They have so much potential… …but his voice shakes during presentations. She can't hold eye contact with clients. They say "um" every other word. You know they’re capable of more.

Corporate Speech Services

Your Company’s Voice — Clearer Than Ever

New York Speech Coaching partners with organizations that consider extraordinary and inspiring communication an integral part of their culture. We provide corporate speech training that endows team members with executive-level presentation skills and the ability to express themselves authentically, comfortably, and dynamically.

Your team can exude confidence, clarity, and authenticity - even and especially when the stakes are highest.

Benefits Of Executive Presentation & Communication Training

Discover how executive communication training from New York Speech Coaching can improve your comfort and effectiveness as a speaker and enhance your performance as a corporate leader.

Our executive communication training offers a host of benefits for corporate leaders in any industry:

  • Gain confidence that comes from learning how to project your "authentic self" to your audience
  • Reduce nerves and remove any doubts regarding your decision-making and leadership capabilities
  • Command respect and attention in virtual meetings to ensure you communicate your message effectively
  • Assemble and deliver an effective pitch regarding a new idea or concept that impacts the organization
  • Develop the ability to answer tough questions during high stakes encounters or situations
  • Foster and maintain stronger relationships with colleagues and prospective business partners
  • Become a more dynamic and entertaining speaker at board meetings, major corporate presentations, and public relations or brand-building events.
  • Learn how to stay under control and maintain your composure during tense situations

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Communication is Connection.

Tremendous coaching, both on basics of speech (breathing, projecting etc) and on optimal delivery of content.

Pete B.

Pete B.Citigroup

Since John's first session in 2015, we have welcomed him back twice to teach our global sales team about the importance of voice enhancement, storytelling, speech preparation, and much more.

Jaclyn Demartino

Jaclyn DemartinoWaze

I highly recommend New York Speech Coaching. True professionals who bring the art of vocal coaching to many stages, including the business arena.

Jackie Hernandez

Jackie Hernandez COO Telemundo Communications Group, Inc.

All testimonials
Internationally-Renowned Instructors

New York Speech Coaching's award-winning team of instructors bring a vast array of credentials and expertise across all business domains and industries to their corporate speech coaching. Led by internationally-acclaimed speech coaching authority John West, our team provides workshops, small group, and private training to corporate clients in New York City and worldwide.

John West

Co-Founder and Head Instructor of New York Speech Coaching

Over the last fifteen years, John West has established himself internationally among the world's most sought-after and versatile speech coaches.

Clients include those from:
The United Nations, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Nasdaq, Citigroup, Bank of America, Credit Suisse, Google, Deutsche Bank, Doctors without Borders, Deerfield, Waze, BlackRock, Bridgewater, Accenture, Barclays, MediaCom, and many more who seek John's guidance in effective communication / presentation skills and voice enhancement. His diverse list of current clients includes C-suite executives, those from hedge funds, banks, and private equity; news anchors, lawyers, surgeons, politicians, fashion designers, models, authors, coaches, judges, professors, actors, and more.

John is a member of American MENSA, and he and New York Speech Coaching have been featured in Business Insider, Vice, the New York Post, Business Advice Service, Career Builder, Fusion, Money*ish, Wall Street Journal, Marie Claire, Esquire, and NPR among others.

John is recognized for his ability to efficiently and demonstratively guide teams and individuals in high-stakes industries toward healthy, sustainable speaking voices and the ability to communicate comfortably, confidently, and effectively despite duress.

Brendan Houdek

M.A., CCC-SLP, TSSLD / Head of Speech Pathology / Senior Instructor

Brendan Houdek (M.A., CCC-SLP) is a senior instructor at New York Speech Coaching. He specializes in effective business communication, executive presence, and vocal production. His teaching emphasizes control over one’s speaking abilities to be utilized as they see fit in any speaking situation. His training covers not only the physiological aspects of speech production, but also presentational performance and psychological perspective work.

Brendan’s clientele consists of individuals and groups from Google, Disney, Forbes, Nasdaq, Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Capital One, MetLife, and McGraw-Hill. Brendan’s private clients include C-suite executives, politicians, doctors, dentists, accountants, lawyers, journalists, law enforcement officials, architects, TV executives, actors, musicians, art curators, literary agents, engineers, psychologists, software developers, and more.

In addition to his work as a speech coach, Brendan is a NYS-licensed and ASHA-certified speech-language pathologist, specializing in voice and fluency disorders. He is the head of New York Speech Pathology. His in-depth understanding of vocal anatomy and physiology assists his coaching by enabling him to provide speakers with healthy and efficient vocal technique.

Brendan also is a singer, multi-instrumentalist, and voice impressionist, hosting the show Voice Breakdown on YouTube. These skills further enable him to have deep insights into the voice and performance.

Joel Rainwater

Associate Instructor

Joel Rainwater comes to New York Speech Coaching after previously working with The Promentum Group as a speech coach, delivery consultant, and speech content creator for former professional athletes, CEOs, and keynote speakers.

Clients at New York Speech Coaching include those from Amazon, Nasdaq, Deutsche Bank, Google, Pinterest, Spotify, Spiegelworld, Morgan Stanley, and E*TRADE, as well as in fields ranging from private equity, technology, advertising, medicine, law, media, publishing, education, research, entertainment, clergy, journalism, and funeral directing.

Joel coaches speakers in proven physical and practical public speaking techniques which improve composure, articulation, and vocal projection. He also guides his clients toward significantly reducing the compulsive verbal and physical habits that compromise effective communication. This approach gives his clients confidence in themselves and credibility with the listener, whether it's a single interviewer or an audience of hundreds.

Joel is a seasoned Broadway, Off-Broadway, and regional theater performer. He received his BFA in theater performance from the University of Evansville in Indiana, and his MFA in acting from the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. Joel is also a Harlaxton College presidential essayist. He specializes in executive presence, speech clarity, vocal production, presentation skills, interview technique, audition preparation, and accent reduction.

Tricia Veldman

M.S., CCC-SLP, TSSLD / Founder of Georgia Speech Coaching / Instructor

Tricia Veldman is a bilingual speech-language pathologist currently living in Savannah, Georgia. She holds a Master of Science degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders, Bilingual Extension in Italian, from Teachers College, Columbia University, and a Bachelor of Health Science from the University of Florida.

Tricia is trained across a variety of speech-language domains. Her more specific experiences include public speaking, voice, fluency, bilingual populations, accent modification, and adolescent social skills training. Tricia focuses on equipping others with the confidence to feel comfortable with public speaking in any situation, conversation, or presentation. She combines her knowledge of psychology and interpersonal communication to guide clients in promoting their own self-expression and personal success.

As a passion project, Tricia co-hosts The Lost Art of Communication podcast. Each episode analyzes the evolution of communication in a digital age and includes actionable steps for listeners to implement in their day-to-day conversations.

Recognizing that learning styles vary on an individual basis, Tricia utilizes client-specific therapy and coaching to achieve the most impactful and long-lasting results. Her business clients include lawyers, consultants, entrepreneurs, health coaches, graphic designers, engineers, teachers, and employees of companies such as: Conde Nast, Reddit, Equinox, the United Nations, and Disney.

Tricia offre tutti i servizi anche in Italiano.

Caleb Shomaker

Head of Education / Associate Instructor

Caleb Shomaker is an associate speech instructor specializing in accent modification, presentation skills, and vocal clarity. After working with students of all ages in general education for 8 years, he now assumes the role of Head of Education at New York Speech Coaching, where he supervises the internship and work-study programs. Caleb also established the volunteer arm of the company, connecting speech coaches with those struggling with housing instability or joblessness.

Caleb’s clients include individuals from Uber, Unilever, Shearman & Stirling, Grand Street Settlement, the Department of Education, ACE, and the Swedish-American Chamber of Congress, among others. His students attest to his infectious enthusiasm and passion for speech, offering a balance of playfulness and rigor within the classroom.

Caleb's coaching methods incorporate business communication strategies, anatomical understanding, and humanistic psychology. He grounds each of these in practical exercises that allow his clients to understand their relevance and near-immediate application. He excels at translating complex ideas into language accessible to students of all backgrounds.

Caleb holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Theatre and Mathematics from New York University and the Stella Adler Studio of Acting, where he studied and apprenticed with world-renowned voice and speech faculty. He also participated in the New York Speech Coaching Teacher Training Program under the instruction of Brendan Houdek and John West. Prior to his work with New York Speech Coaching, Caleb served as the Resident Vocal Director for Shakespeare in the Square for several years, providing voice and dialect coaching for numerous performances.

Meet the whole team
Ready to dive in?

Your professional development experience will begin with a workshop. Afterwards, we will work with you to determine if your firm would benefit from recurring training.

Corporate Workshops

Can be conducted virtually or in-person

The majority of our clients find success by beginning with our Signature Fundamentals Workshop.

Our Signature Fundamentals Workshop is appropriate for anyone looking to:

  • Command any room
  • Speak with poise and composure
  • Eliminate filler words for good
  • Mitigate speech anxiety
  • Think and speak clearly while under duress
  • Improve speaking confidence across situations

This is a 3 or 6-hour intensive program that gives your team members the chance to practice and improve their speaking and presentation skills. Workshops afford the opportunity for individual attention and guided application. These can accommodate up to 100 people, but of course the smaller the group, the more individualized the training can be.

Please note: “fundamentals” does not mean “exclusively for beginners”. Even seasoned presenters admit to learning things "they never knew they never knew" about public speaking. While we tailor training exercises based on experience level, we discuss concepts applicable to both the novice and experienced professional.

I have extensive public speaking experience and still left with valuable tips. I strongly recommend their coaching. I was impressed with how the instructor engaged and encouraged everyone in the group regardless of their confidence.

Brian Judson Better Business Brokers

If you feel your company’s needs fall outside that of the fundamentals course, we can happily customize a workshop based on your personal or business needs. Other topics we can cover include:

  • Presentation skills
  • Articulation and clarity
  • Remote communication
  • Virtual Presentation Skills
  • Keeping audiences engaged
  • Dynamics for presentations / storytelling
  • Impromptu speaking
  • Structuring content (impromptu, extemporaneous, verbatim)
  • Preparation strategies
  • Thinking and speaking clearly under duress
  • Speaking voice enhancement
  • Projecting the speaking voice
  • TED Talk preparation
  • Eliminating physical manifestations of anxiety
  • Making ideas more concise
  • Speaking with continuity and flow
  • Answering panel questions
  • Accent modification / reduction

Recurring Training & Coaching

After the initial workshop, we can use what we learned from our time with the group - coupled with additional feedback from your managers - to decide on the most effective next steps for your firm. These options may include recurring group and / or private training. There is no need to commit to recurring training at the outset, as your preference can be discussed in the workshop debrief.

Recurring sessions offer the opportunity for your team to achieve lasting results that build on the foundational concepts of the initial workshop. Repeated public speaking exposure and focused practice with an audience cement techniques as habits, reduce anxiety, and increase confidence. What’s more, if you select small group training, your team will learn and develop together, creating a company culture of growth, encouragement, and unabashed fun. Invest in training that simultaneously increases employee proficiency while spiritually uniting your organization.

Small Group

These 1.5 hour breakout sessions provide space for 3-6 of your employees to learn new material and practice their skills together.

Private

Give your employees individual attention from a speech coach. The instructor will perform diagnostics and develop a personalized training plan based on employer and employee goals for his/her performance.

Other Services

Learn how to present the best, most authentic version of yourself and exude relaxed enthusiasm and pleasant assertiveness. Gain essential communication skills for business professionals that allow you to project a polished, professional leadership image. Hone your public speaking skills when presenting in a meeting, on a stage, or from behind a podium.

Weekly Prep Session - Unlike our other offerings, the “prep session” is not about training or learning new skills. Rather, it is an opportunity for employees to run through their upcoming pitches and presentations and receive feedback from a coach. The secret to speech success is performing a number of quality reps to condition the mind and body to make new techniques habit. The practice group is designed specifically to offer those reps - with feedback to ensure proper practice. This is a one-hour practice session offered weekly.

Private Intensives - A weeklong program for those individuals looking for hardcore training and efficient results. Intensives are offered as 12, 18, or 24 hour packages. You'll work individually with an accomplished speech coach who will help you improve the quality and clarity of your voice. You'll also acquire tools that reduce your anxiety and increase your comfort and effectiveness.

Private coaching is ideal for people who wish to focus on specific areas and receive personalized attention in a comfortable, distraction-free environment. For many students, there is less initial anxiety when training individually compared to receiving instruction as part of a larger group.

Keynote - Have one of our public speaking experts join your next conference to speak on a communication topic pertinent to the values of your organization.

Lunch & Learn Seminar - Bring us in for a lecture-based session for your group. This is a great opportunity to provide introductory remarks about successful public speaking strategies.

Retreat - Host a 2-day public speaking "retreat" in your office or virtually, where we spend 8 hours per day with your team engaging in dynamic work surrounding interpersonal communication, presentation skills, and unforgettable company bonding.

Our Goal

In all of our training, we aim to provide tangible, practical strategies for improving one's ability to:

Speak with Physical Confidence

  • Reconcile individuality and authenticity with company expectations and culture
  • Master posture, body language, eye contact, and gesticulation
  • Speaking concisely and without filler sounds / words ("um" "like" "y'know")

Speak Clearly

  • Develop a healthy voice and effective use of sound projection
  • Understand fundamentals of breathing and resonance for speech
  • Refine articulation for clarity with pronunciation

Speak Dynamically

  • Incorporate appropriate pitch, rate, volume variation
  • Use oral formatting for audience engagement
  • Maintain an appropriate balance of grounded / relaxed & passionate / inspiring

Speak Effectively Under Duress

  • Maintain the delivery-oriented items above despite variables (who’s in the room, how long you’ve had to prepare)
  • Access impromptu templates for effectively structuring thoughts on the fly
  • Engage in “high-altitude” training reps

Speak Comfortably

  • Incorporate physiological and mental tools for anxiety mitigation
  • Practice and master preparation and rehearsal techniques
  • Develop body and voice alignments that allow you to feel calm and composed

Feel Connected

  • Learn tactics to bring humanity to the forefront of each interaction
  • Establish genuine connection with the audience
  • Recognize the value of honesty and vulnerability

What Kind Of Companies Do You Work With?

All kinds! Improvements in communication can help every company operate their business more effectively, whether the improvements come in customer-facing or internal communication — or both. Since our founding in 2005, the mission of New York Speech Coaching has been to provide instruction to anyone seeking the skills to express themselves using their authentic voice.

The most substantial part of our client base consists of groups from the financial industry: banks, hedge funds, wealth management firms, private equity, etc. We also do a significant amount of work with those in media, tech, business, and law. We serve the needs of corporate clients like Bloomberg News, Citigroup, Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, and many others. We believe in starting a movement that will eliminate the fear of public speaking and help our clients reach their full potential.

Any company that has meetings (client or internal), presentations, phone conferences, or interviews will find the training worthwhile.

Will You Come To Our Office?

Yes. Our instructors travel to your office or location of your choosing for seminars and group classes.

Does It Work Virtually As Well?

While we all recognize the benefit of being in the same room together, the virtual communication landscape is here to stay. Our workshops incorporate skills that are applicable both in person and online to great effect.

What Does It Cost?

The rates will vary depending on length of seminar, number of attendees, and location. If interested, please request a quote or contact assistant@newyorkspeechcoaching.com with a general outline of your interests and goals, and we will set up a phone consultation and quote.

Cancellation Policy

A non-refundable deposit of 20% is required upon booking / scheduling dates, and the remainder may be remitted within 30 days of the conclusion of the workshop. Dates may be rescheduled up to two times with 14 days' notice. Rescheduling requests that exceed two instances or cancellations will forfeit the deposit.