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Casual Articles - Speak to Influence Mini-course; Part 2 of 5
Jerry Seinfeld didn't call it quits because his audience wanted him to end his TV series. No, the comic turned TV star decided it was time to go.In an interview before the final "Seinfeld" episode, Katie Couric posed this question: "You’re the number-one sitcom, the leading program for a network and the most-watched show on television. Why hang it up?""The audience is a child, and you’re responsible for the child," said Seinfeld. "Sometimes that means not giving the child what the child wants. The child isn’t happy at the time, but perhaps later the child will understand."In other words, Seinfeld was saying "enough" to his devoted fans, much in the same way a child is denied candy even though each piece tastes good.Regardless of what you thought of "Seinfeld" -- a show about nothing, narcissistic, the funniest sitcom ever -- the producers, writers and actors knew their audience, and they delivered dead-on comedy to that audience for nearly a decade.But Jerry, whose roots are in standup comedy, didn’t want to keep the show alive until he "bombed." He didn’t want the "child" to turn on him. Instead, he left the series the same way he would exit his standup routin
This is not to say that you should speak as fast as you can. There is an acceptable upper limit. However, within a normal range, speaking faster has proven to make your communication more effective.
If you want to understand your tempo, go back to your recording of the scripted narration.
Unless you are a one-person shop, you are not the only person responsible for your customers’ opinions and whether they will do business with you again. Your employees make an impression on your customers every time they make contact. One of the first things you must do is make certain that your employees recognize that every contact with every customer is vital.It is your job to stop negative attitudes or comments about your customers. If you allow your employees to make disparaging remarks about customers, it creates a negative attitude that customers can read. Customers can be a big pain, but stay positive and be sure your employees stay positive. You employees must understand that it is the customer who actually pays their salary.One employee’s negative attitude can chase away current, future, and potential customers. Remember the adage that every dissatisfied customers tells ten people about the bad experience, and so it spreads. Whereas, a satisfied customer may not tell anyone about the good experience. The customer expects and is entitled to a good experience with your business. When they get what they expect, they are not as likely to talk about it.Ask your
1. Your voice: a musical instrument
2. Banishing non-words.
3. Avoiding embarrassing pronunciation mistakes.
1. YOUR VOICE: A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT
When considering the elements that are associated with a musical instrument, we may list the following:
Pitch
When it comes to your voice, pitch is very important, because if you do not speak at your natural pitch you can strain your voice. Try this when you are alone. Think of a phrase of a song that you know well. Alternate between humming and speaking this phrase. There will be a pitch at which you feel very comfortable. As you hum there will be a certain vibration around your nose and mouth that feels just right and you will experience no strain. This is your natural pitch.
Inflection
Inflection is the difference between highest and lowest pitch. If you end your statements with an inflection as if you might be asking a question, you will sound uncertain, which lowers your creditability and authority. You need to pay special attention to your inflection habits and break them if they are working against you.
This exercise will help you to control the inflection of your voice properly. First, hum to set yourself at your natural pitch. Next, think of an easy sentence and state it at your natural pitch. Then state it at higher and higher pitches until you are at your maximum comfort level. Then repeat the exercise but go to your lowest extreme. By going through this exercise you will become more familiar with the natural range of your own voice. You will then be able to note more quickly the way you move your voice through this range. With more observation and practice you will be able to make adjustments to improve your use of pitch.
Tone
Tone is related to the amount of emotion you let into your voice. If you are down, do you let it show in your voice? If you do, your audience will certainly know it. You want to sound upbeat and enthusiastic in most professional speaking situations.
When speaking to someone in person, smile, keep thinking positive thoughts, and use positive body language. To help your telephone communication, keep positive images and items near where you work and on your desk. They will help keep you feeling positive, and that positive tone will come through in your telephone conversations.
Tempo (rate of speaking)
Your speaking pace is an important part of speaking success. The average speaking pace is 150 words per minute. Speaking studies have revealed that a faster pace leads to a higher success rate of message delivery/reception. For example, average salespeople speak a bit faster than 150 words per minute, while top sale people speak at almost 250 words per minute. Faster speakers are perceived to be more intelligent, knowledgeable, creditable, and persuasive.
This is not to say that you should speak as fast as you can. There is an acceptable upper limit. However, within a normal range, speaking faster has proven to make your communication more effective.
If you want to understand your tempo, go back to your recording of the scripted narration.
Effective branding is key to getting your small business to spread. Maid in the Shade is an example of how two women with an entrepreneurial spirit and dedication can create a successful business with hard work and solid branding. They’ve been in business for almost 20 years now, and have a staff of over 30 people. They consider their branding to be an important part of their business’ development.Maid in the Shade wanted to emphasize that they were not just providing their clients with cleaning services, but giving them more quality time in their lives. This could mean more time for family, friends, projects and recreation. For commercial clients, the value of Maid in the Shade would be that they could increase employee productivity and gain more respect from their clients by always having a clean workplace. Another element they wanted to portray in their image is that they are well-established, professional and trustworthy.The Maid in the Shade logo, which they call “broomy”, has been a key element in their branding. The logo is of a smiling broom with sunglasses. This catchy image sticks in people’s minds and helps them to stand out among their competitors. They receive
Inflection
Inflection is the difference between highest and lowest pitch. If you end your statements with an inflection as if you might be asking a question, you will sound uncertain, which lowers your creditability and authority. You need to pay special attention to your inflection habits and break them if they are working against you.
This exercise will help you to control the inflection of your voice properly. First, hum to set yourself at your natural pitch. Next, think of an easy sentence and state it at your natural pitch. Then state it at higher and higher pitches until you are at your maximum comfort level. Then repeat the exercise but go to your lowest extreme. By going through this exercise you will become more familiar with the natural range of your own voice. You will then be able to note more quickly the way you move your voice through this range. With more observation and practice you will be able to make adjustments to improve your use of pitch.
Tone
Tone is related to the amount of emotion you let into your voice. If you are down, do you let it show in your voice? If you do, your audience will certainly know it. You want to sound upbeat and enthusiastic in most professional speaking situations.
When speaking to someone in person, smile, keep thinking positive thoughts, and use positive body language. To help your telephone communication, keep positive images and items near where you work and on your desk. They will help keep you feeling positive, and that positive tone will come through in your telephone conversations.
Tempo (rate of speaking)
Your speaking pace is an important part of speaking success. The average speaking pace is 150 words per minute. Speaking studies have revealed that a faster pace leads to a higher success rate of message delivery/reception. For example, average salespeople speak a bit faster than 150 words per minute, while top sale people speak at almost 250 words per minute. Faster speakers are perceived to be more intelligent, knowledgeable, creditable, and persuasive.
This is not to say that you should speak as fast as you can. There is an acceptable upper limit. However, within a normal range, speaking faster has proven to make your communication more effective.
If you want to understand your tempo, go back to your recording of the scripted narration.
A major component of effective speech delivery is the physical health of your voice. Under the duress of a cold, of dehydration, or even of excessive speaking, your speech quality may dwindle. Even the most precise and energetic of speakers are susceptible to voice injuries that may affect their business, whether they are sharing information, closing a sale, or giving instructions as a project manager.Do you talk a lot at work? If you’re a teacher, coach, trainer, lawyer, singer, factory worker, politician, broadcaster, salesperson, minister, receptionist, secretary, stock broker, Realtor, cheerleader, telemarketer, or other heavy voice user, you have probably experienced that dry, scratchy, lump-in-the-throat, hoarseness at some time in your life. You’ve heard coaches after the “big game” who have hardly any voice left. Untreated and repeated, this can lead to permanent damage and permanent loss of a young and vibrant voice.Have you ever noticed after a night out at a busy restaurant or nightclub that your voice feels dry and sounds a little “husky”? Many waiters and waitresses wind up seeing me after their first year on the job in the “hot” new venues. My friend Kate is a
Tone
Tone is related to the amount of emotion you let into your voice. If you are down, do you let it show in your voice? If you do, your audience will certainly know it. You want to sound upbeat and enthusiastic in most professional speaking situations.
When speaking to someone in person, smile, keep thinking positive thoughts, and use positive body language. To help your telephone communication, keep positive images and items near where you work and on your desk. They will help keep you feeling positive, and that positive tone will come through in your telephone conversations.
Tempo (rate of speaking)
Your speaking pace is an important part of speaking success. The average speaking pace is 150 words per minute. Speaking studies have revealed that a faster pace leads to a higher success rate of message delivery/reception. For example, average salespeople speak a bit faster than 150 words per minute, while top sale people speak at almost 250 words per minute. Faster speakers are perceived to be more intelligent, knowledgeable, creditable, and persuasive.
This is not to say that you should speak as fast as you can. There is an acceptable upper limit. However, within a normal range, speaking faster has proven to make your communication more effective.
If you want to understand your tempo, go back to your recording of the scripted narration.
It is commonly believed myth that personality testing instruments can measure your personality and predict your future behaviors. The pre-employment testing mechanism has been following this creed without any solid evidence. The testing industry claims all out validity. The educational institutions and employer organizations use them for screening purposes. Their transparency and equity has even convinced the courts of law.But it is still an unresolved riddle; what do they test?Do they test personality? What is personality then? What is its nature? How does it come into existence? Is it outcome of evolution? Does matter has capability to generate a personality? Why animals don’t have a personality? Does it remain the same during whole of your life? And many more questions.It is like peeling off an onion. Every strip leads to many more. Finally you get a heap of onion strips. Where is the onion?But personality is not an onion…Allport has recorded hundreds of different definitions. Most of the psychologists equate it to your style, behaviors and reactions. They have devised instruments to measure these main areas. The collected data about your behaviors and tempe
When speaking to someone in person, smile, keep thinking positive thoughts, and use positive body language. To help your telephone communication, keep positive images and items near where you work and on your desk. They will help keep you feeling positive, and that positive tone will come through in your telephone conversations.
Tempo (rate of speaking)
Your speaking pace is an important part of speaking success. The average speaking pace is 150 words per minute. Speaking studies have revealed that a faster pace leads to a higher success rate of message delivery/reception. For example, average salespeople speak a bit faster than 150 words per minute, while top sale people speak at almost 250 words per minute. Faster speakers are perceived to be more intelligent, knowledgeable, creditable, and persuasive.
This is not to say that you should speak as fast as you can. There is an acceptable upper limit. However, within a normal range, speaking faster has proven to make your communication more effective.
If you want to understand your tempo, go back to your recording of the scripted narration.
The cost of doing business continuously increases as gasoline prices soar. Many service companies (e.g. plumbing, air conditioning and chimney contractors) have realized this as gasoline expenses have reached the ceiling. In an effort to offset this cost many companies are cutting budgets in other key areas like marketing and advertising. Many companies are realizing as they cut budgets for advertising they are seeing a decrease in profits which requires further budget cuts. This can have a snowball effect; however, there are adjustments that can be made to relieve the strain on the gasoline budget.One adjustment that would make a significant difference is a process for more efficient routing. Companies that service large areas (e.g. large cities) discover that some areas are serviced more frequently than others; some areas require repairs (e.g. older areas) while some require accessories (e.g. new areas). Through computers and the internet there are a number of software packages which have scheduling and dispatching functionality. Companies can utilize routing and scheduling functionality to decrease the driving distance each work order requires.A good practice for companies servi
This is not to say that you should speak as fast as you can. There is an acceptable upper limit. However, within a normal range, speaking faster has proven to make your communication more effective.
If you want to understand your tempo, go back to your recording of the scripted narration. Count the words and time the length of the recording. Next record yourself as you try speaking at faster tempos. Make adjustments as you deem appropriate.
By the way, the faster-speaking salespeople do not say the words faster. They compress or reduce the pauses and gaps between words. Try this as you seek to increase your tempo.
I do many recordings of people and then edit the narration afterwards. I can change the “apparent” tempo by taking out the silent spaces that occur in between sentences or when people take in a breath of air.
Keep in mind that blending pauses with pace properly can add to effective message delivery. A pause has certain effects on the audience. It may make them aware that something important was just stated or it gives them a moment to ponder. A properly placed pause is very important. Therefore, take out the small gaps that contribute to a slower tempo and then pause for maximum effect when you do pause.
Rhythm
If your voice evaluation suggested that you are boring or monotone, consider your rhythm. Sometimes you will want to emphasize something with a short staccato burst of words. At other times you will want your words to smoothly flow for a significant length of time.
Varying the rhythm of your delivery makes it more interesting.
To help you to gain an appreciation for engaging rhythm, think of a speaker who you are familiar with, who you think is lively and hardly ever boring. Listen closely to what this person does. Does this speaker vary the rhythm of the delivery? There is more than a fair chance that this is true. Watch and emulate this speaker.
Origin (or placement and voice amplification)
People that speak for a living, such as actors or voice artists, have a term they use called the “mask.” The mask is a triangular-shaped area defined by your two sinuses and your mouth. The sinuses are your body’s amplifiers.
To use this natural amplifier, you have to learn to place your voice in the middle of this area.
Try some exercises. First shift the origin of your voice to your chest. Can you make it sound deeper? Then try shifting the origin of your voice by focusing just on your nose. While you do this place your hand on your chest and your fingers on your nose. You will be able to experience the shift in the center of the vibrations.
With a bit of practice you will be able to shift the origin of your voice around and keep it focused on the mask when you are speaking.
2. HOW TO BANISH “NON-WORDS” FOREVER
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