40- Make an impact with your voice
If you’ve been following my advice so far, you have already properly prepared your presentation and your voice. Next, let’s focus on how you use your voice during your presentation to achieve maximum audience engagement.
The first tip is not to use your voice constantly. Use short pauses. These can be used to emphasize specific points or simply to give yourself a brief rest. Another benefit of using pause instead of trying to fill every millisecond with your voice is that you will appear more confident. Remember, the time in which silence passes always seems longer to the speaker than to the audience. Instead of trying to fill the silence, use a pause to give your audience time to catch up with the information you are presenting.
As mentioned previously, projection is a key component to a good presentation, especially when you don’t have a microphone. When speaking to an audience you should always be aware of where your voice is in the room. For example, if the room is large, can the people in the back hear you? In addition, practice speaking with over-articulation. You want all the sounds coming out of your mouth to be different and clear. Each vowel and consonant should be given proper respect and enunciated independently. To do this, practice speaking slowly and not running your words together.
Another way to use your voice effectively is to vary the speed, tone, and volume by with which you deliver the presentation. For example, if you are describing how you were walking along and suddenly your feet got stuck in mud you may talk more quickly when saying, “I was walking along,” and then slowly draw out the rest of the sentence, “when I got stuck in the mud.” In generally, you should speak more slowly when emphasizing key words or ideas. By changing the pace of your speech throughout the presentation you are more likely to keep the audience’s attention.
Varying the speed of your presentation is not the only way to connect with your audience. You should also vary your tone throughout the presentation. You can use different voice tones to connect with your audience. Again, in the example of getting stuck in the mud, you can use a deeper tone while describing the event.
Changing the volume of your voice will also help you connect with the audience. Don’t bore your audience by speaking in monotone. Use a different volume when describing various features and benefits, or during different parts of your presentation. This helps your presentation to remain interesting. For example, if you are excited about something, you could show it by being louder and more expressive tone.
If you are not used to varying your speed, tone, and/or volume listen to a few audio books. When listening, pay attention to how the narrator uses these tools and then try to replicate it when you present. Similarly, you can practice using words that others relate to by listening attentively during your everyday conversations. The next time you are in a conversation where someone asks you a question try responding by using they key word from their statement. Even something as simple as a conversation about the weather will help you improve this verbal language skill. For example: If someone asks you, “How is the weather today?” You can respond with “The weather is a bit hot and humid.” You have just used the questioner’s words in your response, which enables you to better connect with them.
By using the audience’s language and varying the speed, tone, and volume of your voice, you will better be able to capture the audience as you tell them your story. Now that you know how to use these tips to give great presentations, we’ll focus (in the next blog) on how you can use body language to present an even more powerful presentation.
