If you recorded me talking to my dog, you’d “get” to hear my gleeful, high-pitch tones. Think…. “Just look at that face,” on helium and repeat. With this tone, I get a happy, tail wagging dog but, maybe not a happy speaking audience.
Did you know you can captivate attention, motivate action, inspire a change of heart and lead a movement forward by the tone of your voice? As speakers, how you use your voice is one of your speaking power tools.
CREATING MORE OPTIONS
After we experimented with a variety of vocal options, a recent Speaker’s Learning Lab client said, “I now have more choices in how I use my voice.” Another client said, “I never knew I could have this kind of voice.”Their voice could now express a message that sounded vibrant and captivating. And, bonus? When we enliven the voice, the body often says, “I’m coming along for this ride,” by adding more gestures and energy.
YOUR NEW TOOL KIT
By adding a change of pace (fast and slow) and volume (louder versus quieter), pauses, and emphasis – our words, the meaning, and the message come alive. Your audience can distinctly hear congruency between what you’re saying and how you say it.It can be subtle, but since your audience is receiving you and your message at a conscious and unconscious level, the more congruent and vocally expressive, you can be – the better.
GET YOUR VOICE ACTIVATED
1. Start listening to how other people speak. Our voice is one of a kind – no need to sound like someone else. By listening, you can recognize techniques or tones to add to your own repertoire.
2. Go through your script for your speech and underline words you want to emphasize.
3. Record your voice and listen. Investigate ways you can modulate your voice.
4. ALWAYS – do a vocal warm-up like humming, exhaling with a long ahhh sound and articulation exercises before you speak
What you say in your presentation is valuable information. But more importantly, is how you say what you say that makes you worthwhile an audience’s attention.
Ready to make an impact, convey confidence and command the room? Let’s talk!