Worried about your communication skills affecting your job performance?

The telephone rang at Business Speech Improvement with a call from a person I'll call "Pat".  "I really want to improve my speech so I can get promoted."  Another call came from "Bob" (a pseudonym). "My assistant is great, but customers say she's so hard to understand, especially on the telephone.

Do you, too, see the connection between your (or your employee's) speech and job performance?

The first thing you need to do in this situation is to write down examples of exactly what you want to improve. Is the concern due to mispronunciations of various words, and if so, what are they? Is a fast rate of speech, or tone of voice, part of the problem? Maybe the primary issue is giving a presentation in front of  your supervisor or a client. Is the concern due to a regional accent, sometimes called "country speech"? Does the problem occur all the time, only when you are nervous or speaking to a certain type of person or group?

Then, decide how you want to get training. Do you want to get help through in-person or online coaching? These would give you helpful feedback and customized exercises for your specific needs. Another option is inexpensive e-books on communication, which give practical exercises and are available 24/7.

 Business Speech Improvement offers some small group in-person seminars, too; one on American English Pronunciation Improvement for Non-native Professionals is enrolling learners now. This is a three day intensive, customized seminar with  a follow-up plan.  Get  the help that you, specifically, need, in a small group environment. Time is included so you can practice some of the words you use at your job! Check it out now and find out how past learners felt about this seminar!

Great speech makes business sense; enroll in the seminar or coaching program of your choice and take the first step today!

Regional Accent Modification Helps with National Business Contacts

Many people with strong regional accents who give presentations or speak with people on the telephone in other parts of the country feel self-conscious about their speech. They report that customers ask them to repeat themselves, tell them their accent is "sweet" or "just like my Grandma's". If they give presentations, they note that listeners notice their speech patterns so much that they do not necessarily focus on the speech's message.

One tip regional speakers can do is to listen to the news on a national TV channel to determine what sounds are produced differently, and try to speak that way.

Many speakers, though, need feedback and more specific recommendations on what to change, and how to do it. They need help to go through the stages of speech training.

Business Speech Improvement (http://businessspeechimprovement.com/enabler/scripts/category.pl?Classes) offers group seminars on regional accent modification, as well as
Individual Speech Coaching that can combine accent modification with other skills such as
presentation skills or customer service skills.