With the US political campaign season coming to a close, you may have noticed that a stark difference in communication styles exists between the top two candidates. Each candidate resonates with some audiences but not with others. This fact verifies what you already know: you can’t please everyone with your style. Often times when I give examples of style differences at my workshops, I hear complete opposite reactions to the same voice. One person loves the way a speaker communicates and someone else hates it. This dichotomy presents an interesting challenge for you, because as an executive speaker who is trying to resonate with your audience, you know that there are audience members that you just won’t be able to reach.
When I was first starting out as a professional, there were occasions that my employer wanted me to do some public speaking. I was absolutely mortified to have to consider this daunting task! First of all, it scared me to have to create a compelling presentation to a professional audience and secondly, I was afraid to speak and be in front of people who were judging me (as least, that’s what I thought). Because of my self-degrading thoughts, my voice sounded shaky and I didn’t project very well.
Lacking vocal expressiveness is a common problem and sounding monotone won’t captivate your audience. Here is a solution to help you become more vocally expressive:
When if comes to appearing competent, articulate and qualified, small changes in the way you speak can boost your potential for business success. Speaking well may influence the listener on whether or not he or she wants to pursue a business relationship with you. Here are some common mistakes to avoid:
It’s that time of year again…holiday parties, festive decorations, and businesses competing for your money in an seemingly endless flurry of ads and discounts. I love this season despite a few hectic moments. I get to be with my family and sit down together to share meals and play games. If you are still considering gift ideas for your friends, colleagues or family, or perhaps you need ideas for games to play at the holiday party, I’d like to help you out by recommending some fun games that promote speech, language and cognitive skills. And these games are fun for both adults and children!
When it comes to understanding someone who is from another culture who has a strong foreign accent, how do we listen more effectively to assure that the exchange is successful? Both the listener and the speaker are responsible for making sure that each party has understood. Both the listener and the speaker can use strategies to improve the situation. Here is a tip for the listener who is listening to the hard-to-understand person:
Be educated about the differences between languages. Certain languages have characteristics that are unique to that language. Since a language learner adapts what he knows about his language onto the new language, real differences in the way words are spoken occur. This fact can make the second language learner difficult to understand and can be a distraction to our ears.
There are many languages that don’t sound at all as rhythmic and melodious as English.
Are you fast talker? If you are, you may be losing the most important person in the room: the listener! A good rate of speech ranges between 140 -160 words per minute (wpm). A rate higher than 160 words per minute can be difficult for the listener to absorb the material. There may be some areas of the country that speak at faster rates but a slower rate is preferable. Too slow of a rate may give the listener the perception of slow thinking, incompetence and being uneducated. If you have a foreign accent though, speaking slowly is crucial since pronunciation may be a challenge for the listener. Use a speed that is closer to 140 words per minute.
Did you know that millions of Americans experience hearing loss in at least one ear? It seems to be true for me, too. I am in a crowded room with lots of noise in the background while trying to carry-on a conversation with my spouse or my colleagues. I am watching their mouths carefully (reading their lips) because I am not getting all the words! I seem to miss some words which affects the content of the message but I’m too embarrassed to ask them to repeat it again! This only happens when there is a lot of background noise.
With the US political campaign season coming to a close, you may have noticed that a stark difference in communication styles exists between the top two candidates. Each candidate resonates with some audiences but not with others. This fact verifies what you already know: you can’t please everyone with your style. Often times when I give examples of style differences at my workshops, I hear complete opposite reactions to the same voice. One person loves the way a speaker communicates and someone else hates it. This dichotomy presents an interesting challenge for you, because as an executive speaker who is trying to resonate with your audience, you know that there are audience members that you just won’t be able to reach. 
