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In search of the perfect coach
April 10, 2005
By Dave Zielinski
Sure, you're a good presenter.
Who would doubt it?
After all, you didn't become vice president by resting on your laurels, did you? But have you ever wondered whether you could be even better? If you could make them laugh more, buy more, listen more intently, respect you more or shower you with even louder applause?
It's questions like these that often lead ambitious professionals to hire a speaking coach. Just as athletes turn to sports psychologists for a mental edge, presenters increasingly employ personal coaches to take their game to the next level. The pressure to deliver winning presentations has risen to new heights in many organizations, and this, coupled with the public-speaking anxiety already baked into our genetic code, has driven many a fast-track executive to seek the advice of a qualified platform-skills doctor.
"The higher up the organizational chart a presenter is, the more they feel like they have to give the perfect presentation because of their stature," says David Greenberg, president of Simply Speaking Inc., a presentation-skills coaching firm based in Atlanta. "That can lead to a lot of suppressed anxiety and fear."
A good coach can help by tightening up the message, correcting body language tics, offering helpful advice, and analyzing audience reactions. They can also serve as friend, confidant, therapist, cheerleader and fan to the vulnerable souls who seek their guidance.
But when does it really make sense to get some private coaching? And, given the range of services offered and skills-development choices available, how do you locate the right coach?
Finding and choosing a coach
These are not easy questions to answer, because finding a good speaking coach is more akin to finding a good friend than locating a reliable mechanic or dentist. To start with, speaking coaches tend to work best and make the most sense when a presenter has identified specific things they need to work on, or when they are preparing for a single, isolated presentation or series of related presentations. If, for instance, you've identified a general need to boost your presentation acumen – and many such needs emerge following feedback from bosses in performance reviews – most experts recommend beginning with a basic presentation-skills class. These open-enrollment classes allow you to practice presenting live, offer exposure to a variety of speaking styles, and help build a solid foundation of presenting skills. Hiring a personal coach, on the other hand, is a better option if you need further one-on-one instruction, are preparing for specialized or high-stakes presentations, or need an experienced hand to help with content development.
Experience, credentials, chemistry
In some ways it is easier than ever to find a coach because so many people have flocked to the field from other specialties. But because there are so many people offering a wide range of services, including "life coaching," "career coaching," and "spiritual counseling," it pays to exercise due diligence regarding experience and credentials. Some coaches do presentation training as a sideline to their broader business consulting, while others specialize in areas such as media training, voice quality, sales presentations or helping presenters translate highly technical speeches for lay audiences. Some are actors or directors sidelining in the business world. Some are former public relations managers who've been laid off and are trying to reinvent themselves. Some are ex-salespeople who want to become the next Zig Ziglar or Og Mandino. So, consequently, some are good at what they do – and some are not.
Beware of the hard sell
At the same time, some coaches believe a bit of unease can help spur presenters to new heights. "Some of the executives I work with need to be made more self-conscious about their speaking styles," says Carmine Gallo, president and founder of the Gallo Communications Group, a presentation and media skills training firm in Pleasanton, Calif. "Someone may think they sound confident or authoritative in front of audiences, but in reality their body language or voice quality is saying something quite different, and the videotape doesn't lie."
Bang for the coaching buck
Considering the cost of hiring a good speaking coach, presenters might be tempted to simply ask Joe from PR to set up a video recorder, shoot them in action, and give feedback on any distracting habits or practices. But the reason to opt instead for the services of an experienced pro, say those who swear by it, is for the kind of candor, trade secrets and audience insight colleagues or moonlighting coaches usually can't provide.
Good coaching in action
When business etiquette expert Phyllis Davis was facing an upcoming book tour, she called in media and voice coach Nancy Greystone of Santa Monica, Calif., to help prepare her for the experience. Once a month for a year, Davis, who is president of Executive Mentoring and Coaching International in Las Vegas, worked with her coach to role-play answering media questions, enhance her voice quality, and chart ways to get her book's message across without appearing a shameless self-promoter.
The power of personal attention
While many presenters use coaches only episodically for tune-ups before big presentations, others employ their services on a more regular basis for foundational skill-building. "A novice can't expect to take one or two golf lessons and see lasting improvement," says Greenberg. "In the same way, new presentation skills or routines don't seep into your DNA until you've practiced and received feedback over a period of time."
Dave Zielinski is a freelance writer and frequent contributor to Presentations. He can be reached at zskidoo@aol.com.
Originally published in the April 2005 issue of Presentations magazine.
Also see:
Getting started: Where to go for presentation training next door (sidebar)
The difference between teaching and coaching ... (Podium column)
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