Yes, we’re working from home suddenly. Well, actually I’ve been working from home for quite a while mostly. It’s not so bad if you like the people you live with. And if you don’t, you better have one heck-of-a-large house!
Online speech training is what I do. About 4 or 5 times a year, I go into corporations and train their folks, but day-in and day-out, I’m seeing incredible clients online. They learn to speak clearly & persuasively.
Hopefully, you’re still employed. And if not, I hope you have enough to get by for the duration of this insanity. If you’re housebound, it’s a great time to take advantage of online training.
I’ve been speaker training via webcam since 2004! Can you believe that! It’s crazy.
You may not believe all the things you can do to improve your communication skills. So when people come to me and say, “I can write extremely well but when I speak the words don’t come out as planned.”
Or they say, “I can’t articulate my thoughts into words.“
I hear sentences like these every day and nearly all day. But for some reason, everyone thinks they’re the only one!
You know those folks who are excellent communicators?
The people who have an extensive network and they know how to “be themselves” during high-stakes situations?
Do you work with folks like this? Do you know anyone who is cool as a cucumber in high-stakes situations?
They got that certain executive presence and a solid and consistent verbal brand.
They get people to like them wherever they go! They somehow articulate their thoughts into incredibly well-crafted sentences, and they happen to be great conversationalists!
And they speak just as well to their boss as they do to their best friend. They don’t succumb to the high stakes of reporting to their boss.
Excellent communication skills are learned.
Those folks weren’t born that way, you know.
And their mommies didn’t add special sauce to their bottles when they were babies. They realized that the ability to get their message across in a crystal clear and highly persuasive way would benefit them.
So they went out of their way (hired a speaker coach) to learn the techniques necessary. Then they practiced systematically. As I’ll train you to do when you sign up with me.
I’m hypnotizing you now: You will sign up with me. We will work on your speech together. You will be an incredible communicator in a few short weeks. Plus we have fun.
Finger snap. You’re awake and navigating to the contact us page.
Hey! What are you still doing here?!
How I Started Online Speech Training
Before 2004, I saw people mostly in my office. Once I started using the webcam, I thought, “This probably won’t work as well, but it’s worth a try because people around the country want my services.”
Boy, was I wrong! Online speech training works about 35% faster than in-person classes.
I was surprised, but I believe it has to do with the cues that are all around you while you’re in our session. All of your pictures and furniture and items all around you serve as cues to remind you to use the speech techniques that you’re learning.
Plus, you can see yourself on the screen. That’s helpful too. 🙂
You can request more information about our online speech training classes here.
There’s a weird stigma against working from home. You know the guy who’s interviewed in his home office, and his daughter comes marching in behind him? It’s hilarious. He becomes so mortified he’s forgotten how to behave in society!
Here’s my take: Working from home rocks. You can wear your pajama bottoms! You only have to do the front of your hair! Not the back!
See? I told you we have fun! My clients are crushing it out there in the real world now that things are looking a bit brighter. Working from home is still a challenge for people not accustomed to it.
But meeting with people on the webcam has been incredible for my clients and me.
How To Improve the Sound of Your Voice
I meet all the cats.
I’ve established fantastic relationships with people all over the world. I’ve learned about cultures I never would’ve dreamed I could learn about firsthand.
Many clients have gone out of their way to meet with me in person after we’ve worked together. Not to mention that speech/communications training works better–faster–on the webcam than if they came into my office.
I’m a huge proponent of working from home for people who want to. I’m against all of the internet’s work-from-home-shaming.
The video of the suited-up man in his home office whose child comes in the door and walks up to him? Why would we laugh?
[The Perfect Accent online video course may be right for you.]
I meet all the cats. They all want to get into the space where their human’s attention is. So they get in front of the computer. I meet most of the dogs, many of the babies, and some of the spouses. Sometimes a parent. What a treat! We need to change our perspective about working from home and embrace our families.
9 Secret Steps to Influencing Others
Want to be more influential? We all want to communicate our most important messages in a way that encourages others to take action. Whether that action is voting for our candidate or picking up milk from the store, the words we use and how we speak play a huge role in getting the job done.
Body language online and IRL
All the same body language reactions that happen in person happen on the webcam. We mimic each other; we lean forward and back, it’s beautiful! Would all interactions be better in person? Perhaps. But I can’t be in Riyadh, Brisbane, and New York all in one day without the webcam.
How to Improve Your Body Language
What Happens in an Online Speech Training Class?
What we do is evaluate where you are in terms of your communication skills. Are people loving listening to you and doing precisely what you tell them to do? Are you crushing it on stage during presentations?
If not, we can easily remedy this. We then use a systematic process to make your message crystal clear and highly persuasive. (It usually takes between 5 & 10 sessions.) So people love listening to you. They’re thankful that your message is so easy for them to process. They’re happy to follow your call to action.
Watch this video of Ita Olsen: Why am I Not Automatically an Incredible Speaker
Very sweet and down to earth! You’re the best Ita!
Awwww! Thak you!!
Online speech training was not even on my radar before finding this site. Now I’m researching speech techniques and looking into signing up for a class. An online speech training class seems like a really good way for one to be evaluated on their communication skills in a helpful and constructive setting.
You are the sweetest, thank you!
I still feel like I’d rather see someone in person…
Hi Ita! Do you remember me? I took classes with you years ago! And they were online! Haha! You were in California and I was in London! You’re a trailblazer. Now everything is on the webcam! Glad I found you again. Good work on the blog 🙂 Let’s have a skype soon 🙂
Really a nice post