Your Voice: The Most Powerful Personal Tool In Making Presentations

By Marlena Reigh
International Voice Image Specialist

You have impressive visuals, the latest technology — you look great and your topic is hot, but have you invested time and energy in the most important of all personal tools — your voice?

I know you have seen it. A presenter has all the “bells and whistles,” something goes wrong and the presentation falls apart. Did you know that if that happened to you, you could use your voice skills to save the day? That is how powerful the voice is.

Why is the voice so important?
How can we use our voices to make a greater impact in our presentations?
What are some ways to enhance our voice image in presentations?
What voice facts are important to know?

First of all be aware that:

• A presentation is an event that we see, hear and feel. And what we hear, the presenter’s voice, not only enhances all visuals, but brings the entire presentation to the feeling level: the level where listeners make the decision to believe and buy into your message. 
• Just having a pleasant sounding voice is not enough. Using personality or character in the voice through variety in dynamics can turn an ordinary presentation extraordinary and will grab and keep the attention of listeners from beginning to end.
• The body entrains, or physically reacts to the voice. The body responds not to the words, but the sound quality and musicality of the voice. If your voice is dull, lifeless or boring, listener’s bodies will entrain with dull, lifeless, and boring body responses. Within seconds they are mentally checked out. 

Ways of making a dynamic vocal impact:

• Always-always warm up your voice before speaking. Practice your presentation out loud and connect with your voice energy, an energy that involves your whole body. Humming, singing in the shower, along with physical stretches ten to fifteen minutes each day at least a week before presentation day is ideal. Take time to feel the energy radiate to the tips of your fingers and toes.  
• Learn to use your voice as your instrument. The most interesting and dynamic speakers use their voices as instruments. As in a piece of music, variety in speed, volume and range is essential in charming the listeners so that they are engaged in the presentation. Speed adds energy, volume adds emotional intensity, and range adds color and the human quality (see detailed article “6 Keys To A More Dynamic Speaking Voice” at http://www.MarlenaReigh.com
• When preparing let your voice reflect the energy state you want to exude, for your presentation. Ask: “What do I need to do to make a dynamic and interesting presentation with my voice? What do I want them to feel?” Practice with that energy. Find an object or thought that will immediately put you in that energy state. 

Tips on improving your voice for presentation personality:

• Talk to yourself. It may sound strange, but this will keep your voice, body and mind connected in a physical sense.
• Create a daily and presentation day warm-up routine.
• Experiment: You have your voice with you all the time and there are hundreds of opportunities each day both professionally and personally to use it differently.
• What kinds of voice personalities are in your repertoire? Tap into those various situations where you use variety in your voice and identify how your body entrains to them.
• Rather than guiding your voice by the sound, guide your voice by how it feels.
• Think of yourself as an athlete in training. Be mentally, physically and vocally in shape. 

Important voice facts for presenters:

• Better speakers change volume levels more frequently.
• The situation and/or topic influences volume range.
• The nature of the material will determine the speed.
• Audiences differentiate professional from non-professional speakers by the length and variety of pauses.
• Spend more time talking quickly.
• How you use your range will determine your feelings on the subject and influences audience response. 

Marlena Reigh, international voice image specialist since 1992, teaches unique, effective and powerful voice communication techniques which are critical in getting results in any speaking situation. www.MarlenaReigh.com  2359 Prairie Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48105 Marlena@marlenareigh.com (734)395.3553

©2013 M. Reigh Radiant Communications  (734)395.3553