What is communication coaching?

A communication coach works with people to help improve their skills, knowledge and confidence in business communication. Whether you want to become better at public speaking, improve your business relationships or learn to deal with objections in a more productive and professional way, communication coaching can help.

In this blog, we’ll take a look at the most common communication challenges that people face in business – and how coaching can help.

What are the challenges of communication?

Many of us assume that we’re good at communicating. 

But while it’s true that people often spend a lot of time thinking about what information we want to share, we don’t give enough thought to how we are going to deliver that information in the best way for our audience. 

Not considering your audience’s needs when communicating risks your message not landing with the same impact. 

If we don’t communicate our message effectively, it can lead to missed opportunities, poor relationships and a demotivated workforce. 

Here are some common scenarios in which poor communication skills might negatively impact your business: 

Pitching new business 

If your business involves you pitching or bidding for work, then good communication is essential in building trust and persuading potential clients to work with you. If you get your communication wrong at this early stage, you can risk not only losing the pitch, but also missing out on any future business opportunities with the client. 

Pitches can go wrong when businesses are entirely focused on themselves, their products or services and neglect the needs and challenges of the client they are pitching to. Get this balance wrong and it can be very difficult to gain someone’s trust and encourage them to work with you in future.

Successful new business pitches focus heavily on audiences: what are their current challenges and goals? What are their values? How does your company’s values align with theirs? By communicating your ethos and linking it to theirs, you can build trust more quickly and be more likely to win the bid.

Presenting to groups 

Presenting to groups can be a significant communication challenge. Sometimes, presenting to large groups can cause us to feel nervous or experience ‘imposter syndrome’ which can negatively affect our performance. For some, the prospect of presenting to a smaller, more intimate group is even worse!

While a small amount of nervousness can help us to focus, too much can cause our minds to go blank or, conversely, we can stumble or rush through content too quickly. This can cause audiences to disengage or lose confidence in you. Communication coaching can equip you with the tools to speak confidently to audiences, whatever the size. 

Difficult conversations with team members 

Nobody likes having to have difficult conversations, especially with team members, but this is where poor communication can really let us down. If we are overly cautious about not upsetting someone else, we can risk avoiding sharing crucial feedback that can help their development. If we’re too heavy handed with feedback that’s unfair or unproductive, then it’s difficult to build trust and rapport. 

Working with a communication coach can help you to find the balance and enable you to have courageous conversations that are productive and help to build relationships.

Difficult conversations with clients

Having difficult conversations with clients can be even more tricky. Get the tone and content wrong, and the relationship might break down, or you could even risk losing that business altogether. Communication coaching can help you to plan your conversation in a way that’s beneficial for the client and that will persuade them to come around to your way of thinking, so that you can have those tricky discussions in a more productive way. 

Virtual and hybrid communication 

Speaking on camera often feels like a challenge, whether it’s through a laptop or a hybrid room. It can be difficult to exude the same energy, use congruent body language and read the room in the same way that you could if you were presenting to a whole group face to face.

A communication coach can help to give you skills to manage those meetings in a more organised and productive way, ensuring that you remain in control, your audience stays engaged and you are managing to address all audience members, whether they are online or in the room. 

How can a communication coach help your confidence?

A communication coach can help you grow in confidence by working with you to understand your own personal challenges and goals when it comes to communicating. Communication coaching will allow you to explore scenarios that you find difficult and equip you with tools and techniques to overcome those challenges. 

For example, a communication coach can help you grow in confidence by: 

• Giving you tips to help articulate your thoughts and feelings 
• Helping you to understand the things you already do well
• Role-playing tricky scenarios, such as handling objections or difficult conversations
• Sharing with you skills around body language and voice control
• Working with you to combat ‘imposter syndrome’ to improve your mindset 
• Growing your leadership skills 
• Sharing techniques to plan and manage virtual or hybrid calls
• Helping you to plan presentations so that they are effective and engaging for your audience.

Who can benefit from communication coaching?

Communication coaching can benefit anyone, in any industry and at any stage in their career. 

People find that sessions in communication coaching not only help them in their working lives, but can also help to improve their personal lives outside of work too, as they develop skills to manage conversations and relationships.

Communication coaching for leaders

Effective communication lies at the heart of successful leadership. Guiding teams, setting goals, and making critical decisions all requires clear and persuasive communication. 

A communication coach can help leaders enhance their interpersonal skills, refine their message delivery, and become more adept at active listening. This can allow better collaboration, reduce office conflicts, and boost team morale.  Investing in communication coaching, leaders and managers not only enhance their own leadership abilities but also create a more harmonious and productive work environment for their teams.

Communication coaching for team members

Communication coaching is immensely beneficial for team members more broadly, as it equips people with the skills they need to collaborate effectively and productively. It enhances their ability to articulate ideas clearly, actively listen, and convey messages persuasively, leading to reduced misunderstandings and conflicts within the team. 

Team members who receive communication coaching often experience heightened confidence in their interpersonal skills, leading to increased job satisfaction and opportunities for career advancement. Overall, communication coaching empowers individuals to contribute more effectively to their teams and organisations, resulting in improved teamwork and overall success.

Communication coaching for sales teams

Sales teams can also benefit from specific communication coaching.

Communication coaching with sales teams can help them to build stronger client relationships and close deals more effectively. Sales professionals need to convey product or service benefits persuasively, handle objections with finesse, and actively listen to customer needs. A communication coach can help sales teams develop their confidence by refining their pitch and adapting their approach to different clients. 

By improving communication skills, sales teams can enhance their ability to connect with clients, build trust, and ultimately drive higher sales and revenue.

Finding a communication coach 

Finding a right communication coach who is the right fit for you is essential. At Body Talk, we have a number of expert coaches with a wide range of experience of coaching across different industries. 

We will  work with you to uncover your challenges and pair you up with a coach who will be best placed to help you achieve  your specific goals.

Get in touch with us today to find out about what our coaches can do to help you and your business.