Have you been accused of mumbling? Do people ask you to repeat what you’ve just said? Do you feel like your speech is holding you back from advancing in your career?
Whether you’re giving a presentation, interviewing for a job, or conversing with clients and colleagues, clear, articulate speech is a must for professional communication. What are some ways that you can improve your communication and take your career to the next level?
- Finish your words: There are many pairs of words in the English language that only differ by their final sounds. If you don’t finish the last sound of each word, your listener may misunderstand you, or be so focused on figuring out what you just said, that they miss your next point.
- Say all syllables in a word: When speaking quickly, many people tend to have sloppy speech and drop syllables from words. For example, probably often becomes “probly”. While this may be acceptable in casual conversation with friends, in a business setting it will make you seem unprofessional and inarticulate. Take care to pronounce each syllable and sound of every word.
- Pay attention to numbers: Numbers convey some of the most important information in the workplace, whether giving a phone number, or quoting a price to a client. Unfortunately, numbers can also easily be confused with one another when pronounced sloppily. For example, “fourteen” easily becomes “forty” if you don’t pronounce the final sound clearly. Pay attention to the way you say numbers in the workplace, and put extra effort into crisp, clear pronunciation.
Want to learn more? Take a look at the following video of CSS President Jayne Latz
giving a presentation on clear, confident communication:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0i7xqwRyKE
For information on the New York Based Speech and Accent Reduction services offered by Corporate Speech Solutions please give us a call at 212-308-7725 or visit us on the web at www.corporatespeechsolutions.com. Not in NYC? No problem! We also provide Skype and video conferencing services.
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