When a person hears your voice, it takes about 30 seconds for an impression of you to form. Nobody has a perfect voice, but using it well will take your speech or presentation to a whole new level.
How can you get the most out of your voice during a presentation and also make sure you get your message across clearly?
Here are 10 tips for creating an engaging voice:
1. Have a conversation with your audience.
Think of them as a friend who wants to succeed, someone you talk to often. Practice working your voice with a friend. Your voice partner can hear and then critique your pitch, volume, and speed. This person should also hear you deliver your speech for the first time to see if they can understand the message you are trying to convey. If he can’t, chances are you won’t be able to do the same for your audience.
2. Make sure you are loud enough for them to hear you.
Make effective use of the microphone. People will get bored and totally lose interest if they can’t hear you. Talking too softly can also be detrimental to your career, as it can be perceived as “lacking in management material” or “not tough enough to make decisions,” and could be overlooked for promotions. When you are at home, practice speaking with the television on to raise the volume above the noise. However, when giving speeches, insist on using the microphone.
3. Put emotion in your voice.
Say it like you mean it. Do this simple exercise to convey the right emotion to your voice. The sentiment you want to convey must correspond to the keyword, mental image and / or body language you want to express.
• Try any of these keywords: power, firm, strong, control. Repeat the words until your tone of voice matches the meaning of the word.
• Next, imagine you are commanding a troop of soldiers in a life-threatening situation where they hold on to every word you say to save their lives. Feel the urgency of the situation and yet project calm even as you communicate with those whose lives depend on you. Then get into the boardroom and try to speak with a purpose. Show that you are in control.
• Stand. Nobody is impressed by a stooped person.
4. Speak your words.
Practice difficult words beforehand. Practice makes perfect. It helps difficult words come off your tongue with ease and makes you look confident and professional. If you have to address someone in your speech, always check in advance how that person’s name should be pronounced. Making a mistake in someone’s name can be embarrassing for all parties.
5. Watch your rhythm.
If you are too fast, no one will understand you. If you are too slow, people will think that you are less intelligent than you. Some people speak too fast because they feel that what they have to say is not important, so they want to finish it quickly. Your average speed should be 160 words per minute. If you speak too fast, try using the “one, two” technique. Take a passage from the newspaper and read it out loud. Count “one two” in natural breaks. Get used to this rhythm. If you speak too slowly, it may be taking too long to get to the point. Challenge yourself by asking a question, then take the time to answer it. Keep doing it to shorten the time needed. Try to get to the point in half the time by eliminating nonessential words.
6. Eliminate verbal garbage.
Look at the “um”, “ah”, “ok”, “ah”, “you know” and so on. Verbal garbage is annoying. Until you realize you are doing it, you can never delete it. Record yourself. Some people can say “you know” more than 30 times in 5 minutes without even realizing it. Pause instead of using a filler word. It has a stronger impact.
7. Get excited when it’s an important point.
Your audience will also feel the emotion. You can speak louder or emphasize a keyword by increasing its pitch.
8. Know when to tone down to empathize with a situation.
Again, the audience will feel it if your voice says it. When delivering bad news, use the appropriate tone.
9. Be aware of the relationship between your head, neck, and back.
Posture is always important for good voice production. Also, if there is tension on your face, head, neck or back, it could affect the quality of your voice. Do a simple facial massage, not forgetting the neck and shoulder rolls, to release all tension before going on stage.
10. Breathe.
When we are anxious and stressed, we breathe shallowly. Be sure to breathe deeply and from your abdomen. You will gradually begin to calm down as you handle the adrenaline rush and turn it into energy for your speech. Support your voice with your breath and harness its power to be an effective speaker.
Article published in Straits Time CATS Recruit (Singapore) on July 8, 2006.