Nancy Daniels

How do you think before you speak if you are standing in front of an audience? That is a wonderful question. If you are delivering a speech or a presentation, it is actually quite easy to think if you do one thing prior to the event and three things during it.

Recently I was interviewed on a blog radio program and the host paused so long after every comment I made that I wondered how many listeners she really had. Yes, the internet station of which she is a member has an excellent listenership, but I seriously question whether this particular woman has any real following.

When it comes to image, most people believe that their visual image is the pièce de résistance. And, there is no doubt that it is very important both professionally and personally. Have you ever considered, however, the image that your voice projects?

One of the secrets of dynamic presentation skills is the ability to connect with your audience. In that sense, the idea is to make each person think you are talking directly to him/her. How is this possible if you have an audience of 50, 150 or 500 people? There are several things you can do to achieve the connection.

If you are like most people, you probably don't like hearing yourself on your voicemail or answering machine. Did you know, however, that what you hear on any type of recording equipment is exactly how everyone else recognizes you?

Imagine the call of the crow, the screech of the blue jay, or the laugh of the hyena. All irritating sounds and all sounds which are harsh on your ears. Now imagine the voice of Fran Drescher. Not much difference is there?

I recently watched a brief video of a woman who was entering a public speaking contest and was looking for feedback from other speakers. Her ‘performance' looked rehearsed, static and flat, lacking in enthusiasm and passion. And, my remarks were just that.

One of the most common complaints I hear from novice public speakers is lack of air while public speaking. It doesn't matter whether you are delivering a speech, giving a presentation, or introducing the next speaker. It also doesn't matter how long or how short your talk. Lack of air in public speaking is a huge problem that can be rectified immediately if you learn to do one thing and implement it in your next talk.

Many years ago when I first started my business, my husband commented on the ‘before & after' video clips of my clients, remarking that he could understand everyone in the ‘after' takes but none of the speakers in the ‘before' takes. All the speakers were Canadians in which English was their first language. What my husband, Alexis, was noticing was the clarity of their speech in the ‘after' videos.

Many people contact me because they have a voice that is too high-pitched, too soft, too loud, too nasal, too wimpy, too weak, too shrill, too childlike. In fact, the list of descriptive adjectives is much longer than that. What is fascinating about the speaking voice is that you may be part of the 99% of the population who are unaware that they have a better voice inside of them. It is known as your ‘true' or ‘real' voice and it is definitely better than the one you are presently using.