Finding Your Firmest Voice

As you stand up in front of your target audience, do you come across in exactly the way that you want to come across? Is your tone what you want it to be? Is it firm enough? Does it capture the attention of your target audience members effectively? Is your tone appropriate and engaging?

Using your most effective voice

When you are delivering your presentation, there are a lot of things that you should keep in mind so that your audience receives you in the way that you wish them to receive you. You also want them to be totally engaged and captivated by what you are sharing with them.

Work on your breathing first

If you want to use the most effective voice possible when you present to others, you need to make sure that your breathing is what it should be before you can do anything else. When it comes to your breathing,  you will want to breathe evenly and at a steady, even pace. That means that you don’t breathe too rapidly (or slowly) and that you are as relaxed as possible.

Once you have mastered your breathing, the effective quality of your voice will follow and your target audience members will react to it in a positive manner. If you allow yourself to breathe properly, your voice will be appealing, resonant, and rich. A technique that will work well for you is breathing in and out. You should inhale and allow your belly to expand. However, only your belly should expand. You should make sure that your stomach muscles are tightened so that they help your diaphragm to allow the air to exit your lungs and go into your bloodstream. All of that will make a difference in the quality of your voice.

Concentrate on the volume of your voice

Once you have gotten the breathing down pat, you will want to work on the volume of your voice. You should adjust your volume based on what you are saying as well as on the emotions and meaning behind the words. Always keep in mind that you want to keep your audience engaged. You also want to avoid speaking in a monotone. If you do that, you will probably not be able to hold the attention of your target audience members. Controlling the volume will prevent any monotonous quality from showing up.

Statements work well

During the course of your presentation, you will not want to ask a large number of questions of your target audience. After all, the purpose of your presentation is to teach them something of value, not to milk them for information. Although there is some degree of give-and-take in any presentation, you should still assume the role of giver much more than the receiver. There is no doubt that both you and your target audience members have the full capability of giving to each other; however, there is a time and a place for that exchange and your presentation is just not it.

The tone of your statements

At the ends of your statements, you will want to increase the volume of your voice for emphasis. That will make the statements memorable and the points that you are trying to make will have been made and remembered. You will come across as confident and your target audience members will perceive you as being an expert in your niche (or industry). This will also help you to keep your audience engaged for a longer period of time. As you are standing in the front of the room, make sure that your body language (including eye contact) is appropriate. You will know if that is the case by your audience’s reactions to what you are saying and doing.

Choose your words carefully

Aside from coming across in a confident manner, you should also be very careful about the words that you choose to express what you want to say. If you choose carefully, you will come across with authority and you will have an air of expertise that the target audience members will appreciate and understand. If your presentation contains abstract concepts (which is fine and often happens in presentations), you will want to make sure to illustrate those concepts with concrete examples. Otherwise, your target audience will walk away from you scratching their heads in confusion.

Start off in the right way

When you first begin your presentation, you will want to state (pretty much upfront) the main message of your presentation. It is not fair to make your audience sit through the entire presentation waiting (with great anticipation) for your message. They have the right to decide whether they want to stick with you until the end of the presentation (without being manipulated). Once you have revealed your message, you will revisit that message periodically throughout the presentation as appropriate. If you follow that format, your target audience members will follow along with you and they will stay focused on what you are presenting.

Give balance to your presentation

You are going to share your point of view and other aspects of your brand with your audience, which is expected and perfectly appropriate. However, if you want to be really fair and balanced, you will also present the views of your competitors so that your audience understands all of the options and makes an intelligent decision when faced with all of the relevant information that is in front of them.

Conclusion

You can definitely increase the element of authority in your voice as you are presenting. You will want to practice until you are comfortable and before you know it, you will have accomplished your goal. Speak at an even pace and change positions as you speak often. Remember that presentation is everything. If you are not coming across effectively, your target audience will feel it in your voice, the way that you dress, and the way that you carry yourself. You will feel authority in your voice and your audience members will react accordingly to what you are sharing with them.

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