“Personal effectiveness is the core of our business.”
- Sheila Viesca, TalkShop

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Start Your Online Teaching Business with TalkShop

The web is providing a window for a variety of online business and employment opportunities. Virtual stores and assistants are reaping the benefits of a work-from-home arrangement. And now many are discovering the benefits of online teaching, with Filipinos being sought after for their fluency, patience, and professionalism.

Online teaching is making raves as a productive source of alternative income for those looking for a second career, for those wishing to switch jobs, for stay-at-home moms and dads, and for entrepreneurs in search of a home-based business.

IELTS Review at TalkShop

IDP-TalkShop Partnership Equips Students for International Education

TalkShop, the country’s top English communication trainer, partners with IDP-Australia to realize its corporate mission and social responsibility to help empower individuals through effective English communication, so they can better adjust to the demands of international education. In cooperation with IDP, TalkShop gives a review course on the English language and conducts IELTS tests. The IELTS 
test or the International English Language Testing System is the international standard exam to measure one’s English proficiency.

Talk Smart and Keep Clients Happy, TalkShop Advises

SMART Communications has recently upgraded its automated voice system, marking a significant step in its race against other telecommunication providers. On 22 February 2012, SMART sought the expertise of TalkShop as regards effective use of voice for business. TalkShop provided voice training to SMART talents who are the first ones to meet customers when they transact over the phone regarding inquiries on accounts, products, services, among others.

“Frontliners are often taken for granted. But little do companies appreciate that even the way they sound over the phone creates an impression that will make potential customers decide to subscribe to their services. They are actually the first ones to open the possibility of a business relationship with a customer. They are also a very important factor why current customers turn out to be loyal to the company and its services,” Sheila Viesca, TalkShop Director of Communication explains.

Cross-Cultural Communication for Expats

TalkShop, a leading name in corporate training, offers Cross-Cultural Communication seminars to help ease Expats into their new work assignments in the Philippine setting. “This is in response to companies that realize the importance of cross-cultural training for the success of foreign assignments of their executives and the goodwill this will generate among partner companies,” says Sheila Viesca, TalkShop CEO.

“It is about learning our language, heritage, food, customs, and traditions. These form an integral part of the design, as well as knowing and understanding the dynamics of everyday life in corporate and social settings, and preparing expats for their new life by helping them become more open-minded, resilient, and self-aware of their leadership style ,” she explains.

Global English for Executives

Is Business English being used at your workplace? How does your personnel and managers’ proficiency level measure up? Are your front liners projecting the company’s desired brand image?
In these challenging times of stiff competition, changing consumer behavior, and shifting brand preferences, it is excellent customer service that will give companies the edge. A wise company realizes the value of effective English communication, customer service, and assertiveness training for its sales and customer service staff to keep a customer, handle an irate client, engage the customer in an effective presentation, negotiate deals, close the sale, and project the company in the best light.

TalkShop Coaches SMART in Effective Call Handling

TalkShop Coaches SMART in Effective Call Handling

Smart Communications had taken a very important step in upgrading the quality of its call center service in line with the launching of its newly acquired account from Apple, Inc. - the iPhone 4s. TalkShop was fortunately its top choice to conduct a workshop on Premium Call Handling for its call center. On December 11 and 12, 2011 in Makati City, Smart Communications call handlers were given a professional coaching as regards telephoning and proper voice projection.

Employees of Smart were evaluated, and given tips and actual exercises to improve articulation, tonal quality, language skills, and vocal personality that convey business sensibility and acuity.

Many companies who transact business over the phone are losing clients because of poor call handling, and poor voice quality is the major factor in this. In fact, Canadian Press Online recently reported that Convergys in Halifax had to lay off call agents after the company lost a major client. Coincidentally, Tim Moynihan, VP of marketing at Empirix, who commissioned a study on why companies are failing, said that “nearly half of consumers felt that poor voice quality was a sign that companies didn't really care.”

“Since we are moving into a more globalized economy and competition is becoming harsh, local people should be shown the proper way of doing business. This way we are actually preparing them locally with globalization in mind. Look at the situation in call centers. The Philippines is fiercely competing against India in the call center industry largely because Filipinos are more educated in the English language than most of their Asian neighbors. If we fortify the way we conduct our local transactions, then we can move one step ahead and tackle business more effectively,” communication specialist Sheila Viesca, TalkShop CEO and Director of Communication, expounds. Sheila Viesca is driven to take Filipinos to the global arena by further enhancing their English communication skills.

For more information, contact a TalkShop consultant at 894-5588, log on to http://www.talkshop.ph, or write to info@talkshop.ph.

TalkShop Customizes Point Person Training for SMART

TalkShop Customizes Point Person Training for SMART Communications Employees

The Philippines’ top corporate communication training provider, TalkShop, treated the low-key but hardworking secretaries and administrative assistants or point persons of division heads, department heads, and group heads of Smart Communications to a compact but powerful Point Persons Training workshop in Makati City. The workshop was divided into three quick phases to cater to a specific category of employees, and it ran on three different dates, November 4, 11, and 25, 2011.

The committed and dynamic Smart personnel who make sure that their bosses have the reports that they need before a presentation and show up on time for an appointment or meeting were given an updating of skills on dining etiquette, discourse dynamics, presentation, and communication excellence. These three areas attempt to make participants familiar with table manners and proper ways of eating certain types of food, upgrade confidence and clarity of expression when dealing with clients in any situation, and reinforce corporate norms that promote the corporate image and credibility of the person and the company.

“These alter-egos of top executives are expected to present themselves always at their best whether on the phone or in person during business meetings because the impression that they make resonates the ethics of their bosses and the company they work for,” communication expert Sheila Viesca explains.

During the training, TalkShop CEO Sheila Viesca discussed in detail the techniques of handling the guests of the bosses, speech eloquence and presentation skills, phone handling, conversation expertise, assertiveness, social graces, time management, urbanity, image enhancement, managing office communications, professionalism towards colleagues, negotiation, influencing people, courtesy, and etiquette training.

Collin Powell, renowned American statesman and retired four-star general in the United States Army, said, “Organization doesn't really accomplish anything. Plans don't accomplish anything, either. Theories of management don't much matter. Endeavors succeed or fail because of the people involved. Only by attracting the best people will you accomplish great deeds.” Here lies the belief in motivating people or point persons to keep a company progressive. Hence, the Point Person Training of TalkShop endeavors to build organizations and corporations by empowering their human resource.

For more information, contact a TalkShop consultant at 894-5588, log on to http://www.talkshop.ph, or write to info@talkshop.ph.

On Professional Writing Workshop

Maintaining Company Integrity through Effective Internal Communications

English communication is not only a requisite in colleges and universities. Its necessity and benefits are most significantly felt in corporate organizations and businesses especially in this age of globalization. The global trend in business should keep managers always alert of the demands of competition. A company should then strengthen its foundation through effective internal communications such as business writing because its strong but subtle effects on employees will have an impact on the way they perform their jobs and deliver services, affecting the organization’s leadership in the market.

“A poorly-worded memo or an official email can ignite a controversial conflict between a subordinate and a supervisor that may snowball into a labor dispute, and even between an employee and a customer resulting in lost business. A thoughtless and indecisive technical report may spell disaster during a board meeting. These otherwise avoidable concerns may have disproportionate consequences if continued and left ignored,” points out Sheila Viesca, TalkShop CEO and Director of Communication.

Considered the country’s top choice for English communication training, TalkShop understands this corporate concern, and so it responds by conducting Professional Writing Workshops. This course is all about effective intra-office communications such as reports, charts, graphs, and other visuals, memos, endorsements, and circulars, letters and emails, minutes of the meeting. Other applications or skills to be developed include technical writing, theme writing, and business writing.

It is an integrated learning package and coaching workshop for CEOs, managers, and supervisors and it runs for three days or a total of 24 hours. Students will be mentored by no less the country’s communication expert Sheila Viesca.

Due to the design of its courses and the positive response of its clients, TalkShop has become the top brand for corporate communication training that is most sought after by top organizations, training specialists, and managers. It has been leading in the industry for 12 years now, and it still continues to innovate itself to respond to the demands of global business.

For more inquiries on the workshop, contact a TalkShop consultant at 894-5588 or log on to www.talkshop.ph.

Write Well, Speak to Excel

TalkShop, a leading name in corporate training holds “Write Well, Speak to Excel,” an intensive writing and speech training program for students, educators, and professionals wanting to excel in English communication that is essential for success in studies, career, and business.

TalkShop CEO Sheila Viesca takes on the workshops at TalkShop’s premises in Legaspi Village, Makati. “There are ten courses to choose from, each one engaging participants through the interactive style,” explains Viesca. Offered are Speech Training, Grammar Mastery, Public Speaking, Creative Writing, Speech & Presentation, Technical Writing, Personality Development Program, Creative Storytelling, Corporate Etiquette, and Salesmanship Training.

What communication skills are enhanced through these communication workshops? “All skills are integrated – speaking, listening, reading, and writing with the focus on grammar mastery,” Viesca informs. Viesca took up special training in Canada. She is credited with pioneering Integrated Language Teaching in the country which fuses the communicative style of the West with the creative approach of the East.

“Companies may choose to book customized workshops for which we offer quality and value. We make it even more meaningful by tying the programs with the company’s vision, mission, and values which top corporations and international associations appreciate,” explains Viesca.

Viesca offers the following tips on how to learn English and brush up on communication skills for personal development:

- Read, write, speak, practice. Never stop learning.
- Stay focused on your audience.
- Keep it short. The simpler the better, the shorter the better.

TalkShop is an affiliate of International English Education Research Association (IEERA), the global education research association with approximately 5 million members in over 120 countries that ensures excellence in English language teaching.

For reservations, please call 894-5588, log on to www.talkshop.ph, or write to info@talkshop.ph.

Creative Writing Workshop Slated in Summer

Hone your writing craft with intensive Creative Writing workshops by TalkShop. Sessions are set this summer for kids, tweens, and adults, with two venues to choose from, at Fully Booked in Bonifacio Global City and TalkShop’s premises in Legaspi Village, Makati.

The workshop conducted by Sheila Viesca, TalkShop CEO will be highly practical, with creative writing exercises in its varied forms. Writing form, elements of style, principles of communication, and writing strategies will be discussed.

TalkShop’s Creative Writing workshop will allow your kids free reign of creative expression, train tweens to tap their creative and logical sides to come up with effective compositions, and hold aspiring writers and beginners’ hands through the variety of creative styles, imaginative, narrative, descriptive stories, adjusting content through variety.

For more information, call (632) 894-5588, log on to www.talkshop.ph, or write to info@talkshop.ph.

How to Read Fast

How important is reading to your life? Are you an avid reader? Do you enjoy reading activities? Do you do a lot of on-line reading? Is reading for comprehension critical to your daily activities? Does reading with comprehension come easy to you? How does your comprehension rate? Do you want to improve your reading habits?

Improving your reading skills and habits with TalkShop offers many rewards. As with any skill, reading has to be enhanced. Whether you are a professional, a businessman, or a student, reading activities should be managed better. This is where speed reading can be put to good use. Speed reading is learning to read quickly without compromising comprehension and retention. It is all about techniques that engage the eyes and mind, while impressing on the conditions favorable for reading.

Speed reading is used selectively. There are reading chores that require full attention and reflection. But for other purposes such as research or leisure, speed reading can be a powerful skill to acquire. How does it work? Research shows the amazing speed with which the human brain works. It can retain the image it sees in one over five-hundredth of a second! Here lies the principle of speed reading that is based on visual acuity and recognition that need to be cultivated by practice.

Master speed reading with TalkShop and free up your time for other activities. Learn to skim pages while capturing the gist. Employ the techniques to breeze through work. Widen your vocabulary. Improve your comprehension. Sharpen your memory. Read and learn more in less time. Think of the great amount of knowledge this will afford you!

TalkShop shows you how in this engaging, intensely practical reading course will help you work faster and smarter. Unlock the full powers of reading and comprehension now!






For more information call (632) 894-5588, log on to www.talkshop.ph, or write to info@talkshop.ph.

Speech Training by TalkShop

Make best use of summer with communication skills training for kids, tweens, and adults. Lined up is a series of English Communication workshops by TalkShop, a leading name in corporate training. There will be two venues – Fully Booked at Bonifacio Global City and TalkShop’s premises in Legaspi Village, Makati City.

Speech training is essential for success,” says Sheila Viesca, TalkShop CEO. “Public speaking does not come naturally for many. The fact is there is a real fear of public speaking that can be gripping. This can make or break one’s chances for success,” she adds.

What is the TalkShop Public Speaking course all about? It incorporates the visual, vocal, and verbal aspects of communication. From personality dynamics that include body language, to projecting credibility, preparing the script, and establishing rapport during delivery, the workshop will take participants through every critical step towards effective public speaking.

This is going to be a helpful course to start kids early on poise and confidence, equip tweens during the awkward stage to enhance their self-esteem, and give professionals the edge through clear, coherent, and accurate presentations that impress. Speech Training teaches all to talk smart in every discourse situation.

Viesca took up special English Communication training in Canada. She is credited with pioneering Integrated Language teaching (ILT) for cohesive development of all language skills – reading, writing, listening, and speaking with focus on grammar mastery. This fuses the interactive, communicative approach of the West with the creative style of the East.






For more information, call 894-5588, log on to www.talkshop.ph, or write to info@talkshop.ph.

TalkShop...for the Winning Form and the Winning Team

If you are wondering what personality development is all about and how it can enhance your chances for success, this class is for you. Master the art of professional etiquette and manners for the polish that impresses. TalkShop’s Personality Development program is essential in putting your best foot forward. It will help companies tie up all elements in their corporate branding.

TalkShop’s “Etiquette Training for Professionals” teaches the ABCs of business etiquette. From urbane behavior, corporate protocol, good grooming, interrelationship skills, on to makeover and charm training, TalkShop CEO Sheila Viesca takes you through an interactive experience of the rules of good manners and etiquette any professional would greatly benefit to know and master.

Workshops conducted by Sheila Viesca this summer are now in two venue choices – Fully Booked Bonifacio Global City and TalkShop’s premises at Legaspi Village, Makati.
For queries, call 894-5588, log on towww.talkshop.ph, or write to info@talkshop.ph.

Training Kids to Shine

Social graces are hard to come by these days. It is becoming a lost art, as people take good manners and protocol for granted. Don’t allow your kids to miss out on these lifetime skills that bear the mark of good breeding. Enroll them in TalkShop’s Personality Development for Kids.

What is a personality development course going to bring in terms of the child’s development? There are norms of conduct at home, at play, and in school,. It is important for kids to realize the importance of etiquette, and in the process, learn values to help them develop character. Manners should be taught for children to learn lifelong social skills – from grooming, dining etiquette, telephone skills, showing courtesy to elders, being kind and helpful to others. The program may also be customized, as requested. Enroll and see the changes in your child’s grooming, demeanor, poise, behavior, attitude, and outlook.

For more information, call (632) 894-5588, log on to www.talkshop.ph, or write to info@talkshop.ph.