Here’s a provocative article by Kristi Hedges, writing in Forbes. She’s a brutally honest communication coach who admits that most of what her industry sells for thousands of dollars is simple stuff that executives could learn from a $20 book! Kristi makes an interesting point, although she risks throwing the baby out with the bath water. I’m with Warren Buffett when he says that investing in a Dale Carnegie public speaking course was one of his best investments – they were and still are excellent. You can make your own mind up about Kristi’s rant by clicking here.

My view: there are many good communication coaches out there. If you can afford one, great. If not, books and audiobooks can give you a good grounding for a fraction of the price (and yes, Kristi’s jut published hers, called The Power of Presence). Then go out and practice, like all of us did in the early days, by seeking out unsexy, unpaid speaking roles: schools and colleges always love a free guest lecturer with a story to tell.

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