3 practical tips for speaking and presenting with a strong voice

Do you know this? You are supposed to give an important presentation that is decisive for your further career. You want to inspire on this day with your appearance, step in front of your audience with a confident voice and inspire them with your valuable impulses and know-how. To achieve this, it is a good idea to know and apply the secrets of success of effective rhetoric.

When we talk, we unconsciously say a lot of things. Things that can weaken our messages and thus us as a personality. That's why it's so important that we concentrate on our body language and our voice in order to optimally support what we want to convey in terms of content. In detail, there are exactly three aspects that influence our personal expression and appearance:

"Surf" your way through your presentation!

Our voice and way of speaking is audible body language! Are you convinced of what you say – do you represent your point of view? Then make sure that your body does not deny this by walking up and down. How can this be done better? Just imagine you're on a wide surfboard rocking on the water. And you are now preparing for the first wave by springing into balance.

• Feel your shoulders and elbows release and you're ready to balance?
• Pay attention to how your neck straightens. You are currently activating your diaphragm to the maximum.

This is the most important prerequisite for a fuller, stronger, more voluminous and clearer voice. Now that you have taken your proverbial point of view, does that mean to start speaking right away?

No! Show how important your topic is to you. Don't waste a valuable word on your audience until it's fully on your every word. If you want to have the maximum attention, wait and see! This may feel strange on the first attempts. The seconds will seem like minutes to you. But soon you will enjoy these moments – as the director of your own performance. When you hear and feel the full attention of everyone present, then only begin to speak.

Use the power of the break!

Many speakers fall into too fast a speaking pace due to stage fright or their own high enthusiasm. They forget to breathe and just race through their presentation. Trace? Nothing.

This is fatal, because in the minds of your Listener deep understanding only arises in your pauses in speech! You want to emphasize the significance of your particularly important statements? Only the pause in speech afterwards creates an effect, as if it were creating the echo of your Words in the head of your listeners .

But how do such breaks succeed?

Observe the principle: "Speak while standing, but – think while walking!"

Figuratively speaking, throw your statement lovingly to the listeners and let it fade away. Then take one or two steps, change the "geographical" position in the lecture room – silently and thinking – and then start with a new thought. Don't be afraid that your listeners will find this pause too long. They are certainly grateful for every breathing and thinking break.

And you, how do you continue to speak? If you set a fresh start in terms of content at your new location, ideally again from the surfboard position, you will inspire your listeners with full, powerful Voice and more pleasant gestural energy!

Engage in direct dialogue with your audience!

Do you also feel the urge to bring as much knowledge as possible to your audience? And therefore you try to convey detailed facts and information? This is legitimate and also necessary for many presentations! But never forget that a purely factual Speak Your Voice neutral and uninterested. Thus, your performance lacks any Spontaneity and lightness, you seem "unassailable", rigid and not humanly attractive.

Deine Zuseher haben unter Umständen sogar das Gefühl, hier trägt jemand einen Fachartikel vor. Um dies zu vermeiden, solltest Du in den direkten Dialog mit Deinem Publikum treten. Achte auf das magische Wörtchen „Sie“ oder “Du”! Überlege, welche kniffligen Fragen sich Deine Zuhörer zu Deinem Thema stellen.

• Where does the shoe pinch?
• Why exactly are your solutions so valuable?

Structure your presentation with these questions and then give the answers yourself. Through this game of questions and answers, you talk to your audience personally as if you were having a conversation. Your Listeners usually don't get active and loud , but feel directly addressed and involved!

Attention: If you work with "question chains" in this way, however, you must not exaggerate and fire off a real volley of questions to your audience. This immediately creates an interrogation character and repels the listeners. With the perfect balance between cleverly placed questions and knowledge transfer, you will inspire your listeners at your future performances with a lively way of speaking and a pleasant, evocative voice.

Have fun experimenting, trying out and implementing!