How to help your international employees adjust to life in the USA as a new resident

Are you planning to move to the USA in 2015, or will you be bringing international employees to the USA? There's more to welcoming them effectively than a simple "hello, we're glad you are here!".

New residents coming from other countries to study or work here are often surprised by details that are different from their native countries' ways of doing things. As one example, post offices in the USA handle mail - and only mail. They do not have banking functions, as they do in some other countries.

Speaking of banking, Americans use checks sometimes, in addition to credit and debit cards. Newcomers who establish bank accounts here should know how to write a check for the occasional place or situation in which a credit or debit card is not accepted.

Coming to the USA is a concise e-book that was written based on the questions of many professionals who moved here from Europe and S America. Get details on topics ranging from insurance to mailboxes, and much more! The more you understand, the easier life will be here for you and your family. And if you are on your way to the USA as you read this, welcome!

Small Talk: Keeping the Conversation Going

You're at your in-law's house, or the home of a friend of a friend. You want to be a great guest, but after 10 minutes, you have nothing to say. You'll be there for another 24 hours, so what can you do? The secret is to be a wonderful listener, and keep the host talking!

Here are 2.5 ways to keep talking - and maybe make a friendship stronger.

Ask your host about his hobbies. Decide you will learn 3 things about his hobby, whatever it is. (It might come in handy some day to know this information.) When your host stops talking, say "tell me more about ___",  or "that ___ sounds  fascinating!"  and nod appreciatively.

Ask follow-up questions. For example, "You said that you enjoy ___. How did you get into it/learn so much about it/find the time to do it?" You can also ask questions about the gear needed to do the hobby, or his favorite publications on this hobby. (This information may be useful if you buy him a gift later on.)

The .5 method is to use interjections liberally, complete with great eye contact and slightly leaning forward. Interjections are comments such as "mmm-hmm",  "wow, that's impressive!", "you don't say!" and "really?" With a great start to the conversation and a talkative host, this technique can keep a conversation going for a long time!

Business Speech Improvement offers more conversational tips for the conversationally-challenged  in the e-book Small Talk: Connecting with Others.

Have difficulty being concise?

Three groups of people have difficulty being concise. Do these sound like anyone you know?

The first group is those who are nervous about speaking to those in authority, or calling in to a talk show or a tele-seminar. Sometimes radio reporters also have difficulty with this, rephrasing their questions twice or more when interviewing guests.

The second group is those who are inductive thinkers. Inductive thinkers present all the facts or ideas and then express the main idea or request. People who are not inductive thinkers are deductive thinkers.)

The third group of people are those who haven't thought through what they mean to say, and just ramble. Sometimes they use stream-of-consciousness techniques of basically saying whatever they are thinking, with no obvious means of connecting the thoughts.

If a supervisor who is deductive has an employee who is an inductive thinker, there will be problems and frustration unless one of them changes. If it is the employee ( inductive thinker) who is to change, he or she needs to start thinking of the main point or "executive summary", and then add one solitary short sentence, starting the most vital fact or reason. If the supervisor wants more, he will ask.

This is difficult for inductive thinkers to do. Practice thinking this way, and even write down the summary statement and the reason statement ahead of time. Practice these two sentences until they sound great!

If the person gets nervous speaking to an authority figure or when calling in to a tele-seminar or radio talk show, write down your 2-3 sentences ahead of time. Your audience's time is short; make every second count!

Some people think best out loud, and need to practice doing this privately. Possibly recording their words would help them to then record a summary statement.

In all 3 cases, find someone who is a concise speaker, and emulate him or her!

Holidays and peer pressure among adults

"You're going to the company party, aren't you? Everyone who is important will be there. You have to come!"  "Come to the bar with us for this holiday fling, just a couple of drinks after work!"  "Have a few of these wonderful cookies! They just have a few calories; you can skip your diet just this once!"  Is this scenario, of peer pressure around the holidays, common at your workplace?

Peer pressure is a form of persuasive communication. If you want to bow out gracefully, thank the person for the invitation, say you won't be able to come,  and immediately steer the topic to a safer subject, such as complimenting the other person on a wonderful outfit or project, and asking a follow-up question or two. The keys with this strategy are to plan ahead to determine an acceptable reason you cannot do what they want, and quickly change the topic.

Setting Priorities: The Holiday Season and You

Are you overwhelmed right now with work, family, home, hobby and holidays?

Many people have difficulty setting priorities; everything seems important.

Is that what you are feeling?

Sit down for a moment and think about what really is important to you- and what else takes lower priorities in terms of urgency.  If you have trouble with this, ask yourself, "If I have only one day left to live, how would I spend it?"

For me, safety comes first, followed by general health and family issues.

Holidays can be a special time, but their celebration can be cranked up, or ramped down. If you are feeling stressed, what aspects of the celebration can be reduced, such as attending fewer parties, giving the same gift to several people, sending holiday cards online or decorating more simply?

Setting priorities applies to work, as well. Many times an employee answers to a variety of supervisors, who all assign work with overlapping deadlines.

If you are that employee, it may be wise to explain to each supervisor that you have several people giving you projects, and ask each to tell you the priority and deadline for it.

Communication skills are essential for today's employees, especially for those who are supervisors. Learn the 18 critical communication skills for managers, whether you are one right now, or aspire to  be one in the future! From appreciation and persuasion to listening and asking critical questions

(and some of these are listed), get the skills you need for your workforce!

Visit www.BusinessSpeechImprovement.com/exec-techniques now to get your copy!

Holiday Events and Hearing Loss: 3 Tips for Coping

Do you dread going to noisy holiday parties because you are having trouble hearing people? Here are some tips to help.

First, if you have a hearing aid, wear it! It has been programmed to your specific hearing pattern, so use it! If you don't use it much, read the manual or online instructions and try it out in a noisy place ahead of time.

At the party, you will hear better with less competing noise. Talk to people in a side room or hall if that's quieter.

If you are really interested in talking to someone, self-advocate! Tell the person you have a hearing loss, and ask if they can repeat a specific word or sentence. If they try to talk louder, ask if they can talk a little slower instead, but not exaggerate their words.

If you are at a holiday dinner or other event, try to face the person to whom you are talking. This will help with lip-reading as well as watching body language.

The e-book What Did You Say? Coping with Hearing Loss in the Workplace, has practical strategies and is a quick-read concise source of help. Get it before your next event!

Need a gift for a speech-language pathologist, OT, PT or special educator?

Are you planning on buying a gift for someone in the helping professions, such as a speech-language pathologist, occupational therapist, physical therapist or a special educator? Do you know someone in those fields who wants a second job or is planning to retire soon?

Helping professionals in those and other fields often have many talents that can be transferred into another career field, or into a career that is related to what they have done before. Many of them combine two career fields, such as therapy and training, or therapy and graphic arts.

Alternative Career Options for Speech-Language Pathologists is a book that discusses the career paths of 18 professionals. It covers each person's (or team's) traditional career, how the person changed to a new field, what the person does now, and the advantages and disadvantages of making such a change.

The book includes a career self-assessment questionnaire to help the reader consider his or her possibilities.

In a special offer, if the book is purchased by December 15, 2014, and the reader completes and e-mails back the questionnaire by December 30, 2014, the author will offer personalized suggestions to the reader at no extra charge! (This is a $50 value!)

Find out more about this extraordinary book, Alternative Career Options for Speech-Language Pathologists, and get your copy now!

Make your meetings more effective!

When you lead a meeting, there are several ways to judge its value. Are new ideas generated and discussed? Is important information shared with everyone in attendance? Are people networking?

However, does everyone who attends need to be present? (Are there "chair-warmers" there, whose bodies are in the chair but whose minds are on vacation?)  Could the meeting information  be shared in some other format that might be less costly? The cost includes the other work that is not being done so attendees can be at the meeting. It also can be calculated by multiplying the average hourly pay times the number of attendees times the length of the meeting. There are indeed apps for iPhone (http://rockapproll.com/app/Meeting-Cost-Clock)  and for Android (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id...meetingcostcalculator...) that can calculate this for you. Of course, transportation, catering and meeting room costs are also additional expenses to holding a meeting. You may be shocked when you find out how expensive meetings are!

To make a meeting more effective, beyond having an agenda and minutes, figure out strategies to reduce multi-tasking by attendees who are using their tablets and other devices to work on other assignments. They may be paying minimal attention to the speaker or meeting leader. Instead, ask that only attendees come who can give full attention to the matter being discussed; there should be a mechanism for those who are meeting immediate deadlines to miss a certain number of sessions per year, with a requirement that they read the minutes of what transpired.

It helps to state the length of time the meeting will last, and to start and stop on time. This builds trust in the leader or facilitator.

Get people up and moving, or discussing ideas, every 20 - 30 minutes. If there will be a change in procedures or a merger, have people come up with implications for all parties involved or develop a time-line so they can accept change more easily. Offer refreshments on a table to the side of the room, so people have to walk at least a little bit.

One technique for getting people more involved in a meeting is to give each person some index cards. Present a topic for discussion, such as a proposed merger or new category of customer. Each person writes one implication, question or related idea per index card, and shares them with a coworker sitting next to him. That person attempts to answer the questions or comment on the ideas. The two then discuss both peoples' cards. This can take 10 minutes and is an efficient way to get people involved. Later, any new ideas can be shared with the entire group, or with the leader if more appropriate.

Get more ideas on meetings and 17 other crucial communication skills for leaders in Executive Communication Techniques (http://www.businessspeechimprovement.com/exec-techniques) an e-book that you'll wish your supervisor had read! Individual coaching is also available by Business Speech Improvement.

Holiday Events and Hearing Loss: 3 Tips for Coping

Do you dread going to noisy holiday parties because you are having trouble hearing people? Here are some tips to help.

First, if you have a hearing aid, wear it! It has been programmed to your specific hearing pattern, so use it! If you don't use it much, read the manual or online instructions and try it out in a noisy place ahead of time.

At the party, you will hear better with less competing noise. Talk to people in a side room or hall if that's quieter.

If you are really interested in talking to someone, self-advocate! Tell the person you have a hearing loss, and ask if they can repeat a specific word or sentence. If they try to talk louder, ask if they can talk a little slower instead, but not exaggerate their words.

If you are at a Thanksgiving dinner or other event, try to face the person whom you are interested in talking to. This will help with lip-reading as well as watching body language.

The e-book What Did You Say? Coping with Hearing Loss in the Workplace, has practical strategies and is a quick-read concise source of help. Get it before your next event!

Can't remember what you were going to say?

Have you ever had a great thought - and then forgot it before you could say it in a meeting or conversation? Have you struggled to recall a particular word?

Here are some tips to help you to recall the thought or the specific word. First, think of the word's antonym (opposite) or synonym. For example, for the word "hot", you could think of either cold or boiling.

What superordinate category was the word in, such as food for "rice"?

Can you be more specific, such as "grain"?

Can you describe the thought or the word in some way, such as "part of the supervisor's action plan", or "soft and white"?

Can you associate the word or thought with some location, such as the conference room or your car? Did you originally think of the word when you were cooking lunch or driving past a specific store?

If you are trying to recall a name, what do you know about this person? When you met him or her, what was your initial impression of the person, his interests or appearance?

In many cases, you will think of the word when you relax, even though it may be later when you are not concentrating on it.

Word-finding problems can be frustrating, but trying these ideas may help those words come back faster.

It's holiday season! Are you dreading the holiday parties?

The holidays will be here soon! Are you excited - or are you dreading them?

Do you try hard to avoid holiday events, or if you go, wish you could melt through the floor?

A vital skill in enjoying and otherwise often benefiting from holiday parties is the ability to make "small talk", or start a conversation with strangers. Some people know how to do this instinctively, but many people have to learn the technique.

Start by coming up with 5 questions you can ask anyone at the event. What could you have in common with these people? For example, do you live in the same community, work in the same industry or company, or share some other common interest? Before the event, check the local media so you can talk intelligently about local events, and write the 5 questions. Memorize them.

At the event, find someone who is also alone, and try to catch his eye. Go over to him and ask your questions. Really listen to his answers, and follow up with more questions. If no questions spark a conversation, say good-bye and find someone else.

For more details about starting, continuing and graciously ending a conversation, get the concise e-book Small Talk:Connecting with Others! Learn the "secrets" of this vital skill. Let this be the holiday season when your small talk skills shine!

           

        

Regional accents: 3 tips to change them

        Do you have a strong American regional accent, such as a Southern, Midwestern or New England accent in the USA, and want to change it to a more standard pattern? Accents can be lovely, and they can help you "fit in" with others who speak like you, similar to uniform clothing However, when you speak to
people from other places, your listeners may notice how you talk instead of what you are saying.

        Most people instinctively code-switch. They speak differently in various situations, such as talking to a newborn baby, their boss, their best friend, or an irritating co-worker. You can do the same thing with an accent, using it when appropriate and using standard American English at other times.

        The first thing you need to do is to record yourself, and decide what you want to change. Is it the use of  "in" for the standard "ing" (as in walking), the pronunciation of the "a" vowel,  the "ar, er, or" , or some other sounds? Are there local expressions you want to replace with more standard ones?

        Listen to some national role models, such as news anchors on national stations, to see how they make the sounds. Can you imitate them clearly? Write a list of words that you actually use which have these sounds. Include words that you use at work, if this change is for work. Examples might be people, places, products or processes you talk about.

        Lastly, practice these words, and then say them in sentences, when reading and in some scripted or otherwise prepared conversations.

        If you want professional coaching to make this change  to a more standard speaking pattern, especially if you give presentations or are in the media as a reporter or interviewee, contact Business Speech Improvement. 

If you want to work on your speech yourself, get our e-book, Diction Makes a Difference,

or the MP3 file, Pronounce American English More Clearly.

        

"How should I say this?": how to phrase your message

Do you have difficulty knowing how to phrase certain messages?

You want to say them correctly, but you need help.

Thankfully, there is a wonderful series of 54 different books that can help you. They are the "Perfect phrases for ..." series. For example, the Perfect Phrases for ESL: Everyday Business Life includes phrases to accept compliments, answer questions, get information, emphasize certain points during a presentation, and much more. Perfect Phrases for Motivating and Rewarding Employees includes phrases  on raising morale, critical thinking, team spirit and much more. Check out this wonderful series!

Other people have difficulty expressing their thoughts in a concise manner. They say their thoughts are swirling around their heads. For some, this happens primarily in situations in which they are nervous, such as speaking to their supervisor.

If this is your concern, first list the ideas you want to express. Then try to summarize the most important concept in a single sentence. Add 1-2 more concise sentences supporting the idea, with reasons or essential details. It may be easier to master this concept if you start by writing your ideas down, instead of just thinking about them. Eventually you may be able to do it mentally.

Business Speech Improvement provides coaching in verbal skills.

How to be more persuasive in sales

A salesperson of a financial product met with a potential client, at her request. He asked her to bring some information with her.  The information was beautifully presented, with relevant facts neatly arranged.  The  potential client had spent a lot of time in preparation, and was proud of her efforts.  She casually mentioned something about the work she had done. The salesperson did not say a word. Later, she twice asked questions about the commission; the salesperson evaded the question both times.  She was confused about some of the terminology used, and looked puzzled. The salesperson did not notice, so she  had to verbally ask him to explain. Finally, testing his communication skills further, she gave him a direct compliment about how well he had explained one concept, and he beamed with pride.

He tried to close for an immediate sale, but she demurred. She wanted an independent review of the financial product, convinced that she was not being told everything.

Here are the skills the salesperson missed.

1. Notice more than the words; hear the emotions being expressed.  Listen for a sense of pride or effort, especially if it has to do with preparing for your presentation, and compliment the potential client on it! This could be paperwork prepared as requested, a room arranged as requested, or even refreshments that are ready.

2. Answer questions the first time they are asked, and answer them fully. For example, if it involves compensation, don't say, "The client doesn't pay. There's a commission arrangement between company A and company B." Most clients want to know more, such as the commission rate, which is relevant as it affects their product. Payment of some sort is expected, but an exceptionally high payment may be of concern.  Evasion of answers causes mistrust, and will affect sales or other persuasion. The client knows that "there is no such thing as a free lunch" and that directly or indirectly, he or she will be paying your commission.

3. Avoid jargon, especially if your client is in another field or you are explaining something technical. Plain common English is essential. Literally practice your talk in front of someone from another field, and have the listener write down all the technical words or other jargon you used. Then try again with simpler words, and at a slighter slower rate of speech. In addition, watch the prospective client's face to see if he looks puzzled. If so, immediately ask if he has any questions. Communication, especially in sales, is a two way street. You should continually be getting verbal and non-verbal feedback from the client so you know how to proceed.
4. If you promise something for listening to you, such as a greater knowledge of a topic or how to improve something, make certain your audience gets what you promised.  If you use technical words that your audience does not understand, they haven't gotten  the information they expect, and this could also cause mistrust. Make certain you use language at a level they can comprehend.

Excellent communication skills will enhance your ability to sell and to persuade. Hear the emotions, answer questions fully, avoid jargon and technical terms, and provide whatever you promised as part of your effort to make communication a two-way process and build trust. Without some level of trust, there is no business transaction.

Business Speech Improvement provides individual coaching in verbal skills.

You only have one chance to make a great first impression.

Giving a Presentation? How to Improve Your Eye Contact

According to one survey, more adult Americans fear giving a speech more than dying. Some show their fear by their inability to make eye contact with their audiences during the presentation. They look down at their notes, or up at the ceiling, instead.

Poor eye contact in the American culture conveys a lack of openness, of connection. The audience looks at the speaker, and the speaker looks elsewhere. The audience wonders why, and the message loses value quickly.

The audience wants the speaker to succeed; who wants to sit through another awful speech? Practice your presentation enough so that you are not reading it. (Can you give it if the technology and lighting failed?) Try choosing a few friendly faces throughout the audience and looking briefly at each one. If that is too hard for you, look slightly above their eyes at the tops of their heads, and be sure to look around the room when doing this. While it is not quite as good as looking at their eyes, it is better than not looking at them at all. 

For more tips on public speaking, from writing to delivering powerful speeches, get the e-book "Public Speaking: You Can Do It!" by Business Speech Improvement.

   

Non-verbal communication tips for professors, human resource, and other professionals

Do you work closely with others, and need to understand the "whole picture" of their communication? Ninety-three percent of communication is non-verbal; you can't afford to miss all of this!

Non-verbal communication is affected by culture and to some extent, by generation. However, this article on "Student Nonverbal Communication in the Classroom" by Brock E Perry, PhD at http://www.usma.edu/cfe/literature/barry_11.pdf    gives you the general tips you need to

"read" general American communication. Although it is about students, it is a great overview of non-verbal communication for everyone else!

              

Communication Tips: Leaving Better Voice Mails and Remembering Names

One problem that often occurs is speaking fast when giving your name and telephone number as you leave a voice mail message. You as the speaker know your information, and  you say it quickly. Speakers forget that it takes longer to write it down than to say it. To be more professional about it, write your telephone number or spell your name in the air as you say it slowly on the phone message. This is the speed that the listener needs. As a benefit, you may get more calls returned!) Then repeat your number at the end of the message, at a slightly faster pace.

 When meeting someone new, it may be hard to remember the other person's name. When you hear it for the first time, think about it and try to use the name in the first sentence, as in "It's great to meet you, Pat!"

 When you end the conversation, use the other person's name again. This may help you to recall the name when you see the person again.

Problem-Solving: Different Strategies for Solving It

Think of the biggest, most frustrating problem you have. You've thought about it endlessly, and can't come up with a workable solution. Now think about a "kitchen cabinet", a term invented by the opponents of President Jackson. The "kitchen cabinet" is a group of people as diverse as you can think of, who can consider your problem from different angles. They may be diverse in their ages, genders, race, ethnicity, professions or trades, where they were raised, or any other way. Ideally they all meet together once or twice, but if not, maybe they can meet online.

The Ideo company in "The Art of Innovation" uses diverse groups when starting a project, putting together a multi-disciplinary team from many fields. Some other companies do this as well. Why can't you do it as well?

Many business leaders participate in "mastermind" groups, carefully selected from non-competitors, who can advise each other over a year or longer. Often only 1 person per industry is allowed in a group.

Another strategy to improve idea generation is to encourage employees to choose the problem they would like to help solve. Increased motivation can lead to better results; people work harder to resolve a problem that is important to them.

A third strategy is to run a silent brainstorming session. This research-based method, done using a specific format, neatly sidesteps many of the problems with the traditional brainstorming technique.

These strategies and more are part of the Executive Communication seminar offered by Business Speech Improvement. It is available on request to individuals and small groups.

Public speaking: Worried about answering difficult questions after a presentation?

Many would-be public speakers are hesitant to give a speech because they are afraid that they will not be able to answer a difficult question posed afterwards by a member of the audience. They do not want to "lose face" before an audience.

If this is your concern, here are some strategies you can use. First, when preparing your speech, consider the special interests of a given audience, and anticipate what questions they might have. For example, if you are speaking to an audience of lawyers on land use practices in your community, search online for "legal aspects of land use + (name of the community)". Possibly interview an expert on the subject in the state or county government ahead of time. Credit him or her in your remarks, by saying "as X, an expert in Y, says, ..."Write down the answers and practice giving them in a simulated talk.

Always repeat the question into the microphone before answering it. Depending on the acoustics of the auditorium, the noise level inside and outside of it, and the hearing acuity of the audience, there is a very good chance that the question was not clearly heard by everyone. Repeating the question also gives you time to think about the answer.

Let's say the worst happens, and an audience member asks you a question that you did not anticipate. Here you have three great options, and one back one.

First, explain you would be happy to look into this question and get back to the person quickly with the answer.  Invite the questioner to come up to you afterwards and give you his business card with the question written on the back of it. Another option is to say to the audience, "Is there anyone in the room who has expertise in this particular aspect of the topic?" A third option is to focus on the part of the question you can answer, and acknowledge that you need to do more research on the rest of the question. (Some politicians ignore most of the question, segueing into one of their talking points instead. "The important aspect of this is that..." Alert members of the media and the rest of the audience usually notice this ploy and comment negatively on it later.)

A speaker cannot be expected to be expert on every aspect of a topic, especially if it is only vaguely related to the main aspect of the talk. Use the strategies above and confidently step up to the microphone!

Business Speech Improvement provides intensive coaching in public speaking, accent modification, pronunciation, executive communication strategies and more. Coaching is available online in selected cases. 
For those who prefer e-books, our concise e-book Public Speaking:You Can Do It!. is available 24/7. It has practical tips that can be used immediately.

Delegating: Tips to Do It Right

A mother was shopping in a supermarket with her two young children. She told her little boy to "behave". The child said earnestly, "I be good, Mommy!"

Then he went back to chasing his sister, and the mother scolded him. He apparently did not know what exact behaviors she expected.

In a corporate setting, when a manager warns his new employee to do a "excellent" job on a task, does she know what his idea of "excellent" is?

For example, does it mean proof-reading a document twice (and having someone else do it once), using certain photos, including the details on the new project, or some other expectations?

As a leader, it is your job to make your expectations very clear. Your employees cannot mind-read. If you make your requests clear, you have a greater chance of having them be achieved.

Delegation is part of many leaders' jobs. Clear delegation includes not only the details to be accomplished, but also the time-frame. The leader needs to understand how often he must check with each person on his team to answer questions and make sure the work is being done correctly.

If the task is important enough to be done, it should be done right. A good leader delegates the right task to the right person, with a clear explanation and time-frame.

Business Speech Improvement offers an e-book on Executive Communication Strategies, with techniques on 18 vital areas of communication. It's the book you'll wish your boss had read! Learn more about this powerful e-book now!

Idea generation strategies for your product!

Have you ever sat in a successful brain-storming or other product development meeting, where all the participants were involved and ideas were pouring forth? It's rare, isn't it?

Brainstorming was developed in the 1941's, yet many companies still use the 73 year-old method developed by Alex Osborne. How many other ideas this old does a company today use?

In Business Speech Improvement's seminar on Executive Communication Strategies, we discuss why traditional brainstorming is ineffective, cover the modern day research on a much better method, and then practice it. A group of 4 strangers working on a properly phrased question often generates 40 or more responses to it. Although some are duplicates and some may not be exactly what is needed, there are wonderful answers there as well.

For example, instead of "thinking outside of the box", let's wonder if the box needs to be there in the first place!

Another strategy that Alex Osborne developed is called SCAMPER. The acronym stands for substitute, combine, adapt, modify, put to another use, eliminate, reverse.

For example, imagine that you are improving a blender, a common household small appliance. What type of user are you targeting here? Let's say you are going for the person who exercises at lunch-time and needs a very light blender with a tiny motor he can take to work, to whip up a "power shake" he can quickly drink after his work-out. 

What kind of tiny motor can he substitute for the heavier ones, given the small quantity of material to be blended? Can two functions of the current blender be combined, possibly allowing only 3 speeds? Can part of the blender be adapted

so that it is lighter? Can the top be modified so that it screws on, in case it needs to be carried home with some liquid still in it, if washing is not an option at work? Can the jar be put to another use as a cup for the processed power shake? Could something on the device be eliminated to make it lighter? Instead of making a part bigger, could you reverse it and make it smaller?

This is but one of many "idea generation" strategies covered as a communication skill in the Business Speech Improvement workshop on Executive Communication.  Contact us to schedule the Executive Communication workshop for your group!

Easily confused words in English

English has many words that are similar, and this can be confusing for both native and non-native speakers.  Examples are accept vs except,  advise vs advice, insure vs ensure, corps vs corpse and many more. The problem comes when a writer sends a document or e-mail to a person who knows the difference between the right and the wrong word.

To improve your knowledge of easily confused words, start with a list of them. There are many such lists of easily confused words online. One to start with is http://www.alphadictionary.com/articles/confused_words_english.html  .

Choose 5 word pairs that you yourself often use and confuse, write them down where you can see them, and study them briefly twice a day. When you have learned them, choose 5 more pairs. It's important to choose words that you are likely to say or write, so you will learn them faster and get more benefit out of this effort.

Great communication requires the choice of the proper words to convey your meanings. Make up your list of easily confused words today!

American English pronunciation and why you shouldn't say "furnitures"

American English is a complicated language. As a speech coach, I frequently hear complaints about all the exceptions to the rules and other irregularities that don't occur in more regulated languages such as Spanish.

Recently I saw an ad from someone who wanted to sell "furnitures". English has a concept known as mass or uncountable nouns. These are categories in which it is difficult to count each individual item, such as air, water, grass, information, sugar or peace. It also includes collections of items, such as mail, garbage, furniture or clothing.  All of these do not have plurals, so we do not put an "s" after them.

This concept and many more are included in the intensive seminar on American English Pronunciation Improvement for Non-native Professionals, to be offered October 6 -8, 2014, in Durham, NC (USA). This is a customized seminar, with only 6 learners. Each will get an individual speech assessment and a speech improvement plan designed specifically for him or her.

Feel the relief of knowing you are practicing with your speech coach's help - and knowing you are saying the words correctly! As one surprised professional commented recently, "You mean I have been saying this wrong all these years?"

 Get more information on this unique program, and enroll today!

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!

Occupational therapists: searching for another career choice?

Are you an occupational therapist who is ready to consider another option - if only you knew about appropriate choices? Maybe you had a very difficult year last year, or are about to retire and want a part-time job later. You don't want to go back to school for extended training; you want to use your current skills in a different way.

A while back, I was unexpectedly asked by a desperate unemployed speech-language pathologist what options she had, especially since she didn't want to go back to school.

I didn't know this person, and yet her question gnawed at me. Finally, I began researching the choices.

The book, Alternative Career Options for Speech-Language Pathologists, is my answer. It covers the choices made by 18 speech-language pathologists who each sought to combine speech therapy with some other field. The other fields ranged from sales to graphic arts to a lot more. Many of these choices would  also apply to special educators, who also use products and equipment, work with others and can provide training geared to specific learning styles.

Even though who don't want any of the choices presented often comment that the information sparked further ideas for them. (One speech-language pathologist decided to become an equine massage therapist, which was definitely not covered in the book!)

As an occupational therapist commented,

Although this book is geared toward speech pathologists, this is a source of inspiration for occupational therapists too! Sometimes those of us in helping professions need a change due to burnout or unrealistic work demands, and this book shows us that there are other ways to use our skills and training to make a living and to continue to make a difference in people’s lives. Even if they aren’t feeling burnout and just have an entrepreneurial spirit, this will give any allied health professional ideas to explore or a place to start.   

Alicia Kollmar MS, OTR/L

To learn more about Alternative Career Options for Speech-Language Pathologists, go to www.BusinessSpeechImprovement.com/slp . Copies are limited; get yours today!

  Why your rate of speech can matter at work

Speech rate can make a difference at work. First, of course, speaking too quickly can reduce listener comprehension. The actual rate of speech at which  someone has difficulty understanding depends on the usual rate of speech of the two people, the amount each knows about the topic being discussed, each person's hearing acuity and other factors.

Research has shown that people trust each other more when they match rates of speech. This is a process called speech convergence. This has implications for law enforcement, sales, counseling and management. One study showed that once trust started, speech rates began approximating each other.

However,  it is possible to mirror speech rates intentionally.

When trying to calm an angry person, speaking in a slightly slower rate of speech can be helpful. Another time when speaking slower (but not louder) is helpful is when speaking to someone whose English may not be fluent.  A third time to speak slowly is on the telephone, when leaving your phone number or an outgoing message.

Some people experience an unusual amount of difficulty with speaking slower. There could be several reasons for this, including cultural and physiological.

Business Speech Improvement, a corporate speech pathology practice,  provides intensive 1-2 day individual and small group coaching  on how to speak slower. For those who prefer to work on this themselves with some guidance, an e-book on How to Speak Slower in Six Simple Steps is also available.

3 Easy Tips for Giving a Polished Presentation

You're giving a business presentation, a speech to your colleagues in your field, or maybe a speech to a civic organization. What can you do to make it better?

As a speech coach, I see many people make similar errors. Here are three tips to make your next presentation better.

First, practice the key words of your presentation much more than you think is necessary. Key words are the main points, "linked" to each other in your mind. If you link them powerfully, when you think of the first word, you will be then able to think of all the other linked concepts. Do not memorize the entire speech word-for-word; if you forget a single word, you may forget the entire speech!

Second, you have only 30 seconds to get the audience to decide to pay attention to you. Make sure every word in those first 30 seconds is important! Let the audience know why it is worthwhile for them to listen to you. 

Third, if a member of the audience asks you a question, repeat it into the microphone before answering it. This allows your entire audience to hear the question and gives you time to think about the question. 

You only have one chance to make a great first impression on your audience!

Business Speech Improvement can help you with speech coaching,  in-person or, in many cases, online. An e-book, Public Speaking: You Can Do It, is also available.

Be prepared for your next presentation; get speech coaching today!

SLPs: Considering retirement?

At this time of year, many speech-language pathologists (SLPs), occupational therapists, physical therapists and special educators are tired of excess paperwork/IEPs/insurance claim denials/productivity demands/etc and considering other career choices in the field. (Supervisors, beware!) Others in the helping professions are Baby Boomers who are considering retirement or want to have a second job.

 Creative SLPs for years have been combining speech pathology with other fields to find greater career satisfaction. Most of the choices do not require a new degree.

"Alternative Career Options for Speech-Language Pathologists" is a book describing the choices made by 20 of these speech-language pathologists. It covers each person's choice, how he got into it, the advantages and disadvantages, and more. The book includes a career self-assessment survey to help readers consider new possibilities.

Many of the choices in this book are suitable for physical and occupational therapists, special educators and others in the helping professions who are ready for a change, a second job, or who are considering retirement and yet want to stay in the workforce, albeit in a slightly different way.

Alternative Career Options for SLPs comes with  a special bonus that expires February 10, 2015; check here to learn about this remarkable offer!

The speech coaching process - and you!

Have you ever wondered what happens during speech coaching?

It starts with goal-setting. What do you want to be able to do differently by the end of the process? Some clients want to pronounce American English more clearly, due to either a strong foreign or regional accent. Listeners have trouble understanding them, they report.

Other clients want to be able to speak more effectively at a department meeting, or to give a business or scientific presentation better.

Some clients want help to learn to speak slower, or to be more effective leaders. Others want help learning non-verbal communication, how to make "small talk" or how to speak more concisely, as their supervisor is requesting.

Others have different requests involving verbal communication.

After goal-setting, your communication will be assessed, and then customized training will be developed.

Coaching may take place in small groups, be done individually, or sometimes online. Concise e-books filled with practical tips are also available.

Clients comment that the speech coaching they received made a difference; they reported feeling more self-confident, were delighted that others understood them more easily, or did better with their careers. 

Better speech can have a big impact!

Learn more about Business Speech Improvement's speech coaching options now!

Nervous about Speaking in Departmental Meetings?

Many people report that they are nervous about speaking in departmental meetings. They are concerned that their ideas will not be accepted, or worse,  ignored and then presented again by another member of the group who takes credit for them. As a result, they are quiet when in fact they may have a valuable contribution to make to the discussion.

If you are one of the "silent ones", here are 3 strategies for speaking up at meetings.

1. Rehearse your comments ahead of time. Use a brief "executive summary" approach. State your main point or recommendation, and then the reasons for it in just a few sentences.  For those of you who are used to giving reasons or details first and then getting to the main point, this "executive summary" may be difficult at first to do. Writing it down first may make it easier.

2. Notice which of the people you plan to meet with is highly regarded by others. Present your idea to this person ahead of time and ask for feedback and improvements. Then present this idea to the group, being careful not to say it is "my" idea. Hopefully the other person will then offer support to your idea.

3. Communication cultures between companies and managers can vary. Some are more formal, while others may be more relaxed.  Use the approach prevalent in your company or department. If in doubt about the best approach, or if you are new to the company, choose a more formal one.

Business Speech Improvement provides intensive, customized communication coaching. Presentation skills coaching is available as a full day seminar for individuals and groups. Coaching for experienced speakers who want practice before a specific presentation is also available, and may be done online in many cases.

Top Nine Peeves about How Businesses Answer Their Telephones

A LinkedIn group of business professionals was asked for their "pet peeve" on how telephones are answered. Eighty-five responses came in, very quickly.

Pet peeve #9: Reaching a recording that repeats, "Your call is very important to us. We will be with you shortly". The caller was reportedly placed on hold for 45 minutes.

Pet peeve #8: The business associate who answers the call sounds irritated at being interrupted by a call, and is perceived as being disrespectful to the caller

Pet peeve #8 (a tie with the one above): When the company representative says, "Would you please hold?", and without giving the caller a chance to say anything, immediately puts him or her on hold.

Pet peeve #6:  Employee who answers a call with a script and sounds fake and excessively polite

Pet peeve #5: Answering the telephone without saying the name of the business and the employee's name

Pet peeve #4: Answering the telephone with very long scripted greetings instead of just the essentials (see # 6 above)

Pet peeve #3: Answering the telephone using a speaker phone

Pet peeve #1 (tied with the one below): When the company employee's English pronunciation is difficult to understand on the telephone and also may not understand the caller's questions.

Pet peeve #1: When the American-born customer service rep answers the telephone so fast and mumbles so that the caller cannot easily understand the greeting. The customer service rep has said this greeting hundreds of times, but it may be the customer's first time to hear it.

Customers in the USA are more diverse than ever, coming from many nations, may have a hearing loss or be speaking to you in a noisy place. Clear speech is crucial for your customers!

Business Speech Improvement provides intensive coaching in verbal skills, including professional telephone skills for understanding callers with strong accents. Check out your options now; one seminar is closing enrollment soon!

Non-verbal business communication skills

Only 7% of your business communication is conveyed through your words, according to a famous study by Albert Mehrabian, PhD. The rest is conveyed through a combination of your eye contact, facial expressions, and tone of voice. 

Do you have trouble making consistent eye contact, smiling and sounding friendly at  appropriate times, and using gestures to improve your communication, when necessary? Is your voice loud enough, but not too loud?

Start by asking your colleagues and friends for feedback on these issues,  as they are aware of your verbal image most likely. Choose one  goal at the time to work on. Decide when the behavior is done best, and when it is most difficult to achieve. 

These behaviors can be affected by certain cultural beliefs. Ask people who are of your culture, and of the majority culture, to judge whether your behaviors are appropriate.

Business Speech Improvement provides coaching in business communication, including non-verbal skills, accent modification, presentation skills, diction, and more. Click here to learn more about these services!

Speech coaching: by the hour or by the day?

Many people who want to improve their verbal skills, such as foreign-born professionals working in the USA,  ask if they should have a one hour lesson weekly, or do it in full day sessions. In general, full day sessions work very well. Here's why.

In full day sessions, you get the equivalent of 7-8 lessons in one day. Faster progress can be made this way. There is also less time wasted on traffic, and practice is done under the instructor's supervision. For people who are very busy or less motivated, there are very few reasons to cancel the class, if it is all done in full-day sessions.

Professionals from other countries who are in the USA for a short visit especially benefit from this intensive schedule. If they schedule the coaching before corporate events in the USA, their communication will be easier for others to understand.

Some people want to practice between lessons. If it is a public speaking class and students need to write new speeches between the sessions, that may be a valid reason.

Most learners, though, appreciate having the intensive instruction. Some courses also offer a follow-up plan, for skill maintenance. Depending on the seminar, this follow-up can be done on the telephone,  online, or in some other way.

Business Speech Improvement provides intensive speech coaching on American English pronunciation improvement for non-native professionals, diction coaching for native speakers, instruction on how to speak slower, presentation skills,  and other topics. Get the details  and enroll online here!

Business Communication: 3 Tips to Improve Communication with Your Boss

Do you wish communication with your boss was easier? It can be, with surprisingly little effort on your part.

In honor of Better Hearing and Speech Month, here are three tips to help you improve your communication skills.

First, observe your boss carefully the next time you see him or her talking to someone else. Does he or she express the main point first, and then give the details or reasons, or are the reasons/details given first, leading up to the main point? The first method, called deductive reasoning, is more common than the second, called inductive reasoning.

When you talk to your boss, use the same method (deductive or inductive) as he uses - with a difference. Instead of giving a lot of details, give a one sentence "executive summary" with one sentence of the most relevant detail or recommendation.

Second, note how quickly and enthusiastically your supervisor speaks, generally. If he speaks in a slow, low-key way, try to imitate that when you speak to him, when possible.

Third, notice what else seems important to him. For example, it might be timeliness, from arriving on time to planning ahead for an event. Maybe he prefers that people who bring him problems also suggest solutions. Whatever it is, try to do it. If you don't know what he likes, see if you can determine why he praises certain people's work or actions.

Business Speech Improvement provides individual speech coaching. An e-book on communication strategies in 18 crucial areas for leadership is also available. Great speech makes business sense!

ADHD in the Workplace and Communication Challenges

Do you struggle with ADHD at work and notice you have some communication challenges, or do you have employees with ADHD?

Here are some common challenges relating to communication experienced by adults (including professionals) who have ADHD.

The first is impaired executive functioning: the ability to plan and implement actions. This ability, found in the frontal lobe, allows people to prioritize and

handle complex actions, such as scheduling and much more. More information can be found at http://www.help4adhd.org/living/workplace/wwk16.

Corporate speech pathologists and others now work with people who have difficulty with executive functioning. For example, if getting out of the house on time is the issue, clients can be taught how to develop a more effective schedule and consider the most common reasons they can side-tracked or delayed.

Distractibility, due to noises or visual stimuli, is another issue, and can affect planning and implementing. What distractions can you eliminate or cover up, with a white noise machine or headphones, for example?

Speech rates can be rapid in some people, to the point where others have difficulty understanding them. Some medications also increase speech rate as a side effect, so if your speech rate changes significantly during the day, check the side effects of any medication you are on. If you think the medication is causing the rapid rate of speech, talk to your physician.

Other speech and language issues may co-exist, but not be directly caused by ADHD. For example, central auditory processing impairments may  make understanding messages more difficult even though there is no hearing loss.

Pragmatics, or social language skills, such as knowing how to engage in small talk, start a conversation or end one, may also be difficult for some people.

Business Speech Improvement provides intensive, customized coaching  on communication improvement in the workplace. E-books are available as well. Great speech makes business sense!

The Superstorm and Your Financial Records

All over a large part of the USA today, there are many families whose homes were destroyed by a powerful tornado or other major storm. They are going through the remains of their homes, salvaging whatever they can. What will happen to their financial records, as papers are scattered?

Now is the time, before the storm hits your community, to start writing your financial facts. Write down your birth-date, current and past addresses.

Then write down your insurance information. List your car, homeowner's/renter's insurance company, policy number and claims department phone number. add your health insurance policy and liability insurance information, if you have it.

Password protect the information online. It is easy to do with controls that may already be on your computer.

Print  a copy of this out and put it in a clear plastic sealable bag, or put it in your purse or wallet for now. If you can, send a copy to a friend in another state to keep for you in case  your home gets destroyed. You can also put this information on a password protected flash-drive attached to your keyring.

For more information of what to collect and an easy format to use, check out the Financial Overview Template. Even if you can't collect all the information you need, imagine how relieved you will be in the event of an emergency to have some of the information easily accessible!

Rehab or Education Professional: Considering New Career Choices?

At this time of year, many stressed-out professionals in speech-language pathology, occupational therapy, physical therapy and education (especially special education) are considering changing careers. With few or no salary raises and no career ladders, talented professionals often feel that they have been asked to do too much too fast for too many for too little pay for too long. The problem is that they don't know what options are out there for them, if they don't want to return to school first.

Alternative Career Options for Speech-Language Pathologists is a book that offers choices - and possibilities.
Each chapter details the story of 1 speech-language pathologist (or team of 2), who went from having a traditional career to combining speech skills with those of a different field. Extensive additional schooling was not needed, except for 1 option. Each person talks candidly about the positives and negatives of his/her new career choice, as well as how he or she made the transition. Eighteen individuals/teams are covered, with other options being mentioned briefly.

Examples of the new fields include developing and training others in related equipment, teaching speech-language pathologists specialized new skills, publishing, sales of related equipment,  visual communications consultant, and many more! These examples are intended to help spark ideas in the minds of the readers.

These options would be suitable for many types of rehabilitation and education professionals.

The book also includes a career self-assessment questionnaire, so readers can thoughtfully and systematically consider their own possible choices.

The softcover book  Alternative Career Options for Speech/Language Pathologists is available here . Get more information on it by seeing this video. There are options for you; start exploring them today!

3 Reasons to Start Becoming Financially Organized Today

How simple is it for you to get a complete picture of your personal finances? Can you easily access your account numbers of your various accounts: bank, retirement, stock brokerage or more? Can you find your various insurance policies' numbers, and the phone number to call for claims for each?

If not, today's the day to start getting organized! Here's why:

Reason #3: If something bad happened to you - unexpectedly - would your family or a trusted friend be able to easily  access the financial arrangements you have in place? Or would they have to paw through stacks of papers desperately hoping to find the right information  instead of using precious  funds and time needed for something else? If you care for a senior citizen whose memory is going, use this today to gather as much information as you can (including some tips on where to look for other relevant information).

Reason #2: If a weather disaster occurred, would you be easily able to contact your insurance company and calmly give them the details they request to settle your claim quickly? Would you know your policy numbers and how to reach the claims departments?

Reason #1: You deserve to experience the serenity that comes from having your financial affairs organized! You deserve to be able to have your assets - and debts - in one place, so that you can access them whenever necessary.

Getting organized does not have to be overwhelming. It involves finding one single fact at a time and writing it down. You can do this while opening your mail and e-mail, whenever you get some financial information. Add to it with information about your benefits from work.

To make it easier, The Financial Overview Template (www.myfinancialrecords.net), lists the details you will want to gather, as well as how to find missing documents you may need.

Imagine what it will feel like to be organized financially...to be able to find the information you need, easily and fast.... Get started today with the Financial Overview Template!