Public Speaking

I’m definitely recommending that you record yourself in this blog.  This time it’ll be to listen to your vocal variation.  While you can do this just with a voice recording, it’s useful to be able to see yourself too because you want your body language and vocal variation to go together.

Here are some things to listen for:

1. First a couple of things to avoid:

• Vocal fry:  this gravelly-ness makes you hard to understand and you’ll sound bored.  (Google this – it’s challenging to explain what it sounds like.)
• Terminal inflection:  when your voice lifts at the end of each sentence that’s not a question, you sound uncertain.  That’s not what you’re going for when you’re speaking in public.

2. Ask someone else, “Am I easily understood?”

• Check for clarity:  are you pronouncing words well so your audience can clearly hear them?
• Check your pace:  are you too fast for people to keep up with you?
• Check that you are pausing to give time for your audience to catch up with your thinking.  Remember, this is likely the first time they’ve heard your ideas.

3. Ask yourself, “Does my pace and tone support what I’m saying?”

• If you are saying something serious, you generally should slow down and use a lower tone.
• If you are saying something light or exciting, you generally can speech up a little and use a higher tone.

You can also use these as tools:  

• Speed up and lift your voice if you want the audience to come along on an adventure with you.
• Slow down and lower your tone if you want them to think more deeply about something.

Your voice is your instrument when you’re speaking.  Take notice of how you use it.