The Sound of Your Voice | "Is Communication Coaching for You?

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Is Communication Coaching for You?
Part III - What Can the Client Expect?
By Dr. Carol Fleming

Since working with a speech coach is likely to be a new experience for most
people, I thought it might be helpful if I discussed four of the most
important principles and five of the 'housekeeping' details that define our
relationship.

Be prepared to learn something new, something different from what you expected.

Like most people, you will walk in with certain assumptions. Be prepared to be surprised, to hear an entirely new version of your personal impact, and to develop different goals. People frequently expect me to be very critical of them and are surprised that I am more interested in identifying their strengths and their personal goals. You will want to pay attention to how you formed your original (negative) opinion.

Any real change in your speech and voice production will feel wrong. This is why you need to work with someone who can guide you, reassure you, and help you attain the skill you want. Alone, we are very unlikely to do anything that feels foreign, new behaviors will feel uncomfortable at first, and you will need to have a relationship of mutual trust and respect to try out something new.

Expect to explore a large range of communication issues that combine to form your personal impact. The range of communication issues that can be dealt with will also surprise you. Some people expect me to be just an 'elocution teacher' and are surprised that I am concerned with topics such as:

wardrobe selection
office politics
social class issues
boy-girl communication
personality
habits
attitude
grooming
eye-contact
stage-fright
professionalism
nonverbal communication
and lots of other stuff that you might actually expect, such as educational history, previous speech/music/drama instruction, pertinent medical information, familial traits, etc.!

These issues, and many more, are all part of your communication repertoire. You may feel free to bring up any issues that you suspect are relevant to your verbal impact. Anything said in our work is completely confidential and you will never be identified or quoted without your express permission.

You will probably have to invest time - in addition to our sessions - in your improvement. How much time? That depends on you: your talent, motivation and willingness to practice.

Talent: we differ on auditory-vocal skills. This can't be helped.

Motivation: you usually get what you really, really want because you're willing to do whatever it takes.

Practice: most clients will have to learn the special techniques for adult learning that will lead to achieving communication goals. This will most likely involve thoughtful repetition of new coordination's and material in increasingly complex situations. If you are like most people, you will prefer a 'quick fix' that involves no effort on your part. As an adult, you know darned well that it's just not so.

Special note: Everybody's life is full. In all likelihood, you cannot imagine where you will find the time to practice. I can help you here. Most adults do better with practice as we work together, as they start experiencing progress, and they start hearing (on the recorder) their improvement.

Housekeeping details:

Frequently I can design a 'course of study' for you that you can present to your employer to support your professional development.
This professional communication development work IS TAX DEDUCTIBLE for you.
In most instances, it is very important to have your coaching sessions once a week. This works best with an adult to ensure progress.
The session starts on the hour and lasts 50 minutes. Longer sessions are available, especially if you have come a long distance and we need to use your time economically.
I will need 24 hour advance notice of a cancellation; otherwise I will have to ask you to pay for the time that I have set aside for your work.

Contact us today to discuss how our workshops, coaching and training products can improve your Personal Professionalism and Communication Impact.

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