How to Choose the Best Communication Consultant to Develop Your Speaking Skills

Communication Consultants Vary, get the right one for you

So you’ve resolved to improve your communication skills as soon as possible, but how can you go about choosing the right communication coach? 

Letting someone have an inside view of your communication fears or barriers is a very personal process. It can be hard to know where to start in choosing the best-fit communication coach for your goals.

I’ve prepped this post to help you identify the right fit for your communication goals. 

1. Be Mindful of who is qualified to train your communication

There are a lot of people out there promising to help you with your personal growth. But if you want to get results for your communication, you’ll need to work with someone who has the right qualification.

Good communication skills are helpful but gaining elite communication skills takes investment.

Check the qualifications of anyone offering to assist you before you choose. There is a lot of noise in the coaching space, and receiving strategies based on unqualified opinion is both risky and ineffective. 

Communication Science is an evidence-based discipline that has produced a large body of supported research into communication competence at work, leadership communication, nonverbal cues such as voice tone and facial expressions for executive presence and more, such that opinion based consulting is unethical.

The stakes are high in representing your identity and values in the workplace; therefore, you shouldn’t throw your communication tool kit together without paying attention to best practice and evidence-based strategies. 

I recommend communication training with someone with professional expertise that includes communication theory, language, pragmatics, body language and interpersonal communication like a speech pathologist or possibly even a psychologist.

All great communicators are not necessarily trained to develop your communication skills, so be diligent in ensuring your private coaching occurs with an expert.

2. Choose for Precise Expertise

When you choose your communication consultant or coach, do some detailed research about their areas of expertise. This will help you determine whether they have the skills to help you strategise against your communication barriers and concerns.

For example, if you need to improve your speaking voice quality and tone when public speaking, make sure the communication coach is a speech and language pathologist with expertise in voice to build your voice and apply medically healthy strategies to sustain a good sound for your whole career.

If you need to improve the logical flow of your speaking in workplace meetings so that you are clear and concise, make sure you choose a speech pathologist who consults with adults in the corporate sector extensively as they will have the expertise to guide you efficiently.

Audit your Professional Speaking

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You can commence the process easily by heading to our website, purchasing & submitting your audit tasks via an ingenious virtual assessment. ⁠⁠
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Or save this post for when you’re ready to sign up for a science-based communication consult for your speaking at work!

3. Check the communication consultant’s own communication output

Is the consultant producing content and material themselves? Do they have a vlog, a website, social media handle? Have a look at the style and type of communications they produce. This is an effective way for you to ensure that the consultant can deliver value and information skillfully. 

Check whether the consultant has both business and client experience. If you want to gain skills for communication in the workplace you need a communication coach who understands the nuances of organisational politics, team engagement and career growth.

For example, if you want to build your team’s communication, make sure you hire a communication consultant who has extensive experience in team-based consulting and workshops, not just 1-1. 

Or, if you want to improve your communication skills for video, choose a consultant that has made lots of videos themselves. Experts that deliver incredible communication consulting are usually highly active in communicating themselves! There should be a trail on the internet of the consultant’s own communication. You want to look for a  strong mark for example in the news, local papers, YouTube channels and social media handles. Elite communicators are usually noticed by the press. There’s no way you can’t get evidence of how much communication content we are distributing public if you search for our company. This is a testament to our active performance in both communicating and consulting around communication.

4. Prepare to Pay Premium Only if the Consultant’s Skills and Experience Line up

You can’t cut corners with your communication, and a cheap program is usually a sign of a consultant who lacks experience or qualification. It takes extensive post-graduate training, and professional expertise to build the skills needed to provide effective communication coaching, and typically, the fee charged will align with the coaches’ reputation and skill level. Do due diligence in ensuring the consultant you choose can back up their price with the qualifications, reputation, and experience to support it. 

5. Know Your Needs

If you’re looking for a communication strategy program that’s results-driven it’s important to find a consultant that starts with a detailed audit of your communication. Starting with a solid audit of the multiple factors that contribute to competent communication will mean that no stone is unturned in the formation of clear goals and practical strategies in sessions that follow. This is why my High-Performance Communication Audit includes the opportunity to audit all aspects of your communication using an ingenious science backed method in addition to obtaining extensive detail around the key communication contexts (your workplace, social environment, social hierarchies, career growth goals, bilingual experience) so that we can give measured and evidence-based recommendations that relate to your personal needs and career. 

If you’re concerned about the communication barriers you’re facing but you can’t put a finger on exactly what needs to be addressed for improvement, C-Suite membership will help you pinpoint the precise bottlenecks you’re facing  & train you in the core principles of speaking evaluation. 

It’s time to say goodbye to feeling overwhelmed about your communication skills! Because – LISTEN TO THIS – you can actually improve your speaking ability.

Want to learn more career skills to amplify your success? Get in touch!