Public Speaking and Your Career: 3 Tips to Improve Your Skills

Public speaking (or presentation skills) according to one survey is the biggest fear of many adult Americans. Many people are especially concerned about how this fear affects their chances of career growth. Their jobs require them to speak in meetings or other settings, and this is very difficult for them. The best way to overcome this fear is through a public speaking seminar, or other type of training. However, this is not feasible for some people due to time or financial constraints. In other cases, people are too nervous to even consider taking this step. Here are three tips to help overcome this concern. First, it is not possible to be both relaxed and nervous simultaneously. Slow, deep breathing before speaking calms people. (Obviously, do not do this into a telephone, which has a microphone, into a regular microphone, or while driving or using other power equipment.) Simply take a slow deep breath, hold it briefly, and exhale slowly. Do this several times. The extra oxygen taken in helps people to think more clearly, as well as to relax. Second, remember the message counts more than the speaker. Focus on making the message as clear as possible, not on yourself. Third, help listeners remember your message. Techniques such as using relevant examples (especially dramatic ones), alliteration (such as "delicious doughnuts") and emotion all increase memory. As one unknown sage phrased it, "be brief, be brilliant, be seated". In general, shorter is better. Plan your presentation and eliminate redundancies. Business Speech Improvement provides 3 ways to get help with public speaking skills. A one day small group open-enrollment seminar is offered occasionally. Individual coaching is an excellent choice for those who are busy. This is tailored to your level of skill and can be used to practice upcoming presentations. A tip-filled e-book, "Public Speaking:You Can Do It!" is excellent for those who need "help in a hurry©" or who live far away.

Offering foreign accent modification training to staff in the USA

The scenario goes like this. An employer hears about the availability of foreign accent modification training for his employees. He thinks about several of them who could certainly use it. Then he worries about either offending them and discriminating against them. The international employee, meanwhile, struggles to improve his American English pronunciation. He worries, too - about the puzzled looks on his listeners' faces, about his career growth and sometimes whether he will be kept on as an employee in the company. He wonders why his employer doesn't offer this training to him, like many employers do in other countries. As one employee told me, "I looked for this training for years on my own. When it suddenly appeared as being available on my computer at work, I immediately applied. I was lucky, and got in the class." The two different viewpoints are because Americans are often more individualistic, and think of their own career growth. We worry about offending others. In other countries, employees focus more on the growth and productivity of the work unit and company. Anything that can help that growth, such as American English pronunciation training for non-native professionals, is worth doing. When employees communicate better, they can contribute more, and more easily. So how does an American employer offer this training without offending a valued employee? Companies often try one of two approaches. First, the training can be offered as optional, fitting in a category of communication courses that are part of the number of mandatory hours of training per year. Two companies that did this reported considerable interest. As employees were self-selected, they were more motivated. A second approach is more directed. At a performance evaluation, explain the problem and the effect on the bottom line. Offer the training at that time, explaining clearly because you care about the valuable employee and his growth. Great speech makes business sense! Business Speech Improvement offers many types of verbal skills training. Training is offered through individual and small group seminars as well as e-books. The company is now located in Durham, NC.

Random acts of kindness

Do you know a person or business that is about to move, or has recently done so? Business Speech Improvement, my company, has recently relocated. Random acts of amazing kindness have made a real difference in our settling in to our new state and community. In many communities, who you know is as important as what you do. As a newcomer, I know connections will make or break my business's success - but they take time to make. Today, for example, a business expert spent time helping me make crucial connections. Can you help a newcomer make friends or business connections? Other great things to do include bringing over a plant, a plate of brownies or a fruit basket. Invite him or her over for coffee. Maybe you could gather some information from the local Visitors' Bureau about great activities in the community, or offer the person a tour of the community. Little things like this make a big difference in how a person perceives his new community! Business Speech Improvement

How people can learn to speak American English more clearly - in only three days

People in the corporate world from other countries may want to learn to speak American English more clearly - and fast. Possibly they are going to a meeting in the USA, or to give a presentation there. People in the Raleigh-Durham area of N. Carolina (USA) will now have the chance to experience this. Business Speech Improvement will soon be moving there! The first step, as in solving any problem, is to determine what needs to be changed. What sounds are mispronounced? How are the rate of speech and the intonation pattern (how the voice goes up and down for questions, excitement, etc)? An expert corporate speech pathologist has years of experience and education to determine this quickly. Certain sounds are easier to change than others are. A customized plan is designed, considering the difficulty level of the specific sounds, which may have to do with where the errors are being made, the person's native language patterns and other factors. Finally, the training can start. Using the customized plan for each learner, the group learns the process of change and specific exercises needed to make the sounds correctly. Each learner receives a lot of feedback, to give him knowledge and confidence. Throughout the process, each learner has practice in rating his own attempts, so he can later judge his speech patterns accurately. Finally, when many new sounds have been mastered, learners practice on simulations of their own work situations, such as doing an interview, giving a lecture, making telephone calls or a business presentation. Doing this intensive process for eight hours a day, with frequent feedback and a variety of exercises, has helped many people make real progress. As a satisfied client, an engineer, reported, "Our speech, like our products, should be right - the first time!" People wanting to enroll in the small group and individual coaching programs offered by Business Speech Improvement should visit here. For those living elsewhere, click here for information about our e-books and mp3 files. Training in other speech topics is also available.

Parent of a high school senior?

Are you the parent of a high school senior who is applying to college? Your child is racing madly towards the finish line of having all college and scholarship applications completed. Have you given a moment's thought towards what it will be like to drop him or her off at a college dorm next fall? What will you say? How will you feel at that moment? Going to college is not easy for either the student or the parent! Many parents of high school seniors are overwhelmed right now with helping their children at this critical time. At the same time, the parents are frustrated because their children are ignoring the parents' words of wisdom about "life issues", from driving to study skills. This is all normal - but it is frustrating for both sides. The parents want to be sure their children are ready for college, and the teens are asserting their independence. What if there was a solution that helped both during the college years? There is. Portable Parent is a unique e-book that covers 29 topics students want to know about - but may not choose to ask their parents. Would-be "helicopter parents" can be more relaxed, knowing their children have the advice they need, as close as their computers! From drinking and drugs at college and tips for lengthening terms papers to doing laundry, finding scholarships and ways to save on travel costs, this e-book provides answers students want! As one student reviewer wrote: "Hey - it's like a parent that you can get information from when you want it.... even at the times of morning that you need advice but don't want the lecture you'd get about calling at that time of night!" Parents with Windows computers (and Adobe Acrobat 8 or above) can also add their parental wisdom to select sections. (Parents with Macs will have to download and print out the e-book to add their thoughts.) "Instant information, 24/7, with a parent's insight!" This e-book has special value to college students who come from other countries to the USA. It provides cultural information on American ways of doing things on college campuses. Written by a parent of three college students who is also a faculty member, Portable Parent covers questions students have. Parents appreciate it because they know that with this loaded into their child's computer, the student will have access to information they need - but won't necessarily want to ask their parents. When the time comes to leave your child, you will feel better knowing all that helpful information is waiting in his computer - whether he asks you or not. Sidestep the parent-new college student struggle - check the e-book Portable Parent out! 

A weather disaster and your personal financial documents

If a severe weather disaster occurred, and you and your family were fortunate enough to have survived, would you have your personal financial documents? Would your birth certificate, marriage/professional/driver's licenses, insurance policy numbers, passport and other documents be easy to grab if needed? After a tornado, survivors' personal documents were scattered over a wide area. After a hurricane, many documents were either lost or very soggy. Imagine how long it would take to put your documents back together again! If they came from local sources, it might take even longer. Planning ahead can save you a lot of grief. Complete the Financial Overview form at www.myfinancialrecords.net and have your essential personal documents in one place, with all account numbers, contact information, etc neatly on the 17 page form. From insurance policy numbers to bank account information, this is ready for you to write down the information you might need. You will have this together for your everyday use, too. Do you need to know your passport number or the way to contact your bank? With this document, it's a snap! For a limited time only, this document is free for those who answer a single question at www.my financialrecords.net. This is an exceptional deal, so hurry today to www.myfinancialrecords.net now to get the document! www.myfinancialrecords.net helps people with preparing information for eldercare, for gathering and understanding your own finances, and with disaster documents. Check out this great new resource!

Retirement Planning and Eldercare Financial Organization

Do you fit into one of three groups of people: needing to organize your own financial records (possibly for retirement planning), caring for an elderly parent and needing to organize their records, or organizing your documents in case of a future disaster/recovering from a past disaster? In all three cases, you want to check out a new website, www.myfinancialrecords.net. Here you will find a great document, a template you can use to organize all the details of your financial life! These might range from your insurance policy numbers and who to call if you have a question or claim, to numbers for retirement accounts, your Vehicle Identification number, and a LOT more! Imagine the peace of mind you will feel when all that information is easily accessible to you! Plus, if there were to be a disaster, you could save an incredible amount of time There are also instructions on scanning personal documents, such as professional licenses, birth certificates, passports, your house deed and much more, and how to replace those that are missing. Then keep a hard copy of them, in a notebook sealed in plastic, for your records in case of emergency. In addition, put them on a password-protected flash-drive, to take with you in case of emergency when you are out of the house. Ready for that feeling of relief? Check out www.MyFinancialRecords.net!

A tale of two salesmen

I had the great fortune to sit next to a professional fund-raiser today. I asked him the the secret of his success, and he said, "It's all in the listening. I ask them what matters to them, I listen to their emotions, and then I put all that together in a proposal." He repeated, "It's all in the listening." Later in the day I called a company to ask about getting an expensive service. I told the salesman what I needed, stressing that convenience was important in this case. He told me the way the company worked, which was definitely not customer-friendly but was employee-convenient. I told him why I needed it be more convenient to me, and he said "We don't do it that way." Case closed, sale lost, employee clueless. Are you in the business of selling ideas, services or products, informally or as a profession? Remember the fund-raiser's words: "It's all in the listening." Knowing what matters to your prospect helps you emphasize vital points that will make a sale. As for the emphatic "We don't do it that way", that leads to closing of the wallet! Business Speech Improvement provides intensive training in verbal skills, including sales and executive communication skills. Training options include in-person coaching and convenient e-books! Check us out at www.BusinessSpeechImprovement.com  .

The secret to saying tongue twisters!

Many people who speak in public worry about how to pronounce long, unfamiliar words or other words in a phrase when they have similar sounds, called tongue-twisters. Tongue twisters come in many languages. American English ones, Russian ones, German ones, Spanish ones and ones in many other languages. The secret to saying tongue twisters is to practice them 3 times very slowly, without using your voice. Just move your lips, tongue and jaw slowly while you think about the movements you are making. Let's use Business Speech Improvement's slogan as an example. We are a "one stop speech spot". Say that 3 times very slowly, without using your voice. Think about the "st" in "stop" coming before the "sp" in "spot". Then try the slogan three times fast! Then, whenever you get a single difficult word to pronounce, or a difficult phrase, try this method: 3 times slowly and then 3 times fast. It's easy! Business Speech Improvement offers many types of communication e-books and coaching. Visit us online now!

Supervising international employees? Assumptions and your bottom line

Your employees' cultural assumptions may affect your bottom line - if you forget to discuss some of them. In an seminar on American English Pronunciation for Non-native Professionals, an attendee walked in one day shaking his head. "I know the answer to the problem my boss is struggling with - but of course I can't tell him," the new employee said. The entire class chorused, "Why not?" The employee replied, "I'll get fired for insubordination." Thankfully, the group included a manager of another department in the same organization, who assured the man that in this American company, he wouldn't get fired for saving his company a lot of time and money solving the problem. In another case, a new employee had an extraordinary background in her field, but was the newest hired in her department. When a supervisory position opened up, she told the group she wished she could apply. When asked why she wasn't doing so, she said, "I'm the last hired. It must go to the person there the longest," which was the case in her native country. Convinced to apply, she was quickly promoted. Here are three steps to take, with all your employees, to overcome such cultural assumptions. Remember that an employee can be American-born but be bi-cultural. 1. Let all employees know, verbally and in writing, how promotions are determined. If experience, education, motivation, certifications or other factors are involved, make that clear. Factors may be different in other countries. 2. Have supervisors explain repeatedly to new employees that questions are welcomed about procedures. This is not true everywhere. 3. If a person is exhibiting a communication behavior that is unusual to you, such as hesitating before shaking hands or being reluctant to show emotions or use the telephone, ask sincerely if things are done differently in his or her culture. Business Speech Improvement provides intensive training in verbal skills, including American English Pronunciation Improvement for Non-native Professionals. It offers e-books such as Coming to the USA:American Cultural Differences as well as others on diction, and more!

Hurricane Sandy and your personal financial records

You've got your 3 days' supplies of food and water. You have clothes, blankets, prescriptions, a weather radio, flashlights and extra batteries as well as a cell phone charger. Do you also have copies of your personal financial records - in at least 2 formats? Financial records are crucial at this time. If they were to get wet and/or lost, it would take a lot of work and time to get them again. Gather together copies of birth and marriage certificates, drivers' and professional licenses/certificates, diplomas and transcripts, and green cards. You also need insurance papers, such as car and home-owners or renters insurance. If you are lucky enough to have flood insurance, get that as well. Get your medical, dental, disability and long-term care or other insurance cards and policies as well as bank records. Also collect information about retirement accounts, such as IRAs, and investments. Write down the names of your utilities, contact information and account numbers. If you need to cancel your accounts, you will be able to do this more easily. Take photos (maybe using your cell phone) of your property. Take close-ups of valuable things, such as jewelry, furniture and your car. Write down any details listed on the jewelry or furniture if you have time. The power may fail, so bring some cash for emergencies in the event you cannot use your credit cards. Speaking of credit cards, photo-copy the front and back of them. The back has the telephone number to call if your card is lost. Of course, if your card is lost, you won't have this number - and will be liable for the cost of goods charged to it. (Nice racket, isn't it?) If you have a business, get your liability and other business insurance policies, as well as business licenses, too. Get names and contact information for all your employees. That may mean cell phone and e-mail addresses. Get a list of all your creditors and those who owe you funds. If you are an employee, write down the contact information for co-workers and your boss, if possible. Make a list of your relatives' and close friends' contact information, so you can contact them later if needed. Designate one person outside of the anticipated disaster zone to be the contact person for the family - and send him or her a copy of the list of the relatives. As each person arrives in a shelter or other location, that person calls your contact person if possible to say she or he is safe. If you have time, also make a list of this information above. For example, write the name of your bank, its' address, phone number and URL, as well as your bank account numbers. Write your credit/debit card numbers here, as well as the number to call if they are lost or stolen. Do the same for all your insurance policies, with the name of the company, contact information, your agent's name if you have one, the policy number and the number to contact if you have a claim. Be sure to list when the information was last updated. Then scan the actual documents or the list above and put a copy onto a password-protected flash-drive you take with you. Make a copy of the documents and/or the list and put it into a sealed plastic bag that goes with you, as well. (This is especially helpful if there is no power and you need the information on the list.) If you are not in the path of this hurricane, prepare this information anyway. It not only will help with a disaster, but will also make it so much easier when you need to make changes to your financial information and need account numbers and contact information. It will also be invaluable to your heirs or other executors of your estate. Business Speech Improvement provides intensive training in verbal skills. Check out our coaching and e-books! The information above is provided as a public service.

How to persuade, with one simple word

I recently received a long set of instructions to submit an item to a company. The instructions did not make much sense to me, as a consumer. Researchers know that one way to persuade people is to tell them a reason for taking a specific action. "You need to do this because _____" has been shown to increase people's willingness to take action. The reason chosen must be important to the specific listener. The next time you need to persuade someone, give a reason that will be meaningful to that person. For example, a young mother might welcome increased convenience, a teen might prefer decreased parental supervision, and a boss might be delighted by lower costs and higher output. "Because" is such a simple word, but it can have a powerful impact! Try using it...because it makes a real difference. Business Speech Improvement provides intensive coaching and concise e-books on many aspects of verbal communication.

Relationship-building and trust

Building a business or a personal relationship takes consistency and trust. Consider these situations: A recruiter promises a sought-after candidate that people at fast-growing Company X have frequent opportunities for advancement Before signing anything, the candidate finds a current employee online and discovers that few insiders get considered for these new openings. The candidate no longer trusts anything else the recruiter tells him. A new customer of a car dealership buys a vehicle with an extended warranty. The dealership makes an error in servicing the vehicle, and the vehicle now needs expensive repairs. The dealership does it for free, as promised, and works hard to regain the customer's trust. Someone on a dating site misrepresents himself in his personal description, and a potential date discovers this. She now distrusts him, and refuses further communication with him. Consistency builds trust, and in the beginning of a business or personal relationship, trust is crucial. If trust is broken, the relationship is very hard to repair. Sometimes the person who erred can apologize and explain the situation, but often it takes considerable work over an extended period of time. In a new relationship, it often is not worth the effort by at least one of the parties. Promise only what you are sure you can deliver. Consistency is a key to trust. Business Speech Improvement provides intensive training in verbal skills, including communication skills for leadership development.

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.

Silent letters in American English pronunciation Many readers of this blog come from other countries. If you are one of them, or know someone who is trying to speak English more clearly, this blog post is for you! American English, first of all, is pronounced differently than British English. Many of the vowel sounds are made slightly differently, and have a different intonation pattern as well, which is what gives it a British or an American sound. This blog is about American English. We have a lot of silent letters. In some cases, the letters are silent only in specific words. For example, "th" is written but not spoken in 5 words. One of these words is "asthma". When "l" comes after an "a", as in calm, walk, talk, and psalms, the "l" is not spoken either. A third example is when there is a "sch", as in school or schedule. In these cases, Americans pronounce this as a "sk" sound. Business Speech Improvement provides intensive training in American English Pronunciation Improvement for Non-native Professionals. Training is offered through open enrollment seminars, individual coaching, e-books and an mp3-file.

Tips on how to stop interrupting others In the Presidential Debate last night, both candidates were interrupting others. While they probably did it out of frustration and to get their whole message before viewers in prime time, it created a negative backlash. Viewers found the interruptions to be disrespectful of each other. One viewer wondered if the debaters would also interrupt officials from other countries, for example. People with hearing loss often have trouble understanding two conversations occurring at once. Even those with normal hearing struggled at these times. In normal conversations, without the glare of television cameras and the lure of a huge audience, interrupting is still impolite. If you interrupt because you are worried you will forget what you are going to say, write down a few words about it. If you have no smart phone app for this, or pen and paper, use your finger to write the word on your thigh. This tactile feedback may help you remember what you wanted to say. Second, focus on what the other person is saying, not on your message. Wait 3 seconds after he stops speaking before you respond. This is especially helpful when on the telephone, where there is no visual image that could cue you the other person is about to speak again. Consider responding in writing, with an e-mail, text or letter, instead of in person. This gives you time to think about your message carefully. It may also allow the other person to feel like you really heard what he said. If you do interrupt by accident, apologize. Over time, you should make this error less and less. Business Speech Improvement provides communication skills coaching and e-books. Check out the options today!

A secret of extemporaneous speaking

According to one survey, more Americans fear public speaking than dying. Probably a major aspect of this fear is extemporaneous speaking, when one is asked to "just say a few words" without preparation. Accomplished speakers know many techniques to help them. One such method is to develop a framework for what could be said in many such situation. For example, use a chronological framework. What happened first, second, etc until today? What do you envision happening next, and the impact this will have? Let's assume you are asked to speak about the opening of a building or program. In just a few sentences, explain the origin of the project, some highlights (maybe dramatic ones) of the intervening time, and describe briefly where you are today. Talk about your vision of the future of this project or event, and end by enthusiastically thanking the many contributors (by name, if possible). Again, remember to be concise. As an unknown sage phrased it, "Be brief, be brilliant - and be seated!" More such techniques are in a short e-book, Public Speaking: You Can Do It!

When a friend at work has bad news Recently someone asked me when he should do upon hearing a friend from work had some bad personal news. He and his friend were both in the USA. (Customs may be different in other cultures.) His dilemma was that he didn't want to disturb his friend, but did want his friend to know he was thinking of him and was available to help if needed. His friend had taken some time off to deal with the situation. I suggested he text, e-mail or call him friend and let him know he was concerned. He should ask what he could do to be of help, such as doing some driving for the friend, bringing over some food, running some errands or whatever else was needed. When the friend returns to work, he could take him out to lunch or just bring him up to date on events at work. What is usually done in this situation where you work? What is appropriate in other countries, too? Share your ideas!

A vital question

When doing employment interviewing (on either side of the table), a vital question often goes unasked. The question is "Is there anything else I should know?" The corollary to this from the interviewer to the candidate is "Is there anything else you want to ask?" Many times, the interviewer(s)have prepared a set of thoughtful questions - but there may be other issues on the candidate's mind. The candidate may be hesitant to ask them because he assumes the interview is over. If the interview is an exit interview, a question to be asked might be, "Is there anything else the company should know about the reasons you are leaving?" Candidates who are resigning may have other issues on their minds that could prevent others from leaving as well. Sales meetings should also ask this question. The purchaser may have had poor experiences with a competitor, but be hesitant to say something. Perhaps there was poor service, problems with billing, a product that did not meet the company's needs, or some other issue. Taking a moment to get the issue expressed can lead to additional discussion that can benefit both sides. A coaching or delegating situation can also benefit from this question. Asking it makes the other party aware that there may be additional factors to be considered. So, your question of the day is "Is there anything else I should know?" Digging a little deeper can yield better results! What are your favorite questions asked by leaders and others to make people think a little deeper? Business Speech Improvement provides training in executive presence and communication skills for leadership development! Individual coaching and small group seminars are offered in this and other topics!

Diction tips for reporters

Are you a reporter who wants to improve your pronunciation? Better speech can help your career growth, whether you are thinking of moving out of smaller markets into larger ones, or want to work on an especially important project in your current position. Your listeners today can be in some very noisy settings, whether in cars with their windows down, in shopping malls, sporting events, or noisy offices. Some may have hearing losses, too. Clear speech is critical for them to have the best chance of understanding you. Listen to yourself reporting on a taped story. What errors do you notice? Are the ends of sentences easy to understand, or are they mumbled? Are the ends of words, such as "ing", "s" and "ed" pronounced consistently? Set a goal of one change you want to make in your speech. When you practice reading your story, highlight the indicated words. This will remind you to say that sound extra clearly. You should also evaluate your rate of speech and your pauses. Are they appropriate for your story and your audience? Remember, speaking too quickly can mean people in noisy settings may miss words here and there. Sweeps Week is coming up! Business Speech Improvement offers small group coaching on an intensive basis for reporters who want to work on their speech skills! E-books and audio files are available on many other aspects of verbal communication. Check us out!

How well does your job "fit" you right now?

Do you ever feel like a square peg in a round hole, like you are not in the right job for your talents at this time? Do you worry that you are not making the difference you want to make in this world? Are you unable to keep up with (possibly unrealistic) job productivity measures? Maybe you are exhausted from balancing home and work, and work involves a complex travel schedule or other major overtime. What can you do if you are faced with a situation like one of these? First, make a list of your skills, even if they are not related to your current work. Second, describe your ideal job, or as many aspects as you can. For example, you prefer to work in a teams of 2, you want different hours, you like to work with food, or you want to make a difference in the world by _______. Consider your current job. Can it be modified in some way to use more of your talents? Can you ask for a transfer to another department that would be a better fit? Do you want to move to another part of the city or country? Look online at LinkedIn.com, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, your local newspaper, and many other such sites. Look in your professional journals and online at your professional association, if you belong to one. As the economy starts to improve, the job market should loosen up, and more positions become available. Remember you do have options!

Motivating Yourself: Facing a Difficult Challenge

Have you ever faced a challenge to improve something about yourself after years of tolerating the problem? Suddenly you have an opportunity to make the change - but now you are trying to decide if it is worth the effort that will be involved? What made you decide the effort was worth it, at least enough to take the first step? Please share how you motivated yourself to start, and to continue the process! How did you deal with any setbacks, and what was the challenge you were overcoming? I will pass on your responses to someone who is trying to make such a decision now, and who might welcome words of wisdom from people who have already successfully tackled their own challenges (or are in the process of doing so).

Have you ever been strongly urged to do (or not do) something? Did you feel you were being manipulated? The next time this happens, ask someone else for his or her view of the issue. For many issues, you can also Google the issue online - and sometimes get a large number of responses! The upcoming elections (national, state and local) plus many claims for products or other suggested actions will provide lots of opportunities to think for yourself. If someone is vehemently opposed to, or strongly in favor of, something, know that there is often another side. Be aware - and think for yourself! Business Speech Improvement provides intensive training in communication skills for leaders, accent modification, diction, presentation skills and more. Training is available through coaching and e-books.

After Hurricane Isaac: Are You Prepared for a Disaster?

"We've never had a disaster here", said a young father of 2, when asked if he had prepared for a disaster should it strike his home. His implication was if a disaster had never happened before, it wouldn't happen now. Is this what you or others you know are thinking?

Disasters can strike anywhere, regardless of whether one has struck there before. (There's always a first time.) The only control you have is whether you are prepared.

Don't wait! Visit http://www.ready.gov/are-you-ready-guide/
to be as prepared as possible. Your life, and the lives of your family, may depend on your willingness to think ahead and gather the supplies you need for potential disasters in your community.

Ger an emergency radio and put it where it can wake you up in the night in the event of an emergency in your area. You want all the warning time you can get; don't assume you will know about a disaster because the wind will wake you up in time to get somewhere safe.

Also scan and put essential documents on a flashdrive. These may include copies of professional and drivers' licenses, a will and power of attorney, medical records, financial documents, your home or renters' insurance papers, a home inventory, a list of family contact information and more.

Exert your control. Think ahead and make a plan for your family in the event of an emergency - today!

Ready to say "good-bye" to your new college freshman?

Your new high school graduate is all packed up and eager to leave for college. What will you say to him or her when you say "goodbye"? Will you worry that he or she doesn't know enough of life to succeed, but will not contact you for advice when he needs it?

The Portable Parent, a unique e-book, is your answer. Written by a parent of a college student who is also an adjunct college professor, this book contains more than 20 short chapters of advice on topics ranging from getting scholarships and managing money to making friends the first few days and lengthening term papers. Parents who use Windows computers can add their own words of wisdom to selected chapters! The best part is that after purchase and adding your helpful advice, you can download it to your child's computer, and it won't add an ounce to all that you will be moving into his dorm room!

Training adults?

Are you giving a presentation to adults to train new employees or group members? Here are some training tips you can use.

Adults are not little sponges, eager to soak up every last word you say. Although they may sit still and not interrupt, they quickly decide whether to pay attention or not. Presenters who ignore this fact risk losing their audience's attention - and may never know it.

1. Get adults involved in a brief interaction with the person sitting next to them or a small group, or involved in an individual exercise, every 20 minutes. Possibilities: Remember the best/worst ______ (e.g.teacher, pet, friend) you ever had. What made it so special? (Note: Memory and emotion are connected in the brain. You remember things that are emotional.) Interview the person sitting next to you, and tell your small group about his interests. There are many books and probably websites with similar training exercises.

2. Quickly show how people in the audience will benefit from your presentation. "Today, you will learn _______. This will help you by ____________."

3. If appropriate, put some clean and appropriate jokes or a funny story in your presentation. Other stories involving people using the information, or how they were affected by a situation, also help people learn.

4. Make certain your Power-point or other visual is big enough for people in the last row to see. In a recent presentation, the speaker held up a book of materials she was demonstrating.
She was apparently showing some of the exercises on a page. The people in the back row could not see anything other than the fact that she was holding a book of some sort. They were frustrated and patiently waited until she finished. If she had put the page on a Power-point slide (as she represented the publisher, copyright was not an issue), it would have been much better.

Business Speech Improvement provides intensive training and e-books in verbal skills, including public speaking, diction, accent modification and more.

Leadership: The power of observation

As a leader, do you practice what you preach to your employees?

Recently a person in a leadership-training program for upcoming managers commented that he went to his manager to apologize for making an error. The manager got furious at him for his minor mistake. The person, who had gone on his own initiative, left very upset. To make matters worse, the manager gave a lecture the next day to the leaders-in-training about how to motivate employees and correct them as needed - and the suggested approach was a gentle, encouraging one.

If you were that trainee, what would you have learned from this experience?

As a leader, you know your employees are constantly watching your body language and noting your tone of voice. If you sound angry, even if it is due to another matter entirely, word will be passed to your staff very quickly that you are upset and they should stay away from you if possible. People trust your actions and tone of voice much more than your words.

If you are not conveying your desired message, communication coaching is available. Business Speech Improvement provides training in communication for leaders, accent modification, presentation skills and much more!

How's your small business outgoing voice-mail message?

Have you listened to your outgoing telephone message lately?
Was it very easy to understand, even for someone who is calling you for the first time?

I recently called a small business, and was appalled at the gruff, very deep tone of the message. It was almost impossible to understand, for a person who has normal hearing. For many customers who have hearing losses,it would not have been understandable. Prospective customers may easily have hung up. The culprit could well have been the recording equipment, or the person who recorded the message.

If you are recording an outgoing voice-mail message, say it slowly. This subconsciously cues those leaving a message to speak slowly themselves, which means you may understand them better. Speak enthusiastically, though, so people hear your enthusiasm!


Business Speech Improvement provides intensive training and e-books on many aspects of verbal communication, including diction and sales.

Speech rate and customer service training

An unfamiliar professional with a strong foreign accent recently called me. He spoke so quickly that his speech was very hard to understand. As a speech expert, I had to ask him to slow down and say each word clearly so I had any idea of why he was calling.

What can a person do to make his or her speech clearer? The first thing to do is to slow down your rate of speech. Simply speaking more slowly helps others understand you a little better. Certain groups of people understand speakers better when they speak more slowly.

To speak slower, remember what counts is what the listener understands, not how fast you can convey your message. After all, if you need to say it again, you have wasted time. If you really cannot slow down, get professional help from a corporate speech pathologist. There may be several reasons why some people cannot slow down on their own.

Second, say the final sounds in a phrase or sentence clearly. In the phrase, "It's the best!", pronounce the "t" correctly, as an example. If you use a script when speaking on the telephone, read it aloud for practice, saying the final sounds well.

Third, make sure you are pronouncing the longer words the way your listeners do, with stress on the correct syllable. Putting stress on the wrong syllable confuses listeners, and they need a few seconds to think about what was said. That means they miss the next comment you made.

Business Speech Improvement provides intensive training in verbal communication. Customized coaching and e-books are available!

Leadership: Consider the Ripple Effect

When a stone is thrown into a pond, it causes ripples in all directions. When a leader considers an action, he or she must also consider the ripples, in terms of production, operations, staffing and scheduling, finance, marketing, public relations and more. What are the implications of the idea? What would be the best time-line to put the idea into effect, considering the needs of a team involving all relevant departments?

If a leader is coaching his employees, he should also ask them to consider the effects of their ideas, before telling him about the ideas. Employees would learn to consider all aspects, and less suitable ideas would be eliminated before talking to leadership.

Ripples can also be found in other business decisions. For example, if a mortgage lender decides to request additional information right before a scheduled closing, thus delaying a closing, this can cause significant ripples in the lives of those affected: the buyer and seller, the realtors, the utility companies that provide services, the moving companies that have to reschedule a move, etc.

If a small business owner decides to coach his top 3 employees to achieve more or do their jobs more effectively, and then later asks them to do the same for their direct reports, this can have a ripple effect too. Employees may become more enthusiastic about assuming new duties or doing them to higher standards. Retention may increase, as may employees' positive comments about the organization.

When you make decisions inside your sphere of influence, what ripples can they cause? What other groups' or departments' needs do you need to take into account? What impact could your decision have on others?

Business Speech Improvement provides intensive training in verbal skills, including executive communication, accent modification, diction, and more! Both coaching and e-books are available.

"May I help you?" - do you care?

Today I listened to receptionists answer telephone calls for two businesses. Both had clearly been doing this all day, and may have been tired. Although they used basically the same words, one's tone of voice sounded like she clearly didn't care about the person at the other end. The other, although not enthusiastic, was more welcoming.

Tone of voice can make a difference between welcoming a prospective or current customer, and turning him or her away.
All it takes is a desire to welcome the customer and a little bit of both training and energy.

Sound like you care - every time. If you don't care, the customer may not share his time and business with you. After all, would you want to do business with a company whose first impression is of not caring?

Business Speech Improvement provides intensive training in verbal skills, from diction and sales communication to American English pronunciation and more.

Corporate voice mail message services: causing customer frustration

You call a company, and are asked to say and spell your name, address or customer number so your information can be found before transferring you to a customer service employee. Despite ultra-clear pronunciation, the machine doesn't understand you - repeatedly. Sometimes you then give up, or try to get around the system by dialing another number. Sometimes, if you wait long enough, a customer service rep comes online - and then has to calm a customer who maybe wasn't frustrated before making the call! So why do companies use these systems if they cannot recognize most names and numbers?

How do you handle it when the machine doesn't understand you?
Tell us your strategies; let's start a discussion here!

Business Speech Improvement provides intensive training in diction, accent modification, presentation skills, sales communication, and much more!

Extraordinary service - with a smile

Have you ever had extraordinary service in a store that actually made you smile? What's the best way to reward the giver of that service?

Recently a store staff member advised me on a product that was not only safer and more effective, but also much less expensive that the two I had intended to purchase. She took the time and initiative to make this suggestion. The impact of this is that not only will I save money, but the store's credibility has been greatly increased, in my opinion. In other words, I will be a much more loyal customer.

I plan to research and write her company HR director about her efforts, and ask that she be rewarded in some way. I also plan to tell her store manager.

How do you commend people for extraordinary service? Please share your favorite techniques! If you are a human resources director, how do you prefer it to be handled at your company?

Business Speech Improvement provides intensive training in many types of speaking skills, through coaching and e-books.
Visit us online!

Front line staff and your PR program

What are the first people prospective customers/clients/patients see doing to increase your organization's public relations?

In one healthcare organization I visited yesterday, the first employee I was directed to see appeared ironically to be very sick. When I asked her why she was at work, she told me that her department had let many employees go, and was very short-staffed. The next person I was sent to had her head down on the desk. When I expressed concern about her health, apparently conscious that everyone in a crowded waiting area could hear her, she self-consciously laughed and said she was mostly bored - despite the place being very busy. If this facility took such poor care of the front line employees, I wondered how they expected the employees to take exceptional care of their patients.

Regardless of your industry, how are you taking care of your front line employees? What are you doing to show them that you care about them? Are you teaching them the critical role they play in getting new customers or patients? Are you doing it with frequent spoken and written compliments, flowers, occasional free meals or gift cards, making sure they take time off when they need to, a career ladder to help them develop skills for other jobs, or some other method? Times are tough in many companies, but often without meaning to, front liners can derail your expensive public relations efforts.

Please let us know your company's efforts to make your front line team feel special!

Regional accents - and their impact

Many people report that having a strong regional accent, such as a strong New England, Midwestern, Southern or some other accent can impact their careers, even if they continue living in that part of the country. The reason is that they give presentations or make phone calls to people in other parts of the country, who may have trouble understanding them.

Have you had difficulty being understood or understanding someone else who has a strong regional accent? If so, what part of the country (and country) are you in? What did you have to do to communicate?

What kind of training would help in this case, if you were the speaker? Would you want regional accent modification alone, combined with customer service training or with public speaking training? Would you prefer it in person alone or in a group, in a webinar online (although you wouldn't get feedback), or in an e-book/mp3 file?

Business Speech Improvement provides intensive individual and group training, and e-books, on many topics related to communication.

Speech improvement training for non-natives who already speak English

A big concern of many professionals who speak English as a second language is whether they are pronouncing it correctly. Many have learned it from teachers who speak British English.
Thus, they say "schedule" as "shedule" instead of "skedule", and other different patterns of pronunciation and sometimes grammar.

These professionals often worry about their pronunciation, as they may get many confused looks from some listeners, especially those who do not know them well.

Intensive training in American English pronunciation patterns can make speech considerably better in as little as 3 days. Business Speech Improvement offers a seminar on American English Pronunciation Improvement for Non-native Professionals. Individual coaching and e-books are also offered.

Are you ready for your PR opportunity?

A businessman sponsored a formal professional seminar. He provided refreshments and a room. He was invited to talk about his business before the audience, some of whom were in a position to hire his company. Although very friendly, he was dressed quite informally and rambled considerably during his presentation. He had not thought to bring any business cards, either. The overall result was that his verbal and visual image wasted his public relations investment in this opportunity.

Are you prepared for your next PR opportunity, even when you don't expect it? Are you dressed appropriately enough for your work? If a TV camera captured film of you representing your company or at work, would you cringe? If there is the possibility that you will be asked to "say a few words", would you sound poised and professional, with a concise and relevant speech? Be prepared!

If public speaking is not your specialty, the e-book Public Speaking: You Can Do It!
gives easy ways to start, continue and gracefully end a presentation.

Business Speech Improvement also provides intensive coaching in public speaking, accent modification, reducing speech rate, executive/managerial communication for leadership and more!

Are you worried about your speech skills for business?

Excellent communication skills are essential for business. Many companies put such skills in their list of required qualifications, and offer training (or send employees to classes elsewhere where they can get the needed skills).

Insufficient communication skills can cause lost career development or promotion opportunities, can result in lost clients, or at least can cause embarrassment or frustration. Is that how you are feeling?

Currently, Business Speech Improvement is evaluating what additional seminars, e-books, or individual coaching should be offered. Currently, training in foreign and regional accent modification, presentation skills, techniques to speak slower, general diction, improving communication with someone who has a hearing loss, and communication skills for leadership are available. Many are offered in seminars, individual coaching and/or e-books.

If you would like training in a different topic, or a different format, please comment below or send us an e-mail with the topic and referred format. The first 25 responses will receive a complimentary e-book! Please do let us know how you would like to get help for yourself or an employee!

If you would like to schedule training in one of the above topics, or enroll in an open enrollment seminar, please click here.

Traveling or Waiting with Children This Summer?

As a special gift to readers who will be traveling or waiting with children this summer and dread their summertime boredom, Business Speech Improvement has compiled a complimentary online list of Great Games to Play with Children. These games are no-tech, usually no prep and fun! (Children often learn something from playing them, too, but they usually don't want to hear that.)

This link will be available only for a limited time. To access it, visit Business Speech Improvement and scroll down to the bottom of the home page.

Business Speech Improvement provides intensive training in verbal skills for adults. Specialties include American English Pronunciation Improvement for Non-native Professionals, techniques for talking slower, presentation skill coaching and much more! Small group open enrollment seminars, individual speech coaching and even e-books are all available.

First impressions for a new job vs terrible grammar of boss

An excited new team leader greeted his equally new team online in a brand new organization - with really bad grammar. What impact did it have on team members?

Most likely the impact is one of loss of respect for his professionalism, as well as for the organization that chose him to be a team leader. If he continues to use bad grammar online, respect of the team members will likely erode further, which may cause additional issues in retention.

Excellent grammar is one of many aspects of professionalism. Others include knowledge of the product or service as well as customer service and industry-specific knowledge and skills, ability to work as part of a team, getting work done in a timely and positive manner, timeliness, doing what you say you will do, and more.

Executive communication skills include excellent listening and questioning skills, ability to delegate and coach employees, to think ahead about organizational needs, to lead brainstorming sessions, to understand financial, operational and marketing issues and to be able to make educated decisions about industry and economic trends as they affect a particular business.

Business Speech Improvement provides intensive training in many aspects of verbal communication, including executive communication skills.

Foreign accent modification training: the challenge in the southern USA

Many non-native professionals in the USA who speak English are frustrated by their difficulty pronouncing American English clearly. In their native countries, they report, work groups are expected to do whatever is needed to help workers do better, which may include helping them speak more clearly if needed.

In the Southern USA, many employers are hesitant to bring up the topic of unclear speech, fearing a possible discrimination lawsuit or that the worker will at the least be offended and possibly resign.

The result is the worker is left wondering why no-one cares to help him, and the company is hesitant to offer accent modification training services.

There are two ways to resolve this. Employees who want this help need to ask their Human Resource or Training and Development Department if the company will pay for this training. If the company chooses to offer the training, it should be done by explaining the impact unclear speech has on the department or company, and offering this training as an option if the employee wants it. (An unmotivated employee will learn very little, if anything.) The company can also offer this training to all employees who request it, so it is not limited to specific ones.

Business Speech Improvement offers many types of verbal skills training, from intensive seminars in American English Pronunciation Improvement for Non-native Professionals to regional accent modification, seminars on how to speak slower for those who talk too fast and need help to improve, and more!

Body Language and Photos

Many people post professional and personal photos of themselves online. They want to seem inviting in a business or personal sense, but their bodies are telling others the opposite story.

The pose many people use is to fold their arms across their chests. This shows defensiveness to Americans, as if the person is not open to new ideas. Others put their hands in their pockets, as if they are hiding something. It is much better to have your hands at your sides. This implies openness to new invitations. If you must do something with your hands, have one hand hold something. If you already have a photo posted with a defensive posture, today is the day to make a more friendly one!
If your photo is for professional purposes, make it look professional. Wedding photos, photos of you with your significant other or cute child, or photos of you with your pet are not appropriate, unless of course you are in the wedding business, match-making business, are a school director or run a pet-related business.
If making small talk is also an issue, Small Talk:Connecting with Others is a concise e-book with numerous practical tips. Individual coaching is also available.

Business Speech Improvement provides intensive training in verbal skills, as well as body language. Individual coaching, small group open enrollment courses and valuable e-books are all available!

Dealing with someone in emotional distress

What is the best thing you can do to help a co-worker, friend, neighbor or other person who is grieving? Often it is to express your sympathy, be quiet, and then simply listen. Use non-verbal language
(eye contact, nodding or other facial expressions, lean forward to show interest), and let the other person talk it out. Depending on the situation, this may need to be done many times. We all grieve differently.

When the person is calm, it may be time to paraphrase some of the essential details in a non-judgmental way if the situation is not due to a death but to an accident or another event. Eventually, the person may be ready to move on to necessary action relating to the event.

Many companies have qualified counselors on staff, an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) or some other resource if that is needed. If the person dealing with grief changes behaviors drastically or threatens to harm himself or others, professional counseling should be sought immediately for the survivor. If a person was cared for by a hospice, trained counselors may be available to the family. However, often a listening ear, and time, show that someone cares.

What Do Your Customers/Patients Learn from Your Receptionist?

Your receptionist is a public relations specialist for your office. Prospective and current clients, customers and vendors see her attitude and wonder how it mirrors those of the rest of your staff. What is your receptionist conveying?

Memorable visits to professional offices showed one receptionist loudly complaining on the telephone to a friend about her job and another one giving directions to the office to a new client while gesturing to current ones lined up to see her that the telephone caller was crazy. What goes on in your reception area?

Business Speech Improvement provides intensive training in verbal communication skills. Convey the most professional image: check out the training options in coaching and e-books today!

Poor communication in professional offices: your examples

As a client or patient in an attorney's, accountant's, physician's or other professional's office, what are the best and worst examples you have experienced of communication there?
What great communication would have made you want to nominate such an office (or one employee there) for an award for excellent communication? Conversely, what happened that made you think "Don't they ever communicate with people?"


Business Speech Improvement provides intensive training in verbal skills.

How to communicate easier with someone with a hearing loss

Communicating with People with a Hearing Loss
It takes people seven years on average to realize they have a hearing loss, and some people are not helped by hearing aids. It is better to assume someone has a hearing loss if they stare at your lips, give an answer that may not be appropriate to the question asked, turn their head slightly so their "good ear" is aimed at your mouth, or do better at answering written than spoken questions.

"What did you say?"is a valuable e-book to help others communicate more effectively with a person with a hearing loss.

Business Speech Improvement can also develop specific tip-sheets for your business or industry on communicating more effectively with your customers or employees who may have a hearing impairment, and teach lip-reading and related skills.

Training or Draining: How are listeners doing?

When you give a seminar, how are you in keeping your learners focused? Is there so much information being presented that listeners are overwhelmed? Are listeners drained from being an an uninspiring presentation or one given with a mono-tonal speaker?

Adult learning theory teaches that activities should change every 20 minutes or so. Some activities need to involve more than just reading and writing; create interaction with role-plays, physical activities or other techniques.

Business Speech Improvement provides intensive training in verbal communication. Presentation skills (including doing training), accent modification, executive and sales communication are among the topics covered. E-books are also offered. Visit us today!

Speech Improvement Training: Is It for You?

Are you worried about loss of sales, fewer career growth opportunities, decreased self-confidence or embarrassment - all because of your or your employees' communication skills? Are public speaking, a very strong foreign (non-American) or regional accent, coaching and delegating or other verbal skills a concern? According to a recent poll, these are all common areas of concern to employees and companies today.

It is vital to define your concern as much as possible. For example, you may have trouble with speech delivery, or speaking to a specific group of people. Maybe your accent is worse when you are upset, and people don't understand you then.
Are there certain words or terms that are hardest for you to say? If so, write them down and see if there is a pattern.

How do you want to get help? If you prefer to get intensive help so the problem can be fixed as soon as possible, Business Speech Improvement offers a wide variety of open enrollment small group seminars as well as individual coaching.
Maybe, due to cost or distance, you prefer a do-it-yourself approach and want e-books.

There is no reason to struggle with communication issues alone.
Expert help is available; reach out for it!

Business Speech Improvement provides intensive training in verbal communication. Areas of expertise range from accent modification to presentation skills to communication techniques for leadership. Great speech makes business sense!

Does your speech have the "gift of blarney"?

"Blarney" could be defined as a person who easily uses sophisticated speech that includes flattery. Such a person may be very persuasive, or at least is good at talking.

Do you feel shy or "tongue-tied" and wish you had this gift of speech? Here are three tips to help!

First, if you know the person, figure out what comments would be especially complimentary - her outfit, her work, even her diction. If you don't know the person, observe him or her and take an educated guess. Then say (or e-mail) a compliment related to that; it could even be a metaphor such as "Your eyes are the color of the bluest summer sky."

Second, in a party or conference where you would meet strangers, look for someone who is alone, make eye contact, and smile at him or her. If the other person smiles back, go over and talk, using a sentence and a question. "This is a great conference! Is it the first time you've come?"

If you are uneasy about talking to strangers because you don't know how to get out of a conversation, use a reason such as
"It's been nice to meet you, but I have to meet some other people now. Bye!" Then be sure to do exactly what you have said.

Small Talk:Connecting with Others is packed with valuable tips on making "the gift of blarney" easier to learn.
It and other e-books and coaching are offered by Business Speech Improvement.

Laryngitis and worse: Why you must care for your voice

As I write this, I know a decision I made yesterday was the wrong one. After having a worsening cold for several days, I took a day off work. Yesterday, I went back to work for some important meetings. By the end of the day, my voice was sounding bad. By this morning, it was barely there at all. A visit to my doctor gave an official diagnosis of laryngitis - and a prescription for 6 days of vocal rest (not talking - at all), overall rest and lots of fluids.

Why is such a long period of vocal rest needed? The vocal cords are easily injured. A cold causes edema (swelling) of the cords, and time is needed for this to return to normal.
Talking forces the cords together at a fast pace, and can cause injury, called vocal nodules. (You can probably find some great pictures of vocal nodules online.) If they are ignored, they can become hardened, and can cause more severe problems.

Easy ways to care for your voice are to lubricate your vocal cords by drinking lots of water (not caffeinated beverages or soda), pay attention to changes in the sound of your voice and have them checked by an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist if they last for 2 weeks or more, and avoid abusing your voice with lots of yelling or making weird noises.


Business Speech Improvement produces intensive training in verbal communication skills.

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?

Redundancy: why say it twice?

Have you ever sat through a meeting that went overtime because people repeated themselves so often? In the first part of the meeting, the leader did not repeat herself, and the other people did very little repetition. In the second part of a meeting today, a new leader repeated herself frequently, and others did as well.

One tip for reducing this is to make your own comments very short, in the hopes that others will copy your verbal behavior. What are some other techniques people can tactfully use in American meetings?

Persuasion and Your Voice

Do you want to become a more competent persuader? Your voice can help you do it.

Several techniques can help you. First, speak at a normal volume, but at the crucial point, speak slightly softer.
(This only helps if your listener has normal hearing or you are using a microphone!) It sounds to your listener like you are conveying a secret, and he will pay more attention.

Second, pause briefly right before the crucial point. This also helps focus the listener's attention.

Third, change your rate of speech at that point. Speak slower if the information is complicated for the listener to understand. Speak slightly faster if this is urgent, such as pleading with people to stay away from the area of an accident.

If your voice is normally mono-tonal, and lulls people to sleep, speak with more energy and enthusiasm. Be excited about what you are saying!

Business Speech Improvement provides coaching for better communication. Check out our e-books, open enrollment seminars and individual coaching options!

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!

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.

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.

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.

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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.

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.