First of all, to admit you need a speech coach is a kind of confession\u2014a confession that you need help.<\/p>\n

Some of us don\u2019t like to ask for directions when we\u2019re lost, and some of us will struggle on our own for years before surrendering to some speech coach<\/a> who\u2019s going to tell us things we don\u2019t want to hear.<\/p>\n

But once you\u2019ve confessed, to yourself and others, that you can\u2019t do it on your own, you have to start looking for a speech coach that\u2019s right for you.<\/p>\n

The first place to look for one is in your network of friends and colleagues.\u00a0 Ask them if they\u2019ve ever worked with a speech coach, and if so, why?\u00a0 What did they hope to get out of it?\u00a0 And was it helpful?\u00a0 How did it go, what was good, what was not so good?<\/p>\n

Did the speech coach have a methodology?\u00a0 A workbook, or publication, or instructional materials to offer?\u00a0 Did the speech coach require any pre-work, or supply any post-engagement follow up?\u00a0 Did the speech coach interview them before the meeting, and was the speech coach able to listen to their responses and grasp what they wanted and needed to do?<\/p>\n

Was the speech coach knowledgeable about the business, or were they more interested in style than they were in substance?<\/p>\n

Ask if the speech coach had flexibility, if they were skilled at helping you shape your content, and refining your slide deck?\u00a0\u00a0 Did they have any familiarity with your industry, your company, the people in it, or the technical aspects of your work?<\/p>\n

Ask if they had used the speech coach more than once, and why?\u00a0 And if they had only used the speech coach once, ask if they would consider using him or her again, and if not, why not.<\/p>\n

Ask about methods.\u00a0 Ask them what they did with the speech coach?\u00a0 How did he or she work with them?\u00a0 Did she give them exercises to do, or did she ask them to deliver a presentation?\u00a0 Did the speech coach use video in his work with them, or did she downplay the usefulness of video?<\/p>\n

Did the speech coach let them run through a speech or presentation without interrupting or stopping them?\u00a0 Or, did she quickly point out what was not working when they began to speak?<\/p>\n

Or did the speech coach work with them both ways, and tell them, \u201cThis time I\u2019m going to let you run through it, and give you feedback at the end.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 Or, \u201cthis time I\u2019m going to interrupt you and coach you in real time.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Get the speech coach\u2019s name, phone, email, and location.\u00a0 Get some idea of what they charge.\u00a0\u00a0 Call them or email them.\u00a0 Talk to them.\u00a0 Get them to come visit you if possible.<\/p>\n

There are millions of speech coaches because there is very little barrier to entry in the field.\u00a0 Few of us can start manufacturing automobiles when we get laid off from a job, but many of us can hang a shingle out on the Internet and launch a speech coach business.<\/p>\n

As usual, your network is the place to look.\u00a0 Word of mouth trumps the unknown company that manages to get the top spot in a Google search.\u00a0 After all, that number one ranking indicates they have great SEO, but it does not necessarily indicate they provide great speech coaching services.<\/p>\n

Bottom line?\u00a0 Ask a ton of questions.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Sims Wyeth & Co.<\/em><\/a>\u00a0provides\u00a0<\/em>public speaking courses<\/em>,\u00a0<\/em>leadership skills<\/em><\/a>,\u00a0<\/em>presentation skills<\/em>,\u00a0<\/em>voice training,\u00a0speech training<\/em>,\u00a0<\/em>speech writing<\/em><\/a>, and courses that address stage fright, body language, presentation strategy, persuasive speaking, sales training, and effective use of PowerPoint, all of which contribute to greater executive presence and personal impact.<\/em><\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

First of all, to admit you need a speech coach is a kind of confession\u2014a confession that you need help. Some of us don\u2019t like to ask for directions when we\u2019re lost, and some of us will struggle on our own for years before surrendering to some speech coach who\u2019s going to tell us things… Read More »How you should look for a speech coach<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7248,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"","neve_meta_content_width":0,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":"","_ti_tpc_template_sync":false,"_ti_tpc_template_id":""},"categories":[960,144,24,149],"tags":[603,18,618,145,117,612,904,906],"yoast_head":"\n