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Articles from Nancy Daniels | Selfgrowth.com
- ***Why You Should Include True Stories in Your Next Presentation - by Submitted on May 17, 2011 from Nancy DanielsIn an article some months ago, I talked about the value of storytelling in public speaking and why a descriptive retelling of a story is much more interesting than a brief quip. Audiences love true stories especially if they involve you and have a good ending. They must be pertinent to your ...
Views: 2877 - ***Why You Should Not Seek Perfection in Public Speaking - by Submitted on Jun 06, 2012 from Nancy DanielsWhen you have a job at hand, is your goal to do it perfectly or to the best of your ability? Be honest with yourself in answering that question because, in public speaking, it could mean the difference between a dynamic presentation and one that is so-so. Without a doubt, there are some ...
Views: 1921 - ***Why Your Soft Spoken Voice Wastes Their Time and Yours! - by Submitted on Oct 01, 2012 from Nancy DanielsThere is only one problem with being soft-spoken. It is that you are constantly being asked to repeat yourself. And, if it happens often enough, your listeners will stop listening or interrupt you and take over the conversation. Yes, your partner may not seem to be listening but have you ever ...
Views: 1879 - ***Why Your Use of Color and Language Is So Invaluable in the Commemorative Speech - by Submitted on Feb 02, 2012 from Nancy DanielsOf all the various types of speeches and presentations we hear, that which stirs the most emotion, that which expresses the most passion, is the commemorative speech. For the sole purpose of paying tribute, the commemorative speech is dedicated to people, places, institutions, or ideas. ...
Views: 1995 - ***Without Integrity in Public Speaking, You Have Nothing to Offer - by Submitted on Jun 13, 2011 from Nancy DanielsIn the internet world, the amount of information on public speaking or presentation skills is overwhelming – from choosing a topic and then preparing and creating your speech or presentation to the best means of delivering your material with enthusiasm and passion. What is often neglected, ...
Views: 3886 - ***You Do Not Need to Speak for a Living for Voice Training to Be Part of Your Ongoing Development - by Submitted on May 03, 2011 from Nancy DanielsWhether it is for personal reasons or professional, improving the sound of your speaking voice is something people are becoming aware of because they realize it is part of the image they project. What does your voice (the one you hear on your answering machine) say about you? In today's ...
Views: 2209 - ***You Don't Have to Live with the Voice You Hear on Your Voicemail - by Submitted on Apr 28, 2011 from Nancy DanielsDo you remember the first time you heard yourself on a recording? I do. The memory is seared into my mind. I was shocked. In fact, I was sure it was the fault of Sony and not of me! When I was in graduate school a few years later, my singing professor showed me where my optimum speaking ...
Views: 2750 - ***Your Accent Is Not Holding You Back -- Your Diction Is! - by Submitted on Mar 04, 2011 from Nancy DanielsUnless you are planning to become an actor, I see no reason to try to get rid of your accent as long as you speak clearly. This is a prerequisite for success. It does not matter where you live or what language is your mother tongue. Along with your education and experience, your ...
Views: 3256 - ***Your Childlike Voice Does Not Lend Credibility in Your Business Dealings - by Submitted on May 17, 2011 from Nancy DanielsDo you believe that the image you project has an impact on your professional or business life? I would imagine that your answer is yes. I would also imagine that you have heard yourself on some type of recording equipment - your voicemail, an answering machine, a camcorder, or maybe even an old ...
Views: 3006 - ***Your Diction Has a Direct Influence on Your Success - by Submitted on Oct 07, 2013 from Nancy DanielsIn watching TV or the movies, I am always impressed with the diction I hear from the actors. It doesn't matter what characters they are playing. And, it doesn't matter which nationality they are, their articulation is clear and concise. It is part of their training. Can you say the same about ...
Views: 1580 - ***Your Presentation Skills Determine Whether You Will Get the 2nd Interview - by Submitted on Jun 20, 2011 from Nancy DanielsIf you think your presentation skills are not as important as your education and aptitude, consider this one point: you get your 1st interview because of your education and ability. You get your 2nd interview, however, because of your presentation skills. Employers look at resumes and ...
Views: 2072 - ***Your Presentation Skills May Be Great, But What About Your Voice? - by Submitted on Jun 13, 2011 from Nancy DanielsI have belonged to a public speaking network for some time now and it never ceases to amaze me that the members do not talk about the actual sound of the speaking voice. From topics covering the value of content versus delivery to the elimination of nervousness and even ways to find speaking ...
Views: 2487 - ***Your Real Voice Is Deeper in Pitch and More Mature in Sound - by Submitted on Jun 18, 2013 from Nancy DanielsIn an article I wrote about the value of diaphragmatic breathing in public speaking, what I did not discuss was how this type of breathing is what you must do in order to find your ‘real’ speaking voice. And that ‘real’ voice is deeper in pitch, warmer in quality and resonant in sound. So ...
Views: 2080 - ***Your Soft-Spoken Voice Could Be Jeopardizing Your Career! - by Submitted on Feb 16, 2011 from Nancy DanielsIf others continually ask you to repeat yourself, what do you think that says about you? If you are striving to achieve success in your career, do you think your soft-spoken voice might be jeopardizing your goals? Have you ever considered that your lack of volume is possibly what could be ...
Views: 3218 - ***Your Speaking Voice and 'What Lies Beneath' - by Submitted on Dec 27, 2010 from Nancy DanielsYou have a much more dynamic voice inside of you. You have a voice that is probably deeper in pitch than your habitual voice. You have a voice that is rich, warm and resonant. How can I say these things and be confident in my analysis of your voice without ever having heard you? Because ...
Views: 1797 - ***Your Voice Is Your Calling Card - Is That Good or Not So Good? - by Submitted on Dec 16, 2013 from Nancy DanielsOne of the 1st things you do when you start a new business is to create a business card. While the purpose of the card is to identify you and your business, your goal with that card is to project a positive image of that business. In fact, you should probably hire a creative talent to design ...
Views: 1631 - ***Zero In On Your Smilers - by Submitted on Oct 03, 2008 from Nancy DanielsRecently I gave a presentation at a Summit Conference in New York City and was confronted with a very ‘tight’ audience. I was blessed, however, to have two women in the large ballroom who smiled throughout, nodding their heads in agreement with everything I said. The second blessing was that ...
Views: 1562 - 3 Things You Must Do If You Want a Sexy Voice - by Submitted on Oct 21, 2014 from Nancy DanielsHave you ever noticed that the best speaking voices in the business are deep, rich, and warm? Think of those actors – both men and women – who are known for having a great sound. Who is your favorite? James Earl Jones or Sean Connery or George Clooney? How about Angelina Jolie, Felicia ...
Views: 1740 - A Voice Without Expression Is Like a Garden Without Color - by Submitted on Sep 25, 2014 from Nancy DanielsFor 5 months of the year, my garden is brown, lifeless, and dull. Were it to remain colorless through the rest of the year, I would have no passion or interest in gardening. That which makes the voice interesting to listen to – by means of your vocal variety, facial expression, and body ...
Views: 1770 - Articulation Matters: How Good Is Yours? - by Submitted on May 31, 2009 from Nancy DanielsWhen you address an audience, do you think your articulation has value? The only answer is most definitely yes. If your audience cannot understand you or misses a word or a phrase here and there, then they are missing your message. And, if they are missing your message, then it doesn’t ...
Views: 2843 - COVID-19 Masks and Your Muffled Voice - by Submitted on Nov 17, 2020 from Nancy DanielsToday we are living in a precarious situation because of COVID-19 in which we need to stay 6 feet away from others when we are outside of our homes. Have you considered what is happening to your voice when you are wearing a mask and need to be heard when speaking? Most likely, your voice will be ...
Views: 901 - Do You Run Out of Air BEFORE You Run Out of Sentence? - by Submitted on Apr 19, 2017 from Nancy DanielsI remember when one of my sons was in 2nd or 3rd grade and was practicing reading out loud. He would take a breath after almost every word. Teachers explain to children in that age group that they should wait to take a breath until they come to the end of the sentence. At that age, there are ...
Views: 2356 - Do You Sound Like a Valley Girl When You Speak? - by Submitted on Dec 19, 2014 from Nancy DanielsEnding your sentences on the upswing is what I call the Valley Girl sound. Basically, it means that your statements sound like questions. It may be cute for 16-year-olds, but it definitely does not lend credibility to a professional image. If you are ending your sentences on a pitch higher ...
Views: 4898 - Hate How You Sound on a Recording? - by Submitted on Nov 25, 2014 from Nancy DanielsDoes this sound familiar? You hear a recording of your voice and you cringe? Perhaps you are embarrassed. Well, you are not alone. Most people do not recognize what they hear on the recording because it does not sound like the voice they hear in their head. Unfortunately, the voice on the ...
Views: 1883 - Help -- I'm 35 But I Sound Like A 12-Year-Old! - by Submitted on Mar 17, 2008 from Nancy DanielsHave you ever considered the sound of your speaking voice and what it says about you? Have you given any thought to the fact that your speaking voice could be holding you back from landing a particular job or getting that promotion? Take this scenario for example. There are two candidates ...
Views: 2646 - How to Deliver a Speech (And Not Sound Like You Are Reading It!) - by Submitted on Apr 05, 2015 from Nancy DanielsWhile you may be giving presentations in your business or your public speaking career, there are times in which you may be called upon to give an actual speech and not a presentation. One of the differences between the speech and the presentation is that the former should be read and the latter ...
Views: 4563 - How to Increase Your Volume without Yelling - by Submitted on Oct 14, 2014 from Nancy DanielsWhen you increase your volume, does your throat hurt? If you root for your favorite sports team, is your voice hoarse the next day? Perhaps you have no voice by the next day. All three of these situations are known as vocal abuse. If any of these scenarios sound familiar, then you are not ...
Views: 1983 - How to Train Your Voice to Be More Charismatic - by Submitted on Dec 02, 2014 from Nancy DanielsThere is an interesting article in the Wall Street Journal, by the same title, about the charismatic influence your voice can have in your professional life. Having analyzed the voices of leaders in countries such as Brazil, France, and Italy, scientists have found that those who exhibited ...
Views: 5757 - How You Sound Is Who You Are - True or False? - by Submitted on Mar 05, 2015 from Nancy DanielsThe answer is maybe. As an example, let's say that you are soft-spoken. If you are asked to repeat yourself a lot, others may think you lack confidence. This is just one description which comes to mind when I hear someone who doesn't speak at a normal volume level in conversation. However, I ...
Views: 2052 - If You Smile At Your Audience, I Guarantee They Will Smile Back - by Submitted on Mar 16, 2015 from Nancy DanielsWere you to give a presentation with no vocal variety, no facial expression and no body language, what do you think the reaction would be of your audience? Unless you are a comedian and that characteristic is part of your ‘shtick,’ do not expect your listeners to be much enamored by your lack ...
Views: 2685 - Imagine the Audience Is in Their Underwear? You Must Be Kidding! - by Submitted on Oct 08, 2014 from Nancy DanielsWhen I first heard the phrase, ‘imagine your audience is sitting in their underwear,' I thought the speech coaches who suggested this were kidding. But they’re not. They are serious. They believe that by focusing on this visualization, you will eliminate your nervousness. The last thing ...
Views: 1825 - Is a Sexy Voice More Attractive Than a Pretty Face? - by Submitted on Dec 01, 2016 from Nancy DanielsI read an article in Psychology Today entitled, Is a Sexy Voice More Attractive Than a Pretty Face? My question with the statistics and the studies is not whether a sexy voice is more attractive than one’s face but how they judged their findings. There is no doubt that women find men with a ...
Views: 1666 - Just How Good Is Your Diction? - by Submitted on Oct 27, 2014 from Nancy DanielsWhile it is true that most people do not like to hear themselves on recording equipment because they do not like or recognize the sound of their speaking voice, there is another group of people who are also surprised by their lack of clear diction. And it does not just happen to those in which ...
Views: 1726 - Public Speaking: What Many Novice Speakers Never Think To Do - by Submitted on Nov 28, 2011 from Nancy DanielsThe one thing that many new speakers don’t think about and never have enough of is something that has a negative impact on their delivery skills. It is actually very simple, basic, and a necessity. Without it, there are no words; thus, no message. It is called breathing. Because of ...
Views: 4758 - Sounding Like a Valley Girl Doesn't Sell - Professionalism Does! - by Submitted on Nov 26, 2019 from Nancy DanielsIn working with a group of young professionals some years ago, I was stunned to hear all the participants ending their sentences on the upswing as if they were asking a question. I had often heard this type of speech inflection at the business lunch during the personal introductions, but this ...
Views: 1152 - Speaking with Color - You Don't Want Too Much Or Too Little - by Submitted on Nov 10, 2014 from Nancy DanielsColor refers to those various effects in speech which give life to your delivery. Another way to describe color is the emotion and the animation heard in your voice and seen in your body language and facial expression when talking. The interesting thing about color is that you don’t want too ...
Views: 1740 - Superman or Clark Kent - Which One Are You? - by Submitted on Oct 19, 2017 from Nancy DanielsRecently I worked with a wonderful young man from Qatar by means of Skype. When I first started working with him, his voice was soft-spoken and he did not exude much confidence. After a few sessions, I showed him a video clip from Superman which really opened his eyes – not only for the ...
Views: 1637 - The Tone of Your Voice Tells a Story - What Is Yours Saying? - by Submitted on Jun 09, 2017 from Nancy DanielsWhen it comes to the speaking voice, tone deals with the expression of a mood or emotion. In relationship to your delivery, your tone can have a surprising influence on how your topic or subject is perceived. Were you to give a motivational speech, your tone would be different than if you were ...
Views: 1915 - The Truth About Loss of Voice, Hoarseness, & Vocal Abuse - by Submitted on Apr 03, 2007 from Nancy DanielsMany people suffer from chronic hoarseness, sore throats and even loss of voice; and, most of these people do so because of misuse of the speaking voice. It is common; it is world wide; and, it is a growing concern. Through the years that I’ve had a website on voice improvement, 40% of those ...
Views: 2393 - Vocal Abuse: Causes, Characteristics, & Cure - by Submitted on Jan 17, 2020 from Nancy DanielsVocal Abuse is the misuse of the voice which can lead (or already has led) to permanent damage to the vocal cords. Teachers, trainers, coaches, and politicians are the most likely candidates for vocal abuse. However, anyone who uses their voice heavily throughout the day can experience the ...
Views: 989 - Voice Training Not Only Improves Your Voice But Your Diction As Well - by Submitted on Oct 27, 2014 from Nancy DanielsOne of the most fascinating things I find on television or in the movies is that everyone’s speech is clear and understandable. Whether the actors are playing hoodlums or heroes, whether the characters are from Harlem or Park Avenue, they all speak distinctly. This particular characteristic is ...
Views: 1662 - Webinar, Podcasts and Video Are a Good Reason to Consider Voice Training - by Submitted on Apr 12, 2011 from Nancy DanielsWhen you think of voice training, your first thought may be that it is something for actors or politicians. Presently voice training is something more and more people are becoming aware of because of YouTube, webinars, and the marketing of themselves by means of video. In truth, video is one ...
Views: 2938 - Why Men Are Attracted to a Deep Voice No Matter What the Psychologists Say! - by Submitted on Apr 23, 2019 from Nancy DanielsIt seems that studies done on the speaking voice say that men prefer women with higher-pitched voices. These studies report that men ‘see’ women with higher-pitched voices as being younger and thinner. I beg to differ! In all the movie in which the directors specifically want an attractive ...
Views: 939 - Why Speaking Louder Is Not the Answer If You Are Soft-Spoken - by Submitted on Nov 04, 2014 from Nancy DanielsAs a voice coach, I hate the word loud when it is used in conjunction with the speaking voice. Loud hurts your listeners’ ears; and, over time, loud can hurt your throat. I don’t want you to speak louder – I want you to speak with more power, with an increase in your volume which is not ...
Views: 5118 - Why the Pause Is Both a Luxury and a Necessity in Public Speaking - by Submitted on Nov 23, 2010 from Nancy DanielsToo often, novice speakers do not appreciate or make use of the pause because they are too intent on getting their speech or presentation over with as quickly as possible. The result for the audience is a barrage of constant verbiage which is exhausting for both the listeners and the speaker. ...
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