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Browse every published article connected to Nancy Daniels, with exact attribution and full-archive search.
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Browse every published article connected to Nancy Daniels, or search within this exact expert archive.
Do you find that others have difficulty taking you seriously because you sound like a 12 year-old or worse still, an 8-year-old? Yes, ladies, I am talking about answering the phone and the caller asks to speak to your mother!
Torture is sitting through a long-winded speech in which the presenter is staring at his/her notes on the lectern, focused entirely on reading to the audience. My feeling is that if you are going to read something to me – and I’m not attending a reading at the library or Barnes and Noble – then why not copy it, pass it out, and we can all go home or back to work. Better yet, email it to me! Public speaking means communicating with your audience. It is a live venue, the sole purpose of which is to speak to a group of people.
While some academics may argue that one’s content is more important than one’s delivery, I beg to differ. If one’s delivery is of lesser value than one’s content, why not copy the speech, pass it out, and then everyone can go home or back to work? Assuming your audience is there to hear you ...
So many people rely on their voice for their business – yet so many people are unaware that their voice can have a tremendous impact on the success of their business. When you hear yourself on recording equipment or an answering machine, for example, what is your reaction? While your 1st response may be that you don’t recognize the sound, it is quite possible that your 2nd reaction is one of embarrassment.
I hear it time and time again. Women emailing me or phoning to ask me what they can do about their childlike voice, wondering if it is possible to change that sound. Absolutely. You have a voice inside of you that sounds more mature and can even improve with age no matter how old you are. The problem is you don’t know where it is – but it is in there. I guarantee it. I can’t tell you the hundreds of women with whom I have worked who have found their ‘real’ voice and then seen their life improve dramatically.
One of the most common complaints I hear from my students and clients is lack of air in public speaking. This is indeed a problem because without air, there is no voice. And, without voice, there is no speech or presentation. Breathlessness can be easily ‘cured’ by supplementing your air supply while speaking. You do this in normal conversation without ever giving it a second thought. At the lectern, however, you still believe what your 2nd grade teacher said in reading out loud, “Don’t take a breath until you come to some form of punctuation.”
Often you can tell someone is lacking in confidence just by their posture or how they walk. Sometimes you can hear it in their voice or see it in their facial expression. It is even possible to feel their insecurity in the way they shake your hand.
Have you ever considered the image that your speaking voice is projecting? By the way, I am not talking about the voice you hear in your head – I am talking about the one you hear on your voicemail or some other form of recording equipment. I am also not talking about the words that come out of your mouth. I am talking about sound, the actual quality of your voice.
Women often wonder why men don’t listen. There are a number of possibilities, one of which could be that your voice is irritating. If you have a whiny, high-pitched, nasal sound that is reminiscent of a poorly-tuned violin, then the image you are projecting is definitely not one of warmth, attraction, or authority. What is fascinating about the speaking voice is that you have a better voice inside of you which is resonant, more mature in sound, and most likely deeper in pitch. To find it, you will have to learn how to power your voice by means of your chest cavity.
Absolutely. In fact, given the right approach, you could enter the workshop in the morning with your ‘old’ voice and have lunch with your ‘new’ one. It happens that quickly. Of course, it is not a habit at that point, but it is the beginning of an amazing change in your life, both professionally and personally.
Have you been told that you speak in a monotone when delivering a speech or presentation? You may have been surprised to hear that description about yourself because in normal conversation you are quite animated, displaying a lot of emotion. What happens at the lectern, however, is that you lose all sense of self as you spit out a pile of words in the hopes of getting it over with as quickly as possible.
Nothing is more frustrating than finding a topic for a persuasive presentation for your public speaking class or for Toastmasters, especially if you are not one to voice your opinion on subjects that could be controversial. If you are stymied for a topic, do some soul searching and make a list of topics for which you have particular leanings.
For many people who speak in a normal volume of sound, straining to hear someone who speaks too softly is very frustrating. If you are soft-spoken and refuse to increase your volume to be heard comfortably (notice I didn’t say to speak loudly), then your message is not being heard. What message are you sending if no one hears your words? There are only so many times others will ask you to repeat yourself before taking over the conversation or directing the conversation to someone else. And, what that does for your self-confidence is certainly not positive.
If you desire to be a public speaker, then you have a goal that needs to be met if you are going to be successful in your career. I am not talking about the wedding toasting, the valedictorian speech, or a travel presentation to a senior citizens group. I am talking specifically about the persuasive presentation. Your goal with this type of presentation is to satisfy the needs of your audience. They came to hear you speak for a reason. Whatever their issue, their problem, or their pain, your job is to ‘ease their pain.’ That is the bottom line.
While I believe there are 5 things you must do to gain control of your nervousness and actually put it to good use, the most important of those 5 is something many people do not do and never think to do. To make matters worse, the only time many speakers are aware of it is when they have totally run of out it.
One of the characteristics of dynamic public speakers is that they believe in themselves. We all know that public speaking is man’s greatest fear; however, if you approach the lecte doubting yourself, how successful do you think you will be? Believing you cannot do it is a recipe for ...
Color refers to the life, the emotion, the animation you express in speaking. Whether it is for the purposes of public speaking, a sales presentation or just in normal conversation, those who speak with color are more dynamic than those who do not. In fact, those who do not are called boring. When it comes to public speaking, there is no doubt that one of the best ways to lose your audience’s attention is to: 1. stand perfectly still with nary a muscle moving, 2. speak in a monotone, and 3. stare at something on the back wall.
No matter what your phobia in addressing an audience, there is a reason that man’s greatest fear is public speaking: we don’t want to make a fool of ourselves. And, no matter how many courses or programs you take, no matter which techniques you use to control, eliminate, or ignore your ...
There is no doubt that public speaking is a battle, a battle often lost because the speaker is trying to be something or someone he is not. What is interesting about public speaking is that you stand a much better chance of winning the battle if you would stop trying to impress your audience. Instead, you should express to your audience. Good public speakers talk to their audience, not at them. They treat their audience just as if they were having a conversation in their living room. For some, however, that is the battle.
So, you have been scheduled, invited, or commanded to speak. It could be the quarterly budget report for your firm. Maybe you are a member of Toastmasters. You could be enrolled in a local public speaking course. Perhaps it is your best friend’s wedding. Whatever the reason for your upcoming speech or presentation, what is your reaction to public speaking? Fight? Flight? Freeze?
In addressing an audience, it is important to have researched your topic and to know your material extremely well. This is a no-brainer. However, is it possible to know everything about your topic? If you are young and new to the public speaking world, probably not. Even those with a lot of experience may not know everything there is to know about their particular topic.
This past April when Susan Boyle walked onto the stage and approached the microphone on Britian’s Got Talent, the Irish singer was judged entirely on her appearance. Her audience assumed that her performance would be a disaster and responded to her entrance most negatively and with laughter. Even after she opened her mouth in answer to Simon Cowell's questions, those in the crowd were expecting this woman to make a fool of herself. Little did they know. When you approach the lecte for your speech or presentation, do you walk with confidence, with purpose?
Some years ago, Barbara Walters interviewed Kathleen Turner, commenting on Turner’s “low, wonderful voice.” The actress responded that she could not understand how a woman could spend thousands of dollars on her clothing, hair, and makeup and not spend some of that money on her voice, as she imitated a whiny, nasal sound in the process.
Some people talk fast, some talk too slowly, and some are moderate. In public speaking, those who speak at a moderate rate are the easiest to follow over any given length of time.
There is a commercial in which an announcer is looking for a speaker who has a big voice. What is unnerving about this commercial is that the terminology regarding the voice is wrong. As the commercial plays, you hear someone saying the lines in a progressively deeper voice. So what is the difference? A big voice refers to volume. A deep voice refers to the pitch of the voice – not to be confused with volume. Vin Diesel has a deep voice which also happens to be big.
With all the articles about public speaking, few ever talk about knowing your competition. If you are a novice and planning a career at the lectern, part of your homework is to listen to as many speakers as you can and get to meet them in the process if at all possible. Words cannot say how valuable this can be for your future and is one of the great public speaking tips that you would be wise to heed. There are 3 reasons why you should take this advice.
Oh, how I dislike the business lunch or dinner meeting in which everyone must stand and introduce themselves. What we tend to hear, one after the other, is a name, a profession, and a place of business that becomes sing-song after the 1st introduction. Not only is it spoken in a lilt, but everyone takes their voice up at the end of each statement so that it sounds like they are asking a question.
Imagine standing at the lectern. You see the many smiling faces of those in your audience. Your countenance, however, says anything but that you are glad to be there. While you may not be thrilled at the prospect of giving that speech or presentation, if your face displays your displeasure, how enjoyable will your delivery be for those who are in attendance? If you read most articles and books on the subject of public speaking, they will tell you that there are only 3 reasons for public speaking: to entertain, to inform, or to persuade.
If a persistent sore throat or chronic hoarseness is something you are experiencing, your 1st step is to find out the cause. If left unattended, it will likely get worse and possibly result in permanent damage to your speaking voice. What I am talking about is known as vocal abuse and it is becoming more and more common in today’s hectic and ‘loud’ world.
Unless you are planning to become an actor, I see no reason to try to get rid of your accent as long as you speak clearly. This is a prerequisite for success. It does not matter where you live or what language is your mother tongue.
One of the most common complaints I hear from my clients is that they run out of air in public speaking. This may be a problem for you as well. Do you know why this is happening? Many who teach public speaking will tell you it is because you are nervous. Certainly nervousness exacerbates the problem but it is not the cause. The reasons you are breathless in public speaking are because: 1. you do not allow yourself to breathe; 2. you do not think to breathe; and, 3. you wait until you are totally spent before gasping for your next breath.
Actors wow us, amaze us, and inspire us but one, in particular, displays a level of confidence that I would wish for all in public speaking. The actor I am referring to is Clint Eastwood. In all the roles he plays, he never doubts himself. It is that level of belief in yourself and your abilities which you need in order to wow, amaze, and inspire your audience. Fear of failure, fear of looking foolish, or fear of forgetting your material are the 3 main reasons many people approach the lecte with such trepidation. With that fear comes a lack of confidence that is formidable.
When I heard Dr. John Gray, author of the best-selling Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus, talking about his book, Why Mars & Venus Collide, I found it interesting when he described the differences in how men and women handle stress as well as why the sexes treat stress differently.
Lack of volume in speaking is a big problem for many people. Unfortunately, this characteristic can label you incorrectly. While it is possible that your soft-spoken voice is due to a lack of confidence, it is also possible that you speak softly because you were raised to speak softly. If you would like to learn how to increase your volume correctly without shouting or being too loud, you will need to record yourself as well as someone else who speaks with a normal amount of volume. This person can be a friend or even a professional voice that you hear on the radio or TV.
You have probably heard the statistics: when you meet someone in a face-to-face situation, 37% of the image you project is attributed to your speaking voice; 55% of your image is the visual and a mere 8% your content. Whether those percentages are true is not the issue. The issue is whether your voice speaks positively or negatively about your image.
Why does everyone else seem to get the promotion and not you? Is it possible that your diction is getting in the way? Speaking clearly today is now more important than ever because business has become global – from the largest corporations to those who run their own business out of their homes. Video and audio have made a huge difference in how we do business today and being understood the 1st time you say it may mean the difference between a raise, promotion or even a new job.
When you give a speech or presentation, do you include stories or anecdotes in your material? If not, you should. Anecdotes and stories are not only interesting for your audience but they also lend credibility to you as a speaker; and, one of your goals as a speaker is to establish this reliability. Your audience needs to be able to trust in your worthiness to speak on a particular topic.
Through my many years of speaking, teaching and training, I have found that by concentrating on the moment you can move ‘above’ the stress that you may be experiencing at a given time and deliver a dynamic speech or presentation. Most actors, musicians, athletes and public speakers as well are ...
If you listen to the great presenters, you will find that they share one attribute in common: they speak from their heart. While they may have given the same presentation hundreds of times, their material sounds fresh and new with each delivery. If you memorize your presentation, the likelihood of delivering your material in a rote fashion is almost a guarantee. On the other hand, if you learn your material according to your outline, treating your opening, closing, and sub-topics as blocks of information, you will be able to speak around those blocks.
One of the most frequent questions I hear is how do I tell my spouse, my friend, or a colleague that they need to improve their speaking voice? This really is a tough issue because if you approach someone advising them that their speaking voice needs some work, they are probably going to be offended. If we had the ability to hear ourselves the way everyone else does, this would not be an issue.
It never ceases to amaze me how many people want to get rid of their nervousness in public speaking. In truth, they should embrace that wonderful rush of adrenaline. If you’re not nervous when presenting, then I am because being overly confident is never a good thing in public speaking or any live venue for that matter.
Most people who hear themselves on their voicemail or answering machine do not like what they hear. How do you feel when you hear yourself on some form of recording equipment? When you think about the image you project, be it in person or over the phone, would you consider your recorded voice to be an asset? Does it ‘speak well’ for you?
Are you experiencing chronic hoarseness or a persistent sore throat and you are not sick? If so, it is called vocal abuse and it will not go away on its own. In fact, it will more than likely get worse. There are some who suffer with these symptoms to the point that they even lose their voice by the end of the day. Vocal abuse is caused by misplacement of your voice. While that may sound strange, what is happening is that you are placing too much wear and tear on your vocal folds (cords).
In the world of public speaking, there are only 2 reasons for giving a speech or presentation (not counting the ‘after-dinner’ speech which is a topic unto itself). You are addressing an audience to either inform or persuade. That being said, if your subject is informative in nature, your job is to convey knowledge and information. If your topic is persuasive, on the other hand, your goal is to change or strengthen your listener’s beliefs and/or motivate them to action. The question is – how do you, as the speaker, persuade an audience to accept your views?
In public speaking, the anecdotes you include in your presentation can say a lot about you as the speaker. Simply put, the anecdote is a very brief retelling of a true account which can be humorous or interesting, but more importantly, is relevant to your topic. The value of the anecdote is ...
There is nothing more frustrating than having people ask you to repeat yourself because they did not hear what you were saying. There are several reasons why this may be happening: you may be soft-spoken; you may have an accent in which you are not enunciating your words clearly; or, you may ...
One of the difficulties people have with their speaking voice is that they have no control over it. They push hard from their throat and vocal cords to speak instead of allowing their sound to be powered by their chest cavity. And the difference between these two practices can be quite extreme.
Nothing is more frustrating than listening to a public speaker deliver a speech or presentation at 100 mph. A few minutes at this speed is one thing; however, 50 minutes or more at that pace can easily lose your listeners. Talking too fast is tiring for both you as the speaker and your audience as well. 2 other factors that you should take into account regarding speaking too quickly are: 1. the faster you talk, the more likely you are to trip over your words; and,r
Speaking too quickly is a problem not just for those of us who hail from one of the Mid-Atlantic States, it is a problem as well for many whose 1st language is not English. One of the fastest talkers I’ve encountered in the thousands with whom I have worked was a man from Portugal. But India and some of the Asian countries can also produce speed demons. Learning how to control your speed – notice I didn’t say speak slowly – should be your goal if you are being asked to repeat yourself a lot or your listeners’ eyes glaze over as they try to keep up with you.
With the world becoming a huge melting pot, we are hearing accents wherever we go and whatever we listen to. This article is not about getting rid of your accent. Accents are part of what makes you, you. I would never advocate trying to eliminate it. The only problem with an accent or even a dialect is when your speech is unintelligible.