Provide Coaching

Some executives welcome coaching and preparation. Others are insulted to think they must be rehearsed and trained in order to perform ade­quately. It may be advisable, therefore, to make it official management policy that all speakers undergo a "prep session." Professional speech consultants, using video tape, are available to conduct such training.

One consultant suggests that the checklist for preparing a speaker begins with a discussion of the proper attire for the occasion. Perhaps the topic can be overlooked in the case of a senior executive who rou­tinely dresses in a three-piece pinstripe suit and silk tie. But it may be necessary to suggest that a scientist leave his loud sportcoat in the lab and venture out to speak at a professional meeting wearing a dark blazer and coordinated slacks. The public relations department must do its homework: at certain conferences held in tropical resort areas, it is customary to wear good-looking golf attire, and the speaker in urban work clothes may make the audience and himself ill at ease.

Some managers allow that old bugaboo stage fright to become a self-fulfilling prophecy. They expect to be nervous and to stumble, and so they do. It may be so severe that the speaker experiences momentary paralysis. The public speaking volumes listed as Additional Reading at the end of this chapter all agree that a certain amount of apprehension is useful, because it gets the adrenalin running and pumps the speaker up to perform. If your manager has severe apprehension, a speech con­sultant may be used to teach him or her helpful relaxation techniques. (The two-page spread in the color section in the middle of this textbook shows Hill and Knowlton trainers preparing executives for speaking engagements and television appearances.)