Inspiration


Messages from the Masters
Top Speed: Great in the Movies, Bad at the Mike! by Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE

You're charged with energy and maybe a bit nervous. Too often this can translate into talking too fast, maybe even a rise in voice pitch until the best-intentioned speaker sounds like Minnie Mouse. 

Pay attention to audience feedback. If one person reports a problem with understanding you, this may be an individual perception or opinion. But if several do, it's time to time yourself. 

Try this test. First, tape-record a casual conversation with a friend. Then compare the number of words per minute to a tape recording of one of your recent speaking presentations. Do you always speak quickly? Or just when you're giving a speech? Was your presentation deliberately speeded up to meet some time constraint? If so, were you trying to include too much material? (That's a signal to cut some information so the rest is more effective.) 

If you decide you need to slow down your delivery, start before you even hit the podium. As you're putting together your remarks, think about logical places to slow down. It's okay to speak quickly as long as you leave yourself room for pauses and silence. The faster you talk, the longer your pauses should be. Give the audience time to digest what you've just said. If you say something really profound or suggest something like, "Consider the proposal in front of you," you are asking the audience to think. Give them time to do so. 

Finally, here's an excellent slow-down exercise. Practice reading your speech aloud. Pause for one second at a comma, two seconds at the end of a sentence, and three seconds after a paragraph. (You can count the seconds the same way you did as a child, saying "chimpanzee-one, chimpanzee-two, chimpanzee-three" silently to yourself.) Then, breathe and smile! 

Patricia Fripp CSP, CPAE is a San Francisco-based professional speaker on Change, Teamwork, Customer Service, Promoting Business, and Communication Skills. To learn more about Patricia, as well as save 20% when you order her audio/video programs Million Dollar Words: Speaking for Results, Preparing and Presenting Powerful Programs and/or Confessions of an Unashamed, Relentless Self-Promoter, go to YourSuccessStore.com.  

Provided courtesy of  Jim Rohn International

Contact Us

Disclosure

Ronnie Brossard is a registered representative of and conducts securities transactions through CoreCap Investments, LLC. Member FINRA/SIPC.  Ronnie Broussard and Associates is a separate entity and not affiliated with CoreCap Investments. 

Links to third-party websites are being provided for informational purposes only. CoreCap is not affiliated with and does not endorse, authorize, or sponsor any of the listed websites or their respective sponsors. CoreCap is not responsible for the content of any third-party website or the collection or use of information regarding any websites users and/or members.

Information and interactive calculators are made available to you as self-help tools for your independent use and are not intended to provide investment advice. We cannot and do not guarantee their applicability or accuracy in regards to your individual circumstances. All examples are hypothetical and are for illustrative purposes.


Certain information has been obtained from third-party sources we consider reliable, but we do not guarantee that such information is accurate or complete. The information provided here is not investment, tax or financial advice. You should consult with a licensed professional for advice concerning your specific situation. 

Ronnie Broussard is licensed to sell insurance products and is a registered representative that can sell mutual funds and variable annuities through CoreCap Investments, LLC. 


FINRA is located at www.finra.org. SIPC is located at www.sipc.org.