Public Speaking Techniques For Your Voice

Here is last technique in this series of public speaking techniques dealing with stage performance:

Our speaking voice is a wonderful expressive instrument. However, it can repel listeners if we fall into bad habits, for example, the monotone voice, speaking too fast, speaking too slow etc.

Your voice should be conversational in tone, similar to when you are speaking to a friend. Listen to a recording of your voice when delivering a speech. It may surprise you at first. Listen out for the speed, pitch, tone of your delivery. If you observe an issue, a great way to overcome this is by reading aloud and working on the issue, e.g. if you speak too fast read slowly.

I hope you've enjoyed this series of public speaking techniques and will use some them to improve your own performance.

Public speaking Techniques To Overcome Bad Habits

Here are 2 bad habits you may have that can distract an audience and 2 public speaking techniques to help prevent them becoming a problem

When you are first starting out you may have some traits that are annoying to your audience such as twitching, grimacing, handling your nose or tugging at your lips. These can eventually drive your listeners to distraction. Keep your hands light clasped at waist height when you are not gesturing.

You may also have the habit of moving back and forward across the stage - almost like a panther on the prowl. The best way to prevent this is to look at your audience as one composite person and speak to that person.

It is by applying the techniques outlined you will soon become a more effective public speaker.

Public Speaking Techniques - Movement And Gestures

By applying the public speaking techniques below you will see your stage performance improve and become more effective at communicating your ideas:-

Posture

Your posture should demonstrate you are in command and have purpose. If you are slouched or hunched over it can express that you are nervous, bored or even lazy.

An ideal posture is to stand straight and tall with your feet planted firmly on the ground. Keep your feet slightly apart - about shoulder width - this will help prevent you swaying from side to side.

Movement and Gestures

Movement and gestures should be natural and serve to illustrate your speech. If you force or overdo your gestures you will be like a "ham" actor in a B-movie. You want to aim for your gestures and movement to be a natural expression of you and your speech.

In the next few days the public speaking techniques I reveal are how to avoid some bad habits

public Speaking Techniques - Be Natural And improve

There are 2 main areas of public speaking techniques that are critical to the effectiveness of your performance:-

(i) Visible - this relates to your movement, gestures, posture and appearance, facial expressions and eye contact etc

(ii) Audible - this relates to your voice, nuances and pauses, pitch and tone etc

Your delivery should be natural as it is in your day to day conversation, but there some simple public speaking techniques that can be used to enhance it. This may seem contradictory - to be advised to be natural but that you should also improve. But it is also natural to want to improve. You will probably not need to learn a great deal to be able to have a more effective delivery.

Public Speaking Techniques To Be More Effective

Your effectiveness in public speaking will depend on your techniques that you use when giving your speech.

The content of your speech is of key importance to the success of your speech. However, even the best content can lose its effectiveness if the performance of it is distracting or boring.

Your "platform performance" should breathe life into your speech. The right moves will help you relax and your audience more receptive. Your "moves" will keep your audience interested.

Your listener's perception of you is greatly influenced by the delivery of your speech - as with all walks of life people will judge you on your appearance not just on what you are communicating by word.

To follow are public speaking techniques that will help you develop your delivery style.

Public Speaking Techniques For Getting Started

Presentation nerves can be useful when they help you to feel excited. However when there are too many presentation nerves it can have a negative effect on the giving a presentation. Here are some presentation tips on dealing with the symptoms of presentation nerves;-

1. To prevent a dry croaky voice drink a couple of small glasses of warm water to lubricate your voice and if possible take some water with you when you start to present

2. To help stop a high pitched voice, hum a few lines of your favorite tune to help your voice to find its natural pitch

3. To prevent forgetting your opening, memorize the first few lines of your presentation to give your brain chance to catch up with you.

I will have further presentation tips on dealing with nerves in my next post.

Public Speaking Techniques For Overcoming Anxiety

To follow are public speaking techniques to beat public speaking stage fright.

The most important public speaking techniques to overcome fear are preparation and practice plus a positive attitude. The techniques of preparation and practice do the most to boost self confidence and reduce fear.

Being well prepared involves understanding your audience, knowing why you are presenting, how you are going to present, what you are going to present and the length.

Practicing follows preparation. This should be done as often as it takes to feel comfortable in delivering the speech or presentation. If possible have dummy run in the room your are going give the speech, so that you are familiar with the actual circumstances.

My next posts will have some other public speaking techniques for beat stage fright but also will provide further information on preparation and practice plus techniques for delivering the speech.