Sometimes when you're presenting, introducing
yourself or answering questions in front of a group, your voice trails off at
the end of the sentence. Your audience
can't understand the last part of your sentence and you may sound nervous and
unprepared. Here are four tips for keeping
your voice strong throughout your presentation:
1. Breathe
When you take short, shallow breaths, there is
not enough oxygen to fuel your voice through the end of the sentence. You literally run out of air by the end of
the sentence. To prevent this from happening,
take full, deep breaths which will energize your voice.
2. Pause More
You won't have enough air to race through
several long sentences delivered end-to-end.
Pausing during or between sentences will give you a chance to catch your
breath and your audience a change to digest what you've just said. It also
helps you emphasize important words or phrases.
Pausing will feel awkward at first, but with practice, you will get more
comfortable.
3. Use a Microphone
If there is a microphone available, use
it. The microphone will make it easier
for you to project your voice. And
practice the mechanics of using a microphone so you can do it successfully.
4. Be Confident
Sometimes your voice may trail off because you
are not confident about what you are saying or how you are saying it. Work on overcoming any fear you have of
presenting in general and then focus specifically on your anxiety about
presenting this topic to this audience at this time. If you still don't feel confident, act as if
you do – and it will help you feel more confident.
Keeping your voice strong throughout your
entire presentation will help you deliver your message to your audience with
energy and confidence.