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Communication Training Program Course Overview
The communication training program is divided into three sections: delivery skill development, knowledge or content skills, and interaction skills. Each training section is listener-focused rather than speaker-focused, enabling the participant to focus on the impact his message creates, not how it feels. The second training focus is based on the participant’s perception versus reality. This is how the listener perceives the participant, not how the participant perceives himself. Each participant receives the following communication tools in his “Communication Tool Kit.”
- Coaching Sheets
- Communication Assessment Audience Analysis
- Communication Objectives
- Communication Roadmap
- Question and Answer Communication Tool
a. Day One Overview
On the first day, each participant completes three exercises focused on delivery skills. These include posture, movement, gestures, facial expressions, extended eye contact and vocal inflection. These exercises are designed to create self-awareness and help identify what each participant must change to go from the “real self ” to the “ideal self. “The process reveals the participant’s “communication gap”. Each of the three exercises is videotaped for the participant to keep and view later. On-the-spot coaching tips are also recorded to reinforce skills and bring attention to the participant’s communication weaknesses.
Although emotionally and physically consuming, the attendees will quickly realize an improvement in their communication delivery skills by the end of day one. The participants will continue to practice their delivery skills throughout the three-day process.
Day One focuses on:
- Building the communication foundation
- Benchmark taping
- Delivery skill development- Posture
- Movement
- Eye contact
- Gestures
- Facial expressions - Vocal skill development- Rate
- Volume
- Pitch and tone
- Inflection
- Conscious pauses
b. Day Two Overview
The morning of day two is devoted to content development. The afternoon session teaches participants how to add content with delivery, such as in a presentation or meeting setting. Delivery skills and content are exercised.
Morning of Day Two
- How to develop a strategic message- The five Cs of a solid message
- Communication objectives: What are the goals and desired result?
- Communication assessment: What is the current opportunity: a speaker synopsis, a listener synopsis?
- Communication road map
- Creating a STAR open and close
- Creating an engaging grabber and hook - How to incorporate engagement tools- Stories
- Humor
- References
- Visuals
- Analogies
- Questions: Rhetorical, use of hands, open and close ended
c. Day Three Overview
Morning of Day Three
- Interaction skill development- Creating listener-focused, engaging visuals
- How to use visuals with impact
- Visual aid exercise: Practice delivery skills of “look-move-plant” while using Ultimate Power Speak-provided presentation slides. Participant will write his own content- Final exercise combines delivery, content and interaction. Each participant speaks for five minutes, demonstrating two critical delivery skills for continued improvement, the use of the content road map, and the effective use of visual aids.
The day’s final exercise marks the beginning stage for bringing all the skill sets together. The exercise also sets the stage for day-three training.
Afternoon of Day Three
- How to handle tough questions and objections(Note: Demonstrating delivery, content and interaction skills at the same time is extremely challenging for the participant during this exercise.)- Delivering an answer
- Crafting a solid, succinct answer
- Q&A road map helps answer questions
- On-the-spot coaching is recorded on videotape
d. Day Four Certification Overview
Day four training, usually scheduled 30 to 60 days later, adds a certification process. The morning and afternoon is devoted to final evaluations. Each participant will give a live talk or presentation for 30 minutes, handle tough questions for 10 minutes, and then receive feedback for 10 minutes. (Note: Time frames may be adjusted slightly due to the number of people in class.)
Ideally, 360-degree feedback from two peers, a superior and the Ultimate Power Speak communication coach is best. The three-to-one feedback provides three positives to one area of continued opportunity. The final presentation, including the 360-degree feedback, is recorded on videotape so the participant may study his growth from the first day’s training to his progress to date. Each individual will also have coaching sheets from each day: one from his first assessment, a second from the close of day two, and a third from this final exercise.
While the third day is standard practice for Ultimate Power Speak communication programs, day four training is optional. Day four is completely designed around the goals of the individual participant, his manager or the company. The day’s training may be used as a reinforcement day, coaching day, or skill building day. It may be focused for a specific event, tradeshow, conference, or as open enrollment for those who have completed the training. Day four may also be a springboard. Day four training demonstrates commitment to new skills. As a result of day four training, the individual’s skill set moves from conscious competence to unconscious competence.
2. Program Coaching and Feedback
The coaching process is visible and active throughout the training program. On-the-spot coaching helps the individual become aware of certain behaviors at the moment those behaviors occur. After-the-exercise coaching provides feedback at the end of each exercise, which is part of the program’s total designed measurement.
Each participant receives the following feedback sheets:
- Self assessment – completed prior to class
- Benchmark assessment – completed by the Ultimate Power Speak training instructor
- Self-coaching sheet – completed by the individuals after each exercise during the three- day process
- Day-two final exercise sheet – incorporates delivery, content and interaction
- Certification evaluation – a taped, 360-degree feedback evaluation by two peers, a superior and the Ultimate Power Speak communication coach
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