Included under this broad heading are:
1. Public Speaking, Presentation Skills and Safe Voice Use
Anyone who has ever been called upon to make a presentation will know what a horrific experience it can be, especially if you are by nature something of an introvert who does not enjoy being the focus of public attention. I can’t promise you that training will prevent you from feeling nervous. Believe me, everyone who has ever stood up in a public place to speak has felt nervous, even such famous speakers as Sir Winston Churchill or Martin Luther King. Realising that in itself should make you feel at least a little easier with the idea and there are many other techniques involving body language, stance, posture, voice production, facial expression, etc, which, once you have practised them, will do a great deal to increase your confidence. It is also a very good idea, if you are using your voice often and/or for long periods, to get training in how to use it properly. Serious damage can be done to the vocal folds (cords) through bad use.
Presentation Skills can be taught on a one-to-one private basis in a series of half-hour or one-hour lessons, or as two half-day sessions with a group, the first session covering mainly the theory and some practical exercises and the second, approximately a week later, when the trainees each have a chance to make a brief practice presentation using the skills they have acquired.
2. Interview Skills
This is another area in which personal communication skills are all-important and in which lack of confidence can be a very great disadvantage. How many good, talented people do you know who never seem to progress in their careers because they just do not have the confidence to present themselves well at a job interview or a promotion board? Interviews today seem increasingly to be undertaken by a panel of interviewers rather than as a one-to-one session, adding to the stress experienced by the poor interviewee!
Again, training in body language, voice, expression, relaxation techniques, etc, can be just the confidence-booster that is required. One-to-one training over a period of short sessions or a one-day or two half-day group sessions can be arranged. Training will include how to present a CV and/or an application form, practical exercises and role-play and will culminate in a mock formal interview.
3. Assertiveness Training and How to Deal with Difficult Situations
Do you find yourself easily intimidated by others – especially people in authority? Do you have a difficult relationship with your boss, staff for whom you have supervisory responsibility, or one of your colleagues? Are you, or do you have staff who are in the “front line” when it comes to dealing with difficult people to whom they are still expected to be courteous and helpful?
Sometimes there is just no easy answer – but a lot can be achieved if you are confident in your communication skills, know how to resist intimidation without becoming confrontational and to defuse a difficult situation.
This is a subject best covered with a group as group work and role-play is essential to this type of training. However, even a few one-to-one sessions for a worried individual could do a lot to alleviate a particular problem.
