In business, you need to provide beneficial information to your listeners. In order to achieve that, you must use your voice to persuade and influence. In order for the message to be effective, you must pay close attention to the quality, warmth, tone, and volume of your voice.
Here are 3 simple tips to employ:
Your voice is your agent of intention and expression. When combined with your facial expression, your voice sends more of your message than the words themselves and both must match and reinforce your verbal message. So use it to your best advantage.
To gain the greatest advantage from your voice, you must create a calm and pleasant sound which can only be created with proper breathing techniques. The fullness of the sound comes from the “belly” or by using diaphragmatic breathing. This deep breathing softens the voice, helping to make it sound soft, calm, and confident. Conversely, shallow breathing results in a thin, harsh sound which makes you seem hurried and which can also tire both your audience and yourself.
If you wish to have your audience engaged and comfortable you must appear and sound relaxed. Your voice reflects your state of mind and the audience will “hear” that in your voice. Therefore, if you are tense, nervous, distracted, or anxious you will make your listeners feel the same way; and that will make it difficult for them to stay focussed on your message and engaged with your presentation. Remember, you set the tone in the room, if you look and sound confident, relaxed, and focussed, the audience will respond accordingly. In addition, the opposite is also true!
Prepare, practice, and time your presentation, get honest feedback, record your presentation, or at least talk it through in front of a mirror so you can watch how you appear. Your voice is the most valuable and important tool for your presentation. It must be honed, oxygenated, and tuned to be strong and effective. Create an emotional investment that is positive, energetic, confident, welcoming and responsive, if you do this, you will reap huge dividends!
Hi Chris, Glad you found the article helpful and I wish you success in your presentations. Hope you are having fun!
Hi Chris, Glad you found the article helpful. I wish you every success in your presentations and hope you are having fun!
Great article. Because I have such a youthful voice, I need to deepen it during my presentations; speak from the gut.
What you wrote reminds me of the book: “The Articulate Executive”.