A Head Start For Your 2021 (Long version;)

You don't need one more person telling you about the challenges that 2020 brought. It was a doozy of a year. 'Nough said.

That's why I'm offering a gift and some free advice. Lucky you! Especially the free advice part;)

From now until January 15th, Accent On Speech is offering $100 off on all speech/voice and accent evaluations.

Why is this something you want and need, and might not even know it?

I'll start here. Pretty much every study on the planet ever done rates communication skills as the #1 determiner for professional success (in some form or another). If you can't capture people's attention, really listen and hear the concerns of others expressed, adapt your style appropriately and strategically, and deliver your message clearly, with your unique perspective, you are at a huge disadvantage in business. And those skills just begin to scratch the surface.

Need some inspiration?

***(This is what the short version didn't include.)

During 2020, I had the fascinating, wonderful, and VERY lucky experience of working with people who not only thrived during 2020, but actually did better than they had in previous years, business-wise.

I'm going to tell you about three different clients of mine from this year. Each of them was coming from a different place and each had different goals and was seeking different outcomes.

The first person I'll talk about is Ryan. Ryan had only worked for his firm (in sales) for one year when the pandemic caused his layoff. His confidence was shaky and he was feeling disheartened and a bit defeated after three unsuccessful interviews with three different companies. Through working on mindset, strategy, presence, listening skills, streamlining messages, and voice through various exercises, role plays, and assignments, Ryan successfully achieved the new outlook and skills needed to land not one, but two offers-in the summer of 2020. Yea, Ryan!

The second person I'll talk about is Stacey. Stacey is a project manager, and while confident in many ways, and most definitely competent, she lacked the ability to connect with and affect the various entities involved in developing and completing a project. She typically worked with men in male-dominated fields, so had the extra challenge of negotiating and gauging her style so that it translated and meshed with theirs in such a way that she was listened to and respected, while at the same time remaining comfortable with herself and her own sense of authenticity. These had been challenges for her in the past, and now, with Zoom meetings taking place, she found the added pressures of speaking to groups in this online format even more daunting.

We broke down the issues involved in the first challenge through discussion, reflection, role play, and carryover exercises and assignments. Certain vocal habits were pointed out and addressed, as well as some of the wording she tended to use, which was weakening her overall message.

We then worked on developing her online presence, practicing techniques and strategies that made a stronger impression on her listeners. The outcome was a much more engaging and confident professional Stacey, who also reported an overall increase in her comfort as a communicator in general-professionally, but also personally, and in her perception of herself.

The third client I'll tell you about is Milton. Milton was a super hard worker who in the past year had been promoted to more of a supervisory position and figure head. He was managing a team and he was meeting with big outside clients. Milton expressed having had some discomfort with his communication skills for a while, and that now with the pandemic and a little more time, decided it was time to address them.

Milton had a slight accent, having not been born in the U.S. He worked with international clients, and reported that in general, intelligibility wasn't a big issue. He did, however, have lingering concerns about some aspects of his communication style, clarity of message delivery, and vocal tone. He was finding that after meetings or discussions with both clients and employees, people were left with lingering questions; there was some vagueness in his message and in how he felt about his his message.

Through talking with Milton, I discovered several things. One: he hated disagreeing with people. Two: he had difficulty saying when he didn't understand something completely. Three: he needed to improve his understanding of listener perspective-what his listeners knew, what they did not; what they needed to be told, etc. Four: his demeanor and tone was often not in sync with his message, causing confusion to the listener. In addition, there were some subtle voice and intonation issues that were addressed that were affecting his overall approachability and relatability.

Through discussion, reenactments, role play and other exercises, and carry over practice, Milton learned how to make subtle shifts in his communication style which he had prior to, only little or subtle awareness for. Score for success and satisfaction.

These are all issues that can be tapped into through a communication evaluation.

So, what does an evaluation look like and how can it provide invaluable information to you, both professionally and personally?

A custom evaluation will help you to understand and clarify your communication strengths and areas that need attention. Whether your main concern is overall communication skills and/or executive presence or it is in developing your Standard American English so that you are clearer and more confident when communicating in English, your evaluation will cover it all-based on our consultation. Most importantly, you will receive direction regarding ways to go about addressing and improving your communication skills that include practical information, strategies, exercises, and actionable steps to help get you started.The one-hour evaluation review takes place in person (or online, via Zoom) after the initial questionnaire and recordings are made. (If you have any questions now or during the process, just ask--it's very straight forward;) You will also receive a written report highlighting your issues, goals, and suggestions for addressing them.

The cost of an evaluation is usually $320. For a thorough accent evaluation, in addition to what the regular evaluation covers, the cost is $420.

Take 100 dollars off that cost if you sign up any time between now and January 15th. Your evaluation can be scheduled for any date before February 20th. And all you have to do is click the link below that says Click here. How simple!

Register: Click Here For Your Best Year Yet

or call Call: 347 886-4040

If you're on the fence and have questions, let's talk!

Learning how to use your voice, speech, and language more effectively, authentically, and powerfully can not only change and re-direct your professional future, it will most likely impact the relationship you have with yourself, positively and strongly.

Don't let another year go by in which you neglect to nurture what has the potential to become your greatest asset--your ability to perform your role superbly, playing it in a way that only YOU can.

Smartest advice for 2021? Invest in your communication skills. There is no surer return of investment.