What Is a Speech Coach?

If the thought of public speaking makes your stomach turn, you’re not alone. Public speaking is a very common fear, and tons of people struggle through both school and work presentations. 

Even just everyday conversation can be a challenge. For example, small talk can prove difficult if you’re not good at impromptu speaking.  

Whatever you’re working on, a speech coach can help you with that and more. It doesn’t matter if you think you’re the best communicator on the planet; speaking coaches can elevate your skills.

In our comprehensive guide, we’ll cover what a speech coach is, how much their services cost, how to improve your speech, and the benefits of having a speech coach. Let’s get into it. 

What Is a Speech Coach?

A speech coach is someone who works with clients to build their confidence and improve their public and impromptu speaking skills. 

Speaking coaches will assess you based on your goals and desires, both personally and professionally. That way, they can prioritize what you’d like to work on.

For some people, that means working on everyday conversation skills. For others, that means building on your presentation skills to more effectively communicate a message and engage an audience during a presentation. 

Speech coaches will also help you with your nerves, especially if you have a fear of public speaking. 

What Does a Speech Coach Do?

In a nutshell, a speech coach exists to advance and build on your existing communication skills. This type of coach can even help you have a better virtual presence, since platforms like Zoom and Google Meet, as well as remote work itself, have become commonplace.  

Although it depends on what you’re specifically looking for, speech coaches can help with things like: 

• Your confidence when speaking
• Presentation skills
• A fear of public speaking
• Everyday conversation tips
• Stuttering

After they assess you, you’ll be able to inform them of what you want out of the relationship, whether that’s confidence while speaking or simply being able to deliver a solid presentation at work. It’s totally up to you, so don’t be afraid to speak up and let the speech coach know what your short- and long-term goals are. 

They’ll identify weak points for you to work on and give you the tools necessary to succeed in public speaking. 

How Much Is a Speaking Coach?

The cost of a speech coach depends on a few factors, like: 

• Whether or not the speaking coach charges by the hour
• How much experience the coach has
• Where the coach is based
• And the going market price, among other factors

In general, speech coaches can be very expensive and usually charge around $150 per hour, if not more. 

Some coaches offer special bundles that can run for a couple of thousand dollars. You’ll get access to a few sessions for that amount. 

Should I Get a Speech Coach?

If you’re wondering whether or not you should get a speech coach, the answer is yes! Besides the cost, there’s no downside to the services of a speech coach. 

There are tons of benefits that come with this type of service, and at the end of the day, taking advantage of a coach’s insights can completely transform the way you view effective, compelling communication. You can turn a wholly unpleasant ordeal (like struggling through a presentation while you’re drenched in sweat) into a confident, positive experience. 

Plus, you don’t have to spend a fortune on speaking coaches; instead, use a free speech coach like Yoodli. 

How Do I Improve My Speech?

To improve your speech, explore the world of speech coaching. 

If it’s within your budget, you can hire a speaking coach. If not, you can rely on Yoodli, a free AI speech coach that was designed to target a user’s weak points and provide actionable, useful feedback for improvement. 

Just like a local speaking coach, Yoodli will listen to your speech and speaking patterns and use Ai technology to analyze your abilities. 

It’ll pinpoint everything you need to work on by giving you instant, personalized insights in a judgment-free zone. Some of those analytics include your word choice, your pacing, and even your body language, among other metrics.

Simply upload a video of yourself speaking and Yoodli does the rest. You can also record a video directly on the platform if you don’t have a pre-existing video to upload. After that, you’ll get a plethora of useful insights which you’ll then use to start transforming your communication skills. 

Yoodli even provides specialized speech coaching comments based on your speech.

From interview preparation to corporate presentations and even just everyday conversation, Yoodli has special features that’ll help you crush your public speaking goals. 

Let’s take a deep dive into the benefits of having a speech coach. 

Benefits of Having a Speech Coach

There are tons of benefits to having a speech coach at your disposal. From showing you how to speak with confidence to elevating your presentation skills, they’ve got your back. 

Here are the top five benefits of having a speech coach. 

1. You’ll get to work on and advance your communication skills.

Arguably, the most obvious benefit to having a speaking coach is that they’re guaranteed to boost your effective communication skills. After all, that’s what a speech coach is for: to advance your skills in effective, compelling communication. 

Effective communication is completely essential to your personal and professional life. Here’s why: When you’re speaking, the goal is to convey information to the person or people you’re speaking with. However, if you aren’t able to communicate effectively, your message will be totally lost on your audience.   

Not being able to communicate clearly can have a negative effect on your job, no matter what career or industry you’re in. A speech coach can help make sure that not only you can get your message across, but you can also do so with confidence. 

2. You’ll get the chance to improve your success at work.

Speaking of, taking advantage of a speaking coach means you’ll have the opportunity to show off those new public speaking skills at work. 

If you’re a strong speaker and can deliver flawless speeches, coworkers, managers, and bosses will notice. Your newfound skills can allow you to progress and move up through your company. At the very least, being comfortable and confident in public speaking will give you a chance to increase your success at your job. 

3. You’ll get invaluable practice. 

Especially with a speech coach like Yoodli, you’ll get valuable, personalized insights for improvement, as well as endless, free practice. 

Not only that, but speaking coaches provide actionable tips and feedback for when you do practice. 

Improvement doesn’t happen overnight, and speech coaches aren’t magic. It’s a journey — a lifelong journey — that you’ll continue to work on. There are always things to improve and speaking coaches exist to help you navigate that journey. 

4. You’ll become more comfortable and confident when speaking.

If you’re uncomfortable speaking in front of others, you’re not alone. A speech coach can help you gain confidence and become more comfortable speaking. 

You might not be confident at first, but when you work with a speaking coach, they help you improve to the point where you’re not only comfortable presenting info in front of an audience, but you also have faith in your own effective communication skills. Who knows? You might even start to get excited at the thought of public speaking!

5. You’ll get to say goodbye to your glossophobia (AKA your fear of public speaking).

In a similar vein, you can use a speech coach to combat your fear of public speaking. Glossophobia — the fear of speaking in public — is one of the most common phobias in the world. By working with a speech coach like Yoodli, you can become more at ease with the idea of presenting and speaking in front of others. 

Plus, taking advantage of a speaking coach that gives you individualized feedback and suggestions will let you know where you need to improve. Identifying those areas for potential improvement can help calm your fears. 

Why Are Speech Coaches Important?

Speech coaches are important because they help guide you on your journey to effective communication in a professional, straightforward manner. 

Whether you can afford a local speaking coach or you take advantage of a free speech coach like Yoodli, you’ll be able to build on their services and become a better, more compelling communicator, which is a superpower in and of itself. 

The Takeaway

Speaking coaches can make a world of difference if you’re looking to improve your communication skills. They can transform even the most nervous, meek person into a more confident speaker at work, at home, and in public settings.  

If you’re considering checking out a speech coach like Yoodli, don’t hesitate — you’ll certainly become a better communicator for it.