 | #91 Public Speaking - take care of your voice!posted by Justin Barry, Group AdministratorThursday, August 11th 2011 @ 12:00 AM |
“We often accept an idea merely because the tone of voice in which it has been expressed....“
We rely on our voices to inform, persuade, and connect with other people. Your voice is as unique as your fingerprint.
It may sound obvious, but you need to take care of your voice, the quality of your public speaking depends on having a healthy, strong and purposeful voice.
There are lots of ways to develop your voice, such as reading aloud for 5 minutes every day (yes, every day). If you do this consistently for a few weeks, you'll notice a tremendous leap forward in your vocal ability.
Warming Up Your Voice
Good vocal technique is a long term strategy. Warming up your voice before speaking or singing is an important short term strategy. Most people don't think about it but even a few minutes of warm-up may help keep your voice healthy especially if you use it a lot in public speaking. Even ten minutes in the shower in the morning or vocalizing on the way to work could make a tremendous difference to maintaining a healthy voice. Find a good vocal exercise CD or program that feels good and is easy to understand and use.
Breathing exercises are a another important element to ensuring the best from your voice. You should make a point off doing some research on appropriate breathing exercises to improve the tone, intonation and quality of your voice.
One of the best tips I can give you to improve your public speaking is to ensure that you give extra emphasis to key words and phrases in your speech, this should include the clever use of pauses to make an impact.
Both the pitch and the rate at which we speak are important too, if we use a low pitch it usually suggests something serious in the subject that we are discussing, and conversely using a high pitch will express enthusiasm and at times excitement.
The rate at which we deliver our public speech is important too; audiences become bored and annoyed with speakers who speak too slowly, however if you speak too fast your audience may find it difficult to keep up with your train of thought, so getting the balance correct in the rate of your speech is a good tip to be aware of.
Both clarity and volume of your voice are also important. It goes without saying that clarity is an absolute prerequisite of good presenting, there's no point in making a speech if people cannot understand what you are saying; volume of speech is important in so much as you must be able to project your voice so that people at the rear of the group are able to hear what you're saying.
The final public speaking to that I will mention, and in my opinion one of the best, is to use variety. By this I mean variety in the way that you present, in the topic that you present, in your body language, and in the way that you interact with your audience. As with many other areas of good communication, some of the best tips are often the simplest to implement, so please ensure that before venturing into public speaking that you practice some of the tips given above.
From a health and safety perspective:
- Limit your intake of drinks that include alcohol or caffeine. These act as diuretics (substances that increase urination) and cause the body to lose water. This loss of fluids dries out the voice. Alcohol also irritates the mucous membranes that line the throat.
- Drink plenty of water. Six to eight glasses a day is recommended.
- Don't smoke and avoid second-hand smoke.
- Practice good breathing techniques when singing or talking. It is important to support your voice with deep breaths from the diaphragm, the wall that separates your chest and abdomen. Talking from the throat, without supporting breath, puts a great strain on the voice.
- Avoid eating spicy foods. Spicy foods can cause stomach acid to move into the throat or esophagus (reflux).
- Try not to overuse your voice. Avoid speaking or singing when your voice is hoarse.
- Wash your hands often to prevent colds and flu.
- Include plenty of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables in your diet. These foods contain vitamins A, E, and C. They also help keep the mucus membranes that line the throat healthy.
- Exercise regularly. Exercise increases stamina and muscle tone. This helps provide good posture and breathing, which are necessary for proper speaking.
- Get enough rest. Physical fatigue has a negative effect on voice.
Give Your Voice a Break
If you can, give your voice a time-out, especially if your work involves heavy use of it, perhaps in phone sales or public speaking. Find a way to rest it for a few hours. Your voice is the same as any other part of you and it needs a break from work.
Good vocal production and vocal care mean more endurance, more resonance and a more satisfying experience with your voice.
