Coach University

Business Coaching for Comunication: The Hidden Messages You Send
Coach University 101

Have you ever heard someone say, “It’s fine!” but with an angry tone that belies the words? Or maybe someone screamed at you, “I am NOT angry!” You instinctively ignored the words and believed the rest of the cues.

Communication is only 7% verbal, and 93% non-verbal. This is asimple lesson I learned at Coach University. The verbal part is WHAT you say, or the words you choose. The non-verbal part is everything else: your tone of voice, gestures, posture, facial expressions, rate of speech, accent, general diction, organization of your message, and timing of it. As a business coach, you need to be alert to both levels of communication – at the same time.

Let’s give some examples. Tom is to give a business presentation to older Baby Boomers. A Generation X member, he starts his sentences with “So” and includes phrases such as “you guys” The presentation is received very poorly, with the comment, “His company is not competent to do what we need accomplished.” Whether the company was competent technically was not the issue; Tom did not use the formal communication skills needed in this situation.

Marisa went to a networking event representing her company. An engineer, she hated these “meet and greet” situations. Marisa did not know how to make targeted small talk that could quickly ascertain whether the person she was speaking to was possibly right for her company. In addition, she used body language that indicated she wanted to be out of the situation: frequently looking elsewhere as the other person spoke, pointing her feet toward the door. The other people got the message, and Marisa’s company ended up with a poor image in the minds of those who spoke with her.

Pat had an idea of a new, cost-cutting process for his manager. He was very eager to tell the manager, but misread his manager’s reaction when Pat went into his office. The manager was scowling when Pat came in, sighed, and said, “Pat, can this wait until tomorrow?” Pat replied, “It will just take a second.” Then he proceeded to tell the manager in great detail about his plan.

Terri was a salesperson for a high-end product. Her manager told Terri to speak faster to potential customers, so they would stay and listen to the whole message. The manager was sure that when they heard the entire sales talk, the customers would buy. Terri worked hard to speak faster – but did not get a better response from her customers.

In fact, when Terri got professional coaching to learn to speak at a slower rate than she used initially, her sales rate jumped considerably. She chose someone who went to coach university. Now she had time to “read” her customers, and they had time to process what she was saying.

Verbal skills are important. Make sure you and your clients know the level of formality needed for a given presentation. For older Baby Boomers or Veterans, use correct grammar and clear pronunciation. For formal presentations to all age groups, do not use slang or wording such as “so” and “kinda”. Plan all sales presentations out in advance, and actually practice them. You only get one chance to make a first impression. Learn hwo to make the best impression at coach university.

Learn the art of small talk. Open-ended questions such as “What brought you to this event or company?” encourage others to talk. Closed-ended questions such as “Are you from Division A or B?” exert control and reduce talkativeness. Closed-ended questions are best for starting a conversation with someone who is apt to be shy, or for talking with someone who chatters endlessly if allowed.

Consider your non-verbal skills as well. If there something about your body language, the distance you stand from others, your timing or tone of voice that is making ytour communication less effective?

To assess your own skills, visit http://www.businessspeechimprovement.com/sample.htm
for a free screening form.

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