He has long struggled to convince voters that he is a suitable choice for prime minister . Now Ed Miliband has hired a leadership coaching firm that helps people overcome anxiety and find their ‘ inner voice ’ . The consultants drafted in by the Labour leader claim to work with politicians to build ‘ leadership skills ’ using ‘ neuroscience ’ and ‘ business psychology ’ . Scroll down for video . Ed Miliband , pictured , has hired a US guru who can help him convince himself that he can be Prime Minister . Mr Miliband , pictured , has constantly lagged behind Prime Minister David Cameron in the personal rating polls . Services offered by ExtendedMind include coaching on how to look ‘ authentic ’ and tutorials on how to build alliances – which may come in useful during negotiations with SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon . The firm , which uses some American spellings despite being based in Britain , details how it can help politicians on its website . It says : ‘ When we ’ re working with leaders who want to communicate their messages with greater impact , it ’ s typically the “ how ” of their style that we support , improving body language , breathing , posture and prosody. ’ In a section entitled ‘ The Politics of Authenticity ’ , it adds : ‘ Is learning new communication techniques just a question of artifice rather than authenticity ? ‘ Our answer to that question would be “ yes ” , if you don ’ t throw yourself into the learning process and practice ! Any new behaviour will feel inauthentic at the beginning , and will seem so to others , too . But with repeated practice we move from “ acting ” to “ being ” . ’ When Ed Miliband tried to make a conference speech off the cuff in September , he forgot to mention the deficit and was roundly ridiculed . So ever since then he has made sure he always has one trusty aide at his side ... a lectern , right . Whether he is in a town hall , a car park or a factory during the election campaign , the prop – often holding helpful notes to jog his memory – has been there for him to lean on . His advisors believe the lectern makes him look more like a prime minister-in-waiting . But its non-stop UK tour has begun to look increasingly bizarre after he even dragged it into the car park of a Leicestershire factory , where it was carefully positioned between puddles . This week he spoke from a lectern as he launched Labour campaign billboards in Nuneaton , Warwickshire ... even though he was in the middle of a cricket pitch . The website continues : ‘ The anxiety we all feel to different degrees when communicating an important message to others – and which can side-swipe our message – can be erased so that our inner voice can find its way into the world. ’ And in a sign that the firm could help Mr Miliband prepare to negotiate post-election deals , it notes : ‘ Our intelligent networks process encourages people to think about what they want to achieve [ and ] identify the people who might collaborate with them to achieve those goals. ’ Mr Miliband has consistently lagged behind David Cameron in polls on their personal ratings during his five years as Labour leader . But he has seen a slight boost in his popularity since the campaign began last month . After the seven-way televised leaders ’ debate on ITV , it emerged that Mr Miliband had been reading from motivational notes – including one reminding him to be a ‘ happy warrior ’ . His cribsheet , found in his dressing room after the clash , also prompted him to ‘ relish the chance to show who I am ’ . Mr Miliband has hired ExtendedMind despite already employing David Axelrod , a former adviser to Barack Obama , on six figures . One Labour MP said Mr Axelrod had so far been ‘ invisible ’ in the campaign , adding : ‘ I don ’ t understand what we are getting for the £300,000 , I think it is an obscene amount. ’ Mr Axelrod , who is based in the US , has insisted he is in touch with Mr Miliband ‘ all the time ’ by phone , text and email . Asked yesterday whether his use of ExtendedMind had been ‘ helpful ’ , Mr Miliband told a press conference : ‘ I will let other people make a judgment on those questions . I take advice from a range of people. ’ A Labour spokesman said : ‘ We don ’ t comment on people we may or may not have employed. ’ ExtendedMind did not respond to a request for comment . Tory Michael Ellis said : ‘ There ’ s nothing authentic about Ed Miliband ... even after all his extensive coaching , could you imagine him standing up to Putin on the world stage ? He should ask for his money back . ’
Ed Miliband is trying to build his 'leadership skills ' using psychology . Comment: The firm ExtendedMind also tries to make its clients seem 'more authentic ' Miliband had a note to remind him to be a 'happy warrior ' during a debate .