Use these tricks to speak all day without growing hoarse

Use These Tricks to Speak all Day Without Growing Hoarse

by Priscilla Richardson

From http://www.presentations.com/deliver/speak/2000/05/31_sn_hoa.html

One thing you can say for certain about being a public speaker is that you use your voice. And, because you rely on it so much, you may also worry about losing your voice. You can use a number of techniques, though, to preserve your voice and stay free from hoarseness, even after a full day of speaking.

These helpful techniques include power breathing, relaxation, using a natural voice and controlling your tone. Whether you are a novice or a seasoned professional, using these techniques can help you have as clear and strong a voice at the end of the day as you do at the beginning.

Power breathing
Have you ever wondered how tenors can project their voices to fill huge opera houses -- without using microphones? Or how actors can make soft words audible in the last row of the theater? Power breathing is their secret.

Power breathing is simply diaphragmatic breathing -- in other words, breathing from your diaphragm, not your chest -- coupled with good posture. You don't have to learn how to do it, because you already know. In fact, you were born breathing that way, and you breathe that way at night while you sleep.

Power breathing supports your voice with a column of air from your diaphragm up to your mouth. That's where the power comes from to carry your voice. Power breathing also fuels your brain with oxygen, which helps you think on your feet and stay alert.

How did we forget?
If power breathing is so effective and easy, why would anyone stop doing it? Well, when we are tense and nervous, the tension rules our breathing. Instead of breathing deeply from our diaphragms, we take short, unsatisfactory gasps of air using our chest muscles. Chest breathing doesn't bring in enough oxygen, and lack of oxygen makes us even more nervous, which leads to more chest breathing. It's a vicious cycle.

To use power breathing while speaking, you need to practice what you already know but are in the habit of forgetting. Practice power breathing by putting your hand on your diaphragm and reminding yourself when you breathe to move only the diaphragm, not your chest. I suggest practicing when you're speaking on the phone, since you're using your voice in private and no one can see you. If you can, stand up while you practice. This will help you feel what power breathing is like when you're standing in a speaking situation.

Relaxation
Warming up and relaxing your voice before you begin a presentation gives you a valuable head start. Chat with a colleague or audience members. This will clear any frogs in your throat. Then, before you step up to the podium, relax your whole body. One of the best ways to do this -- and you can do it anywhere -- is to power breathe slowly for a minute or two.

Use your natural voice
Much of our vocal anatomy is a matter of fate -- we must use what we have. But we can make the most of what we have by learning to use our natural voice, the voice we use when we are relaxed and comfortable, not stressed. If you're like many people, though, an hour of speaking or a day of talking can leave you with a hoarse, strained or strangled voice, no matter how well you power breathe.

If this happens to you, help yourself by finding and using your natural voice, the voice your body manages best. How do you find it? By humming -- "ummm, ummm, ummm" -- until you find the most comfortable tone for your voice. Now, keeping your tone the same, say "ummm, ummm, one," then starting speaking in the same tone as you used for the word one. That's it.

Tone control
Good speakers don't use a mono-tone. Louder and softer passages maintain audience interest. But if you want to go on to speak another day, don't shout. And don't whisper, either.

Everyone is aware of the harm that can come from shouting. By asking for more volume than your normal voice can deliver, you are pushing your vocal mechanism too far. Whispering also strains your voice. Instead, practice dropping your volume while still speaking naturally. Let clear enunciation define your soft words.

These vocal techniques can help you present again and again, without worry of losing that most precious of professional tools: the natural voice you've had since birth.

Priscilla Richardson trains and speaks about fear of public speaking and other communication and marketing topics. Contact her at 540.992.1279 or at wrisuccess@aol.com.

Your Delivery will Improve if you Stay Inside the Triangle

by Tom Mucciolo

from: http://www.presentations.com/deliver/speak/1998/03/19_sn_your.html

Actions really do speak louder than words. Fifty-five percent of everything you communicate is what you look like when you speak. Thirty-eight percent more is in how you actually deliver the information, and only 7 percent is what you say. Because 93 percent of presentation communication is physical, the actions of the presenter are critical.

With that in mind, here are five ways to ensure that your presentation delivery adds value to your message:

1. Establish an anchor. When presenting with visual support, you need to set an anchor for the audience to watch and read. Anchor your body to the side that is the starting point for reading the language (i.e., left to right or right to left). For presentations in English (and many other languages), you must stand on the left side of the room -- that is, the left side from the audience's point of view. Because we read words from left to right in English, the eye is less distracted if it sees the presenter speaking from the left, then glances slightly to the right to read the visual (left to right) and then returns to view the speaker again.

2. Build a triangle. While standing at a fixed distance from your display equipment, draw an imaginary line from the eyes of the person sitting on your far right, to the screen. This becomes the long end of the triangle, an angled wall. From each end of this line, draw two lines meeting at a 90-degree angle to complete the shape behind you. This puts you inside a large triangle. Using the "angled wall" as a boundary, simply move along the wall without penetrating it. If you step through the wall, people on your right will not be able to see the screen.

3. Play the angles. The position of your shoulders also enhances communication. For most of your talk you should stand at a 45-degree angle to the audience. To create the angle, point your shoulders to the opposite corner of the room. This is a rest position. It establishes a non-threatening stance for the audience and opens your body to the screen when you need to gesture or move.

When you square your shoulders to the back wall of the room, you move into the power position. Moving there is a signal that the information being communicated is of greater importance. But don't stay in the power position too long or its effectiveness will be diminished.

4. Please the crowd. Making eye contact is critical to your credibility and the audience's comfort. The less time you spend looking at people, the less effective you will be. Talk to people, not to objects like the equipment, the screen or the exit sign.

Natural pauses between your sentences give you a chance to make eye contact, breathe or even think. Phrasing and pausing allows for smooth transitions and more consistent delivery.

Finally, smile. If you are not having a good time presenting, how can anyone have a good time watching?

5. Lend a hand. The best gesture you can make as a presenter is "reaching out." When the palm faces up as the arm extends out to the audience, the gesture is perceived as being friendly and inviting. Gesture to the screen using your left hand in order to help guide the eyes of your audience to specific points in your content. When your hands aren't moving, avoid bringing them together. Try keeping them at your side to avoid unnecessary distraction.

The 7 percent solution

These five points represent a small part of the mechanics of presenting. You must also pay attention to physical elements such as vocalizing, controlling room setup and working with the technology. By reducing distractions of the body and working on movement (93 percent), that other crucial 7 percent, the content, can be better understood.

Remember, your mother was right: It's not what you say, but how you say it. Follow these tips and you'll be saying it in a way that would make any mother proud.

Tom Mucciolo is president of MediaNet, a presentation skills company. He has been a consultant for major corporations, concentrating on script, visuals and delivery, especially of electronic events. Contact him at 212.682.2250, tom@medianet-ny. com, www.medianet-ny.com.

When Planning, Don't Forget these 6 Room Setup Tips

by Tom Mucciolo

from: http://www.presentations.com/deliver/room/1998/08/23_sn_when.html

Space, the final frontier. What an appropriate motto for the modern presenter! Why? Because all too often the room itself is a presenter's last consideration.

When creating a space for use by several different presenters, however, there are a number of important parameters to consider. Let's look at the demands of three larger-than-normal spaces -- conference rooms, training rooms and auditoriums -- all of which can be improved by following a basic set of guidelines.

1. Light the presenter.
Good lighting is the key to a good presentation. The audience should see as much of the presenter's face as possible. You only need two "stage" lights to cross-light the presenter effectively. Add a dimmer pack and you can adjust the light level so the presenter can still see the audience while speaking. The goal is to create an unequal distribution of light, with most of the light in the room focused on the presenter, some light distributed over the audience and no light on the screen.

2. Get on stage.
Usually, when a person stands on the same level as the chairs, most people see only the top third of the presenter's body. In a setting of 25 people or more, it is preferable to use a platform or podium to raise the presenter two or more feet off the floor. Platforms make it possible for those in back to see more of the presenter. Besides, it is more difficult to communicate when less of your body is visible.

3. Avoid lecterns.
Whether or not to use a lectern is another issue. Lecterns cover about 75 percent of the body and restrict the movement of presenters, but many people like to use them to hold their notes or to hide behind. The best presenters avoid lecterns, but if you must use one, make sure it is angled 45 degrees to the audience and can be adjusted to the heights of different speakers.

4. Project visuals high and large.
When visuals are used, make sure the image is large enough. Eight times the height of the image is the optimal viewing distance to read 24-point type. Here's a quick test: Stand back 8 feet from your notebook computer and view your presentation. If you can't read some of the text, the type size is probably smaller than 24 point.

Also make sure the bottom of the screen is at least 6 feet off the floor. This allows everyone in the room to see the full visual.

5. Place screen in the center.
The screen should be always be place in the center of the viewing area. And because we read from left to right in the English language, the presenter should stand to the audience's left. In large venues, such as ballrooms, make sure the line of sight to the screen is unobstructed, and that the image is large and bright enough for people all the way in the back to see.

6. Arrange seating carefully.
Where seating is not fixed, flexibility improves. Theatre-style seating is typical for large groups, but if the event is more than a half-day long, provide tables for a classroom-style approach. This will reduce the amount of people the space will hold by about 60 percent, but the comfort of your audience will be greatly enhanced.

Angling the chairs/tables (chevron seating) can also help increase the interaction among audience members. And, for smaller groups, interaction is increased when more people face one another, as they do in U-shaped arrangements.

Forget the room at your peril

Most presenters ignore the importance of the room in which they are presenting. They take what they get when they arrive, and then, when the presentation fails, they wonder why.

As a presenter, it is your job to provide a room layout diagram to a meeting planner, a hotel AV group -- or even a major presentation service -- to get what you want. To see a typical seating diagram, visit MediaNet's Web site (www.medianet-ny.com/layout.htm) and print a copy of our suggested room layout and other setup considerations.

Tom Mucciolo is president of MediaNet Inc., a presentation skills company in New York. He can be reached at 212.682.2250 or tom@medianet-ny.com.

What you wear is almost as important as what you say

by Dawn E. Waldrop

from: http://www.presentations.com/deliver/speak/2000/07/31_sn_wear.html

Have you ever wondered what clothes you should wear for a particular audience? Or why you feel good and confident in certain outfits, but in others you don't? Different clothes give us different energy levels, and if you can feel it, so can your audience. That's why it's so important to wear clothes that project a high degree of professionalism. As you speak your audience is studying every detail about you, so you should never wear an accessory or article of clothing that detracts from your message.

We instinctively look at people from their feet to their face. When your attire and accessories harmonize and enhance your appearance, our eyes go directly to your face -- and that is exactly where you, as a presenter, want them.

Following are some subtle yet powerful ways to ensure that your attire is working for you, not against you:

Shoes
Shoes are the most important accessories, yet people pay the least attention to them. Make sure your shoes are the same color as or darker than the hemline of your pants or skirt. When your shoes are lighter than your hemline, people's eyes tend to linger on your feet.

Fit
Pay attention to how your attire fits. Your audience will notice if your sleeves do not fit properly. Everyone is born with one arm or leg longer than the other, so if your clothes don't fit properly off the rack, have them tailored so they do. It's that critical.

Sleeves
Always wear long sleeves in any presentation situation. Long sleeves project authority and a higher level of professionalism and garner respect. Short sleeves create a more casual appearance. Watch how people interact with you on days when you wear long sleeves, and then watch the difference when you wear short sleeves. The difference is subtle yet powerful.

Ties
The tip of a man's tie should hit the middle of his belt buckle. If a tie is too long or too short, it will distract an audience's attention. Men's ties come in varying lengths for men of different heights. Choose the appropriate length for your height, and make sure the tie itself doesn't shout "distraction" either.

Skirts
Women should be aware that the higher the stage is, the shorter your skirt will appear. The best skirt length is mid-knee for women of short or medium height. Taller women should opt for a hemline that goes a couple of inches below the middle of the knee.

Background
If you don't know the color of the wall behind you when you are going to speak, call the facility and ask. Then make sure the color you choose to wear will stand out and not blend in with the wall color. For instance, if the walls are gray, you do not want to wear a gray outfit.

How clothes can help you be authentic
These are just the basics of sensible dress, of course. The important thing is for you to look and feel as authentic as possible when you step in front of an audience, and a large piece of that authenticity is how you feel about the way you look.

How do you determine which clothes work for you? Look in your closet -- specifically, at the clothes you don't wear often. The reason clothes hang in your closet unworn is because they are not the best clothes for you. Those OK outfits are the ones you are unsure of wearing. For presenters, it is important to learn what does work best for you in color, style, texture, pattern -- and why.

To find out why, look at yourself in a full-length mirror and ask this question: "How do I want others to perceive me?" Then ask someone whose judgment you trust this question: "What words describe me based on how I dress?" If you want to be perceived as a high-level professional and they respond that you are casual and easygoing, you may want to revisit your reflection in the mirror.

Remember, your speaking image is based on perception, and, like it or not, perception is reality. By avoiding obvious clothing distractions and wearing attire that complements you and your professional credentials, you will ensure that your audience remembers what you said, not what you wore.

Dawn E. Waldrop is a nationally recognized speaker and trainer who specializes in teaching presentation delivery skills. She is also author of Best Impressions: How to Gain Professionalism, Promotion and Profit. She can be reached at dwaldrop@best-impressions.com.