Download Our Speech is Deteriorating

MODULE
1
Our Speech is Deteriorating –
Why?
According to a Gallup poll that surveyed 500 men and women, the
following problems commonly plague Americans and reduce our
ability to communicate effectively:
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© 2000 Berkley Productions
Mumbling or speaking too softly
Yelling
Speaking in a monotone voice
Using vocal fillers such as “um, like, you know, etc.”
Talking in a whiney, nasal voice
Using poor grammar
Speaking with a high-pitched voice
Talking with a foreign accent or regional dialect that is difficult
to understand
1
Speak to Influence Workshop –
Learning Outcomes
This
workshop
was
designed
to help
you…
▲ Speak with more energy, emotion and enthusiasm
▲ Use body language to your advantage
▲ Apply breathing techniques to improve the impact and
effectiveness of your messages
▲ Improve the credibility of your messages
▲ Make your voice more interesting and engaging
▲ Enhance your selling ability by varying your rate of speech
▲ Establish a better rapport during your conversations
▲ Convey your ideas in a more dynamic manner
▲ Minimize and control stress and anxiety related to speaking
© 2000 Berkley Productions
2
The Impact of Your Voice –
Learning Outcomes
▲ Recognize unprofessional and unpleasant vocal qualities
Upon
completion
of this
module,
you will…
▲ Understand that your voice can be your most powerful tool
▲ Be able to identify outstanding speakers and their distinguishing
qualities
▲ Target some initial vocal traits that can be developed with practice
during the workshop
▲ Realize that how a person hears his or her own voice is not exactly
the same way in which others “hear” the voice
▲ Be aware that one’s voice accounts for majority of others’
impressions (rather than one’s word selection)
© 2000 Berkley Productions
3
The Voice’s Power to Invoke –
Video Notes
As you watch the video clips, please make notes on this page about
your reaction or response to the voices you hear. What emotions,
feelings, gut reactions and associations does each one invoke?
Voice #1:
Voice #2:
Voice #3:
Voice #4:
“Speech is a mirror of the soul;
as a man speaks, so is he.”
—PUBLILIUS SYRUS, FIRST CENTURY B.C.
© 2000 Berkley Productions
4
Vocal Impact =
Listener’s Reaction to Voice
+ Message
A person’s voice conjures a variety of reactions in a listener, both on
a conscious and unconscious level:
▲ Emotions and feelings: glad, angry, sad, mad, guilty, hopeful, etc.
▲ Impressions of capabilities and professionalism
▲ Gut level reaction or associations: agree, disagree, believe, don’t
believe the message, and/or thoughts of past similar situations or
circumstances
Your goal:
To develop vocal qualities that enhance the delivery and understanding
of your messages as well as present yourself in the most professional
manner.
© 2000 Berkley Productions
5
Famous Voices
As you listen to the audio clips of several famous people, note the
qualities that make each voice memorable. Be as descriptive and
specific as possible.
Name #1:
Vocal qualities:
Name #2:
Vocal qualities:
Name #3:
Vocal qualities:
Circle one or two qualities that you would like to develop in your
voice and record them here:
© 2000 Berkley Productions
6
Perceptions of Your Own Voice–
Real or Wishful Thinking?
The way in which you hear your own voice may not match how others
hear your voice. When you hear your own voice, the voice you hear is
somewhat distorted by your facial and inner ear structures.
To test this phenomenon, what are your initial impressions of how
your voice sounds when recorded on tape compared to when you
hear yourself talk?
Does the tape-recorded voice sound different to you? Describe how it
differs from when you hear it “live.”
By collecting feedback from others, you will be able to minimize this
discrepancy between what you hear on tape versus speaking live.
© 2000 Berkley Productions
7
Are You Communicating
Effectively with Your Clients
and/or Customers?
Think about your clients and/or customer relationships – both internal
and external. How do you typically interact with them? Face to face?
On the phone? Or a combination of both?
Keep in mind these very important statistics…
Face-to-Face Communication
According to a UCLA study done by Dr. Albert Mehrabian, when
communicating face to face and the verbal and visual signs are
inconsistent,
55% of the message is
conveyed through
facial expression and
body language
7% of the message is
conveyed through
the actual words.
38% of the message is
conveyed through voice
quality – pitch, tone,
volume and inflection
Phone Communication
According to further research conducted by Dr. Mehrabian, when
people communicate via the phone,
16% of the message is derived
from the speaker’s
choice of words.
© 2000 Berkley Productions
84% of the message
is derived from the
speaker’s voice
and the feelings
it elicits in the
listener
8
Key Points
▲ Americans’ speech is deteriorating due to a number of factors that
can be corrected: mumbling, yelling, monotone voice, verbal
viruses, poor grammar, unpleasant vocal qualities and difficult to
understand accents/dialects.
▲ By developing your vocal qualities and improving your message
delivery, your voice can be your most powerful tool and significantly
enhance your vocal impact.
▲ Being able to convey the way you feel, think and believe is critical
to having your message interpreted accurately.
▲ You hear your own voice differently than others hear you.
▲ When communicating via the phone, 84% of the message is
derived from the speaker’s voice and the feelings it elicits in the
listener. Only 16% of the message is derived from the speaker’s
choice of words.
© 2000 Berkley Productions
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