Public Speaking Articles

It never ceases to amaze me how many people yell or shout doing great damage to their throats and vocal folds. In addition, a voice produced by yelling hurts your listeners’ ears. There is a technique, however, which saves both your throat and everyone else’s ears. It is called projection.

The one thing that many new speakers don’t think about and never have enough of is something that has a negative impact on their delivery skills. It is actually very simple, basic, and a necessity. Without it, there are no words; thus, no message. It is called breathing.

Ideally, it should be your goal to deliver an excellent speech or presentation with enthusiasm and passion. However, if you had to choose, which one do you think would be better? A great speech with a boring delivery? Or a mediocre speech given with expression and emotion? There is no simple answer to that question; however, with a lifeless, dull and flat delivery, you will lose your audience no matter how great your words.

Through my many years teaching voice improvement and presentation skills, I have found some interesting correlations between personality types and the degree of expressiveness heard and seen in people. While I am about to be most ‘politically incorrect,’ those who tend to be more expressive in ...

Whether in a business meeting, or a group of singles, you can win the crowd with charisma. Charisma is that certain appeal that just seems to come naturally to some individuals while others must practice to develop charisma. Charismatic individuals have the power to capture and captivate those around them as others are attracted to them and tend to admire them. Charisma is definitely something that each of us should take advantage of whether it comes naturally or we must deve

As a child or a teenager, how many times did you say to yourself, “I will never say or do that which my mother is saying or doing?” Many of us can certainly testify to that statement; however, my question to you is not the words your mom may have used but the actual sound of her speaking voice. Our genetic heritage means that we will sound like our same-sex parent if the relationship in our early developmental years was a loving and nurturing one. Our environment and our community also help shape the voice.

n n Public Speaking and Nervousness nnPublic speaking is the process of speaking to a group of people in a structured, deliberate manner intended to inform, influence, or entertain the listeners. The art and science of public speaking, especially in a North American competitive environment, is also known as forensics. The word "forensic" is an adjective meaning "of public debate or argument." The word is derived from the Latin forensis, meaning "of the forum." The sense of th

Have you ever questioned what you are truly afraid of in public speaking? Personally, I am glad that you are nervous; if you’re not, then something is wrong. All the greats – from professional athletes to entertainers are nervous. And, they will tell you so. It is their nervousness, however, that enhances their abilities.

While there are various means of being expressive in speaking, one of the most common components is the use of force. Force refers to expending extra energy or strength on a particular word, phrase, or sentence for emphasis. The majority of the population use force at one time or another in conversation. It is normal; it natural; it is effective; however, it is sometimes lacking in public speaking.

It is fascinating to listen to others explain why they sound the way they do. I am sure that I have heard it all in my many years teaching voice improvement. What I have found, however, is that you have a better voice inside no matter how you hear yourself or how others recognize your sound. The 5 most prevalent misconceptions about the voice are:

Imagine that you are standing in front of an audience. Your hands are cold and clammy, your knees are wobbly, and your stomach is in knots. You manage to smile but you can feel your lips twitching. You open your mouth to speak, praying that your trembling lips allow for your voice to come out. And, it does! However, the sound that ensues is anything but solid, stable or reliable. Nothing is more embarrassing for a speaker than to be plagued with a voice that quivers, shakes, or skips an octave when standing at the lecte or the head of the conference table.

Overviewrn rnThe pertinent question in the minds of every Software Testing Companies is about the desired skill sets of a Performance Test Engineer they intend to hire. Should they look out for a Performance Test Engineer with sound knowledge of functional testing or a fresher with good coding skills be hired as a Performance engineer. In order to select the most appropriate candidate the Software testing companies should first evaluate their own requirements and understand t

While you may be giving presentations in your business or your public speaking career, there are times in which you may be called upon to give an actual speech and not a presentation. One of the differences between the speech and the presentation is that the former should be read and the latter should be spoken. So how do you read a speech effectively and not sound like you are reading it?

Dale Carnegie was a best-selling author, prominent lecturer, and sought-after counselor. He's the author of "How to Win Friends and Influence People," one of the bestselling books of all time. He also authored the bestseller "How to Stop Worrying and Start Living" and created the world-famous Dale Carnegie Course.

If your speech is symptomatic of the Valley Girl sound, you need to break the habit. Unless you are at a bar, speaking in Valley Girl-Ese gives the wrong impression, especially to prospective employers. They are looking for professionalism. Inflecting the pitch of your voice up at the end of your sentences does not give the impression of maturity or professionalism.

Comedian and actor Ben Stein has a wonderful shtick in which he speaks in a monotonous, sing-song style. His droll manner makes him a lot of money for the commercials he does as well as some of the parts he has played in movies. Watching him is entertaining because his lack of color or expression is what makes him so funny. Were he your minister or the guest speaker at your next event, however, this lack of emotion when speaking would become very tedious, very fast. If you have been told you speak in a monotone and question your lack of emotion, take the following test.

Several years ago I made one of the greatest mistakes of my life. In coaching and rooting for my son’s soccer team, I felt my voice rip. I cannot explain the sensation, but, from that day on, I was unable to sing again. As one who teaches voice improvement, I did something which I know not to do and which I teach others not to do. I yelled for our team instead of projecting my voice. Trust me, there is a huge difference between the two. Earlier that day I had given two 3-hour presentations which is a lot of work for the voice – even a trained voice.

The other day I spoke to 2 individuals with the exact same problem. They were pushing their voices from their throats. In both cases, I had to move the phone away from my ear because they were so loud that it hurt. If you are pushing hard from your throat when you talk, not only is it offensive to your listeners’ ears, but it also can do serious damage to your vocal folds (cords) and your throat. In fact, both were complaining about discomfort: they had sore throats and were not sick. This is known as vocal abuse.

n n Speechwriting nnA speechwriter is a person who is hired to prepare and write speeches that will be delivered by another person. Speechwriters are used by many senior-level elected officials and government executives, governors, and the president or prime minister of a country. Speechwriters are also used in the private sector, to write speeches or presentations for company presidents and Chief Executive Officers.nn Skills and training nnA speechwriter must be able to work

Have you mastered the speaking skill Sense Stress? Growing in public speaking ability requires learning numerous skill sets. Sense stress is one of the more important ones to learn. Spending just a few minutes of practice will provide the mental preparation to start mastering it when giving a speech. What is sense stress? How can it be learned as a skill? Where and when would it be used in a speech?nnnSense stress is a form of verbal gesturing. It is accomplished by increas

One of the most frustrating things for a listener is not hearing what the other person is saying. They are listening but they’re not hearing. After repeated attempts asking the speaker to increase his/her volume, they stop listening. If you want others to hear your message, then you must learn how to increase your volume properly. Yelling is definitely not the answer. You have a normal, natural volume level that you have not been using for any number of reasons. 1. Possibly you were raised in a quiet household. 2. Your mother or father spoke softly.r

Apart from other required skills to survive and grow in the corporate world, communication skills are an inseparable part of it. The advancement of technology and office automation leap has it’s own important role to play but the importance of good and effective communication skills can’t be denied. Be it any workplace situation- whether making phone calls or face to face presentation or interaction, sending office memos or emails, a person has to constantly express his i

Nothing is more annoying for an audience than to be subjected to a verbal tic over and over and over again. Instead of paying attention to your message, your audience begins to count the tics. Verbal tics include the sounds um, ah, uh, or the words like or you know. If your message is replete with any of these habitual utterances, you should stop the practice. The best way to do this is to:

In May 2006 the journal Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy published a research study that proves there is a way to permanently eliminate the fear of public speaking. This research paper described how 36 people who had a fear of public speaking were divided into two groups to test the effectiveness of a fear elimination procedure called The Lefkoe Method. One group was exposed to The Lefkoe Method. The other group went to Toastmasters meetings. After a few hours of exposure to The Lefkoe Method the first group spoke in public and each member of that group reported that th

For all my talk, my articles, and the advice I give about the wonderful, marvelous pause in public speaking, a difficulty for some is that it can become rhythmic, taking on a sing-song effect. The one thing you never want from the pause is for your audience to know in advance when it is coming.

Whether it is in public speaking, the sales presentation, or just normal conversation, speaking in a monotone does not captivate, enthuse, or even interest your listeners. If you know that you exhibit this trait, then it is important to realize that your delivery is flat, lifeless and dull, all characteristics that can put others to sleep.

Do you think that the sound of your speaking voice effects how others perceive you? If the voice you hear on your voicemail or some other form of recording equipment has any of the above traits, then the image you are projecting is quite possibly that you are characteristic of those ‘qualities,’ especially over the phone where there is no visual for comparison.

Most people who hear themselves on their voicemail or answering machine do not like what they hear. How do you feel when you hear yourself on some form of recording equipment? When you think about the image you project, be it in person or over the phone, would you consider your recorded voice to be an asset? Does it ‘speak well’ for you?

I am about to be politically incorrect. When you reach a certain point in life, however, you discover from experience that some generalizing is correct. From my many years teaching voice improvement, I have found that women tend to be more expressive in speaking. I have also discovered that women carry their stress differently than men. And, it is always interesting to see women’s reactions when I make the statement that men are not good listeners. The fact that your male’s strong suit is not listening can be explained in 3 ways.

Courtesy speeches are many times used as fillers between keynotes. They are effective presentation strategies because it helps chop the entire meeting up into small attention-keeping sessions. There is a fallacy that sometimes erodes the possibilities of this speech which says, “This speech is so short I really cannot deliver any value or impact.” This is simply a reversed way to look at this opportunity! Approaching a speech that is about five minutes or shorter just has

There are various approaches to voice training that you should be aware of if you are interested in improving your vocal image. Even some coaches who are published will not teach you the basic fundamental of good voice improvement because they are working with the voice you already have. Good voice training means discovering the voice you don’t know you have. And the only way that will happen is when you are taught to use your chest cavity as your primary sounding board.

When you think of Fran Drescher in her role as The Nanny, what thought first comes to mind? Her beauty or her nasal voice? For many people, their first thought is her whiny voice which, over time, can be quite annoying, even nerve-wracking, for her listeners. While Drescher’s infamous sound is typical of some who live in North Jersey or one of the five boroughs of New York City, nasality doesn’t just affect those in the Big Apple or the Garden State!

Some years ago a woman phoned me and asked if she could attend a presentatio I was holding in Detroit. The woman sounded like a child on the phone and I wondered if she was old enough to drive herself to the hotel. She then asked if she could bring her daughter and my first thought was that ...

In public speaking, using your voice effectively can help you communicate your message clearly to your audience. Voice is an important component of your non-verbal communications, or body language, and can express a wide range of meaning and emotion. The following five tips will help you use your voice more effectively: 1. Increase Your Volumer

I recently met a middle aged woman who had been a manager in a large international company for over 25 years. In all that time she has received positive evaluations and performance assessments from her supervisors. Carol loved her job and worked long hours, seldom missed work due to illness ...

If you are a mumbler, the chances are you a man. I know; I know. While generalizing may not be politically correct, from my vast experience and background, I have found that mumbling is more common among men – especially tall men; whereas, women tend to get lockjaw. The problem for those of us who have to listen to a mumbler is that we cannot understand you. And, if we don’t understand you, there are only so many times that we will ask you to repeat yourself before taking over the conversation. If you expect to be heard, you must break this habit.

If you do a bit of research on the internet, you will discover a number of websites promising to teach you how to have a deep voice. What is interesting about these ‘quack’ sites and even more questionable ‘authorities,’ is that not everyone has the ability to be a bass. It just isn’t possible.

When I first started my business, I was showing my husband the 'before & after' video clips of my clients. A German-speaking Austrian, he was amazed at how much better he understood their words in the 'after' takes. What is fascinating is that I did not work with my clients on their diction - aside from nasality which is a subject unto itself - because I have found that with the right approach, your articulation will improve and be much more distinct once you find your true or 'real' voice.

Consider the following scenario: there are two men both equally attractive. One has a voice that is warm, rich and deep. The other man has a voice that is soft, high-pitched, wimpy. Which man do you think women will find more attractive? If you guessed the man with the dynamic voice then ...

Human beings organize their behavior as a function of the milieu they are in or think they are in. Seldom, do we realize that it is the milieu that controls our behavior patterns, not the behavior itself. Our overall demeanor at a bar is different than at work, at home with our children or while giving a speech at a University. The milieu also called the circumstances or situation acts as a very powerful behavior organizer and modifier.

Before I get started, let me say that you don't have to be a world-renowned expert before attracting people to work with you in a deep, lasting and meaningful way. If you feel inspired to offer a six-month or year-long mastermind, mentorship or group coaching program, consider doing it. And if you are considering offering a group program, let me save you thousands of dollars and countless hours right now. When working to fill your high-end program, I DON'T recommend using the following strategies: 1. DON'T use the same Internet campaign you'd use for a product launch.r

Nasality, whether it is excessive as in the Brooklyn or Bronx sound, a little more gutteral like Philly talk, twangy as we hear in Texas or only slightly exaggerated as in the speech of Detroit or the Midwest, occurs when voiced sounds travel through the nose. While not all nasality is bad, too much of it can be. In the English language, we have 3 sounds – called nasals – which should vibrate in our nose when we speak. They include m,n, and, ng. Words like Maine, Naomi, and bring will vibrate in the nose.

Today, good diction is on the decline. We are a nation of people who mumble, speak too quickly, or are generally too lazy to make the effort to speak clearly. In addition, we are the world’s largest melting pot with millions of people whose accent may be difficult to understand. - If you expect to prosper in your professional life, you will be much more successful if you speak distinctly.

If you are the speaker at a meeting, conference or event, it's one of your responsibilities to provide a written introduction to the meeting organizer. The purpose of the introduction is to capture the audience’s attention and give them a quick overview of your background and experience. Here are 5 tips for creating a crisp and memorable introduction: 1. Make your introduction short.

When it comes to the speaking voice, those which are most appealing to your ear, tend to be deep in pitch. Think of James Earl Jones, Felicia Rashad, Diane Sawyer and Sean Connery. All of these voices have a depth and breadth that you do not hear with the likes of Fran Drescher or Don Johnson. Even Tom Cruise is not known for his voice: in his particular case, his voice is recorded with a large boost in the bass.

Yes, nervousness in public speaking may be man’s greatest fear but those nervous jitters do not mean you cannot exude confidence and composure in the process. We often wrongly believe that the secret to dynamic public speaking is to eliminate our nervousness. Nothing could be further from the truth. Nervousness is a blessing and the sooner you can appreciate the rewards of that marvelous rush of adrenaline, the better.

Consider the actors who have great voices: George Clooney, Cher, Vin Diesel, Julia Ormond, Kathleen Turner, Sean Connery, Peter Coyote, Morgan Freeman, Catherine Zeta Jones, Kate Beckinsale, James Earl Jones, Ashley Judd and the late great Barry White, to name a few. Now think about the voices of these actors: Don Johnson, Melanie Griffith, Fran Drescher, and Tom Cruise. None of the voices in the 2nd grouping are memorable, let alone sexy. Do you know what distinguishes the great voice from the not-so-great?

How you feel effects how you speak, and, if you are feeling poorly, either physically or emotionally, it may be heard in your voice. Another situation that can affect your attitude in public speaking is if you are not pleased with the material you are presenting. If such is the case, then your displeasure with your presentation can have a negative affect on your attitude In lives plays or concerts, do you think every actor or every musician or singer is in the best of spirits for each and every performance? Absolutely not. But as they say in the business: The show must go on.

As a professional speaker, not all of your talks will be designed to be humorous or entertaining in that fashion. Sometimes your talk may be on serious subjects to elicit donations or certain actions from people in positions of influence. In these instances, you still need to wear your creativity hat, because once again, you will be appealing to people's emotions, except this time, not their sense of humor. To get people to feel involved or want to become involved, you have to appeal to their emotions.

If you are plagued with a voice that puts your listeners to sleep, it might be an idea to learn how to add some color – some life – some emotion to your delivery. Because we are unable to hear our own voice as others do, we are also unable to recognize when our delivery is less than expressive. Only when you hear yourself on some type of recording equipment or are told by others that you speak in a monotone can you become aware of this problem. And, do not delude yourself into thinking that a voice that is boring is not a problem. It is.