This is for you Speakers, Corporate Leaders, Politicians, Ministers, Educators……
Words mean more than what is set down on paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them with deeper meaning” –Maya Angelou
We have all been in a situation where we have been listening to someone presenting or speaking and our minds start to wander. We are bored and uninterested, even if it is a topic we are passionate about. We have also been in the reverse situation where you are listening to someone presenting and the speaker is using emotion, accenting certain phrases and words and the audience is fully engaged. Why is that? What is the difference from one presentation to the other? The answer….The Voice. When a presenter is fully engaged, passionate about what they are speaking about, using different volumes, textures, tambers, and tones to convey their message it is not only powerful for the presenter but also the audience. That power in the delivery is what takes an average speaker into greatness!
A lot of times when people aren't used to public speaking, they get nervous and start talking in lower pitches. They may run out of air or they may rush phrases. They could do the rapid fire race to the finish line and rush through their delivery, or they might do the exact opposite and speak slow and drag on. When I work with a speaker who is a non-performer, I show them how to create passion and excitement with their voice. We work on getting their voice balanced. We work to make sure their words can be heard clearly. We really look at where is their optimum pitch, we dissect their speech or presentation and figure out what are the buzz words, what words evoke passion, where to take natural pauses and work on the delivery and presence so that they can present with confidence and keep the audience engaged and hanging on to your every word. The tone and texture of the voice can make or break your message. My goal is to make sure that your delivery and message is presented in a clear and powerful way so that you always leave your audience in the palm of your hand, feeling all the emotion your words conveyed, feeling inspired and wanting more!
Public speakers like politicians, authors, CEO’s and other corporate leaders, anyone who is giving a speech, participating in a debate, or something that has been written for them, must have the presence or clarity to be able to execute that message so that they can pull in their audience. The disconnection between your choice of words and its execution or delivery, creates a problem if your audience is not believing in you and what you are saying. If you want to be seen as a leader then you need to sound like one!
I once worked with a successful female news anchor who said that she would never be considered for a lead anchor because her voice was pitched too high, and the audience thought her voice a little too high and “shrill”. She was more than qualified but her voice was holding her back. We immediately got to work. Together we worked on lowering her speaking pitch, ran vocal exercises, and speech repatterning exercises. All while keeping the voice healthy and in balance. I am happy to report that after a few months she got a promotion to be a main evening news TV anchor. By getting her voice in balance had a direct correlation for a job promotion.
Politicians are a great example of how their voice can affect the delivery of their speech and even overall audience perceptions. Once they start to campaign and debate, they can come into all sorts of vocal trouble, or even by the sound of their voice your audience may or may not choose to believe you or listen. Ministers are the same way. This is because they often speak A LOT and they tend to use a lot of dynamics and vocal emotion. By working together, we can create better voice patterns, vocal hygiene, and ultimately give you better vocal tools so that you can have vocal longevity use AND present with emotion, conviction, and vocal power. Who doesn’t want that?
Words matter and are one of the most powerful tools we have in life. This is why I love to work with speakers. It’s about getting YOU, the presenter, the speaker, the voice user, comfortable in your body and in your own voice so that you can effectively and efficiently motivate and uplift other by using your voice. We all have a voice but it is now time for everyone to hear yours!
When I work with a speaker who is a non performer, I show them how to create passion and excitement with their voice.