Result-oriented rhetoric in conversation and presentation (1)

Voice is audible body language

When you follow a presentation as a listener, it is the overall effect of the person in front that forms the first impression:

• How confident does the speaker seem?
• How competent does he seem to me?
• Do I feel that expression and behavior are appropriate for the occasion?
• What do his posture, his way of speaking and his voice convey?

In this first video impulse, I remind you of the three zones that allow a lively voice, gestures and way of speaking:

Unconsciously, the stability of your statements is conveyed through your body language. You may remember the experiment in the workshop, and how even a little nudge initially threw you out of your point of view... A good, solid stance, on the other hand, not only conveys security, but is also the starting point for freeing gestures and speaking lively:

• Stand stably on both feet
• Loosen your knees so that you are flexible and balanced in the "hula hoop zone" (this activates the muscles in the lower back)
• Now open your gaze to your conversation partner: You feel your upper body coming forward a little expectantly, as if you were waiting to catch a thought
• Your shoulders and neck are relaxed, your arms spontaneously fall down and become ready for impulsive, relaxed gestures that will perfectly underline your words
• The entire body feel is light and flexible while being firmly anchored to your point of view.

Authentic modulation

SPEAK STANDING UP!

If you follow this important principle, you will gain enormously in your presentation or speech. The background is that the brain stores what is said spatially and locally. This means that the moment you keep moving while speaking, it becomes much more difficult for your listeners to actually store your messages. That would be a pity!

Of course, this does not mean that you should stand rooted to one place for your entire speaking time. A little dynamism is good. The recommendation is just to make sure you're essentially standing in one place while you're talking.

So: Speak while standing, move (walk) during the pauses for reflection – and speak standing again.

SENSE FOCUSING

For the start of your presentation, but also again and again in between (e.g. if you have just changed your point of view), it is worthwhile to use the technique of Sense Focusing®. You pause for a moment, switch to feel and very soon you will notice how your shoulders loosen. They not only gain presence, but also create the best conditions for lively gestures and authentic modulation.

Room-filling speaking

ROOM ACOUSTICS AND TEXTURE

Raumgröße, Beschaffenheit der Wände und des Fußbodens, Anzahl der Menschen im Raum bzw. im Publikum – das alles sind Faktoren, die darauf einwirken, wie Sie ihre Stimme „einstellen“ müssen, um den Raum gut mit ihrem Klang zu füllen. Wenn Sie die Chance haben, besuchen Sie den Raum, in dem Sie sprechen werden, schon vorab und stimmen Sie sich auf ihn und seine Akustik ein:

• Walk through the room speaking loudly and listen carefully to sound, volume and volume.
• Check to what extent carpets, curtains or other textiles absorb sound.
• Try out to what extent smooth surfaces contribute to the sound being carried and how easily reverberation may even occur.
• Sprechen Sie dabei bewusst mit dem Rücken zu den Zuhörerplätzen und überprüfen Sie Verständlichkeit und Deutlichkeit.

And while we're on the subject of pure acoustics: Why not develop your enjoyment of auditory perception by simply listening to the following explanation?

You will notice that you gain confidence if you have been able to explore the room acoustically beforehand. It is clear that this is not always possible. The acoustics also change again when the room is actually filled with people.

Here, too, your ear helps you to control your voice well – for example, with the help of the technique of the "magic 1st word":

In two weeks you will receive your second online tip "Content preparation" .

If any questions arise in the meantime or if you simply want to give me feedback, I would be very happy if you write to me: arno.fischbacher@stimme.at

I wish you every success and much success!

You
Arno Fischbacher