A key component of non-verbal communications is your
voice. Along with eye contact, gestures,
movement and facial expression, your voice can communicate meaning and help
your audience focus on your message.
Your voice has an incredible range and ability to
convey meaning and emotion, yet most of us use only a small part of that
range. Use the following guidelines to
unleash the power of your voice so you can deliver your message effectively and
connect to the audience:
Speak
loudly enough. How loudly?
Loudly enough that people can hear you without having to strain. How loudly depends on the room size, whether
or not you are using a microphone, the acoustics, etc. Most people think that
they are already speaking loudly enough.
In fact, it's the opposite – most people need to speak louder.
I remember working with someone who had an inspiring
speech, but he spoke too softly to be heard.
He had grown up being told that he should never raise his voice and he
had to work very hard to overcome that belief.
Eventually, he realized that speaking louder was actually a service to
the audience since it would make it easier for them to listen – and that it was
not shouting.
If you think you speak loudly enough, record
yourself or get someone you trust to sit in the back row, or the other end of
the table, and give you an honest assessment of whether you speak loudly enough
to be heard easily. Chances are, you don't.
Speak
slowly enough. How slowly? Once again, it depends on many factors.
What is the normal rate of speed for your audience? If you're speaking to
native New Yorkers in New York, a much faster speed is allowed – and expected –
than if you're speaking just about anywhere else in the world.
Likewise, if you're speaking in a language that is
not native to the audience, or if you're presenting complex information that is
new to them, you'll need to speak slower, so they have time to digest it.
Your voice has incredible power to communicate
meaning and connect you to the audience.
Learning to tap into that voice power will enable you to become a more
effective communicator.