Making your words come alive is an integral piece of your communication.
Many of you know I was an on-air radio news anchor and news reporter for more than 10 years. In my college broadcasting classes, my favorite professor taught me that radio is “theater of the mind.” He then showed me and my classmates the importance of using our voices and vocal vitality to capture the essence of our words so we could create mental images for our listeners. After all, on the radio, there are no visuals or body language to fall back on. It’s all in the voice. We had to give life to our spoken messages.
Your ability to use your voice to enhance your overall communication is essential. Vocal vitality is important if you are hosting a webinar or teleseminar. It’s important if you are a host or guest on BlogTalkRadio or other broadcasts. It’s important if you produce video blogs. Vocal vitality is also key on conference calls, voicemail messages, in sales, networking and presentations. You don’t have to sound like a blustery game show host to have a vibrant and energetic delivery.
A strong voice exudes confidence, authority, integrity, passion and enthusiasm. It builds instant credibility. A weaker sounding voice can diminish all of the above. The good news is that you can learn how to improve your delivery and vocal habits. Work with what you have. After all, you are the message.
Here are 5 tips to help you:
1. Avoid timidity. If you sound nervous or unsure of yourself, your professional credibility will be on the line. Be sure to lower your voice when completing a sentence. If your voice goes up at the end of the sentence, you sound as if you’re asking a question, not stating a fact. Be strong and confident.
2. Listen to yourself. For the sole purpose of learning, tape record a few casual conversations in your home and on the phone. Let your answering machine or voicemail record your conversation. Pay attention to your inflection, pacing, tone of voice and vocal habits. Critiquing yourself can be a real eye-opener.
3. Emphasize important words. By stressing a key word or phrase, you truly drive your point home. Conversely, emphasizing the wrong word can quickly confuse your listener. A good way to polish this skill is to pay attention to TV and radio news anchors, and commercials. The announcers don’t plow through their script or newscopy. They pronounce every word carefully and slowly. It becomes an art.
4. Take advantage of silences and pauses. These are especially powerful in business and sales. Many people feel uncomfortable with silence. Silence is critical in sales meetings when you drop the gauntlet and ask your prospect the golden question, “Are you willing to give it a try?”, “Are there any concerns you have that are stopping you from signing the contract”, or “Are you ready to get started now?” Inserting that pause and moment of silence can make or break the deal.
5. Express passion in your voice. If you sound bored, dull or monotone, the people listening will be bored as well. If you are excited and truly believe in your words and message, you have a great shot at capturing their attention. Enthusiasm is contagious.
The two cornerstones of success are excellent communication skills and self-confidence. Improving your vocal vitality will help you to succeed in these areas.
(Photo Credit: Manuel Marin)
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Susan,
Great blog piece. In the past 2 years I have made it a point to get involved in doing presentations to help educate others and think this is a great way to also keep you on your toes.
I have seen many, even those given by very smart people, who sound disengaged from their message simply because of delivery.
You are right Craig. I too have been witness to many educated professionals who can not effectively connect with their audience, and sometimes their material. It’s nice to hear you are helping others to be more successful speakers/presenters. Good luck!
Best regards,
Susan