Trainer/Coach/Speaker, Kim Welcome

As Trainer/Coach/Speaker for her company, Influential Voice, Welcome has worked with many businesses and high school students. She is also working with the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, to help those in the industry learn keys to conveying the message we want to send to our visitors. Now, she’s branching off from her native Bahamas, considering offers to make presentations and hold seminars in several Caribbean islands including Jamaica and Barbados, plus the United States.  And while she recognizes that accents are a part of a person’s culture, she says there is still a way to come across as global as opposed to regional.

“A good vocal presence is something that will serve you well especially in your professional life,” says Welcome. “Those who develop this skill, set themselves apart, are admired, respected and are more inclined to be promoted on their jobs. It is the part of your personal presentation that determines whether others see you as intelligent, confident, likeable and even credible.”  

“There are educated, smart, intelligent people who don’t seem to be so sharp when they speak. They may mumble, speak too fast, too loud, have off-putting high pitched voices, sound nasal, sound monotone, whiny and these speech patterns can hinder your success,” she added. “For a business, the staff’s ability to represent the company through effective communication is paramount. Those who have direct client contact can make or break a business.  Employees with poor telephone skills, lack of refinement, poor grammar, improperly used words, slang and dialect in the workplace can all detract from the impression you are trying to make as a company.”

Welcome’s ability to effectively coach is a culmination of her BA in Communications from Temple University where she studied Advertising and Marketing, her extensive background in sales and her training as a voice actor. She said actors are trained to convey the desired message on cue. These are the same skills professionals need for high performance in customer relations. 

She says in countries that rely on tourism or interact with foreigners for business or other purposes, what might be considered natural to locals, can be offensive to strangers. The main reason, she notes, is because a lot of what a person may consider ‘cultural’ can cause a stranger to be taken aback.

“In Bahamian culture, we have our own social norms. However to a foreigner, the way we speak may be intimidating, whereas if they were local people, they know that’s the way we communicate. It’s really about being cognizant of the setting and your audience so that you can turn it on as needed, especially as it relates to professionalism and tourism.” When asked if this diminishes our cultural authenticity she said, “Not at all, when you’re dealing with guests to our country, there is a way to be professional without taking away what’s cultural. Overall, it’s about having a delivery that can appeal to anyone.”

Welcome further outlines destructive communication flaws and provides further insight in her Six Communication Errors informational guide . For more information visit www.influentialvoice.com