For most speakers, preparing for a presentation involves working on the content and power point slides. ‘What you say’ is important. But ‘How you say it’, is what transforms a good presentation into an excellent one. If you want to be perceived as a charismatic and memorable speaker, learn to prepare ‘Your- Self’ - your voice, breath, body and vocal delivery for presentations , so that you exude confidence & presence while speaking.
Preparing Your Voice, Breath, Body and Vocal Delivery for Presentations
• Tap into the full potential of your breath. Learn thoracoabdominal breathing – how to use the lower chest and abdomen (belly) effectively, to power your voice
• Develop healthy posture. Learn to keep your spine and body aligned.
• Practise exercises to keep your jaw and throat relaxed so that your voice sounds resonant and richer
• Find and use your optimal vocal pitch, which is usually in the lower half of your pitch range
• Practise speaking at the right pace so that you are not too fast or too slow. Learn to vary the pace at which you speak, so that you sound interesting
• Learn to use the right tone of voice so that you sound authoritative, credible and confident
• Practise articulation or speech exercises so that your words are clear & precise, and your audience receives your message
• Learn to stress on the right words, using pitch & volume variations and effective pauses, so that your audience can make meaning of what you are saying
• Practise effective intonation or voice modulation by using a combination of variations in pitch, volume, pauses, & the pace or speed at which you speak, to hold the attention of your audience
• Learn how to project your voice. Projection is a healthy and effective way of making yourself heard.
• Practise your vocal delivery regularly for a few days before the presentation. Your vocal delivery should empower your message & effectively convey your professional image
• Record your presentation and listen to it objectively. Check if you are sounding monotonous, unclear, shrill, breathy, nasal, too fast or slow, too soft or loud, and work on it
• Practise your presentation in front of a mirror. You will get to see & understand how you use your body and breathing for speaking
• Improvise every time you practise, so that you sound spontaneous. Develop a conversational and natural style of speaking
• Take a few relaxed breaths, align your spine, center your body, before you start your presentation
• Avoid holding your breath when you are planning what to say next
• Learn to make effective use of pauses. Don’t use vocal fillers like ‘Uhm, Uh’. Breathe whenever you pause
• Avoid using long sentences that will strain your breathing. Your audience will also find it difficult to understand you
• Speak at a pace that is not too fast or slow. Vary your pace depending on your content
• Make yourself interesting with vocal variations, often referred to as voice modulation
• Warm up your voice regularly before every presentation
• Avoid wearing high heels and waist hugging clothes, that squeeze your body & breath, and affect the alignment of your spine & body