Week 2: Using Your Voice

To present a successful presentation, you will need to be well rehearsed and to sound interested in and enthusiastic about your subject. If you are enthusiastic about your subject, you will be less likely to be unnerved by the prospect of giving a speech. People often think of giving presentations as speaking words aloud. Actually you communicate with an audience as much through nonverbal means as through words. Eye contact, gestures, platform movements, appearance, and the motions you make as you begin and end a presentation will “say” a great deal about you and your message to the listeners. In the coming weeks, we will cover these nonverbal aspects to delivering an effective presentation.

This week, we will focus on using your voice effectively. A good deal of emphasis is placed on the visual aspects of presentation delivery. A large part of the message of a presentation is carried by the voice. How you control and use your voice can make the difference between a well received and a poorly received speech. You need to consider a number of different factors involved when using your voice for public speaking.