The Seasonal Effects on our Voices

Lynda Stucky December 11, 2014 Develop Your Voice

Imagine the devastating effects of waking up on the day of your big presentation and finding that your voice sounds scratchy, hoarse and weak. Worse yet, it has disappeared completely! Nearly all of us rely on a well-functioning voice at work every day. If we were to lose our voice on any given day, the results could be disastrous.

Use the “megaphone trick” to improve the way that you sound!

Lynda Stucky June 5, 2018 Develop Your Voice

You’ve heard the expression “kill two birds with one stone” (meaning solving several problems with just one action). I have a speech trick so tremendous that not only does this trick kill two birds with one stone, it kills about five (metaphorically, of course, because I love birds!) What five areas of speech and voice does it help with, you ask?

Here is the list…

Volume–how loudly you speak

Rate–how quickly you talk

Diction–how sharply you pronounce vowels and consonants

Resonance–how full and rich sounding you sound

Intonation–how vocally expressive you are.

Use the megaphone trick to improve the way that you sound! Let me first explain the theory behind the trick: 

Confusing Vocal Tone

Lynda Stucky September 28, 2020 Build Your Brand

The art of communication isn’t so easily mastered, because in reality, communication can be tricky and become a source of misunderstanding and conflicts. If someone has ever told you, “It wasn’t what you said, but how you said it,” your listener is telling you that you’ve just communicated a lot more than just the words.  Tone of voice is often a source of hurt feelings and miscommunications because our tone communicates to others what we’re feeling when we say things. Here are a few ways to self-monitor your vocal tone:

How to Master Impromptu Speaking

Lynda Stucky June 12, 2018 Build Your Brand, Public Speaking

Sometimes the most dreaded “presentation” that people tell me they dislike the most, is impromptu speaking.  They fear of stumbling on words, sounding dumb, and drawing a blank when they are called upon to give an opinion.  There is something about unplanned presentations, which makes people want to crawl under the table and hide.  Believe me; you are not alone if you would like to become invisible when all eyes are on you to speak.  I get many requests from my clients to help with this skill (and it truly is a skill).  But let me assure you that you can develop it, if you are not at the level you wish to be.  Here are some pointers:

How are Leaders’ Presentations and Olympic Athletes the Same?

Lynda Stucky February 21, 2014 Build Your Brand, Public Speaking

It’s hard to believe that the Olympics are almost over and there will be no more late nights!  I hope that you have been enjoying these tremendous athletes and all their heartwarming stories!

Those Pesky Word Fillers!

Lynda Stucky April 12, 2014 Develop Your Speech

Word fillers diminish your credibility!

Your audience will be distracted by them (instead of listening to you!)

Top 10 Successful Speaking Strategies to Use in Cross-Cultural Conversations for the Accented Speaker–Part 2

Lynda Stucky November 20, 2014 Build Your Brand, Reduce a Foreign Accent

Last week we discussed five tips for speaking in cross-cultural conversations.  Today, we explore the last five tips and tricks:

6. Pause periodically to give your listener time to process what you have said.
If you are making a few errors in your speech, the listener needs time to figure it out or “translate” what was said. Give your listener this time by pausing briefly.

Six Holiday Gift Ideas that Promote Language Skills

Lynda Stucky November 27, 2014 Develop Language, Develop Your Speech, Develop Your Voice

Are you looking for a unique gift this holiday season for the board game lover on your list? Whether it is for a child or an adult, a native English speaker or non-native English speaker, building language skills is important for anybody at any level. How about a game that promotes language skill development or vocabulary building and promises hours of fun and laughter with your friends, family or colleagues!

High Efficiency Speech: SUV or Hybrid?

Lynda Stucky December 18, 2014 Build Your Brand, Develop Language, Develop Your Speech, Develop Your Voice

Would your speech compare to an SUV (using a lot of words to convey your message) or more like a Hybrid (speaking more efficiently using fewer words)?

In American business, we value conciseness. Communicating succinctly is an effective and powerful tool for persuading, convincing, or reinforcing messages. Speech that is too wordy is dull and boring and may leave the listener wondering what the point is. Similarly, a response that take 3-4 minutes to get to the point is too long to hold someone’s attention especially if the speaker veered from the main point in off-topic details. You or the speaker may have even forgotten what the question was after several minutes.

Communication Gifts That Your Audiences Will Love

Lynda Stucky December 24, 2014 Build Your Brand, Develop Language, Develop Your Speech, Develop Your Voice, Public Speaking, Reduce a Foreign Accent, Reduce a Regional Accent

While many things can go wrong in a presentation, don’t forget to consider all the things that you do well to awe your audiences. Here are 12 speech, language, and voice gifts to “give” your audiences every time you present. They will love you for it!

1. Optimal pitch–The pitch you speak at every day is your habitual pitch level. But does it match your optimal pitch level? The optimal pitch is where you vocal cords function their best. Too low or too high can be hard to listen to and could damage your vocal cords and make you hoarse.