Just Like a Dancer
Even if you are not a dancer, you can apply some tips from dancing to your speech:
- Be nimble and free … at ease, not stiff. Dancers who are stiff are not graceful. Speakers who are stiff are boring and seem tense.
- Make large movements. Dancers choreograph their moves and direction to reach out to large audiences. You can do the same with your voice. Having a strong, well-projected voice with resonance sends a more profound message and reaches more people.
- Glide, don’t jump. Just as dancers transition from one move to another, you too can move from one topic to another gracefully, not in a disruptive manner. Work on smooth connection.
- Posture matters. Dancers aren’t bent over and low energy. Speakers can’t be either. Good speakers breathe and are poised and know how to maximize their diaphragmatic support.
- Timing Matters. Dancers are aware of how much distance there is between themselves and other dances and how far they can move. Speakers need to be aware of distance too. In terms of voice travel and in terms of how long it takes them to say something and how much space they put between words and between phrases.
- Complexity. Dancing isn’t just one thing: it’s moving in time with the music, looking confident and poised, yet natural and comfortable, and moving with expert grace, necessary strength, and precision. Speaking is like that too. It’s a dance of the voice.
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Your Body is a Musical Instrument
Your Body is a Musical Instrument
Many of my clients are surprised to learn that posture and speech are inextricably linked. What could sitting up straight vs. slumping have to do with how we talk? One way to think of it is that your body is a musical instrument. The shape of the instrument changes the sound quality. If you want to be able to lower your pitch, increase your resonance, or make your voice carry better, you have to have a posture to support those qualities.
When you are working on your accent, for example, you might want to focus on “clarity” or saying the sounds “right”, but even this is related to posture. Your neck has to be in good alignment with your spine to produce the sounds you intend to make. Squeezing or compressing the sounds is very common and has to do with “trying” to get the sound right instead of “letting it happen”. The letting go or “allowing” is only possible when you are in good alignment and not squeezing to get the sounds, in other words, when you have “good posture”.
Back to the musical instrument analogy, a flute sounds different from a cello which sounds different from a guitar. People can be just as varied. Have you ever noticed someone who looks small or slim can have a “big voice” and it changes everything? Or someone tall and well dressed can have a squeaky voice, and it also impacts their performance and people’s perception of the person’s speech.
The best case scenario is to look your best and sound your best, and that’s why posture is so directly connected to speech quality.
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When it Comes to Executive Speech Coaching… What Really Matters?
As a Speech Coach, I’ve had the opportunity to talk to thousands of executives about what they perceive the challenges to be when speaking to their audiences, and what they expect from Executive Speech Coaching.
Again and again, what comes up is how important it is to feel confident and comfortable while speaking, trusting that the right content will come. And over the years, my focus has been on eliminating the “noise” so they can do just that.
But the “noise” deserves a closer listen. The feedback “the audience” gives Executives that leads them to coaching is often not about how confident or comfortable they are. In reality, the observers couldn’t possibly know that, and many Executives are masters at covering up their insecurities. Our feedback is often about how they affect us, “the audience”. If the messaging feels “off” or if they don’t connect with us, we mention it. If they don’t inspire us or paint a clear picture of the vision, we notice. If they are too simplistic or overly detailed, we find them hard to follow or confusing. If they move their arms around too much, we tell them. And that’s the feedback they get… relevant, honest, sincere… our efforts to tell them what they didn’t do right. And often they don’t even get that; so when they do, Coaches commonly advise them to listen.
The Gap Between Feedback and Reality in Executive Speech Coaching
It’s the gap between the feedback and the reality that bears noticing. What leads a person to disconnect from the audience, lose the messaging, or not paint the big picture clearly may not be lack of skill to do those specific acts. Over and over, I find that clients can message impeccably when in a coaching session, painting the picture clearly and giving an award-winning performance, but they’ll comment, “I can do this now, but I may not be able to do it in front of my audience.”
The reason? The feeling of confidence and comfort changes. So the question becomes: how can we instill confidence and comfort into the overall environment so that our key Executives can naturally connect and convey their visions with the necessary details and deep knowledge of the content that their audiences expect and desire? Do we really need to help them “practice” doing the things the “noise” is telling them they need to work on, or do we need to “dig deeper” and work on what’s causing Executives to lose confidence and experience discomfort when speaking?
I find in my practice that working with the underlying patterns involving self-talk, breath, movement, posture, articulation, voice projection, voice quality, overall body energy, and clear speech, along with a myriad of other related concepts, empowers clients to feel confident and comfortable in any situation. At that point, Executives can speak from the heart without fear of losing the audience, and the content will naturally flow with little effort. That’s the goal of Executive Speech Coaching. It’s less about the acts themselves and more about the underlying patterns that are impacting those acts. Once you free the entrenched habits/patterns of the past, speaking with comfort and confidence become a breeze!
A Professional Speech & Accent Coaching
Do you ever fear your voice doesn’t represent you well when you present? Or prevent you from speaking up in meetings? That your English still sounds different after living in the US for years? Or that your words aren’t aligned with your message? Maybe you need a Speech Coach; let’s work on that!
English by the Hour provides 1–1 professional training in American Accent Acquisition throughout Silicon Valley and live, in-person training via the internet. Our 10 session program enables lasting behavioral change in just over 2 months. English by the Hour offers Voice, Speech & American Accent Coaching to foreign-born Executives and Professionals throughout the Bay Area and via the internet using WebEx.
Should Melania Trump Speak with an American Accent?
As a Speech & Accent Coach, I often question to what extent it’s important for someone to speak with an American Accent.
For example, I wonder about Melania Trump. Those who support her are adamant that she is a multi-lingual immigrant who should be commended for her ability to speak various languages, but evidence that she speaks those languages well (French and Italian are two of them) is hard to find. Her recent video, recorded visits to schools with French and Italian children show her speaking English with a few friendly “Bonjour’s” and “Ciao’s” sprinkled in. The argument is that if she spoke those languages, she would surely do so in the company of French and Italian children.
Although it really shouldn’t matter whether she speaks French or Italian, it does matter that she speaks broken English with no visible evidence of attempting an American Accent… or should it matter?
Is it important for the First Lady to speak with an American Accent?
On the one hand, we could give her a break for being an immigrant. Her first language is Slovenian, so one might expect her to speak English with an accent.. But since she chose to marry an American (Donald Trump) and support him in becoming the President of the US, wouldn’t it make sense that as First Lady she should at least make an attempt to learn American English?
What could Melania Trump gain if she spoke with an American Accent?
She could speak up to clarify her intent. When she wears a jacket that reads on the back: “I really don’t care; do you?” when going to visit immigrant children who have been separated from their parents, it would be nice if she could speak up and explain whether it was a fashion statement with unintended consequences or intentional. If she did so with an American Accent (apologizing I would presume), we might be more inclined to give her a break.
Other immigrants could respect and be motivated by her. By speaking the way she does, she may send the message that she really doesn’t have to be polished or clear. She may send a message of entitlement, not a genuine desire to support others. Unlike Barbara Bush, the wife of the first George Bush, who had a passion for family literacy, Melania may seem more like an actor in a play than a First Lady who stands for something. If she strived to speak American English with an American Accent, it might be different. People might respect her.
History might judge her separately from her husband. Melania has publicly proclaimed that she doesn’t always agree with “The Donald”. However, the more time that passes and more history we have with her husband’s leadership abilities (or lack thereof), it would be refreshing and pleasant if the First Lady could at least “weigh in” with some evidence of independent thought as a woman and human being. She mentioned wanting to work against cyber-bullying, but she hasn’t been a strong force in actively taking it on as her issue of choice. Michelle Obama did a beautiful job of speaking up without being distracting, and partisanism aside (this is not a political article), if Melania spoke up with an American Accent, she could make a statement as an independent immigrant woman that people could evaluate for her own merits, instead of someone who is “just along for the ride” on the coattails of her hubbie.
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Executive Presence in Politically Charged Times
Executive Presence
Fake news … trade war … children in cages … severing ties with our allies … the US president meeting with oppressive dictators … these are challenging times. So you may ask yourself, how does this relate to Executive Presence?
When times are easy, no one really notices how you behave. As long as you don’t rock the boat, things move along smoothly. If you work hard, you are likely to get rewarded or promoted. In communication terms, as long as people understand you when you speak, it’s good enough.
When times are tough, however, what’s required for success changes. It’s no longer enough to be present and do your job. You have to stand out; you have to be clear about what you stand for, and you have to make a difference. In communication terms, you need to speak in a way that inspires confidence and trust. You need to project clarity, wisdom, and depth. And that’s what Executive Presence is all about.
- You can tell people you will help them … or you can communicate with such warmth and concern that your audience “experiences” your support. This is gravitas.
- You can dress up in a suit to show people you are a “leader” … or you can exude confidence with your posture and movement that communicates your leadership ability regardless of what clothing you wear. This is
appearance . - You can talk a good game, monitoring your speed as you speak slowly and deliver your “script” or you can communicate with such clarity, expression, passion, and connection with your audience that everyone knows what you mean without having to think about it. This is communication.
These 3 components make up Executive Presence: gravitas, appearance, and communication. If you embody all three, you are empowered to make a difference.
In troubling times, your ability to adhere to your principles and incorporate your beliefs into your communication style is critical. Components of your speech and movement that you can control and change include:
- Voice quality … how strong is your voice? Does it carry? Can you control the pitch and do you have a good range?
- Clarity … when you speak, do people understand you the first time or do you have to repeat, rephrase, and explain? Does it come naturally with
flow or do you have to self-monitor and talk slowly? - Intention … is your audience on the same page with you from the beginning or do you have to wonder about whether or not they are getting your intent? Do you feel like there are “misunderstandings” after you communicate your message? Or do you have mechanisms built in when you speak to gauge understanding and proactively address any “disconnects” as they occur?
- Phrasing … Do you say things in a way that people follow and relate to and that flows naturally, or do you struggle to find the right words and express yourself and feel that others do a better job than you do?
When it comes to Executive Presence, you either have it, or you don’t. In challenging times, we need more from our leaders. Standing up, being clear, communicating intention and inspiring confidence aren’t optional; these are requirements.
Are you up to the task?
Uhhhhh … How to Avoid “Filler” Sounds
Uhhhhh … How to Avoid “Filler” Sounds
Many of us want to eliminate the little sounds that we utter unintentionally when we talk. The “you know” language that just comes out sometimes. Can you train yourself not to do it? The answer is “yes”! In my experience, the best way to do that is the following:
– Work on your breath first. It’s much harder if you are holding your breath. Make sure you are inhaling and exhaling continuously as you speak.
– Close your mouth. Many people talk “fast” without pausing because they never really close their mouths. They also utter “filler” sounds for the same reason. To change this, it takes a little self control. Start by standing up as if you are going to introduce yourself publicly, and then say a few words. As you speak, remember to inhale before you start, speak while exhaling, and then proactively close your mouth and inhale. Proactively means you plan to do this. You don’t just breathe when you are completely out of air. You do it earlier.
– Keep a “cushion” of air at all times. When you inhale and then speak, make sure you aren’t “out of air” or what we sometimes call “below respiratory.” That means, you want to keep a “life vest” of breath so you are in a sense “floating” as you speak. You’ll then have time plenty of time to pause, close your mouth intentionally and breathe, and then open and exhale with speech without running out of air.
– Practice while speaking impromptu. More and more, people are called on to speak up without preparing first. If this happens to you, you want to have good breathing and pausing habits so you have one less thing to worry about and can truly focus on your content.
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