find the speech training program will show the company you are motivated.

Lastly, ask how many people are in the program at once. Are the lessons customized to your needs as a learner, or does everyone study all the material in the course? If everyone studies all the material, whether they need it or not, the course takes longer and motivation may decrease.
Customized lessons save your valuable time.

Great speech makes business sense! Get the speech training you need, and feel confident about it!

Business Speech Improvement, in Durham, NC, offers intensive speech training through small groups and individually. Details of upcoming seminars and types of training are at www.BusinessSpeechImprovement.com.

Accent modification - the intensive way

Accent modification for strong foreign and regional accents can be done on many schedules. The most frequent one is one lesson a week for an hour, with the hope that learners will practice between sessions.  Some learners do practice as instructed. Others are busy and don't have time for this, or fear that they are practicing incorrectly and soon stop.

Intensive accent modification is done either 8 hours a day, for several days, or at least several hours a session or several sessions a week. There are 3 advantages to this.  Learners have less time to forget, so minimal time is spent in review. Learners make faster progress, because they are getting more lessons and errors are corrected immediately by the instructor if the learner does not catch them. Third, learners are more motivated, because progress is faster.

A follow-up plan of some type needs to be in place, to help the learner maintain his or her new skills. Newly learned skills must be reinforced by the instructor or others who are native speakers until they are habitual.

Intensive accent modification especially appeals to busy professionals who may have tight schedules,
those who need to speak clearly as quickly as possible for upcoming meetings or presentations, and
managers who need their employees to speak clearly as fast as possible.


Business Speech Improvement offers open enrollment small groups for accent modification. Other options are offered as well. Click here for details!

Accent Modification Seminars and You: 6 Reasons People Enroll

Over the years of teaching foreign (and regional) accent modification seminars, I have heard a lot of reasons why people enroll. Here are 5 of the most common - and 1 more unique one!

 1. I can't stand the puzzled looks people give me when I speak to native speakers; they can't understand me easily. 2. I want to improve my speech - but I don't know how. 3. For my career development, I need to talk better to either keep my current job or be considered for the job I really want in the company. 4. I have to be able to be understood clearly in a hurry or when my listener is stressed or sick. I'm in the medical field. 5. I'm about to give a speech. Listeners need to understand my diction better so they can focus on my message. and finally, number 6! I use Dragon Dictation at work- and it doesn't understand me. Can you help me speak so my computer will understand me better?

Whatever your reason, know that intensive speech improvement seminars are available! Each comes with a follow-up plan of some sort, depending on where you live and the type of training you have had. Upcoming seminars in American English Pronunciation Improvement for Non-native Professionals, in October 2014, and Speech Rate Reduction, for speedy talkers,, are now enrolling learners! Click here for details. Other seminars, individual coaching and e-books are also offered.

What's YOUR reason for wanting to enroll in an intensive speech improvement seminar?

Accent modification training - what is it?

Are you frustrated with your pronunciation of American English and the impact it has on your communication at work and in the community? If so, accent modification training may be a great help. An experienced accent modification coach or a corporate speech pathologist first analyzes your speech, and then designs a plan to improve it. Accents involve pronunciation, speech rate and the speech intonation (how your voice goes up and down). Your plan should include all of this. It may also include help with grammar and American idiomatic expressions if time is available. Training can range from 3 (full) days plus follow-up to one hour once a week. It can be done in a small group or individually. A good quality program should not be a large class, where everyone learns all the sounds again. Many of you already know most of the sounds, and should not have to practice what you know already. In a small group, the instructor has time to listen for your errors, which is vital. Another indicator of an excellent program is the availability of time to help you practice your professional and other important words. As one of my clients reported recently, "I'd been saying those business words wrong for a long time - and I didn't know it!" Business Speech Improvement offers seminars on American English Pronunciation Improvement for Non-native Professionals; sign up today! E-books on business communication are also available.

Tips on understanding different dialects over the telephone

Here's a common scenario: someone calls you on the telephone and has a strong regional or foreign accent. You want to have a conversation, but his or her speech is hard to understand. Here are some ways to improve the communication. First, speak slightly slower yourself. This will subconsciously cue the other person to slow down, which gives you time to figure out what he or she said. Second, tell the other person if there is a specific word that you did not understand. For example, "What was the word you said after ___?" If you still do not understand, ask him to use another word for the confusing word. Another option is to ask for the word to be spelled, with key words, such as "b as in boy". If you get many calls that are hard to understand, on your outgoing message you can speak slowly yourself and give out your e-mail address. Some callers may be very relieved to get it! If nothing else works, ask for the message to be texted or e-mailed! Business Speech Improvement provides intensive coaching in verbal skills. Specialties include American English Pronunciation for Non-native Professionals, helping people learn ways to reduce their rate of speech, communication coaching for leadership development, and more.

How to assess your American English pronunciation

You want to improve your American English pronunciation. Maybe you want a chance at a professional job. Possibly you are frustrated by people giving you puzzled looks and asking, "What did you say". Try this self-test. Count the "no" answers.

1. You can say the two American "th" sounds clearly - in conversation.

2. You know which 3 words are spelled with "th" - but the "th" is silent.

3. In British English, "pro" is always pronounced as "pro", with a long o sound. In American English, you know which words have a "pro" that is pronounced as "prah" instead.

4. You can say all of the following sound combinations clearly:
str (as in "street"), asks (as in "tasks"), sp (as in "special") and st (as in "first").

5. You can say the following single consonants the American way: l,r,v, w.

6. The vowel- r sounds ar (as in "hard"), er (as in "person") and or (as in "born") are clear.

7. When you speak, your rate is reasonably slow so others can understand you.

8. You can emphasize the correct syllable of at least most all of the words you use.

If you score is less than 8, here are three ways to improve it.

Business Speech Improvement offers intensive small group open enrollment courses in Pronunciation Improvement for Non-native Professionals. The program takes only 3 days, which may be consecutive. This makes it ideal for those who want to improve in a hurry!Individual coaching is offered as well, for those with strong foreign or regional accents that impede clear communication. Economical e-books are also available for those living far away.

The bottom line is that your speech matters. Poor communication may be costing you. How will you improve it?

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.

Top 5 Tips to Improve Your Speech

Top 5 Tips to Improve Your Speech
"Speech" means different things to people. So, the tips below try to cover a variety of needs.
5. When meeting strangers at a party or conference, think about what you have in common with them, and come up with a statement plus a question ahead of time. For example, "This is a great party! How do you know (the host)?" or "What do you do for the organization?"
4. If you give presentations, remember that you have just 30 seconds to capture your audience's attention. Use startling statistics, a surprising fact or a 2-3 sentence story to start your talk. Then say your name.
3. If you have a strong accent that impedes clear communication, speak slower and keep paper nearby to write any words that your listener does not understand.
2. When your speech is not understood, use a synonym, such as "excellent" for "very good".
1. To help you persuade others, remember the acronym WIIFM, "what's in it for me". Why should someone do what you want done? Will it save frustration or money, increase productivity or make it easier to meet goals?

For more great tips, check out Business Speech Improvement's economical e-books! Business Speech Improvement also provides intensive coaching.

Foreign accent modification training: what do people learn?

A professional from another country reported, "I've wanted to speak English better, but I didn't know what to do. Now, after this seminar, I do."

In (American English) Pronunciation Improvement for Non-native Professionals, each attendee gets an individual speech assessment. Even two people from the same native language, such as Spanish, may pronounce English differently. Each person then receives a customized program so he learns what he specifically needs. Learners study the silent letters in English, such as the three words in which "th" is not pronounced.

Materials and activities are geared to professionals. For example, at the end of the session, a professor may give a short lecture using his new speech skills.
A physician may practice giving a case history. Someone else may interview a vendor. Attendees enjoy these activities! After the seminar, there is a detailed follow-up plan to help skills be maintained.

Past learners report they feel more confident speaking English, and know what to do to make their pronunciation better.

For those who cannot attend, e-books of exercises are onsite.

Isn't this what you are searching for, for yourself or an
employee?

Business Speech Improvement provides intensive training in may aspects of verbal communication.

Improving Diction: Getting Your Message Across - the First Time

There are many causes for poor diction, such as speaking too fast, lack of self-confidence in certain situations, weakness or in-coordination of your mouth's muscles, to a hearing loss.
(If you don't hear clearly, you may not know you are not saying certain sounds.)

One tip you can try to improve your diction is to actually listen to yourself speak.
Record your speech when reading aloud, when talking to a friend, or even when describing your surroundings to yourself. Are there certain sounds you are not saying clearly? Do you speak too fast? Ask your friends or colleagues for advice about when you speak less clearly. If your diction has worsened significantly recently, check with your physician; it may be a sign of a neurological problem. For other speech impairments, you may want to have a speech evaluation from a speech pathologist.

General exercises to improve diction can be found in the e-book "Diction Makes A Difference". Intensive reading practice combined with audio files can be found in
"Learn to pronounce American English more clearly." Both can be gotten from http://businessspeechimprovement.com/enabler3/scripts/category.pl?EBooks.

Business Speech Improvement provides training in verbal communication skills.
Coaching and e-books from a corporate speech pathologist are available on many topics, including diction, accent modification, public speaking, executive communication, profession-specific communication and more!

Want speech improvement to speak American English more clearly?

Do you need to improve your American English,but coaching is not an option right now?

Learn from an innovative combination of a down-loadable audio file and a pdf, " Learn how to pronounce American English more clearly". Hear a professional speech coach and native American English speaker read specially written paragraphs with many examples of a given sound. Listen as often as you like, and repeat! Each part of the series has several sounds on it; get one or all of them at www.BusinessSpeechImprovement.com.

Business Speech Improvement provides intensive coaching in verbal communication skills, including accent modification, executive communication skills, presentation skills and much more. Training is offered through in-person coaching, e-books and this new audio/pdf series. Great speech makes business sense!

Have difficulty pronouncing American English clearly?

American English can be a challenge for people from other native languages to pronounce.
We have some sounds not found in other native languages, such as "th". Many of our words, such as Chicago, and women, do not follow the usual pronunciation rules. Many international businesspeople, scientists and other professionals who do business in the United States want to improve their pronunciation and seek coaching.

Pronunciation Improvement for Non-native Professionals is a three day intensive seminar to be held October 4 - 6, 2010 in Chattanooga, TN (USA).
Each learner will receive an individual speech assessment and a customized program, plus more.

Past learners report increased self-confidence as well as improved pronunciation. The course is taught by an experienced corporate speech pathologist.

Only six learners will be accepted. The fee is $1795.00 USD per person. To enroll, visit http://businessspeechimprovement.com/enabler/scripts/category.pl?Classes.

Checklist for assessming your company's communication skills

How well do your employees communicate? Poor communication can turn away prospective customers, frustrate employees, and cost your bottom line.

Rate your company's communication skills!

Check any statement that applies to your company. For some items, you may need to call the company from the outside and pose as a prospective customer or employee.

______1. Employees who are foreign-born and whose pronunciation is difficult to understand at times have all been offered speech training by the company.
The company understands this training can increase communicative efficiency and is very supportive to the employee's career growth.

______2. Local employees can all be clearly understood on the telephone and in presentations to people from other parts of the country.

______3. Employees who give presentations know how to prepare and deliver them effectively.

______4. Managers all have high levels of professionalism in their listening skills, and understand different communication styles.

______5. Sales staff and front desk staff have excellent skills in making small talk with prospective customers and others.

______6. Brainstorming sessions actually result in many new, applicable ideas.

______7. Employees consistently answer the telephone with a cheerful greeting, which is clearly pronounced and easily understood by a prospective customer.

______8. Employees all use standard grammar in speaking and writing, which promotes the company's professionalism.

______9. Employees can all state why their work is important to the company's mission or purpose.

______10. On performance appraisals, all employees receive acceptable ratings on their communication skills.

Key: For each missed area, visit http://businessspeechimprovement.com to learn about available coaching . Concise, practical e-books are also available at www.BusinessSpeechImprovement.com/ebooks.

Two things to listen for if you are self-conscious about your speech

Do you come from another part of the country and are self-conscious about how you sound? Do people ask you where you're from? Is this affecting your work or social life?

If you want to change your speech patterns, you need to listen to others whose speech you admire to find out what they are pronouncing differently than you. For example, they may say a certain vowel differently, or have a different intonation pattern or "lilt" to their speech. Record your speech and listen to it so you can analyze what you want to do differently. Start by saying the new sound in single words. (Use a dictionary to get a list of the words with that sound.)

A great set of speech archives of different dialects of English is at http://accent.gmu.edu/.

Professional Diction and Grammar/Regional Accent Modification is a intensive course offered by Business Speech Improvement. A rare Open Enrollment class will be offered in June, 2010. For details, visit http://businessspeechimprovement.com/enabler/scripts/category.pl?Classes .

Clients ask, "Why don't Americans help us?"

Many clients from other countries in the Pronunciation Improvement for Non-native Professionals seminar offered by Business Speech Improvement ask the same question: why don't native-born Americans help them improve their pronunciation of American English? In their native countries, their work groups naturally help the newcomers with various aspects of their job, including their communication skills. In the USA, though, native-born Americans are afraid this would offend their non-native co-workers; in addition, many people don't have the time or skill to know how to make corrections efficiently and effectively.

If you yourself or your valued employees want to improve your American English pronunciation,
learn about upcoming seminars at www.BusinessSpeechImprovement.com/accents .
What would better pronunciation do for you or your employee?