Deliver a great presentation using tone & voice
Delivering a great speech sometimes comes down to the simplest thing: your voice.
Just by changing the tone, volume or modulation of our voice, we can dramatically shift the meaning of our words and create added interest for audiences.
But it can take practice to execute these techniques effectively, so take it slowly. Pay attention to how people modulate their tone and voice in different situations at work, at home, and at the grocery store.
Here are some basic definitions to get you started:
Voice modulation: the control or adjustment of your voice (altering volume, speed, and emotion)
Tonality: how you sound when you give a speech
Why is your voice so important?
Without adjustments in our voice modulation or tonality, we would speak in a continuous monotone that drives audiences CRAZY.
Humans naturally shift and modulate their voices a million times in casual conversation, because it helps create interest, demonstrates emotion, and encourages engagement with what we’re saying.
Now, the trick is understanding how to use this natural talent to our advantage in public speaking. With a few simple tricks, we can introduce some new energy into our presentation or speech, and ensure that the audience is really picking up on the message we are trying to share.
5 ways to add flair to your speaking
To add a little drama and flair to your speech, focus on playing with these elements:
Emphasis: This is a super-quick way to add range to your speaking voice. Identify a few key phrases that you want to emphasize in your talk (this is probably linked to your key message). Give these phrases a little added punch or weight when you rehearse, and see how it sounds. (Tip: reading your speech out loud will probably indicate where the emphasis should go naturally).
Volume: You hopefully won’t be yelling or whispering during your speech, but shifting your volume slightly can be a useful way to add punch during your talk. Experiment with lowering or raising your volume slightly to provide impact, and ask for feedback to see how effective it is.
Pauses: Most newbie public speakers will zoom through a speech too quickly because nerves are accelerating everything internally to hyperspeed...so adding a pause or two seems like an impossible task. (Part of the reason we don’t like using pauses is because we are TERRIFIED of silence when we’re giving a speech.) But a well-timed pause will signal to the audience that you have said something important, and can help them remember your message a little more clearly. A pause works well to emphasize a point, or just create a little “white-space” for the audience so they don’t get lost in your speech.
Speed: Learning how to vary the speed slightly of your speaking voice will take some practice, but it can be another way to make your speech more interesting. Just remember that most people who are inexperienced speak WAY too quickly, so make sure your initial tempo is clearly understandable to the audience.
Tone: Shift your tone slightly to add emotion to your talk where needed. I don’t mean a full Shakespearean tragedy, but you can certainly adjust your tone to be appropriately sombre (or enthusiastic, or playful) when needed. Experiment with lowering or raising the tone (or inflection) of your voice, and see how that changes the impact of your words.
Want to keep building your vocal skills, record audio of your talk and listen to your voice. Is it interesting? Engaging? Think about ways to improve your delivery.