***Life, Emotion, Animation – Just How Colorful Are You in Public Speaking?

You can have the greatest voice in the world but if your delivery is not colorful then you are boring. There is no other way to say it. Speaking in a monotone does not sell, no matter what your business is.

From all my years of experience, I have found that there are primarily three types of speakers.

1. Those who are colorful both in conversation and at the lectern.
2. Those who are colorful in conversation but not at the lectern.
3. Those who are boring both in conversation and at the lectern.

No matter what your level of delivery is or is not, working on your delivery skills is most beneficial and goes much further than the vocal variety you display in speaking. Two other areas that should not be neglected are facial expression and body language.

Color is as individual to you as are your fingerprints and there is no right or wrong except having no color. Some people exude passion and enthusiasm; other may exude a little less but are still colorful. Personality certainly has much to do with your expression; but, if you are afraid to allow your emotions to be seen and to be heard, then you are doing a grave disservice to your listeners. If you do not express yourself with some degree of life, then you may be considered cold, snobbish, indifferent, shy, withdrawn, and, of course, the most common adjective, boring. None of these words may honestly describe you, but if your voice is saying such, then that is the impression you are giving to your family, your friends, your colleagues and to people that you meet.

A client of mine named Dawn was quite colorful in person but over the phone and in public speaking, all semblance of emotion drained from her face and her voice. It was especially disconcerting over the phone because she gave the impression of being cold or distant. What her voice was saying to those on the other end of the line was that she was not interested in them. Knowing Dawn, I knew that that was not true. Hearing the lack of interest in her voice, however, was saying something else.

Don’t ignore color in your search for voice improvement. Expressing yourself with life and with emotion is one of the most important traits of dynamic speaking as well as one of the reasons others want to listen to you.