Public Speaker Coaching by Skype

I’ve blogged about how Skype can help communicators — and my public speaking coaching via Skype was featured on The Wall Street Journal. And now Google + is also getting in the mix with their video chatting tool, Huddle.  Both are great tools that lets you meet people and get your messages across face-to-face, without the expense and inconvenience of setting up a teleconference.

This trend has been a boon for me, and for the wonderful public speaking clients I get to work with virtually.  While you can’t do all kinds of speaker coaching on Skype, it’s great for most of what most people need.

What Kind of Public Speaking Do You Coach for on Skype?

The kind that involves your head, face, and shoulders.

Here’s what I mean:

In a Skype interaction, both parties are looking at each other’s head, face, and shoulders.  You’d think that “tight focus” would be limiting; but, in fact, it’s just the opposite.  Without the distraction of flailing hands and shuffling feet, it’s easier for both me and my client to notice things that matter a lot, like eye contact, facial expression, tone of voice, and attitude. 

That makes Skype perfect for coaching people on interview skills, and most presentations.  I’ve also used it to work with clients on a range of challenges, including how to:

  • Communicate with employees
  • Minimize fears of public speaking
  • Write more effectively
  • Manage a virtual team
  • Ace an interview
  • Develop their speaking style
  • Handle Q&A; and (of course!)
  • Give webinars and Skype presentations!

Are There Times You Wouldn’t Use Skype?

No tool is perfect for every situation, and that’s true for Skype, as well.  It’s not ideal for coaching someone on a high-stakes stage presentation; for that, I’d want you in the room, walking, talking, cueing your slides, and handling your props.

Skype, or video chat more generally, is also not ideal for speechwriting, which is so much about listening that a visual feed can get in the way.  (Or maybe it’s just that I like writing speeches by telephone!)

Either way, that leaves everything in between — probably including your public speaking or interpersonal communication challenge!

If you’re interested in learning more, let’s talk about whether Speaker Coaching by Skype is right for you.  My Skype handle is jezra.kaye.