How do you sound on the telephone? What does your voicemail greeting say about you? Believe it or not, the actual sound of your voice conveys information in addition to the content of your words. Does your voice sound pleasant, professional, and warm? Does it sound full and rich? Are you speaking too quickly? The […]
The Sound of Silence
When you are preparing for a speech, interview, or presentation, consider the effective use of silence. When coming to an important point, pause just before you begin, make eye contact, make your point, and then pause just afterwards. Silence can be used to add emphasis, to give the listener or audience a chance to grasp […]
Are you perceived as genuine or fake?
Make no mistake, the power of a good speaker comes from within. It is always a good idea to improve your extrinsic technique by studying healthy and pleasant vocal production and by practicing good posture, appropriate and dynamic gestures, eye contact, and vivid storytelling. But even if you gain valuable skills, you must be genuine in your intention to […]
Charisma: Innate or Learnable?
Charisma: from Greek kharis, kharisma, “favor, grace;” compelling attractiveness or charm that can inspire devotion in others. Charisma mainly describes a special charm, magnetism, or appeal that causes people to feel inspired and excited. One rather famous quote calls charisma the “transfer of enthusiasm.” Performers are charismatic. You simply cannot look away from them. They have a […]
Fear of Flying, (…er, rather, Speaking)
Somehow, someday, somewhere along the way, everyone gets called on to speak. Although some speakers welcome the opportunity, the unhappy reality is that public speaking is one of Americans’ biggest fears. Last year, a nationwide study at Chapman University, a private college in Orange County, California, revealed that public speaking is among the five greatest personal […]
Simple Strategies for Speechwriting
Before you can practice your performance and delivery of any presentation or speech, you need to write a really good one. You want your presentation to be interesting, easy to understand, and memorable. Here are several ideas to help you craft a plan for your presentation and make choosing the words that much easier:
Are Baby Lawyers Ready to Practice?
Law students typically leave the classroom without any real understanding of how to behave in a courtroom, how to communicate with a client, how to engage a jury, or how to conduct the business of law in the real world. As a result of the technological revolution, it isn’t enough for newly-licensed attorneys to know the […]
Who is your audience?
Almost every performance coach will tell you that it is essential to CONNECT with your audience. What, exactly, does that mean? Keep in mind that any communication involves both speaker and listener, whether the communication is between two people or in a lecture hall with an audience of one thousand. Remember, too, that unless the message is received […]
Listen to your mother: Stand up straight
How you look when you stand, sit, and walk makes a distinct impression about you. Your posture may, however, convey an inaccurate message.
To speak: Breathe.
Don’t hold your breath. Breathe. How can such a natural and essential function be easy to forget? In order to have a pleasant speaking voice that listeners will want to hear, the main principle is to speak “on the breath” and not hold your breath while speaking. The manner and mechanism of breathing while speaking and […]