by Gilda Bonanno LLC www.gildabonanno.com
Your voice is a key part of your presentation delivery. And having a tired, hoarse voice can negatively impact your presentation.
Your voice is a key part of your presentation delivery. And having a tired, hoarse voice can negatively impact your presentation.
I’ve conducted many training
programs where I’ve had to present for five or six hours a day for five days in
a row. And I’ve also sung in choirs and as a soloist. So I understand how
important it is to take care of my voice so I can rely on it being ready when I
need it.
Here are my five tips for
keeping your voice healthy:
1.
Hydrate
Drink plenty of water, and
not just during your presentation, but also before your presentation so you can
stay hydrated. Room temperature or warm
water works best for me. I also drink
warm tea without caffeine. I find that
cold water, particularly ice water, actually constricts my vocal cords, and
makes me feel hoarse, making it much harder for me to project my voice. Gargling
with warm water and salt also helps (and the salt is a natural disinfectant). Find something that works to keep your voice
well lubricated.
2.
Control the room environment
Sometimes you’re in a room
that is too hot, too cold or dry and that can quickly give you a sore throat. Check out the room before you present and
decide if you need to open a window, lower the heat or increase the air
conditioning.
3.
Rest
Rest is crucial. You need adequate sleep the night before a
presentation so your voice sounds rested (and you are alert and focused). And you should rest your voice, so no
screaming at a sporting event the night before.
You can’t fake rest – if your voice is tired, people will hear it.
If you’re going to do
several presentations over a few days or conduct multi-day training programs,
you have to accept the fact that you will tire your voice and will need extra
rest. It's like working out – if you do
bicep curls with weights, you expect that your muscles will be sore the next
day. As you gradually build up strength,
you’ll be able to lift more weights without feeling as sore. The same is true with your voice.
4.
Breathe
Breathing properly keeps
your voice supported. Take full deep
breaths from your diaphragm and core that will support your voice to the end of
the sentence, rather than taking shallow breaths from the top of your chest
that cause you to run out of air. If you do yoga or Pilates, or you swim or
sing, use that same kind of breathing.
5.
Warm up your voice
In preparation for your
presentation, do some vocal warm-ups, much the same way as you would do
flexibility stretches with your body. Vocalize
from high to low – just open your mouth wide and say “ah,” making a continuous sound
with a pitch that goes from high to low.
Pronounce consonants and vowels and really move your lips. Repeat the “t” sound and the “k” sound, for
example.
Screw up your face and then
relax it. You may feel silly doing these exercises but they will help you
loosen up and open up your voice.
If you follow these five
tips and take care of your voice before, during and after your presentation,
you can keep your voice sounding energized, full, supported and healthy.