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.

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!

Rate of speech: Going Too Fast Actually Takes Longer

Two salespeople left me messages today, ones that I actually wanted to hear. Both sounded like they are experienced salespeople, but clearly neither one had considered a problem with their verbal image.

When they left me voice mail messages, they said their telephone numbers at a very fast rate.

It takes longer to write down a telephone number than to say it. People can talk faster than they can write.

When leaving a telephone number for someone else, write it on paper or in the air as you speak; this will give you the correct rate of speech. If you go very fast, because clearly you know your own telephone number, your listener may have to replay the message repeatedly to make sure he has it written down correctly. This is not good for your verbal image; it also is not good for a possible sale!

Yes, many of us have caller ID, but sometimes we want to called at a different telephone number, such as a cell phone number, an 800 number if it's a business incoming call, or some other phone number.

Saying your telephone number clearly and slowly is crucial - even if you are in a hurry.

Do you normally speak quickly? Business Speech Improvement offers an e-book of practical tips:  How to Speak Slowly in Six Steps.      Speech rate coaching for speedy speakers who want to slow down and need help is also available.

Your rate of speech: why "too fast" actually takes longer

Your rate of speech: why "too fast" actually takes longer

The physician was speaking to the patient, explaining why he had made a certain diagnosis.

The patient merely stared, baffled. He knew the physician was speaking English; he was talking so quickly, though, and using so many new words that the patient had no idea what the doctor was saying.

Finally, the doctor paused, and the confused patient timidly said, "Could you say that in plain English?"

The doctor had to start over and explain it again. Have you ever had an experience like that?

People speak quickly for many reasons. For some, it's a cultural habit. For others, they presume the person to whom they are speaking is in a hurry, may be a supervisor, or otherwise has little time to listen. Some people speak fast because they assume that this makes them sound more knowledgeable, especially to people from other professional backgrounds.

Other  people talk rapidly because of time pressure to get to the next meeting or client/patient. Many people say routine things fast, such as telephone greetings, because they say them so often and don't realize how they sound to the listener. Lastly, there are some people who speak fast, realize it, and don't know

how to slow down. (A few of them are genuinely unable to slow down on their own, due to neurological disorders.)

If your rate of speech (or that of your employee) is fast, think about which of the above reasons applies to you. Speaking fast often means either the listener asks you to repeat yourself, or he does not understand you but does not bother asking you to clarify. In that case, your message is lost.

There are a number of techniques that you can use to slow your rate of speech down. To begin with, after realizing why you speak too fast, then think about when you talk rapidly. Is it during a certain event, such as when you give presentations, or when you speak to your supervisor? Is it all the time, or just when you answer the telephone? Are you able to slow down at all when you try?

Business Speech Improvement offers individual coaching and also an ebook, How to Speak Slower in 6 Simple Steps (scroll down for this).

Your message is worth communicating clearly! Get some help  today!

While you are here, check out the many archived blog posts on communication!

Speech training: what to ask

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rate of speech: strategies to slow down

Many people are told that they speak too fast and should slow down.  Often they don't realize they are speaking so quickly, and deny it. They also don't realize they are omitting certain sounds in words, or even entire syllables, are repeating some syllables, and speak in sudden bursts of several quick words.

They may have been told to slow down, and did it - for a short time - to please someone else. Then they were back to speaking quickly again.

This type of speech pattern is called cluttering. It is a fluency disorder. It can easily affect social and career relationships.

There are a number of self-help strategies such speakers can try.  The first is having someone record the person speaking and also reading aloud. Then listen to this with someone else and notice the patterns. Awareness of the problem and being willing to work on it are crucial.

Are entire syllables or individual sounds being omitted, such as street becoming seat?  Are there short bursts of speed? Does the speaker realize he or she is going fast when speaking?

Many times people confuse the generic "mumbling" with cluttering. Cluttering has a specific set of symptoms, while mumbling can be any time a person does not speak clearly (or a person with a hearing loss does not understand easily and blames it on "mumbling").

One clutterer reported what it felt like, and how she improved her speech. To read her story, click here.

The cause of cluttering right now is under investigation. Some studies point to possible brain structure differences and also genetics as possible causes.

The speaker should also list the impact of the problem on his or her life. Who has trouble understanding the person? Is this affecting personal relationships, work, or hobbies? How?
The speaker must recognize there is a problem and be willing to work on it before any help can be effective.

Business Speech Improvement offers intensive coaching on speech rate.  An e-book, called How to Speak Slower in Six Simple Steps. is also available.

Top 5 Questions About Speech Training

As a speech coach, I get asked a lot of questions about the speech training I provide at Business Speech Improvement. Here are the answers. 1. How much does speech training cost? The answer depends on the speech issue (such as foreign or regional accent modification, presentation skills, learning to make small talk, learning to speak slower, communication skills for better leadership, etc). It also depends on whether you want individual or group speech coaching, and how long the training will be. For those who prefer to do the training themselves, to save money or because of distance or scheduling, e-books and other products are available on many speech-related topics. These include presentation skills, diction, American culture, coping with hearing loss, professional telephone answering skills and executive communication techniques. Click here to access them. In general, you save money by having intensive coaching, because less time needs to be spent on reviewing the information. That's why our shortest sessions are 2 hours long, and most of our work is done in full days, or half-days, when schedules permit. The feedback you get from the instructor is invaluable, so you don't practice incorrectly. 2. Can speech coaching help me? The first questions only you can answer, and they are "why is improving my speech important to me?" and "Am I willing to really practice what I am being taught?" If you are motivated and willing to practice, speech coaching can help most people. I say "most" because the rest of the answer will require an assessment or at least a telephone screening. People are not widgets, and no guarantees can be made. 3. How long does the coaching process take?" I need better speech by next week." Yes, I get this a lot! Intensive speech coaching can be done in a short period of time; the exact length depends on the problem. 4. I forget to practice; I'm so busy at work. Can you still help me? The follow-up process uses several approaches to help with this specific issue. 5. I live very far away. Can you still help me? Yes, in many cases. Speech coaching can be done online in NC (USA), in selected other states in some cases, and in other countries. E-books are also an option. Great speech makes business sense! Visit us at www.BusinessSpeechImprovement.com to see how we can help you!

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!

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.

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!

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.

Rate of speech and persuasiveess

Many people think of salespeople as "fast-talking". Does a faster rate of speech increase their (or your) persuasiveness? An interesting study by Caroline Jones, Lynn Berry and Catherine Stevens found that use of a normal rate of speech was more persuasive. They also found that talking fast reduces the ability of the listener to understand. This makes sense, because people who don't understand don't usually buy. Also, children and senior citizens process language more slowly than other people.

What do you do if you are a fast talker and want to reduce your rate of speech?
Business Speech Improvement (www.BusinessSpeechImprovement.com) offers a one day class on Speak Slowly! Speech Rate Reduction Strategies to be held July 9, 2010. It also offers an e-book on Six Simple Steps to Speak Slower. More information is at www.BusinessSpeechImprovement.com.

Speak too fast?

One of the most common complaints about a speaker is that he or she speaks too fast, and can't be easily understood. Speech rate can be influenced by many factors, from the rate of the general culture (such as NYC) to a person's health status.

Speak slower! Speech Rate Reduction is an intensive one day workshop offered Friday, July 9th in Chattanooga, TN. It includes work-related speech simulations. This course is not suitable for people with such disorders as Parkinson's or other neurological issues. For more information, visit http://businessspeechimprovement.com/enabler/scripts/category.pl?Classes and scroll down to "speech rate and timing".