Presenting in a fascinating way: use your voice!

Project Description

Someone is giving a presentation that is so boring, that you almost fall asleep. You must have certainly been there. Is it the subject or the speaker? You can guess the answer. Even with the least sexy subjects, an effective speaker will grab your attention and put you on the edge of your seat. For a large part, it has to do with the use of your voice.

A presentation will have the most effect in speak coherence. That means: a regular, irregular speaking rhythm in a positive sense. The entire nature has regularity in irregularity. Always the same temperature, wind speed, atmospheric humidity, and just as much sun or clouds is destructive. It is almost impossible to live with.

For a presentation with impact, you, therefore, change the rhythm in which you speak. You will alternate between speaking fast, calmly, louder, and softer. Except a rhythm of loud and soft, fast and calm, a variety in tones is also important. You will start a sentence in a high tone and end it in a low or soft tone. In addition, you will turn every comma into a full stop. I call this combination: Mind-Tool-Rhythm-Language.

Give meaning to words

When you pay attention to it, you will notice that speakers that are able to fascinate you apply this technique automatically. They play with their voice. They give real meaning to their words. Their story comes alive. They could even read a shopping list out loud and you would still be hanging on their every word.

People who speak monotone and always in the same rhythm will not be able to get your full attention. A large part of the information they provide will not sink in, no matter how interesting their story is.

Furthermore, there is still a large group of speakers that end their sentences in a high tone. Watch this! This way, almost every sentence will sound like a question. Therefore, the story is not convincing to you and it will lose its impact.

Make it exciting

The basis of MTRL is simple: as soon as you talk about something fun, your voice sounds happy. When you’re talking about something sad, this is also noticeable in your voice. And as soon as you want to emphasize something, you will make your voice sound louder or softer. You can also make your story more exciting and able to keep the attention if you alternate the lengths of the breaks. Just try it. And remember that a break that may seem long to you is often actually very short. Have the courage to not speak for a little longer than usual once in a while.

What goes for speaking breaks, also goes for the use of different pitches, speaking with emotion in your voice, and alternating the rhythm. You are free to exaggerate. Often, it only comes across (naturally) when you feel like you are exaggerating. So don’t hold back.

As soon as you use MTRL – Mind Tool Rhythm Language, your speaking is perfect and the message will sink into the brain of your audience with maximum impact. What you say will come across resolute, which will provide you with the biggest chance to motivate your audience the way you had in mind. If you start speaking this way, you will also experience more relaxation in your thinking.

Practice!

It requires a lot of practice to automatically use MTRL. So practice a lot, for example, in the car on the way to work, and during your conversations. Test it on colleagues or children. A simple sentence like: ‘I want you to be home at one o’clock’, will have more impact this way than if you say this in a monotone voice in the same rhythm and/or end the sentence in a high tone. Endless discussions with colleagues or staff about tasks that should be completed will be omitted from now on. And when you speak during a meeting or presentation, people will really listen to you.

To practice, you can write down a number of sentences and indicate with symbols when your voice should go up or down, where and how long you take breaks, and at which moment you want to use your voice in a slightly louder or softer tone. My book: ‘Meester over je gedachten’ (‘Master your thoughts’), includes extensive text to practice with MRTL. And during coaching programs, you can practice in a safe setting and receive feedback.

NB: Do not make the mistake of writing a presentation in MTRL. The best presentations are done by heart without endless preparation. A small piece of paper as a mnemonic with the points that are important is allowed.