How to SPEAK so you sound like a pro… In this post, I discuss 5 tips on how you can develop a professional voice for creating impact.
S: Shoulder rolls/ SMILE. Before you go on stage, or to a meeting , and even small group discussion, do a few shoulder rolls and stretch. This will help release any tension you have and free up the chest for easier breathing. And when you go for the meeting, SMILE before you start talking. Smiling relaxes facial muscles and it has been proven to change quality of voice.
P: Project your voice to your audience. No matter how big your audience is, you are using your voice to communicate. If you audience size is small, make eye contact with all of them. If they are 20-30 people, look far and across the room and ensure you sweep across the room, across people’s heads, so you are making contact with all. This changes the position of your head/neck muscle and hence helps you project without straining.
E: Engage your audience with your voice. How do you engage an audience on an online platform? When an audience can’t see you, ( teleconference, podcasting, radio etc) how you engage your audience? Use your voice, modulate and use pitch and intonation to get your message out there.
A: Articulate. This literally means, OPEN your mouth when you are talking. Some speakers do not get in the habit of opening their mouths, and hence speech can come across soft and mumbled. Opening the mouth helps relax jaw muscles and easier form of communication!
K: KISS ( Keep it Short & Simple) That is self explanatory, keep it short and simple, so that the audience is engaged and gets your message. Break the information into small chunks, so that it is easy to comprehend and digest.