Most agree in the presentation skills industry that 55% of any presentation is the visual impact and 38% is voice tone, leaving 7% for vocabulary. That’s a grand total of 45% (almost half of your presentation) for the auditory channel of your audience.
You may dress impeccably, have a commanding and open body language and use state of the art technological and presentation tools. Is your tone of voice and choice of vocabulary equally competent?
Do you speak so you’re hardly heard……..or toin a fwaze like nutin ya ehva hoid…..or maybe your bravado blows ‘em back like a wind machine…..or prolly ya dop yer ens uv wrs n suns.
Reading this can be just as difficult as it is for an audience to understand a speaker that doesn’t command their voice or articulation.
A Few Facts & Tips:
Most of us don’t like the sound of our own voice
The gurus state that for every minute of speech you should practice one hour. Now if you did this into a digital recorder or video cam enough times, you’d certainly get over what’s called video or audio shock. You sound different when you hear your voice outside your head because of your internal resonating chambers. Simply solve the problem - just practice, practice, practice and you will accomplish two goals with one action - more confidence and a clear, robust and pleasant voice.
Most people speak too quickly and don’t articulate - usually due to nerves or accents.
Knowing your presentation well will go a long way to addressing this issue. And if you want to be successful, then adjust your accent so you’ll be understood – its as simple as that. Do diaphragmatic, facial and vocal warm-ups prior to every presentation. Change your voicemail daily and speak standing up and keep doing it till you get it right!
One of the most overlooked skills that has the most impact is giving every vowel, consonant and diphthong (secondary sound in a vowel) its full, intended value! Practice this skill every time you talk throughout the day and you will find that your voice becomes lyrical and very pleasant for your audience to listen to. And the next time you hear yourself on audio or video tape you’ll have a rewarding experience.
Beware the dangers of up speak (sentence tag that is turned up like a question). Nothing does more to undermine your expertise than this habit, and that’s all it is. It’s been in vogue for some time now, usually coined as the “valley girl” sound. Avoid it at all cost, unless of course you are speaking to a group of teenage girls you need to influence.
Most women’s voices are too soft.
Speaking from the diaphragm is the best way to achieve good projection and sustained sound. An essential component is to simply do what Mom always said, stand up straight. Imagine a rope coming through the top of your head pulling up your spine, or any other image that works for you. Breaths deep into what might feel like the pit of your stomach, not the upper chest, as most people want to do. Keep your mouth and jaws relaxed and push from your abdominal area when you speak. Voila, a commanding voice.
As men age their voices rise in tone - for women they drop.
Know what age groups are you presenting to and match their general pitch levels. In other words, if you are a senior femme addressing a young crowd, raise your pitch by half a tone. If you are a junior femme fatale and making a presentation to senior management, then drop your pitch by ½ or full tone. If you are a senior male and want to impact on your younger sales force, then drop your pitch. You can change your vocal age by changing your pitch. Know your audience and adjust accordingly. It’s simply a matter of matching and leading.
Most people use less than 500 words in the English language
One of the simplest ways to sound like the expert you are is to make a lifelong friend of your Thesaurus. One new word per week gives you 52 new words per year. When you express your ideas more clearly you increase your ability to inspire and influence significantly.
When a presenter takes advantage of their full range of vocal tools they greatly enhance their overall presentation, increase their sense of self-esteem and project an honest confidence that’s hard for their audience to resist. Seek out a competent vocal coach for a few sessions. Its well worth the investment in that 45% auditory aspect of your presentations – your voice!
The
“Voice of Your Choice” comprehensive manual is available with fun exercises designed to work with hectic schedules. It’s a great gift for you or someone who needs to sharpen their vocal skills, bring confidence to their presentations and be outstanding - even as a beginner.
Sharon Danley, Master Artist
Voice & Image Specialist based in Toronto
