When It Comes to Hiring a Speech Coach, You May Be Asking the Wrong Question

By Christina McKenna

I recently bumped into an old friend and longtime associate at a networking event and congratulated him on his promotion to a high-profile role at a large consulting firm.

“You know, I should get some presentation coaching,” he said. “In this job, it’s more important than ever that I'm able to deliver in big moments."

Specifically, he said it was critical that he deliver an impactful performance at a major upcoming conference his company was sponsoring – a conference that would be attended by almost every one of the firm's current and potential clients. "It is by far the biggest thing we do all year."

Then he asked, “Say, how much does it cost to get presentation coaching?”

It’s an obvious question. None of us would buy anything without knowing its cost.

But when it comes to presentation coaching or communications coaching of any kind, companies often consider the investment as a number unto itself. They might be better off considering it as they do other capital investments, that is as a number that could multiply their return on other investments.

I asked my friend how much his business stood to gain if his performance at the podium was captivating, convincing, and memorable. "Millions?" I asked.

"Ha!" he replied. "MANY millions!"

"Well, good news," I said. "Presentation coaching is less than that."

Whenever an organization is planning a major event–whether an Investor Day, a customer symposium, a conference appearance, a leadership summit, or an employee town hall–naturally a budget must be set and respected. But too often companies are willing to pay an extraordinary price to secure an opportunity and then invest nothing in making the most of it.

In the end, this approach leaves everyone frustrated, from the audience subjected to a mediocre speaker to the marketing team that came away from the event with lukewarm results to the executive speaker whose image may have taken a hit.

I told my friend he might be better off considering the investment in speaker coaching as a means to avoid squandering all the other resources his team was pouring into the event.

The sponsorship that had secured him a speaking opportunity was expensive. Then there was the even pricier cost of renting and building out exhibit space. Swag for the booth visitors. Travel expenses for him and the rest of his team. Time away from other work. Tallied up, it was a lot.

I told him, "Maybe rather than asking 'How much does it cost to GET presentation coaching', the better question is 'How much does it cost to NOT GET it?'"

If you or someone you support is lucky enough to secure an upcoming presentation or speech opportunity, consider whether speaker coaching might help you maximize your return on investment. Run the numbers and you just might find it's the best money your company ever spends.

For more great ideas on rock-solid communication, visit bluestoneexec.com, email us at info@bluestoneexec.com, or call us at 248.514.7085.