How can I be a better speech coach?
Rule one: tell it like it is.
Beating around the bush won’t make your clients better.
They won’t improve without precise, productive, persuasive feedback.
Precise means targeting specific parts of a speech’s style, substance, and/or structure. Every speaker has access to AI—from ChatGPT to Yoodli—that will provide specific critiques of a speech’s wording, pacing, and stylistic choices. Any speech coach needs to be more accurate and specific. This is particularly helpful for recorded sessions, where you can take the transcript of your coaching session, upload it to a trusted LLM, and see if there’s anything you might have missed.
Productive means demonstrating how to improve. If a coach says that rewording a segment is necessary, they should provide a better way to reword it to spark imagination. Saying “this should change” has limited value. Tell them how YOU would say it. Say it. Then, then have them say it back.
Persuasive means connecting the critique to the speaker’s desired outcomes. For instance, if a speaker doesn’t think they need to adjust their style, the coach should be able to articulate WHY the change will result in a superior speech. If a speaker doesn’t believe the coach, they will not adjust. This can’t be done if the coach is not deeply aligned with the speaker’s goals.
Rule two: follow frameworks.
Consider, for instance, the VCR framework of audience engagement:
Vibes: whether or not your audience would describe you with desirable adjectives.
Clarity: whether or not your audience understands your message.
Reactions: whether or not your audience is given opportunities to react to your speech—and whether you use those reactions to enhance your presence in real time.
Or the five S’s of speech delivery: style, substance, structure, self-confidence, and storytelling.
Or the three A’s of speech writing: annotation, addition, and appearance.
Many communication coaches these days have their own framework, which they often trademark and call ‘systems.’ Most use alliteration or acronyms. Create frameworks that are valuable to your clients’ needs.
For more, reach out to Dr. Iain Lampert for a free consultation.
