Frequently Asked Questions

Clients

How can I offer this training to my employees without offending them?

 Employees who need this training usually know it, but are often hesitant to ask for it because either they don't know the training exists, or fear that the company will not provide it. Start by reassuring the employees of their value to the company, and that you want to help them with their career growth and development. Describe what the problem is as you see it (ie, the employee cannot be easily understood by others, he speaks too fast, he does not listen well to others and appears rude, or whatever). Tell about the impact of this on others, especially customers. Then explain about the availability of this specialized training. Set some specific goals for the employees to achieve. (We can help with that if desired.) Ask if the employees are interested; an unwilling employee will not benefit from this or any other training.

Can Individual Speech Coaching be customized to include a little of several different topics?  Yes, it can, as long as those topics are specified in advance. Considerable preparation goes into planning your session. To make sure it covers your goals, please discuss your needs in advance with Business Speech Improvement.

Is there a charge for customizing company-specific courses? At this time, there is no additional charge for this. Please be specific about your needs so the course can be developed to meet your particular goals.

When is payment due for a course? Payment is due at the time of registration. Please note the cancellation policies on the website. Companies with long-term contracts with Business Speech Improvement may make other arrangements in advance.

Do you work with people who need to improve their diction or cope with stage fright better? Yes, some of my clients are getting involved with the media, giving presentations, or needing to speak more clearly on the telephone or video-conferences. They often request Individual Speech Coaching if their needs are complex and no suitable Open Enrollment classes are available.

How can I get a few tips on a specific topic I need help with right now? Check on our "E-books" age for our "help in a hurry" © e-books on communication topics! These concise e-books, available 24/7, are filled with specific tips you can use immediately.

Speech-Language Pathologists

Where can I purchase your books: Alternative Career Options for Speech-Language Pathologists, Talking on the Job, and Sound Stories for Adults? These books will be available on this website in the near future, on the "books" page. Please either keep checking back, or e-mail info@BusinessSpeechImprovement.com with your name and that of the desired books. We will notify you when they are in stock again.

Are you planning to offer any seminars for SLPs on corporate speech pathology? No seminars are presently scheduled. However, e-mail mentoring is available. Corporate speech pathologists with state licenses and their CCC, who have already read Talking on the Job  will be accepted for mentoring starting in January, April, July and October. Only 1 SLP per reasonable marketing area is accepted. You are entitled to ask unlimited questions by e-mail about your specific situation, and will receive responses usually within 48 hours. This expands your knowledge base and frequently saves mentorees from making expensive errors in advertising, etc. The fee for the three months is $500. If you want to request CEUs for this, visit http://www.asha.org/ce/self-direct/ to develop a plan.

To start the e-mentorng process, contact Business Speech Improvement and provide your name, city, state, telephone number and anticipated marketing area.

Do you have any online programs for which I can get CEUs? The course "New Career Options for SLPs" is available at www.onlineceus.com . This newer course complements the book Alternative Career Options for SLPs, adding even more more career choices! Corporate speech pathology is mentioned only briefly in the course.