After the competition: speaking to the media

Have you been in a sports, corporate, club or other competition lately? What should you say when you speak to the media?

Kieran File, of Reactive Sports Media, did his PhD research on common patterns many players use in media interviews after games. He found that patterns did vary depending on whether it was a team sport or an individual one, such as running, and the actual sport involved. In general, his research showed that winners de-emphasized their victories. Losers, on the other hand, while acknowledging their loss, focused on what went well and how they plan to improve.  In other words, both sides focused on the positives.

Other media coaching firms teach players branding strategies, based on how various people perceive an athlete, the 7 second sound byte, staying positive, avoiding the use of filler words such as "like" and "uh", and mentioning a vivid moment or emotional moment (that was positive) in the game.

By the way, sports teams often receive training in social media skills as well. From a Twitter post to a picture on Facebook that has a poorly chosen outfit or activity, everything combines to build a player's brand.

When you watch  post-event interviews, remember most players have been carefully coached in how to present the best possible image for themselves and their team.  Media skills are vital to their success.

If you are a family member of a competitor , use the same techniques. Stay positive, even if your family member wasn't on the winning team. What did he do well, or better, than before? What are the positive parts of the experience for you as a family member, from the housing to the coaching to the weather?

How can you apply some of these techniques to your own career development? Even if you don't face banks of microphones and eager reporters, your daily image, including what you say and how you say it, is being noticed.

Business Speech Improvement provides intensive speech training. Both in-person coaching and e-books are available; check them out here! The e-book on Public Speaking:You Can Do It! is especially applicable. Learn how to write and deliver powerful presentations, from coping with many different types of stage fright to the final glorious applause!

Giving a speech: the most important aspects

The audience sits expectantly at the beginning of your presentation. They are interested in what you have to say. After a very short time, though, you notice they are checking their text messages, reading the program, or looking elsewhere. Soon a few of them may excuse themselves, walk outside, even doze. What happened? Giving a great presentation is an important skill to master. The first aspect of this is a powerful introduction. You have a mere 30 seconds to capture the audience's attention. Saying your name and "how are you doing?", as many beginning students do, is a major waste of time. You have to seize the audience's interest! One of many excellent techniques is to have a dramatic introduction. Tell the most compelling or exciting aspect of an adventure, for example. If you are making a more scientific-type presentation, start with a powerful statistic. For example, "Eighty-four percent of people have X." Another important part of the presentation is a very strong conclusion. "Well, I guess that's it" said in a weak voice is wimpy. The type of ending used depends on the purpose and style of your presentation. For example, an informative speech might end with your vision of a better future or a more appropriate solution for a given problem. It is said in a strong, confident voice. The e-book Public Speaking: You can Do It! offers easy-to-understand examples of many types of introductions, conclusions, organizational styles, powerful words and other techniques. You only get one chance to make a great first impression with your speech. This e-book will help you hit the target! Business Speech Improvement provides intensive coaching and e-books on many aspects of verbal communication. For more information on Business Speech Improvement, click here. Check us out now!

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.

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: 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!

Body Language and Caring

Do you really care about your employees and your work? If the answer is "yes", would people know that by watching your body language? I recently took 4 flights. On three of them, the flight attendants routinely (and boringly) gave the safety instructions, but looked at the passengers when speaking. On the 4th flight, the attendant recited the correct talk but looked out the window or at her lap the entire time. She appeared not to even care about what she was saying. If she didn't care, why should we, the passengers?

As a manager or leader, your body language is closely studied by your employees to determine whether you are satisfied, in a good mood, or otherwise approachable. Are you conveying positive or negative body language?

Executive Communication Coaching is a one day intensive seminar to be taught in a rare Open Enrollment class May 12th. The deadline for enrollment is Tuesday, April 27. Learn more about body language, listening skills and other crucial skills today's leaders need! Enroll today at http://businessspeechimprovement.com/enabler/scripts/category.pl?Classes .

American Pronunciation Struggles

Over the years, many foreign-born professionals in the US have told me how they struggle with our pronunciation patterns. They tell me of the importance of excellent speech on their careers, and how they wished they knew what they were doing wrong with their pronunciation. The Pronunciation Improvement for Non-native Professionals class, in a mere three days, has helped many to make a significant change in their speech. The classes have a maximum of six learners each. All learners have their speech individually assessed, and get a customized program to follow.

As their instructor, I enjoy hearing the difference in their speech patterns before and after the class, and the new confidence they express in their pronunciation. They know better speech will make a difference in their lives and careers.