Ways to improve your voice projection

In the world of business and education it is quite common practice to give a speech in front of colleagues or contemporaries. Whether moving up the corporate ladder or as part of the learning curve in these situations, giving a speech and expressing a point of view is a necessary part of life. For some it is quite natural and they enjoy the spotlight, but for others being the center of attention is hell.

Effective communication during a speech can depend on quite a few factors, of course knowing the topic helps a lot with confidence, but knowing how to control your voice in these situations while maintaining good posture and body language can certainly put you ahead of the pack. .

When public speaking It’s easy to feel like everyone is judging your every word, but that’s probably not the case. You have to remember that the audience has probably heard a lot of people speak in public, you’re not doing anything out of the ordinary. Although some say that you should imagine everyone is naked to overcome your fear, or it might help to look at the back of the room, not at the faces looking back at you, this is not always a good practice and what works for one person might not be. for others. other.

Always try to sound good about what you are saying, don’t mumble or ramble. Be clear and positive, without using terms like “erm” or “you know what I mean” and don’t apologize for what you’re saying.

If you have done your research or maybe you are talking about your own work, then you can rehearse your presentation several times beforehand so you know what you are going to say, how and when.

Speech delivery techniques to remember.

1) stand up
For voice projection, it is best to stand while speaking with your feet hip-width apart, with your weight evenly distributed. Try to avoid rocking, swaying, tapping, or pacing. Movements like this distract listeners from your message and is a sign of nervousness.
Stand tall and powerful as if you’re in command now, great posture conveys confidence before a single word is spoken.

2) Project your voice
Fill the room with your voice project your voice speaking from the diaphragm and not from the throat. This ensures that your voice is at the lower end of its natural range and that you are grounded. A grounded voice allows you to project without straining or hoarseness.
It’s a good idea to speak fairly loudly, in fact, speak louder than you think you should. It is almost impossible to be too loud. It’s hard to ignore a booming voice of command and in the situation of large group listening or gathering, it’s very easy for your audience to tune out after a while.

3) Smile
Show your teeth and let them know you’re not afraid. Smiling not only makes your voice more pleasant to listen to, but it also conveys confidence. Even if you are anxious and terrified of public speaking, no one will notice if you have a smile on your face. You will seem friendly, approachable and serene.

4) And… Breath
Use…long…pauses. Many people turn sentences into runs and fill the time with garbage words, like “um”, “ah”, “you know”, “something like that”, “like”, “so”, and “fine”. These clothes make the speakers sound unprofessional. It’s like his brain can’t keep up with his mouth. If you suffer from this, you should start correcting yourself in all conversations and asking for help from friends, family to point out when you slip up.

If you lose track of your thoughts, do not apologize, this will only draw attention to your mistake. A brief pause to find your place in your notes or take a sip of water to regain your composure can often add more conviction to what you say if you do it with confidence. Actor Christopher Walken is well known for his charismatic pauses while he is acting, he has turned them into an art form.

5) Focus your attention
Make lasting eye contact with an audience member for five to seven seconds, maybe longer than you think you should. Then go ahead and keep your gaze on someone else in a different part of the room. Extended eye contact builds rapport by giving audience members the feeling that they are engaged in an intimate one-on-one conversation.

Avoid scanning the audience without stopping to look directly at anyone and don’t make selective eye contact with the two or three people in the room who are paying close attention. Ignore the suggestion to look across the room instead of at your audience to reduce nervousness; It may be the easiest speech you’ve ever given, but it will also make it the least engaging. The public wants you to speak to them, not at them.

Remember these five tips for trust and delivery. Master them and you will have the confidence to speak up and stand out in any situation.