How to Select Your Speech Coach

Let’s assume that you are ready to take your public speaking to the next level. Or perhaps you want to advance your speech a level or two.

How can you best achieve that?

The fastest and surest way to dramatically improve any skill set is to work with a coach.

Warriors have been doing that for eons. Artists have been doing that for centuries. Athletes have been doing that for decades. And for some time business leaders have been fast-forwarding their business skills by working with a mentor or coach.

Presenting, public speaking or delivering a speech are all skill based. Luck and talent play a very small part. To be a better presenter you need to develop your skills.

You should do some research on your own. Assess your ability. Recognize both your strengths and weaknesses. Observe other speakers with a critical eye and ear. Read some books or listen to tapes. When you are ready to grow, work with a good speech coach.

A good speech coach will ask you what you have done to improve your presentation skills before he agrees to work with you.

A good speech coach is one who is a doer as well as a teacher. A good speech coach has delivered speeches or presentations in circumstances similar to what you face. He understands the issues and challenges and speaks from experience – not just sitting on the sidelines.

You might have heard the old joke: Those that can – do. Those that can’t – teach.

A good speech coach is one who can, has done and does – as well as teaching.

That might seem like a lot to expect from your speech coach. Yes it is – but that is what a good speech coach is.

When you are ready to work with your speech coach here are a few questions you might ask of him:

“How often do you speak?”

“What types of groups have you spoken to?”

“What presentation challenges have you faced?”

“How do you stay good?”

George Torok
The Speech Coach for Executives