voice in presentation skills

How to Use Your Voice Effectively During A Presentation

In this article, we’ll explore some practical tips and techniques for using your voice effectively during a presentation. From speaking clearly and varying your tone and pitch to using inflection and emphasis, these strategies can boost your vocal delivery and feel more confident and in control.

1. Vary Your Tone and Pitch

2. use inflection and emphasis, 3. speak clearly and concisely, 4. avoid filler words and phrases, 5. use pauses strategically, 6. pay attention to your body language, 7. avoid monotony, 8. use vocal pacing, 9. speak with confidence, 10. use repetition, final thoughts.

Another important aspect of using your voice effectively during a presentation is varying your tone and pitch. This helps to keep your audience engaged and interested in what you are saying. 

Try to avoid a monotone voice and instead vary the pitch and tone of your voice throughout the presentation. For example, you might raise your voice slightly when making an important point, or lower it when speaking more softly or confidentially.

In addition to varying your tone and pitch, it’s important to use inflection and emphasis to help convey your message. This means emphasizing key words or phrases in your presentation, such as by raising your voice slightly or pausing before or after the emphasized word. 

Inflection can also be used to convey different emotions, such as excitement or concern, depending on the content of your presentation.

The first tip for using your voice effectively during a presentation is to speak clearly and concisely. This means articulating your words carefully, pronouncing them correctly, and avoiding filler words such as “um” or “like.” 

It’s also important to speak at an appropriate pace, neither too fast nor too slow, so that your audience can follow along easily. Take your time when speaking and pause at appropriate moments to emphasize key points.

Filler words and phrases, such as “um,” “like,” and “you know,” can be distracting and take away from the impact of your message. Try to avoid using them as much as possible. 

If you find yourself slipping into using filler words, take a moment to pause, collect your thoughts, and continue speaking. This will help you to speak more clearly and effectively.

Pauses can be a powerful tool when used strategically during a presentation. Pausing before or after a key point can emphasize its importance and allow your audience to digest the information. 

Pausing can also help you to collect your thoughts and regain your composure if you are feeling nervous. Be sure to practice your pauses during your practice sessions to ensure that they are effective and not too long.

Your body language can also impact your vocal delivery. Standing up straight and using confident gestures can help to project confidence and authority in your voice. Avoid slouching or fidgeting, as this can detract from your message and make you appear nervous or uncertain.

Monotony refers to a lack of variation or excitement in your vocal delivery. This can make your presentation seem dull or uninteresting to your audience. 

To avoid monotony, try to vary your tone, pitch, pacing, and volume throughout your presentation. This can help to keep your audience engaged and interested in your message.

Vocal pacing refers to the speed at which you speak. Varying your pacing can help to keep your audience engaged and interested in your message. 

You can use a slower pace to emphasize important points or a faster pace to add excitement to your presentation. Practice adjusting your pacing during your rehearsals to find the right balance for your presentation.

Confidence is key to effective vocal delivery. Practice speaking with conviction and authority to project confidence and credibility in your message. This can help to keep your audience engaged and interested in your presentation.

Repetition can be an effective tool for emphasizing key points and making your message more memorable. By repeating important words or phrases, you can help to reinforce your message and make it more impactful. Practice incorporating repetition into your presentation where appropriate to add emphasis and impact.

Using your voice effectively during a presentation takes practice and attention to detail. By incorporating pauses, active listening, speaking with confidence, using repetition, being authentic, and practicing the other techniques discussed in this article, you can master the art of vocal delivery and deliver a clear, confident, and engaging presentation that leaves a lasting impression on your audience.

Related Posts:

British Council

How to improve your voice for presentations, by ros and neil johnson, 18 august 2016 - 01:43.

Ros and Neil Johnson, speech and drama specialists at  Theatresaursus , explain the benefits for presentations of improving the voice, and offer some techniques.

Have you ever given a presentation or done any other form of public speaking? If so, you probably spent some time thinking about the words you were going to use and the ideas you were going to express. But, as Dr Emily Grossman has  pointed out , when someone is speaking, most of the information we receive as an audience comes through the speaker's body language, their enthusiasm, and – very importantly – the tone of their voice.

Why is it important to improve the way we use our voice?

When we make a presentation or speak to a large group of people, it's important to have an authoritative and appealing tone of voice. This will come from the ability to make your voice resonate, as a resonant voice is more pleasing on the ear and can make you sound more confident. This in turn helps the audience relax and enjoy the presentation.

An audience will ‘pick up’ on your voice and respond favourably, potentially affording you a greater deal of respect and attention. Often, the audience won’t know or understand why this is the case, so having the ability to control and improve the way you use your voice can be a useful and powerful skill.

There are practical reasons, too. Using your voice skilfully can stop you getting a sore throat. When we shout, our vocal folds (often known as vocal chords) crash together and become swollen and red, sometimes causing damage. So learning how to use your voice by warming it up will prevent soreness in the throat.

How does our body produce sound?

Breath is the power behind the voice, but this is only the start. As we breathe in, our lungs expand. When we speak, the air comes up through the  trachea , making the vocal folds (which are situated at the top of the trachea) vibrate. This creates sound. The ability to control the breath is very important and is the basis of all voice work.

We then use the resonators in our throat, nose, mouth and cheek cavities (sinuses) to amplify the sound, and our articulators (tongue, teeth, lips, etc.) to create specific sounds that become understandable words and therefore speech.

However, as with any sport or exercise, it is important to warm up before we start. This means first warming up our body from head to toe before we start to work on our voice.

Exercise 1:

Check through the body, shaking each part from the toes upwards. Shake your legs and arms. Then, stretch up to the ceiling or sky. Roll the shoulders and lift them up to the ears and then back down again, all the time making sure that they end in a relaxed position. Finally, relax your neck. Gently roll your head by first putting your chin on your chest and roll the head round to the back clockwise and anti-clockwise.

Exercise 2:

Yawn – this relaxes the throat and all the vocal areas. Then, yawn and stretch at the same time.

How do we improve our breath control?

The most important thing is to learn how to relax and allow yourself to expand and increase your breath capacity. The natural tendency is to breathe only in our upper chest, so learning to breath down into our lower lungs and using the  diaphragm  properly is the first step. The diaphragm is a muscle separating the thorax from the abdomen – by finding and exercising this muscle, we can learn to better control our breath during speech.

Exercise 3:

Lie on the floor on your back with feet on the floor, so that your legs are bent with your knees pointing upwards. Check your posture: you should be relaxed, shoulders down, fists unclenched, etc. Now mentally take a journey through your body from head to toe, making sure you are relaxed. Start with your feet, ankles, legs and work your way up to your head. When you find tension, ask your body to release it.

Relax and breathe. Take the breathing deeper, breathing in to a count of four (in your head). Breathe in through your nose and feel the breath expanding the ribs like an umbrella up and out. Place a hand just below your belly button and feel the belly rise and drop.

Remember you must try to be relaxed at all times – always check (see exercise 1) and do not force anything.

If the upper chest begins to lift while you are breathing, gently place a hand on it to keep it still and down. Release all the abdominal muscles. Take your time and breath in and out (in through the nose and out through the mouth). Breathe in and release the breath to produce a long 'huh...ahh' sound. Do this a few times.

Now, apply tension throughout the body so it is completely tense and then release. Feel your body relax.

Go back to your breathing – in through the nose and out through the mouth. Feel your muscles through your back and keep your upper body still, but not tense.

Now slowly stand up. Centre yourself with your legs shoulder-width apart, arms and shoulders relaxed, knees unlocked. Your head should be perched upon your neck. Make sure your chin is not jutting out or pulled in.

Let your head drop, chin to chest (relaxed) and then let your body roll down vertebrae by vertebrae so your body is hanging, arms loose, and stay like this hanging, relaxed and breathing. Roll back up (make sure your head comes up last). Hug yourself, with your arms, your hands touching your ribs. Roll down again into the hanging position. Breathe gently in and out and feel the rib cage move. Gently roll back up as before (head last).

This is a great exercise for feeling the movement needed in the ribcage and to help get the muscles working.

Please note: as this way of breathing may feel very different to what you are used to, you may not notice a great deal of movement to begin with. However, as with anything new, 'practice makes perfect'.

How do we articulate sound into speech?

Articulation creates the specific sounds that make up words. By using our tongue, teeth, palate and lips (our articulators), we create recognisable words. In order to be clear in our speech, we need to exercise our articulators by going through the vowel sounds. The following exercises 4-6 will help improve your articulation:

Exercise 4:

Make a 'hum' sound with your lips together but not tight – feel your lips tickle or vibrate. Move the 'hum' sound around inside your mouth from the lips to nose and back to the lips. Feel the vibrations in the different areas.

Chew some imaginary gum. Imagine it is growing and growing. Now, imagine you have toffee stuck in your mouth and use your tongue to get it out.

Exercise 5:

Always from a relaxed and centred position, say out loud:

'pah paw poo pee pay...pah paw poo pee pay'

'lah, law, loo lee lay...lah law loo lee lay'

'gah gaw goo gee gay...gah gaw goo gee gay'

Use these structures to go through different sounds and, in particular, sounds that you find difficult. For the 'lah' sound, the tip of the tongue should be behind the front teeth before flicking out to an open mouth.

Exercise 6:

Say out loud:

'ba da ga...ba da ga' (making the sound of the consonants, i.e., 'buh' not 'baah', 'duh' not 'daah', etc.). Repeat.

'pa ta ka...pa ta ka'  (again make the sound of the letters 'p', 't' and 'k').

You can do this anywhere, but try to use your full voice and also whispering (which should always be voiceless).

Tongue twisters are also a good way to exercise the articulators and help improve fluency of articulation and diction. You can find many on the internet, for example: 'She sells sea shells on the sea-shore' and 'Peter piper picked a peck of pickled pepper'.

Exercise 7:

Place your hand on your chest and yawn. Feel the vibrations and resonance in your chest. Now say 'hello, hello, hello' from deep down in your chest.

Why is the ability to project our voices important? 

If you want to be heard, you need to learn how to project. Projection comes from taking control of the breath.

If you can, arrange to visit the room you are going to be speaking in and walk around it. Use your speech and play with it, walking around while speaking, playing with the volume. Ask a colleague to listen to you – can they hear you clearly? Does your voice resonate?

Try speaking very slowly. Now try singing your speech. Now 'throw' your voice to the farthest wall. This should always be done from a place of relaxation. Check that your shoulders are down. Wriggle and roll them to check for tension. Check your posture.

Finally, make sure you check your pace – we always speak much faster than normal when we are nervous. Practise speaking very slowly. You will feel that it's too slow, but it almost certainly won’t be.

Ros and Neil Johnson are founders of  Theatresaursus , which runs Shakespeare workshops, drama courses and holiday courses. They recently delivered a course for teachers and trainers at the  British Council in Malaysia  about how to use theatre-based techniques in the classroom.

Find out about the British Council's  Shakespeare Lives  programme of events and activities in 2016, celebrating Shakespeare’s work on the occasion of the 400th anniversary of his death.

You might also be interested in:

• Classroom techniques to help pupils tackle Shakespeare
• How to present complex ideas clearly
• How to become good at debating

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What Are Effective Presentation Skills (and How to Improve Them)

Presentation skills are essential for your personal and professional life. Learn about effective presentations and how to boost your presenting techniques.

At least seven out of 10 Americans agree that presentation skills are essential for a successful career [ 1 ]. Although it might be tempting to think that these are skills reserved for people interested in public speaking roles, they're critical in a diverse range of jobs. For example, you might need to brief your supervisor on research results.

Presentation skills are also essential in other scenarios, including working with a team and explaining your thought process, walking clients through project ideas and timelines, and highlighting your strengths and achievements to your manager during performance reviews.

Whatever the scenario, you have very little time to capture your audience’s attention and get your point across when presenting information—about three seconds, according to research [ 2 ]. Effective presentation skills help you get your point across and connect with the people you’re communicating with, which is why nearly every employer requires them.

Understanding what presentation skills are is only half the battle. Honing your presenting techniques is essential for mastering presentations of all kinds and in all settings.

What are presentation skills?

Presentation skills are the abilities and qualities necessary for creating and delivering a compelling presentation that effectively communicates information and ideas. They encompass what you say, how you structure it, and the materials you include to support what you say, such as slides, videos, or images.

You'll make presentations at various times in your life. Examples include:

Making speeches at a wedding, conference, or another event

Making a toast at a dinner or event

Explaining projects to a team 

Delivering results and findings to management teams

Teaching people specific methods or information

Proposing a vote at community group meetings

Pitching a new idea or business to potential partners or investors

Why are presentation skills important? 

Delivering effective presentations is critical in your professional and personal life. You’ll need to hone your presentation skills in various areas, such as when giving a speech, convincing your partner to make a substantial purchase, and talking to friends and family about an important situation.

No matter if you’re using them in a personal or professional setting, these are the skills that make it easier and more effective to convey your ideas, convince or persuade others, and experience success. A few of the benefits that often accompany improving your presentation skills include:

Enriched written and verbal communication skills

Enhanced confidence and self-image

Boosted critical thinking and problem-solving capabilities

Better motivational techniques

Increased leadership skills

Expanded time management, negotiation, and creativity

The better your presenting techniques, the more engaging your presentations will be. You could also have greater opportunities to make positive impacts in business and other areas of your life.

Effective presentation skills

Imagine yourself in the audience at a TED Talk or sitting with your coworkers at a big meeting held by your employer. What would you be looking for in how they deliver their message? What would make you feel engaged?

These are a few questions to ask yourself as you review this list of some of the most effective presentation skills.

Verbal communication

How you use language and deliver messages play essential roles in how your audience will receive your presentation. Speak clearly and confidently, projecting your voice enough to ensure everyone can hear. Think before you speak, pausing when necessary and tailoring the way you talk to resonate with your particular audience.

Body language

Body language combines various critical elements, including posture, gestures, eye contact, expressions, and position in front of the audience. Body language is one of the elements that can instantly transform a presentation that would otherwise be dull into one that's dynamic and interesting.

Voice projection

The ability to project your voice improves your presentation by allowing your audience to hear what you're saying. It also increases your confidence to help settle any lingering nerves while also making your message more engaging. To project your voice, stand comfortably with your shoulders back. Take deep breaths to power your speaking voice and ensure you enunciate every syllable you speak.

How you present yourself plays a role in your body language and ability to project your voice. It also sets the tone for the presentation. Avoid slouching or looking overly tense. Instead, remain open, upright, and adaptable while taking the formality of the occasion into account.

Storytelling

Incorporating storytelling into a presentation is an effective strategy used by many powerful public speakers. It has the power to bring your subject to life and pique the audience’s curiosity. Don’t be afraid to tell a personal story, slowly building up suspense or adding a dramatic moment. And, of course, be sure to end with a positive takeaway to drive your point home.

Active listening

Active listening is a valuable skill all on its own. When you understand and thoughtfully respond to what you hear—whether it's in a conversation or during a presentation—you’ll likely deepen your personal relationships and actively engage audiences during a presentation. As part of your presentation skill set, it helps catch and maintain the audience’s attention, helping them remain focused while minimizing passive response, ensuring the message is delivered correctly, and encouraging a call to action.

Stage presence

During a presentation, projecting confidence can help keep your audience engaged. Stage presence can help you connect with your audience and encourage them to want to watch you. To improve your presence, try amping up your normal demeanor by infusing it with a bit of enthusiasm. Project confidence and keep your information interesting.

Watch your audience as you’re presenting. If you’re holding their attention, it likely means you’re connecting well with them.

Self-awareness

Monitoring your own emotions and reactions will allow you to react well in various situations. It helps you remain personable throughout your presentation and handle feedback well. Self-awareness can help soothe nervousness during presentations, allowing you to perform more effectively.

Writing skills

Writing is a form of presentation. Sharp writing skills can help you master your presentation’s outline to ensure you stay on message and remain clear about your objectives from the beginning until the end. It’s also helpful to have strong writing abilities for creating compelling slides and other visual aids.

Understanding an audience

When you understand your audience's needs and interests, you can design your presentation around them. In turn, you'll deliver maximum value to them and enhance your ability to make your message easy to understand.

Learn more about presentation skills from industry experts at SAP:

How to improve presentation skills

There’s an art to public speaking. Just like any other type of art, this is one that requires practice. Improving your presentation skills will help reduce miscommunications, enhance your time management capabilities, and boost your leadership skills. Here are some ways you can improve these skills:

Work on self-confidence.

When you’re confident, you naturally speak more clearly and with more authority. Taking the time to prepare your presentation with a strong opening and compelling visual aids can help you feel more confident. Other ways to improve your self-confidence include practicing positive self-talk, surrounding yourself with positive people, and avoiding comparing yourself (or your presentation) to others.

Develop strategies for overcoming fear.

Many people are nervous or fearful before giving a presentation. A bad memory of a past performance or insufficient self-confidence can contribute to fear and anxiety. Having a few go-to strategies like deep breathing, practicing your presentation, and grounding can help you transform that fear into extra energy to put into your stage presence.

Learn grounding techniques.

Grounding is any type of technique that helps you steer your focus away from distressing thoughts and keeps you connected with your present self. To ground yourself, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and imagine you’re a large, mature tree with roots extending deep into the earth—like the tree, you can become unshakable.

Learn how to use presentation tools.

Visual aids and other technical support can transform an otherwise good presentation into a wow-worthy one. A few popular presentation tools include:

Canva: Provides easy-to-design templates you can customize

Powtoon: Animation software that makes video creation fast and easy

PowerPoint: Microsoft's iconic program popular for dynamic marketing and sales presentations

Practice breathing techniques.

Breathing techniques can help quell anxiety, making it easier to shake off pre-presentation jitters and nerves. It also helps relax your muscles and get more oxygen to your brain.  For some pre-presentation calmness, you can take deep breaths, slowly inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth.

While presenting, breathe in through your mouth with the back of your tongue relaxed so your audience doesn't hear a gasping sound. Speak on your exhalation, maintaining a smooth voice.

Gain experience.

The more you practice, the better you’ll become. The more you doanything, the more comfortable you’ll feel engaging in that activity. Presentations are no different. Repeatedly practicing your own presentation also offers the opportunity to get feedback from other people and tweak your style and content as needed.

Tips to help you ace your presentation

Your presentation isn’t about you; it’s about the material you’re presenting. Sometimes, reminding yourself of this ahead of taking center stage can help take you out of your head, allowing you to connect effectively with your audience. The following are some of the many actions you can take on the day of your presentation.

Arrive early.

Since you may have a bit of presentation-related anxiety, it’s important to avoid adding travel stress. Give yourself an abundance of time to arrive at your destination, and take into account heavy traffic and other unforeseen events. By arriving early, you also give yourself time to meet with any on-site technicians, test your equipment, and connect with people ahead of the presentation.

Become familiar with the layout of the room.

Arriving early also gives you time to assess the room and figure out where you want to stand. Experiment with the acoustics to determine how loudly you need to project your voice, and test your equipment to make sure everything connects and appears properly with the available setup. This is an excellent opportunity to work out any last-minute concerns and move around to familiarize yourself with the setting for improved stage presence.

Listen to presenters ahead of you.

When you watch others present, you'll get a feel for the room's acoustics and lighting. You can also listen for any data that’s relevant to your presentation and revisit it during your presentation—this can make the presentation more interactive and engaging.

Use note cards.

Writing yourself a script could provide you with more comfort. To prevent sounding too robotic or disengaged, only include talking points in your note cards in case you get off track. Using note cards can help keep your presentation organized while sounding more authentic to your audience.

Learn to deliver clear and confident presentations with Dynamic Public Speaking from the University of Washington. Build confidence, develop new delivery techniques, and practice strategies for crafting compelling presentations for different purposes, occasions, and audiences.

Article sources

Forbes. “ New Survey: 70% Say Presentation Skills are Critical for Career Success , https://www.forbes.com/sites/carminegallo/2014/09/25/new-survey-70-percent-say-presentation-skills-critical-for-career-success/?sh=619f3ff78890.” Accessed December 7, 2022.

Beautiful.ai. “ 15 Presentation and Public Speaking Stats You Need to Know , https://www.beautiful.ai/blog/15-presentation-and-public-speaking-stats-you-need-to-know. Accessed December 7, 2022.

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Raise Your Voice: 10 Vocal Techniques For Powerful Public Speaking

Reyaa Agarwal

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Have you ever wondered what sets apart a captivating speaker from a forgettable one? It’s all about the power of the voice! Whether you’re delivering a persuasive presentation, giving a TED talk , or simply addressing a crowd, mastering vocal techniques can elevate your public speaking game to new heights. In this blog, we’ll uncover ten vocal techniques that will transform your voice into a mesmerising instrument, captivating your audience’s attention from the moment you open your mouth. So, warm up those vocal cords, embrace your inner performer, and let’s embark on a journey to unleash the full potential of your voice for effective public speaking !

The Power Of Projection: Be Heard Loud And Clear!

Are you tired of straining to be heard? It’s time to project your voice with confidence! Discover techniques to engage your diaphragm , control your breath, and project your voice to the back of the room. Whether you’re speaking to a small group or a large audience, you’ll grab attention and leave a lasting impact with your powerful voice.

• Diaphragmatic Breathing: Diaphragmatic breathing, also known as belly breathing, is a technique that involves engaging the diaphragm to promote deep, controlled breaths. To engage your diaphragm, place one hand on your abdomen and inhale deeply, allowing your belly to rise as you fill your lungs with air. Exhale slowly, feeling your belly lower. This technique helps activate and strengthen the diaphragm, improving breathing efficiency and vocal projection.
• Vocal Exercises: Certain vocal exercises can help engage the diaphragm and promote better control over your voice. One effective exercise is the “Siren” exercise, where you start at a low pitch and gradually slide your voice up to a higher pitch and back down again. This exercise encourages the use of the diaphragm and helps expand your vocal range.
• Yoga and Pilates: Engaging in activities like yoga and Pilates can also help strengthen the diaphragm and improve its function. These practices often emphasise deep breathing and core engagement, which indirectly targets the diaphragm. Exercises such as the “Hundred” in Pilates and various breathing techniques in yoga can promote diaphragmatic engagement and overall breath control.

By incorporating these techniques into your vocal and breathing exercises, you can develop a stronger connection with your diaphragm and improve your ability to control your voice and engage your audience effectively.

Mastering Pace And Pause: The Art Of Rhythm In Speech

Speech is like a dance, and rhythm is its beat. Learn the art of pacing your speech and strategically incorporating pauses for emphasis and impact. Explore the power of silence and let it speak volumes. By mastering pace and pause , you’ll create a captivating and engaging delivery that keeps your audience on the edge of their seats.

• Practice Timing and Rhythm: One technique for mastering pace and pause is to practise timing and rhythm during your speech or presentation. Pay attention to the natural flow of your words and sentences, and aim for a consistent and appropriate pace. Practice delivering your content at different speeds to find the right balance. Use a stopwatch or timer to track your timing and make adjustments as needed.
• Emphasise Key Points with Pauses: Pauses can be used strategically to emphasise important points and allow them to sink in with your audience. When you reach a significant point or want to create anticipation, pause briefly before continuing. This gives your audience time to process the information and adds impact to your message. Experiment with different lengths of pauses to find what works best for the content and tone of your presentation.
• Use Vocal Inflection and Variation: Another technique for mastering pace and pause is to incorporate vocal inflection and variation. Varying your tone, pitch, and volume can help add interest and engagement to your speech. Use pauses in conjunction with vocal inflection to create emphasis and convey meaning. Practice modulating your voice and experimenting with different patterns of pacing and pausing to keep your audience engaged and attentive.

Remember, mastering pace and pause is a skill that comes with practice and experience. By being mindful of your delivery, practising timing and rhythm, and using pauses strategically, you can enhance your overall speaking ability and effectively engage your audience.

Taming The Tension: Unlocking Vocal Relaxation

Are you plagued by vocal tension? It’s time to loosen up and find your vocal freedom! Do exercises to relax your jaw , neck, and throat. Release tension, embrace your natural voice, and speak with ease. By unlocking vocal relaxation, you’ll project confidence and authenticity, captivating your audience with every word.

• Jaw Relaxation Exercise: Start by gently opening your mouth and allowing your jaw to relax. Place the tip of your tongue behind your upper front teeth and let your jaw hang loose. Slowly move your jaw from side to side, feeling the muscles in your jaw release any tension. Repeat this movement several times, focusing on keeping your jaw relaxed throughout.
• Neck Stretch: Sit or stand with a straight posture. Slowly tilt your head to one side, bringing your ear towards your shoulder. Hold the stretch for a few seconds, feeling the gentle stretch along the side of your neck. Repeat on the other side. Next, lower your chin towards your chest and hold for a few seconds, feeling the stretch in the back of your neck. Finally, tilt your head back and look up towards the ceiling, stretching the front of your neck. Repeat these stretches a few times, focusing on maintaining a relaxed and steady breath.
• Throat Release Exercise: Sit or stand with good posture and take a deep breath in. As you exhale, make a low “ahh” sound, allowing your throat to fully open and relax. Repeat this sound a few times, focusing on the feeling of the vibration and relaxation in your throat. You can also gently massage the muscles at the front of your throat with your fingertips in a circular motion to further release tension.

These exercises can help alleviate tension in your jaw, neck, and throat, promoting relaxation and reducing any discomfort or stiffness you may be experiencing. Remember to listen to your body and stop any exercise that causes pain or discomfort.

Pitch Perfect: Harnessing The Power Of Vocal Range

The magic of voice lies in its versatility. Explore the power of pitch variation to convey emotion and captivate your audience. From high notes of excitement to low tones of seriousness, your vocal range is a palette of colours waiting to be explored. Embrace the full spectrum of your voice and paint a vivid picture with your words.

Imagine you’re giving a motivational speech. By utilising pitch variation , you’re able to inject enthusiasm and energy into your delivery, motivating your audience to take action and pursue their dreams.

• Siren Exercise: Begin by smoothly gliding your voice from your lowest pitch to your highest pitch and back down again, resembling the sound of a siren. This exercise helps you explore and expand your vocal range, allowing you to have better control over your pitch and explore different tones.
• Vocal Fry Exercise: Practise producing a low-pitched, creaky sound by deliberately engaging your vocal fry. This exercise helps strengthen your vocal cords and improve pitch stability, enabling you to hit lower notes with clarity and control.
• Lip Trills: Close your lips and produce a buzzing sound as you exhale slowly. This exercise helps relax and warm up your vocal cords, enhancing your pitch accuracy and control. It also aids in improving breath control and sustaining notes effortlessly.

Articulation Excellence: Enunciate And Articulate With Precision

Clear communication is key to effective public speaking. Explore exercises to enhance your enunciation and articulation, ensuring every word is crisp and easily understood. Master the art of pronunciation, clarity, and diction, leaving no room for misinterpretation. Enunciate like a pro and command attention with your impeccable speech.

• Tongue Twisters: Challenge yourself with tongue twisters that focus on specific sounds or letter combinations. Repeat them slowly and gradually increase your speed. This exercise improves clarity and precision in articulation, helping you pronounce words more accurately.
• Consonant Articulation Exercises: Practise exaggerating and isolating specific consonant sounds, such as “t,” “d,” and “s.” Pay attention to the placement of your tongue and the clarity of the sound. This exercise improves diction and enhances the overall intelligibility of your speech.
• Reading Aloud: Choose passages or texts with varying levels of complexity and read them aloud with emphasis on clear and precise articulation. This exercise helps you develop better control over your mouth muscles and improve your overall speech clarity.

Emotional Resonance: Infusing Your Voice With Emotion

Your voice is a powerful vehicle for emotion. Learn to infuse your words with genuine feeling to create an emotional resonance with your audience. Whether it’s joy, empathy, or determination, let your voice reflect your authentic emotions. By connecting on an emotional level , you’ll establish a deep rapport and leave a lasting impact.

• Emotional Recall: Tap into personal experiences or memories that evoke specific emotions. Practice expressing those emotions through your voice, allowing the feelings to resonate in your tone, pace, and inflection. This exercise helps you develop authenticity and emotional depth in your delivery.
• Vocal Characterisation: Experiment with embodying different characters or personas and expressing their emotions through your voice. Explore the nuances of tone, rhythm, and volume to convey the intended emotions convincingly.
• Visualisation Technique: Before speaking, mentally visualise the emotions you want to convey and imagine how they would manifest in your voice. Focus on connecting with the emotional essence of your message and channelling it through your vocal expression.

Masterful Intonation: Conveying Meaning Through Tone

Intonation is the secret sauce that adds flavour to your speech. Learn how to use variations in tone to emphasise key points, create suspense, and convey meaning. Whether it’s a rise in tone for a question or a fall for a powerful statement, your intonation will guide your audience’s understanding and engagement.

• Phrase Emphasis: Practise emphasising different words or phrases in a sentence to alter the intended meaning. Experiment with various tonal patterns to convey different shades of emphasis and highlight the key elements of your message.
• Rising and Falling Inflection: Explore using rising inflection to indicate a question or uncertainty and falling inflection to convey a statement or certainty. Practice modulating your voice to create natural and engaging intonation patterns.
• Dynamic Pacing: Experiment with varying the speed and rhythm of your speech to reflect the emotional content and importance of different parts of your message. Use pauses and changes in pace to add emphasis and maintain listener engagement.

Dynamic Volume Control: The Soft And Loud Of Impactful Speaking

Volume control is your secret weapon for impactful speaking. Explore techniques to adjust your volume, from soft whispers to powerful proclamations. Use volume to create emphasis, build suspense, and engage your audience in a dynamic journey. Harness the power of volume and watch as your words reverberate in the hearts and minds of your listeners.

• Whisper Exercise: Practise speaking softly and clearly, making sure your words are still intelligible. Focus on maintaining clarity and projection, even at lower volumes. This exercise helps develop control over your breath and vocal muscles for effective soft-speaking techniques.
• Vocal Projection: Practise speaking with a strong and confident voice, projecting your sound to fill the space around you. Focus on maintaining good posture, engaging your diaphragm, and using appropriate breath support to produce a powerful and resonant voice.
• Volume Variation: Explore the power of contrast by intentionally varying your volume levels throughout your speech. Experiment with softer moments.

Authenticity Amplification: Embracing Your Unique Voice

In a world of imitators, authenticity is a breath of fresh air. Embrace your unique voice and let it shine through your speaking. Discover techniques to unleash your natural vocal qualities, quirks, and personality. By amplifying your authenticity, you’ll connect with your audience on a genuine level, leaving a memorable impression.

• Self-Reflection: Take time to understand and embrace your natural speaking voice. Reflect on your own vocal qualities, strengths, and unique characteristics. Embrace your individuality and avoid imitating others. This will help you develop a confident and authentic speaking style.
• Authentic Storytelling: Share personal experiences and stories that reflect your true self. Connect with your audience by being genuine and relatable. Allow your voice to convey the emotions and authenticity behind your stories, creating a stronger connection with your listeners.
• Self-Acceptance: Embrace your voice as a part of your identity. Celebrate its uniqueness and avoid comparing yourself to others. Practice self-acceptance and develop a positive mindset towards your own vocal abilities. This will enable you to speak with confidence and authenticity.

The Secret Of Vocal Warm-Ups: Preparing Your Instrument

Just like a musician tunes their instrument, you must warm up your voice before speaking. Explore vocal warm-up exercises to relax your muscles, improve vocal agility, and prepare your instrument for a stellar performance. From tongue twisters to vocal sirens, these warm-ups will unleash the full potential of your voice.

• Lip Trills and Buzzing: Perform lip trills and buzzing exercises to warm up your lips, tongue, and facial muscles. This helps to improve articulation, flexibility, and overall vocal control.
• Tongue and Jaw Exercises: Engage in tongue and jaw exercises, such as tongue stretches and jaw rotations, to release tension and promote relaxation in these areas. This aids in improving clarity of speech and reducing vocal strain.
• Vocal Sirens: Practise vocal sirens, gliding your voice smoothly from the lowest to the highest pitch and vice versa. This exercise helps to warm up your vocal folds, expand your range, and promote vocal flexibility.

Master Vocal Techniques With Mentoria! 

By mastering these ten vocal techniques, you have unlocked the key to powerful public speaking. Embrace the power of projection, pace, relaxation, pitch, articulation, emotion, intonation, volume, authenticity, and warm-ups. Infuse your words with magic and captivate your audience with the sheer force of your voice. So, step onto the stage, own your unique sound, and let your voice be the symphony that resonates in the hearts of all who listen.

We’re here to provide you with all the help! Kick-start your journey with Mentoria and discover the right fit for you. Feel free to call us to speak to our career mentors and choose the right guidance plan that suits your needs.

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Ideas and insights from Harvard Business Publishing Corporate Learning

Powerful and Effective Presentation Skills: More in Demand Now Than Ever

When we talk with our L&D colleagues from around the globe, we often hear that presentation skills training is one of the top opportunities they’re looking to provide their learners. And this holds true whether their learners are individual contributors, people managers, or senior leaders. This is not surprising.

Effective communications skills are a powerful career activator, and most of us are called upon to communicate in some type of formal presentation mode at some point along the way.

For instance, you might be asked to brief management on market research results, walk your team through a new process, lay out the new budget, or explain a new product to a client or prospect. Or you may want to build support for a new idea, bring a new employee into the fold, or even just present your achievements to your manager during your performance review.

And now, with so many employees working from home or in hybrid mode, and business travel in decline, there’s a growing need to find new ways to make effective presentations when the audience may be fully virtual or a combination of in person and remote attendees.

Whether you’re making a standup presentation to a large live audience, or a sit-down one-on-one, whether you’re delivering your presentation face to face or virtually, solid presentation skills matter.

Even the most seasoned and accomplished presenters may need to fine-tune or update their skills. Expectations have changed over the last decade or so. Yesterday’s PowerPoint which primarily relied on bulleted points, broken up by the occasional clip-art image, won’t cut it with today’s audience.

The digital revolution has revolutionized the way people want to receive information. People expect presentations that are more visually interesting. They expect to see data, metrics that support assertions. And now, with so many previously in-person meetings occurring virtually, there’s an entirely new level of technical preparedness required.

The leadership development tools and the individual learning opportunities you’re providing should include presentation skills training that covers both the evergreen fundamentals and the up-to-date capabilities that can make or break a presentation.

So, just what should be included in solid presentation skills training? Here’s what I think.

The fundamentals will always apply When it comes to making a powerful and effective presentation, the fundamentals will always apply. You need to understand your objective. Is it strictly to convey information, so that your audience’s knowledge is increased? Is it to persuade your audience to take some action? Is it to convince people to support your idea? Once you understand what your objective is, you need to define your central message. There may be a lot of things you want to share with your audience during your presentation, but find – and stick with – the core, the most important point you want them to walk away with. And make sure that your message is clear and compelling.

You also need to tailor your presentation to your audience. Who are they and what might they be expecting? Say you’re giving a product pitch to a client. A technical team may be interested in a lot of nitty-gritty product detail. The business side will no doubt be more interested in what returns they can expect on their investment.

Another consideration is the setting: is this a formal presentation to a large audience with questions reserved for the end, or a presentation in a smaller setting where there’s the possibility for conversation throughout? Is your presentation virtual or in-person? To be delivered individually or as a group? What time of the day will you be speaking? Will there be others speaking before you and might that impact how your message will be received?

Once these fundamentals are established, you’re in building mode. What are the specific points you want to share that will help you best meet your objective and get across your core message? Now figure out how to convey those points in the clearest, most straightforward, and succinct way. This doesn’t mean that your presentation has to be a series of clipped bullet points. No one wants to sit through a presentation in which the presenter reads through what’s on the slide. You can get your points across using stories, fact, diagrams, videos, props, and other types of media.

Visual design matters While you don’t want to clutter up your presentation with too many visual elements that don’t serve your objective and can be distracting, using a variety of visual formats to convey your core message will make your presentation more memorable than slides filled with text. A couple of tips: avoid images that are cliched and overdone. Be careful not to mix up too many different types of images. If you’re using photos, stick with photos. If you’re using drawn images, keep the style consistent. When data are presented, stay consistent with colors and fonts from one type of chart to the next. Keep things clear and simple, using data to support key points without overwhelming your audience with too much information. And don’t assume that your audience is composed of statisticians (unless, of course, it is).

When presenting qualitative data, brief videos provide a way to engage your audience and create emotional connection and impact. Word clouds are another way to get qualitative data across.

Practice makes perfect You’ve pulled together a perfect presentation. But it likely won’t be perfect unless it’s well delivered. So don’t forget to practice your presentation ahead of time. Pro tip: record yourself as you practice out loud. This will force you to think through what you’re going to say for each element of your presentation. And watching your recording will help you identify your mistakes—such as fidgeting, using too many fillers (such as “umm,” or “like”), or speaking too fast.

A key element of your preparation should involve anticipating any technical difficulties. If you’ve embedded videos, make sure they work. If you’re presenting virtually, make sure that the lighting is good, and that your speaker and camera are working. Whether presenting in person or virtually, get there early enough to work out any technical glitches before your presentation is scheduled to begin. Few things are a bigger audience turn-off than sitting there watching the presenter struggle with the delivery mechanisms!

Finally, be kind to yourself. Despite thorough preparation and practice, sometimes, things go wrong, and you need to recover in the moment, adapt, and carry on. It’s unlikely that you’ll have caused any lasting damage and the important thing is to learn from your experience, so your next presentation is stronger.

How are you providing presentation skills training for your learners?

Manika Gandhi is Senior Learning Design Manager at Harvard Business Publishing Corporate Learning. Email her at [email protected] .

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Moxie Institute

Public Speaking Training 101: Mastering Your Voice, Your Guide to Vocal Perfection

“M,” for “Move your mouth.”

Welcome to the MOXIE Method series which focuses on one of the most crucial parts of any presentation—the delivery. Having carefully crafted the content using the POWER Method and developing a slide deck that has impact with the STYLE Method , it’s time to work on your voice and give it some major gravitas.

Here’s what you have to look forward to:

The MOXIE Method

M = Move Your Mouth – Learn how to speak with executive presence using techniques for articulating your words. Not to mention the importance of using the ever terrifying concept of silent pauses.

O = Oxygenate – Stop. Breath. Find out how breathing can not only help you project your voice to reach the backseats but also temper those pre-speech butterflies and give you more control.

X = eXcite Your Audience – BAM! You show up and the audience comes to life. Knowing how to command the stage and move with confidence is a guaranteed way to demonstrate that you are an expert in your field worth listening to.

I = the It Factor – There is an art to rehearsing your presentation. Just saying it out loud a few times won’t cut it when the seats are full and all eyes on you. We cover the steps you should take to ensure you remember the important details while staying comfortable enough to speak from the heart.

E = Enjoy the Experience – You’re an expert. You’ve put in the hardwork to give a mind-blowing presentation—why would you not enjoy it? From using fear to fuel your excitement to visualizing the standing ovation you deserve, we cover how you can learn to love the spotlight.

Doesn’t Everyone Move Their Mouth When They Speak?

Yes, of course, usually—just not enough for clear, efficacious communication.

Move Your Mouth is the most hilariously obvious advice I give all my clients who take my public speaking training . MOVE YOUR MOUTH! I love this advice because it is such an easy change to make in vocal delivery that has a massive impact. It is as easy as opening your mouth wider and taller when you speak. Want to know how to project your voice? Want to sound clearer, more educated, and more professional?…Move Your Mouth.

And though speaking with clarity is, of course, a major benefit, moving your mouth is also crucial to leveraging the full dynamic of your talking voice. It’s a key factor in public speaking and any business presentation .To sound assertive, humorous, motivational, or even sympathetic, we rely on pitch, tone, volume, pacing, and enunciation. All by moving that jaw bone of ours.

Surely you’ve suffered through a presentation where a speaker assumes that their monotone makes them sound authoritative. Or intelligent… only to come off a far cry from David Attenborough. What did you remember from the message? Probably nothing more than that you wanted to be doing just about anything else!

That’s because dynamic vocalization piques our interest, sustains our attention—and makes for one heckova presentation!

Moving Your Mouth… A Great Business Move

Like your favorite public speakers, you can use vocal variety in business to inspire, engage, and motivate your audience, employees, clients and colleagues.

The most common reason people seek speaking and elocution lessons is because they lack confidence in their talking voice and presentation skills . That lack of confidences shows and absolutely impacts you in the office or on the stage. Practicing your enunciation can help you overcome any lack of confidence, as well as efficaciously engage whomever you’re speaking to, be it an individual or an auditorium. In the same way you energize your presentation to elevate it to the level of a performance , when you speak in person or in front of the camera , you need to tap into a larger-than-life element with your voice in order to captivate listeners.

You see, the most powerful vocal tool is an expressive voice. And expression comes from enunciation.

It’s always amazing for us to witness our clients’ transformation during public speaking trainings as they learn to implement key elements of vocal delivery.

Electrify Your Audience

However, our clients do have a lot in common with actors. Firstly, they know that nothing elicits emotion like the voice .

The sound waves that move past your lips carry magic in their wake .

The key is to suffuse the space with the sound of your voice. To do that, you need to do what all thespians and keynote public speakers perfect: moving your mouth .

Eloquent Speakers Enunciate

Our everyday speech tends to be lazy.

We slur our words, drop consonants, make “writing” and “riding” sound the same.

That’s fine at the pub, but perilous on stage. Make sure each word and syllable can be clearly heard . Move your mouth around each letter and syllable. At first it might feel like you’re exaggerating , but soon it’ll be second nature.

This will empower your professional presence, and allow you to be better understood, heard, and to appear more professional and confident in a variety of settings. Studies show that on an unconscious level, audiences register us as having nothing to hide when we open our mouths .

Your speaking voice should be authentic to you. However, the difference is a louder, clearer, more animated, and confident voice than you use in your everyday life and interactions, aka, your speaker persona.

Other tips to keep them listening:

1. intone and inflect – then they won’t forget.

The best radio DJs all have one thing in common: intoxicating inflection. They could read a government report with mystery and adventure in their voices.

Monotone voices (“Bueller, Bueller…”) will put your audience to sleep. That’s why you must use the range of human speech—the highs and lows, the fasts and slows—to keep them awake and engaged.

2. Powerfully Project to Earn Respect

Once you learn how to project your voice, it makes a world of difference. Adding volume and energy to your voice has three effects: it boosts your confidence, it reveals confidence to your listeners, and it helps them understand your words. Surround your audience with the dulcet sounds of your voice.

To make sure you don’t strain your vocal cords, project your voice from your diaphragm (in fact, that’s next up in our Public Speaking Training 101 series.)

3. Play with the Pace

Variety is the spice of speech. If the cadence of your words is too fast, too slow, or too predictable, you’re more likely to hear snoring than applause.

Mix it up. Delver some lines quickly, some lines slowly. (It helps when you’re writing your speech to vary the length and structure of your sentences, as I’ve done in this paragraph.)

We always recommend memorizing your speech if possible, but whether you’re reading or speaking from memory , don’t make it sound like a recitation. A keynote speech should flow as naturally as regular human speech, with all the variability that entails .

4. Practice the Power of the Pause

Slowing down and pausing helps you appear more powerful , allows the audience time to process information, and lets the impactfulness settle in. Trust in the silence and reflect, rather than jumping right in.

As a speaker, it’s incredibly important to overcome your fear of silence. When you pause, you may feel like you’re relinquishing power, but in reality you’re gaining power . Pausing shows the audience you’re comfortable, you deserve to be there, and you respect the interaction.

In fact, the easiest way to add variety is silence. Imagine how different John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address would have sounded if he’d jammed together its most famous line, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” The middle pause is crucial for the effect; “instead” or any sort of acceleration in the speech would have likely removed the line from the lexicons of immortal quotes.

Silence is every bit as powerful as speech. Use it to your advantage. Pause occasionally and allow your words to hang, to drift in the air. Your audience won’t remember the pause, but they’ll remember the phrase. Try adding pauses to this Dr. Seuss poem for effect:

“Be who you are and say how you feel, Because those who mind don’t matter, And those who matter don’t mind.”

5. Explore Emphasis and Change the Sentence

Tonality, if used strategically, will help the listener to focus on the most important parts of your message. It also lightens the processing load and helps the audience to understand what’s most crucial in your words. This is why effective speakers emphasize the most important words in their speech. Try saying this sentence. (Each time you say it, emphasize the next word in the sentence. Repeat this until you have emphasized each word in the sentence. How does emphasis change the sentence?)

“I can’t tell you not to go.”

By using emphasis, your tone can strengthen the message, rather than risking undermining the point you are trying to convey.

Action Items

Practice Your Persona – Developing your speaker persona takes time. Find what feels natural through practice. A wonderful way to practice and get feedback is to take a public speaking training course . Our favorite practice space is in the shower!

Mix It Up – Vary everything: your pitch, volume, cadence. It’ll keep your audience awake and maintain that feeling of electric anticipation.

Warm It Up – Spend a minute or two before your presentation loosening up your facial muscles and joints. Move your jaw in and out and around, make wild faces,buzz your lips. Diction lines like “Unique New York” and “Red Leather, Yellow Leather” are old actor standbys. And don’t forget the childhood favorites, like “Rubber baby buggy bumpers” or “She sells seashells down by the sea shore.”

Nothing happens in the world until someone gives it voice. Making deliberate choices with your voice will ensure that the messages you’re sending are the ones you intend.

Love it? Want more info along with additional vocal warm ups? Snag our Move Your Mouth Worksheet .

Still writing your speech? Check out our previous article, Public Speaking Training 101: Content and Preparation Before Your Speech .

Want ALL the info immediately? The ideas shared in this article are an excerpt from our Speak with Moxie e-book. To get the full action-packed book immediately at your fingertips, you can find it here .

Next week: O = Oxygenate

Breathing gives you life. It can also settle your nerves and help give your voice extra oomph—but only if you’re doing it right! The following step in the MOXIE Method will help you find out if you’ve been leaving yourself breathless during every speech.

TAKE THE FIRST STEP TO MASTER POWERFUL NEW SKILLS

Schedule an easy 30-minute call using our calendar . We’re here to help!

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Home Blog Education Presentation Skills 101: A Guide to Presentation Success

Presentation Skills 101: A Guide to Presentation Success

Getting the perfect presentation design is just a step toward a successful presentation. For the experienced user, building presentation skills is the answer to elevating the power of your message and showing expertise on any subject. Still, one can ask: is it the same set of skills, or are they dependable on the type of presentation?

In this article, we will introduce the different types of presentations accompanied by the skillset required to master them. The purpose, as always, is to retain the audience’s interest for a long-lasting and convincing message.

Table of Contents

The Importance of Presentation Skills

Persuasive presentations, instructional presentations, informative presentations, inspirational presentations, basic presentation skills, what are the main difficulties when giving a presentation, recommendations to improve your presentation skills, closing statement.

Effective communication is the answer to reaching business and academic goals. The scenarios in which we can be required to deliver a presentation are as diverse as one can imagine. Still, some core concepts apply to all presentations.

 We define presentation skills as a compendium of soft skills that directly affect your presentation performance and contribute to creating a great presentation. These are not qualities acquired by birth but skills you ought to train and master to delve into professional environments.

You may ask: is it really that evident when a presenter is not prepared? Here are some common signs people can experience during presentations:

• Evasive body language: Not making eye contact with the audience, arms closed tightly to the body, hands in pockets all the time.
• Lack of interest in the presenter’s voice: dull tone, not putting an effort to articulate the topics.
• Doubting when asked to answer a question
• Irksome mood

The list can go on about common presenter mistakes , and most certainly, it will affect the performance of any presented data if the lack of interest by the presenter is blatantly obvious.  Another element to consider is anxiety, and according to research by the National Institute of Mental Health, 73% of the population in the USA is affected by glossophobia , which is the fear of public speaking, judgment, or negative evaluation by other people.

Therefore, presentation skills training is essential for any business professional who wants to achieve effective communication . It will remove the anxiety from presentation performance and help users effectively deliver their message and connect with the audience.

Archetypes of presentations

Persuasive presentations aim to convince the audience – often in short periods – to acquire a product or service, adhere to a cause, or invest in a company. For business entrepreneurs or politicians, persuasive presentations are their tool for the trade.

Unless you aim to be perceived as an imposter, a proper persuasive presentation has the elements of facts, empathy, and logic, balanced under a well-crafted narrative. The central pillar of these presentations is to identify the single factor that gathered your audience: it could be a market need, a social cause, or a revolutionary concept for today’s society. It has to be something with enough power to gather critiques – both good and bad.

That single factor has to be backed up by facts. Research that builds your hypothesis on how to solve that problem. A deep understanding of the target audience’s needs , concerns, and social position regarding the solution your means can offer. When those elements are in place, building a pitch becomes an easy task. 

Graphics can help you introduce information in a compelling format, lowering the need for lengthy presentations. Good presentation skills for persuasive presentations go by the hand of filtering relevant data and creating the visual cues that resonate with what your audience demands.

One powerful example of a persuasive presentation is the technique known as the elevator pitch . You must introduce your idea or product convincingly to the audience in a timeframe between 30 seconds and less than 2 minutes. You have to expose:

• What do you do 
• What’s the problem to solve
• Why is your solution different from others 
• Why should the audience care about your expertise

For that very purpose, using engaging graphics with contrasting colors elevates the potential power of your message. It speaks professionalism, care for details, and out-of-the-box thinking. Knowing how to end a presentation is also critical, as your CTAs should be placed with care.

Therefore, let’s resume the requirements of persuasive presentations in terms of good presentation skills:

• Identifying problems and needs
• Elaborating “the hook” (the element that grabs the audience’s attention)
• Knowing how to “tie” your audience (introducing a piece of information related to the hook that causes an emotional impact)
• Broad knowledge of body language and hand gestures to quickly convey your message
• Being prepared to argue a defense of your point of view
• Handling rejection
• Having a proactive attitude to convert opportunities into new projects
• Using humor, surprise, or personal anecdotes as elements to sympathize with the audience
• Having confidence
• Be able to summarize facts and information in visually appealing ways

You can learn more about persuasive presentation techniques by clicking here .

In the case of instructional presentations, we ought to differentiate two distinctive types:

• Lecture Presentations : Presentations being held at universities or any other educative institution. Those presentations cover, topic by topic, and the contents of a syllabus and are created by the team of teachers in charge of the course.
• Training Presentations : These presentations take place during in-company training sessions and usually comprise a good amount of content that is resumed into easy-to-take solutions. They are aimed to coach employees over certain topics relevant to their work performance. The 70-20-10 Model is frequently used to address these training situations.

Lecture presentations appeal to the gradual introduction of complex concepts, following a structure set in the course’s syllabus. These presentations often have a similar aesthetic as a group of professors or researchers created to share their knowledge about a topic. Personal experience does tell that course presentations often rely on factual data, adequately documented, and on the theoretical side.

An example of a presentation that lies under this concept is a Syllabus Presentation, used by the teaching team to introduce the subject to new students, evaluation methods, concepts to be learned, and expectations to pass the course.

On the other hand, training presentations are slide decks designed to meet an organization’s specific needs in the formal education of their personnel. Commonly known as “continuous education,” plenty of companies invest resources in coaching their employees to achieve higher performance results. These presentations have the trademark of being concise since their idea is to introduce the concepts that shall be applied in practice sessions. 

Ideally, the training presentations are introduced with little text and easy-to-recognize visual cues. Since the idea is to summarize as much as possible, these are visually appealing for the audience. They must be dynamic enough to allow the presenter to convey the message.

Those key takeaways remind employees when they revisit their learning resources and allow them to ruminate on questions that fellow workers raise. 

To sum up this point, building presentation skills for instructional presentations requires:

• Ability to put complex concepts into simpler words
• Patience and a constant learning mindset
• Voice training to deliver lengthy speeches without being too dense
• Ability to summarize points and note the key takeaways
• Empathizing with the audience to understand their challenges in the learning process

The informative presentations take place in business situations, such as when to present project reports from different departments to the management. Another potential usage of these presentations is in SCRUM or other Agile methodologies, when a sprint is completed, to discuss the advance of the project with the Product Owner.

As they are presentations heavily dependent on data insights, it’s common to see the usage of infographics and charts to express usually dense data in simpler terms and easy to remember. 

Informative presentations don’t just fall into the business category. Ph.D. Dissertation and Thesis presentations are topics that belong to the informative presentations category as they condense countless research hours into manageable reports for the academic jury. 

Since these informational presentations can be perceived as lengthy and data-filled, it is important to learn the following professional presentation skills:

• Attention to detail
• Be able to explain complex information in simpler terms
• Creative thinking
• Powerful diction
• Working on pauses and transitions
• Pacing the presentation, so not too much information is divulged per slide

The leading inspirational platform, TEDx, comes to mind when talking about inspirational presentations. This presentation format has the peculiarity of maximizing the engagement with the audience to divulge a message, and due to that, it has specific requirements any presenter must meet.

This presentation format usually involves a speaker on a stage, either sitting or better standing, in which the presenter engages with the audience with a storytelling format about a life experience, a job done that provided a remarkable improvement for society, etc.

Empathizing with the audience is the key ingredient for these inspirational presentations. Still, creativity is what shapes the outcome of your performance as people are constantly looking for different experiences – not the same recipe rephrased with personal touches. The human factor is what matters here, way above data and research. What has your experience to offer to others? How can it motivate another human being to pursue a similar path or discover their true calling?

To achieve success in terms of communication skills presentation, these inspirational presentations have the following requirements:

• Focus on the audience (engage, consider their interests, and make them a part of your story)
• Putting ego aside
• Creative communication skills
• Storytelling skills
• Body language knowledge to apply the correct gestures to accompany your story
• Voice training
• Using powerful words

After discussing the different kinds of presentations we can come across at any stage of our lives, a group of presentation skills is standard in any type of presentation. See below what makes a good presentation and which skills you must count on to succeed as a presenter.

Punctuality

Punctuality is a crucial aspect of giving an effective presentation. Nothing says more about respect for your audience and the organization you represent than delivering the presentation on time . Arriving last minute puts pressure on the tech team behind audiovisuals, as they don’t have enough preparation to test microphones, stage lights, and projector settings, which can lead to a less powerful presentation Even when discussing presentations hosted in small rooms for a reduced audience, testing the equipment becomes essential for an effective presentation.

A solution for this is to arrive at least 30 minutes early. Ideally, one hour is a sweet spot since the AV crew has time to check the gear and requirements for your presentation. Another benefit of this, for example, in inspirational presentations, is measuring the previous presenter’s impact on the audience. This gives insights about how to resonate with the public, and their interest, and how to accommodate your presentation for maximum impact.

Body Language

Our bodies can make emotions transparent for others, even when we are unaware of such a fact. Proper training for body language skills reduces performance anxiety, giving the audience a sense of expertise about the presented topic. 

Give your presentation and the audience the respect they deserve by watching over these potential mistakes:

• Turning your back to the audience for extended periods : It’s okay to do so when introducing an important piece of information or explaining a graph, but it is considered rude to give your back to the audience constantly.
• Fidgeting : We are all nervous in the presence of strangers, even more, if we are the center of attention for that moment. Instead of playing with your hair or making weird hand gestures, take a deep breath to center yourself before the presentation and remember that everything you could do to prepare is already done. Trust your instincts and give your best.
• Intense eye contact : Have you watched a video where the presenter stared at the camera the entire time? That’s the feeling you transmit to spectators through intense eye contact. It’s a practice often used by politicians to persuade.
• Swearing : This is a no-brainer. Even when you see influencers swearing on camera or in podcasts or live presentations, it is considered an informal and lousy practice for business and academic situations. If you have a habit to break when it comes to this point, find the humor in these situations and replace your swear words with funny alternatives (if the presentation allows for it). 

Voice Tone plays a crucial role in delivering effective presentations and knowing how to give a good presentation. Your voice is a powerful tool for exposing your ideas and feelings . Your voice can articulate the message you are telling, briefing the audience if you feel excited about what you are sharing or, in contrast, if you feel the presentation is a burden you ought to complete.

Remember, passion is a primary ingredient in convincing people. Therefore, transmitting such passion with a vibrant voice may help gather potential business partners’ interest.  

But what if you feel sick prior to the presentation? If, by chance, your throat is sore minutes before setting foot on the stage, try this: when introducing yourself, mention that you are feeling a bit under the weather. This resonates with the audience to pay more attention to your efforts. In case you don’t feel comfortable about that, ask the organizers for a cup of tea, as it will settle your throat and relax your nerves.

Tech Skills

Believe it or not, people still feel challenged by technology these days. Maybe that’s the reason why presentation giants like Tony Robbins opt not to use PowerPoint presentations . The reality is that there are plenty of elements involved in a presentation that can go wrong from the tech side:

• A PDF not opening
• Saving your presentation in a too-recent PowerPoint version
• A computer not booting up
• Mac laptops and their never-ending compatibility nightmare
• Not knowing how to change between slides
• Not knowing how to use a laser pointer
• Internet not working
• Audio not working

We can come up with a pretty long list of potential tech pitfalls, and yet more than half of them fall in presenters not being knowledgeable about technology.

If computers aren’t your thing, let the organization know about this beforehand. There is always a crew member available to help presenters switch between slides or configure the presentation for streaming. This takes the pressure off your shoulders, allowing you to concentrate on the content to present. Remember, even Bill Gates can get a BSOD during a presentation .

Presentations, while valuable for conveying information and ideas, can be daunting for many individuals. Here are some common difficulties people encounter when giving presentations:

Public Speaking Anxiety

Glossophobia, the fear of public speaking, affects a significant portion of the population. This anxiety can lead to nervousness, trembling, and forgetfulness during a presentation.

Lack of Confidence

Many presenters struggle with self-doubt, fearing that they may not be knowledgeable or skilled enough to engage their audience effectively.

Content Organization

Organizing information in a coherent and engaging manner can be challenging. Presenters often grapple with how to structure their content to make it easily digestible for the audience. Artificial Intelligence can help us significantly reduce the content arrangement time when you work with tools like our AI Presentation Maker (made for presenters by experts in presentation design). 

Audience Engagement

Keeping the audience’s attention and interest throughout the presentation can be difficult. Distractions, disengaged attendees, or lack of interaction can pose challenges.

Technical Issues

Technology glitches, such as malfunctioning equipment, incompatible file formats, or poor internet connectivity, can disrupt presentations and increase stress.

Time Management

Striking the right balance between providing enough information and staying within time limits is a common challenge. Going over or under the allotted time can affect the effectiveness of the presentation.

Handling Questions and Challenges

Responding to unexpected questions, criticism, or challenges from the audience can be difficult, especially when presenters are unprepared or lack confidence in their subject matter.

Visual Aids and Technology

Creating and effectively using visual aids like slides or multimedia can be a struggle for some presenters. Technical competence is essential in this aspect.

Language and Articulation

Poor language skills or unclear articulation can hinder effective communication. Presenters may worry about stumbling over words or failing to convey their message clearly.

Maintaining appropriate and confident body language can be challenging. Avoiding nervous habits, maintaining eye contact, and using gestures effectively requires practice.

Overcoming Impersonal Delivery

In virtual presentations, maintaining a personal connection with the audience can be difficult. The absence of face-to-face interaction can make it challenging to engage and read the audience.

Cultural and Diversity Awareness

Presenting to diverse audiences requires sensitivity to cultural differences and varying levels of familiarity with the topic.

In this section, we gathered some tips on how to improve presentation skills that can certainly make an impact if applied to your presentation skills. We believe these skills can be cultivated to transform into habits for your work routine.

Tip #1: Build a narrative

One memorable way to guarantee presentation success is by writing a story of all the points you desire to cover. This statement is based on the logic behind storytelling and its power to connect with people .

Don’t waste time memorizing slides or reading your presentation to the audience. It feels unnatural, and any question that diverts from the topic in discussion certainly puts you in jeopardy or, worse, exposes you as a fraud in the eyes of the audience. And before you ask, it is really evident when a presenter has a memorized speech. 

Build and rehearse the presentation as if telling a story to a group of interested people. Lower the language barrier by avoiding complex terms that maybe even you aren’t fully aware of their meaning. Consider the ramifications of that story, what it could lead to, and which are the opportunities to explore. Then, visualize yourself giving the presentation in a natural way.

Applying this technique makes the presentation feel like second nature to you. It broadens the spectrum in which you can show expertise over a topic or even build the basis for new interesting points of view about the project.

Tip #2: Don’t talk for more than 3 minutes per slide

It is a common practice of presenters to bombard the audience with facts and information whilst retaining the same slide on the screen. Why can this happen? It could be because the presenter condensed the talk into very few slides and preferred to talk. The reality is that your spectators won’t retain the information you are giving unless you give visual cues to help that process. 

Opt to prepare more slides and pace your speech to match the topics shown on each slide. Don’t spend more than 3 minutes per slide unless you have to introduce a complex piece of data. Use visual cues to direct the spectators about what you talk about, and summarize the principal concepts discussed at the end of each section.

Tip #3: Practice meditation daily

Anxiety is the number one enemy of professional presenters. It slowly builds without you being aware of your doubts and can hinder your performance in multiple ways: making you feel paralyzed, fidgeting, making you forget language skills or concepts, affecting your health, etc.

Meditation is an ancient practice taken from Buddhist teachings that train your mind to be here in the present. We often see the concepts of meditation and mindfulness as synonyms, whereas you should be aware that meditation is a practice that sets the blocks to reach a state of mindfulness. For presenters, being in the here and now is essential to retain focus, but meditation techniques also teach us to control our breathing and be in touch with our body signals when stress builds up. 

The customary practice of meditation has an impact on imagination and creativity but also helps to build patience – a skill much needed for connecting with your audience in instructional presentations.

Having the proper set of presentation skills can be quite subjective. It goes beyond presentation tips and deepens into how flexible we can be in our ability to communicate ideas.

Different presentations and different audiences shape the outcome of our efforts. Therefore, having a basic understanding of how to connect, raise awareness, and empathize with people can be key ingredients for your career as a presenter. A word of advice: success doesn’t happen overnight. It takes dedication and patience to build communication skills . Don’t condition your work to believe you will be ready “someday”; it’s best to practice and experience failure as part of the learning process.

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Business Presentations, Presentation Approaches, Presentation Skills Filed under Education

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6 presentation skills and how to improve them

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What are presentation skills?

The importance of presentation skills, 6 presentation skills examples, how to improve presentation skills.

Tips for dealing with presentation anxiety

Learn how to captivate an audience with ease

Capturing an audience’s attention takes practice. 

Over time, great presenters learn how to organize their speeches and captivate an audience from start to finish. They spark curiosity, know how to read a room , and understand what their audience needs to walk away feeling like they learned something valuable.

Regardless of your profession, you most likely use presentation skills on a monthly or even weekly basis. Maybe you lead brainstorming sessions or host client calls. 

Developing effective presentation skills makes it easier to contribute ideas with confidence and show others you’re someone to trust. Although speaking in front of a crowd sometimes brings nerves and anxiety , it also sparks new opportunities.

Presentation skills are the qualities and abilities you need to communicate ideas effectively and deliver a compelling speech. They influence how you structure a presentation and how an audience receives it. Understanding body language , creating impactful visual aids, and projecting your voice all fall under this umbrella.

A great presentation depends on more than what you say. It’s about how you say it. Storytelling , stage presence, and voice projection all shape how well you express your ideas and connect with the audience. These skills do take practice, but they’re worth developing — especially if public speaking makes you nervous. 

Engaging a crowd isn’t easy. You may feel anxious to step in front of an audience and have all eyes and ears on you.

But feeling that anxiety doesn’t mean your ideas aren’t worth sharing. Whether you’re giving an inspiring speech or delivering a monthly recap at work, your audience is there to listen to you. Harness that nervous energy and turn it into progress.

Strong presentation skills make it easier to convey your thoughts to audiences of all sizes. They can help you tell a compelling story, convince people of a pitch , or teach a group something entirely new to them. And when it comes to the workplace, the strength of your presentation skills could play a part in getting a promotion or contributing to a new initiative.

To fully understand the impact these skills have on creating a successful presentation, it’s helpful to look at each one individually. Here are six valuable skills you can develop:

1. Active listening

Active listening is an excellent communication skill for any professional to hone. When you have strong active listening skills, you can listen to others effectively and observe their nonverbal cues . This helps you assess whether or not your audience members are engaged in and understand what you’re sharing. 

Great public speakers use active listening to assess the audience’s reactions and adjust their speech if they find it lacks impact. Signs like slouching, negative facial expressions, and roaming eye contact are all signs to watch out for when giving a presentation.

2. Body language

If you’re researching presentation skills, chances are you’ve already watched a few notable speeches like TED Talks or industry seminars. And one thing you probably noticed is that speakers can capture attention with their body language. 

A mixture of eye contact, hand gestures , and purposeful pacing makes a presentation more interesting and engaging. If you stand in one spot and don’t move your body, the audience might zone out.

3. Stage presence

A great stage presence looks different for everyone. A comedian might aim for more movement and excitement, and a conference speaker might focus their energy on the content of their speech. Although neither is better than the other, both understand their strengths and their audience’s needs. 

Developing a stage presence involves finding your own unique communication style . Lean into your strengths, whether that’s adding an injection of humor or asking questions to make it interactive . To give a great presentation, you might even incorporate relevant props or presentation slides.

4. Storytelling

According to Forbes, audiences typically pay attention for about 10 minutes before tuning out . But you can lengthen their attention span by offering a presentation that interests them for longer. Include a narrative they’ll want to listen to, and tell a story as you go along. 

Shaping your content to follow a clear narrative can spark your audience’s curiosity and entice them to pay careful attention. You can use anecdotes from your personal or professional life that take your audience along through relevant moments. If you’re pitching a product, you can start with a problem and lead your audience through the stages of how your product provides a solution.

5. Voice projection

Although this skill may be obvious, you need your audience to hear what you’re saying. This can be challenging if you’re naturally soft-spoken and struggle to project your voice.

Remember to straighten your posture and take deep breaths before speaking, which will help you speak louder and fill the room. If you’re talking into a microphone or participating in a virtual meeting, you can use your regular conversational voice, but you still want to sound confident and self-assured with a strong tone.

If you’re unsure whether everyone can hear you, you can always ask the audience at the beginning of your speech and wait for confirmation. That way, they won’t have to potentially interrupt you later.

Ensuring everyone can hear you also includes your speed and annunciation. It’s easy to speak quickly when nervous, but try to slow down and pronounce every word. Mumbling can make your presentation difficult to understand and pay attention to.

6. Verbal communication 

Although verbal communication involves your projection and tone, it also covers the language and pacing you use to get your point across. This includes where you choose to place pauses in your speech or the tone you use to emphasize important ideas.

If you’re giving a presentation on collaboration in the workplace , you might start your speech by saying, “There’s something every workplace needs to succeed: teamwork.” By placing emphasis on the word “ teamwork ,” you give your audience a hint on what ideas will follow.

To further connect with your audience through diction, pay careful attention to who you’re speaking to. The way you talk to your colleagues might be different from how you speak to a group of superiors, even if you’re discussing the same subject. You might use more humor and a conversational tone for the former and more serious, formal diction for the latter.

Everyone has strengths and weaknesses when it comes to presenting. Maybe you’re confident in your use of body language, but your voice projection needs work. Maybe you’re a great storyteller in small group settings, but need to work on your stage presence in front of larger crowds. 

The first step to improving presentation skills is pinpointing your gaps and determining which qualities to build upon first. Here are four tips for enhancing your presentation skills:

1. Build self-confidence

Confident people know how to speak with authority and share their ideas. Although feeling good about your presentation skills is easier said than done, building confidence is key to helping your audience believe in what you’re saying. Try practicing positive self-talk and continuously researching your topic's ins and outs.

If you don’t feel confident on the inside, fake it until you make it. Stand up straight, project your voice, and try your best to appear engaged and excited. Chances are, the audience doesn’t know you’re unsure of your skills — and they don’t need to.

Another tip is to lean into your slideshow, if you’re using one. Create something colorful and interesting so the audience’s eyes fall there instead of on you. And when you feel proud of your slideshow, you’ll be more eager to share it with others, bringing more energy to your presentation.

2. Watch other presentations

Developing the soft skills necessary for a good presentation can be challenging without seeing them in action. Watch as many as possible to become more familiar with public speaking skills and what makes a great presentation. You could attend events with keynote speakers or view past speeches on similar topics online.

Take a close look at how those presenters use verbal communication and body language to engage their audiences. Grab a notebook and jot down what you enjoyed and your main takeaways. Try to recall the techniques they used to emphasize their main points, whether they used pauses effectively, had interesting visual aids, or told a fascinating story.

3. Get in front of a crowd

You don’t need a large auditorium to practice public speaking. There are dozens of other ways to feel confident and develop good presentation skills.

If you’re a natural comedian, consider joining a small stand-up comedy club. If you’re an avid writer, participate in a public poetry reading. Even music and acting can help you feel more comfortable in front of a crowd.

If you’d rather keep it professional, you can still work on your presentation skills in the office. Challenge yourself to participate at least once in every team meeting, or plan and present a project to become more comfortable vocalizing your ideas. You could also speak to your manager about opportunities that flex your public speaking abilities.

4. Overcome fear

Many people experience feelings of fear before presenting in front of an audience, whether those feelings appear as a few butterflies or more severe anxiety. Try grounding yourself to shift your focus to the present moment. If you’re stuck dwelling on previous experiences that didn’t go well, use those mistakes as learning experiences and focus on what you can improve to do better in the future.

Tips for dealing with presentation anxiety 

It’s normal to feel nervous when sharing your ideas. In fact, according to a report from the Journal of Graduate Medical Education, public speaking anxiety is prevalent in 15–30% of the general population .

Even though having a fear of public speaking is common, it doesn’t make it easier. You might feel overwhelmed, become stiff, and forget what you were going to say. But although the moment might scare you, there are ways to overcome the fear and put mind over matter.

Use these tactics to reduce your stress when you have to make a presentation:

1. Practice breathing techniques

If you experience anxiety often, you’re probably familiar with breathing techniques for stress relief . Incorporating these exercises into your daily routine can help you stop worrying and regulate anxious feelings. 

Before a big presentation, take a moment alone to practice breathing techniques, ground yourself, and reduce tension. It’s also a good idea to take breaths throughout the presentation to speak slower and calm yourself down .

2. Get organized

The more organized you are, the more prepared you’ll feel. Carefully outline all of the critical information you want to use in your presentation, including your main talking points and visual aids, so you don’t forget anything. Use bullet points and visuals on each slide to remind you of what you want to talk about, and create handheld notes to help you stay on track.

3. Embrace moments of silence

It’s okay to lose your train of thought. It happens to even the most experienced public speakers once in a while. If your mind goes blank, don’t panic. Take a moment to breathe, gather your thoughts, and refer to your notes to see where you left off. You can drink some water or make a quick joke to ease the silence or regain your footing. And it’s okay to say, “Give me a moment while I find my notes.” Chances are, people understand the position you’re in.

4. Practice makes progress

Before presenting, rehearse in front of friends and family members you trust. This gives you the chance to work out any weak spots in your speech and become comfortable communicating out loud. If you want to go the extra mile, ask your makeshift audience to ask a surprise question. This tests your on-the-spot thinking and will prove that you can keep cool when things come up.

Whether you’re new to public speaking or are a seasoned presenter, you’re bound to make a few slip-ups. It happens to everyone. The most important thing is that you try your best, brush things off, and work on improving your skills to do better in your next presentation.

Although your job may require a different level of public speaking than your favorite TED Talk , developing presentation skills is handy in any profession. You can use presentation skills in a wide range of tasks in the workplace, whether you’re sharing your ideas with colleagues, expressing concerns to higher-ups, or pitching strategies to potential clients.

Remember to use active listening to read the room and engage your audience with an interesting narrative. Don’t forget to step outside your comfort zone once in a while and put your skills to practice in front of a crowd. After facing your fears, you’ll feel confident enough to put presentation skills on your resume.

If you’re trying to build your skills and become a better employee overall, try a communications coach with BetterUp. 

Elevate your communication skills

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Elizabeth Perry, ACC

Elizabeth Perry is a Coach Community Manager at BetterUp. She uses strategic engagement strategies to cultivate a learning community across a global network of Coaches through in-person and virtual experiences, technology-enabled platforms, and strategic coaching industry partnerships. With over 3 years of coaching experience and a certification in transformative leadership and life coaching from Sofia University, Elizabeth leverages transpersonal psychology expertise to help coaches and clients gain awareness of their behavioral and thought patterns, discover their purpose and passions, and elevate their potential. She is a lifelong student of psychology, personal growth, and human potential as well as an ICF-certified ACC transpersonal life and leadership Coach.

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How to Improve Your Presentation Skills: 12 Ways to Give a Speech Worthy of a Standing-Ovation

Whether you’re brand new to public speaking or a seasoned veteran, there’s always room to improve your presentation skills and comfort level in front of a crowd.

Solidifying your presenting skills can even help you in your everyday communications, personal and professional. They will help you learn to feel comfortable and confident speaking with anyone.

If you are new to public speaking and interested in learning more or are ready to take your presentation skills to the next level, I’m excited to share my top tips on how to sharpen your skills to become the best public speaker. I have personally used these techniques to improve my own presentation skills throughout my career as a public speaker.

Become a professional speaker Try the 6-Figure Speaker

12 Ways to Improve Your Presentation Skills

To put yourself on track to becoming the best public speaker you can be, follow these 12 tips to improve your presentation skills, all the way from having more beneficial conversations at work to getting standing ovations at your next public speaking engagement.

Here’s a cliché we’ve all heard a dozen times before: Practice makes perfect.

This is especially true when it comes to public speaking.

Practicing allows you to strengthen your presenting skills and perfect the message you want to get across to your audience. It allows you to determine the appropriate tone, body language, pauses, and anecdotes you can use to deliver a memorable presentation.

While it may seem time-consuming and annoying at first, practice helps prevent you from needing to feel like you have to, “just wing it,” during your speech. In other words, the more you practice, the more comfortable you will feel presenting.

To help practice, consider doing the following: 

• Write a script of your key points to reference.
• Ask a friend to act as your audience while you practice and give you honest feedback
• Record yourself presenting and take notes on what you could focus on in order to improve.  

Though it can be very nerve-wracking to deliver a speech, practicing will also help ease your nerves and strengthen your presenting skills. You will feel much more comfortable delivering your message if your key points are engrained within your mind.

Use Engaging Visual Aids

Our world is full of distractions. Our attention spans are short and easily swayed. This is why adding visual aids to your speech can help keep your audiences’ attention .  

Visual aids like charts, graphs, infographics, images, and videos could help engage your audience as you are delivering your points. Considering that over 65% of the population are visual learners, visual content could help reinforce your message.

Visual aids could range from funny memes to serious images. These visual aids are meant to evoke emotions and strengthen your key points.

Focus on What You Know

Whatever you decide your subject is, become the expert in it. Study and research the current trends in that area and prepare to answer questions about the topic.

Understanding and being passionate about what you’re speaking about will help you build confidence and convey your points in a natural way.

The audience will absorb more of your material if they believe you know what you’re talking about.

Incorporate Your Personality

If your goal is to give a truly memorable and engaging presentation, let your personality shine through!

Your credibility can actually increase if the audience feels connected to you. This is your opportunity to connect with your audience through funny anecdotes , quotes that have inspired you, and emotions that have hit home for you.

You’re not just a talking head, so loosen up your body language and show the audience who you are. You will create a memorable experience for your audience if they get a glimpse of your personality. You will find that you appear more interesting if the audience feels like they can relate to you.  

Speak Slowly

People tend to speak faster when they’re nervous. While practicing can help ease your nerves, remember to always speak slowly when you’re delivering your speech, and don’t forget to breathe.

Make sure to articulate your words. Use deliberate pauses to emphasize important key points in your presentation and to keep your audience engaged. Working in well-timed pauses will also help you keep your pace and cadence.

Keep Water Handy

If you’ve ever seen someone speak publicly, you’ve likely also seen a glass of water at their arm’s reach. This is sometimes because nerves may cause your mouth to feel dry mid-speech, as a dry mouth is a common result of anxiety. It is also because as you talk and project your voice, your throat may start feeling sore or dry. 

Keeping water close by will help keep your speech and stage presence on track and as perfect as possible.

Taking a sip of water during your speech can also give you a moment to catch your breath and refocus on your topic if you’re feeling nervous or stressed.

Plus, staying hydrated throughout the day before your presentation can help you avoid feeling dizzy or lightheaded during your speech.

Relaxing is an important presenting skill. Your body and mind must be calm in order for you to come across as calm, collected and professional.

Breathe in, breathe out, trust yourself , and relax. Stretch and shake out your body. Let go of any stiffness you’re holding on to.

You want to feel relaxed and fluid as you step out to present. Your body language should convey the feeling of comfort and confidence.

A great way to boost endorphins and ease your anxiety before a big presentation is through working out. Take a long walk, go to a boxing class, or try some yoga at home. Whatever you to, getting your blood flowing will help you relax for your speaking engagement.

Ensuring that you know your subject by heart can help ease the tension you feel. That’s why practicing is such an important piece of a successful presentation. This will help you trust your ability to deliver an incredible presentation.

Ask Questions

People love to make their voices heard and feel like they’re part of the conversation. Presentations can often feel one-sided, but they don’t have to be. To keep your audience engaged and your speech a memorable experience for your audience, you can include them in the conversation.

Ask the audience what they think, take a poll, invite meaningful questions – these are all ways you can boost engagement.

Engaging with your audience will allow you to establish and deeper connection with them and be seen as much more relatable. This will also allow you to get first-hand information on what your audience is looking to gain from your presentation, and adjust accordingly to give them what they want.

The Ultimate Blueprint To Build A Business As A Highly-Paid Professional Speaker 6-Figure Public Speaking

Check and Adjust to Your Surroundings

Wherever you’re presenting — in a hotel, conference center, or on Zoom – make a point to show up early to scope out your surroundings. This will help you feel more comfortable when it’s time for you to present.

Here are some important elements to consider about the location.

• What is the temperature in the room? Too hot? Too cold?
• Will you have direct lighting? Does it need to be adjusted so it’s not shining in your eyes?
• Is all the equipment working properly?
• Is there a backdrop on stage?
• Is there external noise that may distract from your presentation?
• Is there a teleprompter and can you see it from the stage?
• Is the projector/screen optimized to share your visual aids?

If your presentation is virtual, check out these five tips that will help your virtual presenting skills.  If you are giving it via a slide deck, be sure to read my article on  powerpoint presentation ideas to get some tips.

Stay Personable

While you may be the subject matter expert on the topic to which you’re presenting, it’s important to still stay relatable and personable with your audience.

Keep the conversation simple. Use words that everyone can understand. Explain complex theories in simpler terms. Use anecdotes to make comparisons that everyone can relate to. Be open to providing further clarification whenever needed.

You want to ensure that your audience feels understood and respected when you’re communicating with them, so stay on topic and always sound approachable.

Start and End with a Bang

There are many ways to start and end a speech, but only some are truly impactful. Your first and last impressions can be the most memorable markers in your speech.

Your first impression, if done right, can engage the audience right away . A shocking statement or a fascinating story can get the audience to the edge of their seats from the very beginning.

Your last remarks can leave a lasting impression on your audience. You can summarize what you discussed and end with a call to action . You can finish the speech with the conclusion of the story you began the speech with, as a way to create a narrative throughout your presentation.

Starting strong and finishing with a bang will make your speech a total knock-out. 

Have a Backup Plan

As much as we want to, we cannot control everything. Sometimes, things don’t go our way – there can be technical difficulties, venue issues, audience mishaps — whatever it is, make sure you’re prepared for the unexpected and create a backup plan for moments like this.

If you’ve ever seen a presentation go awry, you’ll notice that a good presenter will keep their cool and find the humor in the situation. Their body language will stay relaxed, they won’t lose their temper, and they’ll find an opportunity to engage with their audience.

This type of confidence is gained through practice. You can enhance your presenting skills by practicing your reaction in moments where things aren’t going according to plan. Knowing how to handle a critical situation will help you feel more relaxed and confident throughout your entire presentation.

The show must go on, right?

It’s easy to say “don’t be nervous,” but it’s much more difficult to act on it.

Even the best public speakers get nervous. Though giving speeches and presentations can be nerve-wracking, let your fear motivate you. Harness your nervous energy and transform it into enthusiasm and charisma.

So if you’re wondering how to improve presentation skills, use these tips for any of your public speaking needs and watch as your presenting skills improve ten-hold.

Even if you’re just preparing for a speech to your team at work, these tips can act as a great tool to help you feel more confident and prepared for any public engagement. They can even just help you communicate more successfully in your everyday life and help you enhance your career.

If you’re looking to take your public speaking to the big leagues and be a 6-figure speaker, check out my Ultimate Blueprint to Building a Career as a Successful Public Speaker .

This comprehensive guide is packed with the best tools and training for public speaking that I’ve learned in my 30+ years of being a public speaker.

Utilize this guide to become a professional speaker, build your own business, earn the respect and esteem of leaders in the industry, and use your message to motivate and inspire people all over the world.

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Presentation Skills: Vocal Techniques that Add Color to Your Speech

Want to add color, expressiveness, and power to your speech? That's easy: Learn the key vocal techniques for successful public speaking.

The Genard Method includes these tools of vocal dynamics:

• Energy and emphasis
• Pitch inflection
• Rhythm and pacing
• Pauses and silence
• Vocal quality

Learn more here about the 5 Key Tools of Vocal Dynamics for speaking success.

It's important to remember two things about these tools: they add variety and interest to your speech, and they're made to be used together. In other words, one of the tools shouldn't be isolated and used exclusively.

The speaker who uses these vocal techniques not only is more interesting and engaging to listen to. He or she also aids listeners' comprehension by making clear important content versus supporting material. Your audience can clearly hear the difference!

Speaking at Your Best

How can you tell this for yourself? Simply pay attention the next time you're speaking to friends or colleagues—in other words, people you're comfortable and unselfconscious being around. Notice how you use every one of the key tools effortlessly.

Now videotape yourself practicing a speech or presentation—or better yet, delivering an actual presentation. Does your vocal technique seem inhibited or tentative? If that's the case, you're not alone. Many speakers and presenters are not lively and dynamic in formal speaking appearances, even though they might be quite expressive in casual situations.

Too many of them are playing it safe while speaking in "serious" settings. The worlds of business, education, finance, healthcare, nonprofits, government, politics, and other professional endeavors seem to call for no-nonsense presentations. The truth is, however, audiences will never receive the full impact and value of what you're saying if you don't tap into your expressive voice.

Break Out Your Box of Crayons

Think of it this way: If your vocal delivery lacks full expressiveness, you're using a coloring book with none of the pictures colored in. You know what such a book looks like: pretty line drawings that remain, well, colorless, sketches only that haven't come to life.

Such a book in a child's hands has tremendous potential. But that's all that it will ever be until that child throws caution to the winds and gets to work with his or her crayons. 

What fun ensues when the characters in the book are fleshed out in living color—and sometimes those colors aren't realistic at all. No matter. Richness, tonality, vibrancy, subtlety, brashness, softness, warmth, and excitement—these traits and more appear and communicate themselves with the help of the color palette in that crayon box.

You have exactly the same limitless potential available to you through the use of your voice. Anything less runs the danger of leaving your audience bored, unimpressed, and missing the excitement your voice can add to your material. Your content gives listeners the information they need. Your voice makes that content come alive.

Key takeaways from this blog:

• Vocal techniques add color, expressiveness, and power to your speech.
• The 5 Key Tools of Vocal Dynamics will aid your voice improvement.
• If you use these tools you'll be more interesting and engaging.
• Bring your typically expressive voice into "serious" business settings.
• Your voice should color your content as crayons color line drawings.

Tags: presentation skills , voice improvement , vocal techniques

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7 Presentation Skills to Wow Your Audience

We’ve all been there, sitting in a presentation or speech, struggling to keep our eyes open as the presenter drones on. Maybe the content is interesting, but the delivery is lacklustre. Or maybe the delivery is fantastic, but the content is disorganised or hard to follow. Whatever the reason, there’s no denying that effective presentation skills are critical to captivating and inspiring your audience.

So, whether you’re a seasoned speaker or a novice presenter, it’s always a good idea to brush up on your skills. That’s why in this blog post, we’ll be covering seven effective presentation skills that are sure to wow your audience. From knowing your audience to engaging with them, these skills will help you deliver powerful presentations that leave a lasting impact.

So, let’s dive in and explore these seven effective presentation skills that will take your speaking abilities to the next level. And to help you hone these skills, we’d like to introduce you to our specialised effective presentation skills training  programs.

Skill 1: Knowing Your Audience

One of the most effective presentation skills is knowing your audience. Understanding your audience helps you tailor your presentation to their needs, interests, and expectations.

Knowing your audience allows you to focus on the topics that are most relevant to them and speak in a language they can understand. Failure to know your audience can lead to a disengaged and uninterested audience, which can ultimately derail your presentation.

Tips for Identifying and Understanding Your Audience

When it comes to delivering a presentation, understanding your audience is essential. Identifying their needs, interests, and expectations can help you tailor your presentation to keep them engaged and interested throughout. Here are some tips to help you better identify and understand your audience:

1. Research your audience

Before your presentation, research your audience to understand their demographics, interests, and expectations. This can be done through social media, surveys, or by asking the event organisers for details about the attendees.

2. Ask questions

During your presentation, ask questions that engage the audience and help you understand their needs and interests. This can help you tailor your presentation to meet their expectations.

3. Analyse non-verbal cues

Pay attention to non-verbal cues, such as facial expressions and body language. This can help you gauge the audience's level of engagement and adjust your presentation accordingly.

4. Consider the occasion

The type of event can affect the expectations of your audience. If you're presenting at a formal event, your audience may expect a more polished and structured presentation. On the other hand, if you're presenting at a more casual event, your audience may appreciate a more relaxed and conversational tone.

5. Use social media

Social media can be a great tool for understanding your audience. Look for groups or hashtags related to your topic to see what people are saying about it. You can also use social media to ask questions and get feedback from your audience.

Skill 2: Storytelling

Storytelling is a powerful tool that can make your presentation stand out from the rest. It can help you engage your audience emotionally and make your message more memorable.

A well-crafted story can take your audience on a journey, creating a connection between you and them. In a world where attention spans are short, storytelling can be an effective way to hold the attention of your audience and keep them engaged.

Tips for crafting a compelling story for your presentation

Crafting a compelling story for your presentation takes some effort, but the result can be powerful. Here are some tips to help you create a story that resonates with your audience:

1. Start with a clear message

Before you begin crafting your story, identify the key message you want to convey. This will help you structure your story around the central idea and ensure that it aligns with your overall goal.

2. Use a simple structure

A simple structure can help you keep your story focused and easy to follow. Consider using a traditional story arc, which includes an introduction, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.

3. Create relatable characters

Characters are an important part of any story. Create characters that your audience can relate to, and make them feel human and believable. This will help your audience connect with your story on an emotional level.

4. Use sensory language

Sensory language can help bring your story to life. Use descriptive words to paint a picture in the minds of your audience. This can help them better understand and remember your story.

5. Incorporate humour

Humour can be an effective way to engage your audience and create a memorable presentation. However, be sure to use humour that is appropriate, relevant and not sexist, ageist or ableist. 

Skill 3: Visual Aids

Visual aids can be a powerful tool to enhance your presentation and improve its effectiveness. They can help you convey complex information in an easy-to-understand way and make your presentation more engaging and memorable. 

The human brain processes visual information much faster than text, so incorporating visual aids in your presentation can help your audience understand your message more quickly and effectively.

Tips for creating effective visual aids

Now that we've covered the importance of visual aids, here are some tips for effective presentation skills :

1. Keep it simple

Visual aids should be simple and easy to understand. Avoid cluttered or complicated images, and use clear and concise language. Your audience should be able to quickly and easily understand the information you are presenting.

2. Use high-quality images

Low-quality images can be distracting and detract from your message. Use high-quality images that are relevant to your message and enhance the overall tone of your presentation.

3. Avoid too much text

Visual aids should be used to support your message, not replace them. Avoid using too much text on your slides or graphs, and instead, use bullet points or brief phrases to convey your message.

4. Use colour strategically

Colour can be a powerful tool to help emphasise important information, but it should be used strategically. Avoid using too many colours or bright colours that can be distracting.

5. Incorporate multimedia

Videos and audio can be effective tools to help engage your audience and make your presentation more interactive. Just be sure to use multimedia that is relevant to your message and supports the overall tone of your presentation.

Skill 4: Body Language

Body language is a critical aspect of effective communication skills for presentation , especially in a presentation setting. The way you use your body can have a significant impact on how your message is received by your audience. 

Your body language can convey confidence, interest, enthusiasm, and many other emotions and attitudes that can affect how your audience perceives you and your message.

Tips for using effective body language

Here are some tips for effective presentation skills :

1. Stand up straight

Good posture is key to projecting confidence and authority. Stand up straight with your shoulders back and your feet shoulder-width apart.

2. Make eye contact

Eye contact is a powerful way to connect with your audience and build trust. Try to make eye contact with different members of your audience throughout your presentation.

3. Use hand gestures

Appropriate hand gestures can help emphasise your message and make your presentation more engaging. However, be careful not to overdo it or use gestures that are distracting or inappropriate.

4. Avoid fidgeting

Fidgeting can be distracting and convey nervousness or anxiety. Try to stand still and avoid pacing, tapping your feet, or playing with objects.

5. Use facial expressions

Your facial expressions can convey a wide range of emotions and attitudes, from enthusiasm and interest to boredom and disengagement. Use appropriate facial expressions to match the tone of your message.

Skill 5: Voice and Tone

The way you use your voice can have a significant impact on how your presentation is perceived by your audience. 

Your voice and tone can convey a range of emotions and attitudes, such as confidence, authority, enthusiasm, and interest. Your tone can also indicate the level of importance or urgency of your message.

Tips for using effective voice and tone

Now that we understand the impact that voice and tone can have on a presentation, let's explore some tips for effective presentation skills:

1. Practice speaking with intention

Before your presentation, take some time to practice your speaking with intention. Think about the key messages you want to convey and how you want your audience to feel while listening to your presentation. This will help you deliver your message with a clear and purposeful voice and tone.

2. Vary your pace

Varying your pace can help keep your audience engaged and interested in your presentation. Slow down during important or complex points, and speed up during lighter or more exciting parts. By varying your pace, you can also create a sense of urgency or importance in your message.

3. Use pitch to convey emotion

Varying the pitch of your voice can help convey different emotions and attitudes in your presentation. For example, a higher pitch can convey excitement, while a lower pitch can convey seriousness or importance.

4. Pay attention to your volume

Be sure to project your voice so that everyone in the room can hear you. However, be careful not to speak too loudly, which can be distracting or overwhelming for your audience.

5. Pause for emphasis

Pausing at strategic moments can help emphasise important points and give your audience time to process your message. Take a breath and pause before making an important point to give it more weight.

Skill 6: Engaging Your Audience

One of the most important aspects of giving a presentation is engaging your audience. Without audience engagement, your presentation can quickly become boring, forgettable, or even frustrating for your listeners. Engaging your audience is a crucial skill that can help you build rapport, gain trust, and effectively communicate your message through your communication skills for presentation .

Tips for engaging your audience throughout your presentation

Engaging your audience is a crucial skill that can help you build rapport, gain trust, and effectively communicate your message using your communication skills for presentation . In this section, we will explore some tips for effective presentation skills .

1. Use storytelling

Storytelling is a powerful tool that can help you capture your audience's attention and keep them engaged. Use personal stories, anecdotes, or case studies to illustrate your points and make your presentation more relatable.

Asking questions can help you create a dialogue with your audience and make them feel like they are part of the conversation. Use open-ended questions to encourage participation and discussion.

3. Use humour

Appropriate humour can help lighten the mood and create a sense of rapport with your audience. Use jokes, puns, or funny anecdotes to break up the monotony of your presentation and keep your audience engaged.

4. Use visual aids

Visual aids, such as graphs, charts, or videos, can help illustrate your points and make your presentation more dynamic. Use them strategically to support your message and keep your audience engaged.

5. Use audience participation

Incorporating interactive elements, such as polls, quizzes, or games, can help keep your audience engaged and create a sense of excitement or competition. Use them strategically to break up your presentation and keep your audience engaged.

Skill 7: Handling Questions and Feedback

Handling questions and feedback is a critical skill that can make or break a presentation. It provides an opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge, address any concerns, and show your audience that you value their input.

Tips for handling questions and feedback effectively

Handling questions and feedback can be daunting, but with some practice, it can become an opportunity to showcase your expertise and engage with your audience. Here are some tips on how to handle questions and feedback effectively:

1. Listen carefully

Listen carefully to the question or feedback, and take a moment to think about your response. This shows that you respect the person asking the question and value their input.

2. Repeat or rephrase the question

This ensures that you have understood the question correctly, and it also helps the audience hear the question clearly. Rephrasing the question can also help clarify any misunderstandings or confusion.

3. Be concise

Keep your answers concise and to the point. Avoid giving long-winded answers that might confuse or bore the audience.

4. Use real-life examples

Using examples or stories can help illustrate your points and make them more relatable to the audience. It can also help keep the audience engaged.

5. Be honest

If you don't know the answer to a question, it's okay to say so. You can offer to follow up with the person after the presentation or suggest resources where they can find more information.

Wrapping It Up

In conclusion, effective presentation skills are an essential part of being a successful communicator. Knowing your audience, storytelling, using visual aids, body language, voice, and tone, engaging your audience, and handling questions and feedback are all key skills that can help you deliver a powerful and impactful presentation.

By following the tips and strategies we've shared, you can improve your communication skills for presentation  and leave a lasting impression on your audience. And if you're looking to take your skills to the next level, some.Education provides presentation skills training that can help you develop and hone these skills.

Remember, a great presentation isn't just about the content - it's also about the delivery. By mastering these skills, you can engage your audience, build your credibility, and leave a lasting impression. So go out there and wow your audience!

Useful Resources :   10 importance of speech communication |  Communication skills presentation |  Grapevine communication

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Presentation Skills: A Strong Speaking Voice

This post is  #6  in a longer series of articles based on a presentation I gave to the Public Relations Insitute of Australia on  “How To Make Your Audience Listen Better.”  The Introduction to the series is  here .

After  Eye Contact , t he second way to engage the audience, your voice is how you aurally demonstrate your personality and passion to the audience.

A presentation voice has five characteristics.

1.  Volume or loudness  Can your audience hear you from where they’re sitting?

2.  Pitch: how high or low a voice is.   Pitch is the rate of vibration of the vocal chords.  The faster the vibrations, the higher the voice.  The vibrations are dependent upon the length and thickness of your vocal cords, as well as the tightening and relaxing of the muscles that surround them. Other factors contribute too, such as emotion and moods – namely, fear.

3.  Tone:  the emotion of the voice.   Tone vocalizes what the speaker is feeling.  A positive tone might be described as “friendly” or “confident,” while a negative tone might be “bored” or “fearful.”

4.  Clarity.   Enunciation, the act of speaking precisely.

5.  Speed or pace.

Here are some suggestions to create a strong voice.

Breathe from the diaphragm, not from the chest.  When you inhale – slowly and deeply – the chest should not rise.  Instead, your stomach should rise as your diaphragm expands.  Image your belly button moving away from your spine.  This will give you a full tank of air.  Release it slowly as you talk:  it’ll give you better control of your vocal cords.  

Be prepared for the rush of adrenaline.   When you get nervous or fearful, your body releases adrenaline into the blood stream.  Among other symptoms, your vocal cords are restricted and your breathing becomes more quick.  When your brain realizes you’re not in mortal danger, it stops releasing adrenaline – usually after 90 seconds up to 2 minutes.  You can’t control the release of adrenaline, but you can be prepared for it by fully rehearsing the first two minutes of your presentation so it’s flawless.  It not only gives you confidence by starting well, it also cements the audience’s positive first impression of you.

Speak louder than you normally do.   Your presentation voice is not your talking voice. Speak loud enough so the person farthest from you can easily hear.  That’s hard to self-fix in a presentation since you’ll always sound loud to yourself.  You need an objective ear to signal that you’re too quiet.  If possible, place a friend or colleague at the farthest point.  A secret gesture will tell you if you’re not loud enough.

Change the pace of your voice.   Most experts say a slow, deliberate presenting voice is best.  There’s good reason to agree.  A slower speed allows for better enunciation, clarity and understanding.  People who speak quickly often give the impression they’re reckless, nervous and out of control.

At the same time, there’s research from the National Library of Medicine that shows talking fast signals confidence, intelligence, objectivity and superior knowledge.  The general research conclusions are this:

• A faster voice is more persuasive when the audience won’t like your messages. (Their internal voice can’t catch up to create counter-arguments, so they may see you as more persuasive.)
• A slower voice is more persuasive when the audience will like your messages.  (A slower voice allows more time for the audience’s self talk to revel in the good news, so they see you as more persuasive.)

Agree or disagree, one thing is universally true: people don’t listen more quickly. Be sensitive to the audience’s non-verbal skills coming back to you if you think they’re not understanding what you’re saying because of a fast voice. Also true, a flexible voice is most comfortable and interesting to listen to.   Generally, keep your pace at a moderate clip – neither fast or slow. But speed up slightly to add energy, and slow down when you want to add emphasis or gravitas.

Smile.   A natural genuine smile – not a toothy grin – is the most effective and easiest way to emotionally warm up the voice, not to mention makes you look more approachable.

Keep the voice lubricated.   Always keep water at hand.  Not caffeine (it’s a diuretic.)  Not alcohol (it’s drying).  Not milk (it creates phlegm – and for that matter, so does chocolate). And definitely not a cigarette at least 30 minutes prior to your speech.  Water at room temperature is best.

Avoid filler words.  I’ve  already written a post on vocal fillers or tics:  Er, Can I – um – Eliminate – uhhhs – When I Speak?

The post also includes additional recommendations on creating a strong voice.  The best first step:  record your voice so you know what you sound like.

Finally, a word about silence.

Every now and then, it’s important to stop talking for a moment.  If you don’t, when do you give the audience a chance to think about what you’re saying? And it’s good for you too.  A moment of silence gives you the chance to breathe completely and perhaps take a sip of water to wet the mouth.

Cultural Note

The use of eye contact, voice and gestures depends greatly on the culture, status, age and gender of your audience.  If you travel for work internationally, adapt and match the style of your presentation skills to your audience, not vice versa.  Do research and show the utmost respect for your host’s culture.

Any other suggestions on how to use a strong speaking voice while presenting?  Please add your comments or thoughts below.

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• Categories: Message Development , Presentation Skills
• Tags: adrenaline , diaphragm , pace , presentation skills , presentation voice , slarity , speaking voice , speede' , tone , voice projection

• Presentation Tips 7: How to use your voice effectively
• Presentation Skills

When you give a presentation your first goal should be to capture and hold the attention of your audience. Everyone must be able to hear and easily follow what you are saying. Fortunately you have one very valuable and versatile tool at your disposal to make this happen – and that’s your voice. In this post I will explain how to use your voice to best effect and have the impact you want on your audience.

First of all it’s important to recognise that giving a presentation is not the same as having a conversation with an individual or a small group at a meeting. When speaking in public you need to put a lot more effort into how you use your voice.

How to improve your speaking voice – the 4 essentials

No doubt you’ve sat through a presentation where it was difficult to hear the speaker or they spoke in a monotonous voice. Perhaps you persevered and tried hard to concentrate on the message. The truth is that the majority of audience members will drift off, give in to boredom and find alternative activities such as doodling on their notepads or fiddling with their smartphones. To keep your audience engaged you must use your voice well.

Be aware of the volume of your voice. Generally that means speaking out and projecting your voice more than you would in a normal conversation. It depends of course on the size of the room and numbers in the audience. Don’t speak too loudly or it will sound as if you are lecturing your audience. Don’t speak too softly either or they will simply lose interest. Whilst the most important thing is to be heard at all times, you should also try to vary your volume e.g. raise your voice to draw attention to a point; lower it to lend a bit of intrigue to what you are saying.

As well as making yourself audible, it is of course essential that you speak clearly. That means articulating words properly and taking care not to mumble or to ‘swallow’ word endings. The best way to achieve clarity is to move your lips and open your mouth wide enough for the sound to escape!

• Tone and emphasis

The content of your presentation may be of high quality, but you’ve got to make it sound interesting too. This means using your voice to convey enthusiasm, conviction, empathy etc. The tone you adopt should be consistent with the content of your message e.g. avoid sounding too cheerful if you’re announcing some bad news to your workforce!

Bear in mind that it’s possible to change the meaning of a sentence depending on the particular words you emphasise. So it’s important to decide on what words you should emphasise, perhaps by highlighting them in your notes and by practising out loud.

Avoid dropping your voice at the end of sentences as you are likely to send your audience to sleep – a technique used by hypnotists! Instead, try to put a little bit more emphasis into the final word of a sentence, without exaggerating too much.

• Pace and Pauses

There’s a tendency for people to speak too fast when they are presenting. This may come about because of nerves and an eagerness to get the presentation over and done with. As a general rule, when presenting you should speak more slowly than in ordinary conversation. Aim for about 150 words per minute to allow your audience enough time to take in what you are saying.

No doubt you will have noticed how comedians use a deliberate pause before delivering a punch line. This is a technique you can use also in formal presentations for deliberate effect and to allow your audience time to absorb a key point.

Voice and relaxation exercises

Your voice is capable of making a wide range of sounds, although typically we use only a limited amount of our voice capacity when presenting. Some of the inhibition comes from feeling nervous about speaking in public. If you have to deliver many high level presentations, then you may like to consider using the services of a voice coach.

Here are some simple exercises you can try by yourself to help warm up your voice before delivering a presentation.

• Get your vocal chords working by humming a tune.
• Pretend you are chewing a sticky toffee.
• Practise breathing deeply to fuel your voice.
• Think of some tongue-twisters and say them out loud, taking care to articulate every word.

Improving your vocal quality will enhance your presentations and make you come across as more confident and credible. Your body language and the visual impression you make matters a great deal too.

Click here to read one of my previous posts on How to make a great first impression.

Please contact me if you would like to find out about training courses or coaching on Presentation Skills. Click her e to view a sample Presentation Skills training programme.

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About the author: margaret johnston.

Related Posts

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Presentation Tips 9: How to deal with audience questions

Presentation Tips 8: How to use visual aids

Presentation Tips 6: How to make a great first impression

Presentation Tips 5: How to structure a presentation

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How to Make a “Good” Presentation “Great”

• Guy Kawasaki

Remember: Less is more.

A strong presentation is so much more than information pasted onto a series of slides with fancy backgrounds. Whether you’re pitching an idea, reporting market research, or sharing something else, a great presentation can give you a competitive advantage, and be a powerful tool when aiming to persuade, educate, or inspire others. Here are some unique elements that make a presentation stand out.

• Fonts: Sans Serif fonts such as Helvetica or Arial are preferred for their clean lines, which make them easy to digest at various sizes and distances. Limit the number of font styles to two: one for headings and another for body text, to avoid visual confusion or distractions.
• Colors: Colors can evoke emotions and highlight critical points, but their overuse can lead to a cluttered and confusing presentation. A limited palette of two to three main colors, complemented by a simple background, can help you draw attention to key elements without overwhelming the audience.
• Pictures: Pictures can communicate complex ideas quickly and memorably but choosing the right images is key. Images or pictures should be big (perhaps 20-25% of the page), bold, and have a clear purpose that complements the slide’s text.
• Layout: Don’t overcrowd your slides with too much information. When in doubt, adhere to the principle of simplicity, and aim for a clean and uncluttered layout with plenty of white space around text and images. Think phrases and bullets, not sentences.

As an intern or early career professional, chances are that you’ll be tasked with making or giving a presentation in the near future. Whether you’re pitching an idea, reporting market research, or sharing something else, a great presentation can give you a competitive advantage, and be a powerful tool when aiming to persuade, educate, or inspire others.

• Guy Kawasaki is the chief evangelist at Canva and was the former chief evangelist at Apple. Guy is the author of 16 books including Think Remarkable : 9 Paths to Transform Your Life and Make a Difference.

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Driver in suspected DUI crash that killed 2 children may have left Monroe County tavern earlier

BERLIN TWP. — Police investigated and a community mourned Sunday, the morning after a car crashed into a boat club building where a birthday party was being held, killing two young siblings — ages 5 and 8 — and injuring more than a dozen other people.

A 66-year-old woman, whose name was not released, was driving the vehicle that crashed and was arrested for suspicion of driving while intoxicated causing death, a 15-year felony, and taken to the Monroe County Jail, authorities said. More criminal charges are expected, police said.

In addition, authorities said Verna’s Tavern in Newport, where the driver of the car may have been just before the crash, had been shut down and was under investigation. The bar was back in operation late Sunday morning when a Free Press reporter and a photographer stopped by.

The Swan Boat Club — where the party was being held at 6332 Brancheau Road, about 30 minutes southwest of Detroit — posted on Facebook it would be closed Sunday, the result of the "terrible accident" with many injuries and much damage.

Monroe County Sheriff Troy Goodnough’s voice quivered as he spoke to news media.

He appeared to hold back tears as he read a statement that described the scene after the car went through a wall at about 3 p.m. Saturday. It was, he said, "extremely chaotic and with high level of emotions of those directly involved and those who witnessed this horrific incident."

Goodnough said 15 people, including adults, were injured.

The vehicle, he said, slammed into the north wall, moving fast enough to go about 25 feet into the building until it stopped. A doorbell cam video posted online shows what appears to be an SUV speeding toward the boat club, go out of view blocked by a stand of trees, and then a cloud of dust suddenly coming from offscreen. People can then be seen rushing out of the building.

Multiple agencies scrambled to reach the scene and try to provide aid.

During the news conference, those listening let out an audible ― and heartbreaking — gasp as the sheriff identified the dead children as brother and sister. The 5-year-old boy and his 8-year-old sister never had a chance to even get medical treatment. First responders pronounced them dead at the scene.

A GoFundMe fundraiser for the family, linked on the boat club's website , says the children's mother and older brother were also injured and remain hospitalized in critical condition.

The sheriff said that nine people, three of them children, were driven by ambulances and airlifted by two medical helicopters to area hospitals. As of late Saturday, they were facing serious, life-threatening injuries. Several other people, the sheriff added, were rushed away by nonemergency vehicles.

At the end of the news conference, the sheriff, in response to a reporter’s question, confirmed that the suspect may have been at Verna’s Tavern in Newport.

"We went in, we shut the business down," Goodnough added when pressed whether the tavern would be facing police scrutiny. "We are in the process of executing a search warrant for information as to the business conducted at that day."

A sign for the eatery describes it as "Home of the ½-pound Verna Burger" and a place for "good times & great friends since 1938."

After the crash, Goodnough said, investigators were working at the scene to process evidence, identify victims, interview witnesses and reunite family members separated in the sudden chaos of the deadly and tragic crash.

In a sad twist, the area where the tragedy unfolded has long been a place to enjoy life.

The boat club, which was started in the 1940s as a place for boating enthusiasts on Swan Creek to meet to play cards, have a beer and kickback, mostly during the hot summer months, has faced its share good and bad times over the years. It is just off Lake Erie.

The club, in its early years thrived, its website suggested .

The club history boasted of hosting "great regattas," "snow mobile races" and "famous chicken dinners," which it still offers. At one time, the club noted, its membership included Michigan’s Gov. G. Mennen (Soapy) Williams.

In the '70s, the website said its membership dropped to less than 50 members. But since then, the club — which now also offers dockage for more than 125 member boats up to 40 feet long — said its numbers have rebounded and was “sound and prosperous with a card-carrying membership of over 250!"

Names of the crash victims were not released.

Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or [email protected].