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Articles by Nancy DanielsHow Childhood Abuse Affects Your Speaking Voice [pic1]When I started my business in 1989, my first private client was a woman in her mid-30’s who sounded like a child. She was a nurse and was studying to become a doctor. When I asked her if she sounded like her mother, she immediately responded ..read on Is There a Difference Between Fear and Nervousness in Public Speaking? [pic2]Fear is debilitating while I find nervousness to be a blessing. Webster’s Dictionary defines fear as “an unpleasant often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger.” In public speaking, those who experience true fear ..read on Is Your Voice Holding You Back from that Coveted Job? [pic1]Before pursuing graduate studies, I worked for a company in the Philadelphia area in which we sold pre-arranged tours to Hawaii, Mexico, and California over the telephone. While my boss, Harry, was an excellent salesman, his speaking voice was..read on The Fight, Flight, or Freeze Response in Public Speaking - Which Word Best Describes You? [pic1]Whatever your reaction, there is no denying the physical changes that result because of the chemicals – adrenaline, noradrenaline, and cortisol – which are released into your bloodstream. According to Dr. Neil F. Neimark of TheBodySoulConnecti..read on Telling Someone They Need Voice Improvement Is Like Handing Them a Bottle of Scope! [pic1]This really is a tough issue because if you approach someone advising them that their speaking voice needs some work, they are probably going to be offended. If we had the ability to hear ourselves the way everyone else does, this would not ..read on 3 Steps for Normalizing Your Volume Whether You Speak Too Loudly or Too Softly [pic1]What is fascinating about the correct approach to voice training or voice improvement is that in addition to normalizing your volume, proper voice placement will correct many of the other problems you may be experiencing without additional work..read on The 3 Benefits of Nervousness in Public Speaking [pic1]Many people, however, are unable to appreciate just what nervousness can do for them, because they have no control over it. In truth, I would rather an individual be nervous in public speaking than not because nervousness or the increased le..read on Is Your Choppy Speech Putting Your Audience to Sleep? [pic1]The problem with choppy speech is that you leave your audience waiting for you to continue. And, if they have to wait too often or too long for you to resume your words, they will stop listening. While I wish more novice public speakers wou..read on Does Your High-Pitched Voice Do Justice to the Rest of Your Image? [pic1]hen someone looks at you, your visual image is obviously the first thing they see. And, that image has an impact on the other person – your attire, your figure, your face, your hair – everything that is presenting the picture of you. But what..read on What Shapes Your Voice the Most -- Environment or Genes? [pic1]If you were raised in one of the southern states, it is likely that you have a drawl; if you are from Texas, you probably twang; and, if you call any one of the 5 New York boroughs home, there is a good chance your speaking voice is characteriz..read on What You Need to Do in Public Speaking That You Probably Don\'t Do [pic1]No, I am not talking about your train of thought, your words, your ideas, your speed or any other technique to help in your delivery. I am talking about what you need to take in – physically – in order to support your spoken words. It is call..read on Plain Speaking Is the Best Speaking in Public Speaking [pic1]And, it goes hand-in-hand with the theory of treating your audience as if you were having a conversation in your living room. Lengthy sentences, long words, flowery speech, or highly technical terms do not lend themselves to plain speaking. ..read on In Public Speaking, What Does Your Visual Image Say About You? [pic1] Without a doubt, what you are saying and how you are saying it are the most important aspects of your presentation; however, your visual impact can either add to your image or detract. The last thing you want to do is dress in such a fash..read on The Value of a Smile in Public Speaking [pic1]If you read most articles and books on the subject of public speaking, they will tell you that there are only 3 reasons for public speaking: to entertain, to inform, or to persuade. In truth, however, all 3 of the above should be entertaining..read on Don\'t Make Public Speaking More Difficult Than It Is [pic1]Whether you have been scheduled to speak at your next presentation skills class or at Toastmaster, deliver a 10-minute presentation to your leads group, or have been volunteered to give the quarterly budget report to the CEO, instead of approac..read on Why You Need to Make Eye Contact in Public Speaking [pic1]I have seen, as well as worked with, many people who have strong delivery skills but are lacking in one particular area. They are unable to make eye contact with their audience. Now admittedly, if you are speaking to a hundred people or more,..read on How Confident Do You Sound in Your Job Interviews? [pic1]Many years ago when I was fresh out of graduate school, I applied for my first ‘real’ job in New York City at G. Schirmer, the largest publisher of classical sheet music in the States. What I didn’t know then was that my speaking voice was my ..read on How I Fell Asleep during a Double Stereotactic Breast Biopsy [pic1]Now I want you to imagine that instead of being in that ‘squished’ position for 20 or 30 seconds, you are relegated to that pressure for 45 minutes! According to the Radiological Society of America, “stereotactic mammography pinpoints the ..read on Why Women Are More Likely to Lose Their Train of Thought While Public Speaking [pic1]This is not a slight; this is reality. As multi-taskers, we have so much more on our minds than men that often, especially once we are solidly in the middle years of our lives, we lose our train of thought while delivering a presentation. I..read on Breathlessness and Stress Go Hand in Hand [pic1]With all the talk of eliminating your fear, stopping your nervousness, or ending those nervous jitters, I would like to suggest something different. Why not allow your nervousness to work in your favor? Nervousness is excellent: that rush of..read on Have You Been Told That You Speak in a Monotone? [pic1]If you know or have been told that your voice is monotonous, you should consider improving this particular characteristic of your communication skills, whether it is for professional or personal conversation, for sales presentations, or for oth..read on The Right Attitude in Public Speaking is the Right Approach [pic1]In live plays or concerts, do you think every actor or every musician or singer is in the best of spirits for each and every performance? Absolutely not. But as they say in the business: The show must go on. So how do these performers or act..read on When The Pause Becomes Sing-Song in Public Speaking [pic1]Sing-song means that you have a rhythm in your speech which is recognizable in that you break or pause after a certain number of words while speaking. Usually the pause occurs after every 4-5 words. The problem with sing-song is two-fold: it..read on Who Is in Control at the Lectern -- You or Your Nervousness? [pic1]Articles today talk about eliminating, stopping and ending your nervousness and I disagree. I want you nervous but I want you to learn how to take control of that nervousness. If you think the ‘greats’ in public speaking are not nervous, ..read on What You Can Learn from Clint Eastwood to Improve Your Presentation Skills [pic1]Fear of failure, fear of looking foolish, or fear of forgetting your material are the 3 main reasons many people approach the lectern with such trepidation. With that fear comes a lack of confidence that is formidable. Having little or no confi..read on The Un-Voiced Benefits of Good Voice Training [pic1]What I learned in those early years was that my techniques for voice training were resulting in a host of benefits that had nothing to do with the voice or presentation skills. I had clients telling me that they were sleeping better at night..read on Painting a Picture with Your Voice [pic1]While some people are very colorful in conversation and cold and immobile at the lectern, occasionally I will work with an individual who is practically lifeless in person, but in the limelight is a veritable ‘Personality Plus.’ A good example..read on Your Volume Control - Speak Up and Be Heard [pic1]If others are not able to hear you when you are speaking at an event, sitting at a boardroom table, or holding a sales conference, they will stop trying to hear you. Straining to hear becomes tiring and frustrating which can result in loss of ..read on What Constitutes Perfection in Public Speaking? [pic1]If you strive for perfection in any form of public speaking, you have just lost the battle; and, if you are typical of the Type A personality, you may have difficulty accepting this idea because your life is often ruled by the desire to achieve..read on If You Are Not Nervous in Public Speaking, Then I Am [pic1]I love nervousness because it is that rush of adrenaline that can give you an edge, sharpening your focus and allowing you to take your speech or your presentation to an entirely new level. My concern is with those few people who tell me t..read on Public Speaking: Use Your Head But Speak from Your Heart [pic1]That is not to say that your words, your actual material, are not important. They are. Many people are aware that a dynamic delivery sells. My question for you, however, is whether you should speak from head or from your heart? In order for ..read on Why Memorization in Public Speaking is Dangerous [pic1]Because you are judged the moment you open your mouth to speak, it is vital to ‘put your best foot forward,’ so to speak. Many of my clients tell me that they warm up after the first 5 minutes. Your audience, however, is not timing you, waiti..read on The 3 Things You Must Do to Stop Vocal Abuse [pic1]While we often hear of singers taking a year off because of voice problems, vocal abuse does not just happen to those who regale us with song. Coaches, singers, politicians, teachers, speakers, trainers, ministers and even factory workers are o..read on Does Your Body Language Convey Confidence, Diffidence or Indifference? [pic1]When you are delivering a presentation, do you know that your body is speaking as well as your voice? Watch all great presenters and you will see that they use their bodies to express their feelings, their thoughts, and, most importantly, thei..read on Discover the Best Approach to Sound More Mature [pic1]Some years ago a woman phoned me and asked if she could attend a presentation I was holding in Detroit. The woman sounded like a child on the phone and I wondered if she was old enough to drive herself to the hotel. She then asked if she coul..read on How Your Voice Can Improve with Age When the Rest of Your Body Isn\'t! [pic1]One of the most amazing benefits of voice training is that you will find your voice improving as you age. If you are over 40, you are beginning to discover that nothing on your body is getting better as you get older. This is difficult to acce..read on Is Your Fear of Public Speaking Standing in the Way of a Promotion? Part 2 [pic1]Your immediate reaction might be that of course you breathe! Yes and no. In public speaking, the thing that most people do not do is to allow themselves the luxury of taking a breath before running out of air. That is why breathlessness is su..read on Is Your Fear of Public Speaking Standing in the Way of a Promotion? [pic1]I am saddened when I hear this because nervousness in public speaking is something everyone experiences. You are not alone. How if effects you may be different than how it effects someone else, but if you admire those who seem to stand at..read on Why the Soft-Spoken Voice Does Not Sell [pic1]If you are soft-spoken, I’m sure that I just hit a nerve. You are being talked over or interrupted because those of us with larger voices tire of straining to hear you, tire of asking you to repeat yourself. If you want to be taken seriously,..read on Ask Susan Boyle If We Are Not Judged the Moment We Walk on Stage! [pic2]Upon opening her mouth to sing, however, the tone, the amazement, and the appreciation of the audience changed dramatically in her favor. Miss Boyle is a perfect example of why we should never judge a book by its cover, but her audience was ..read on Why Public Speaking is Not Acting [pic1]Acting requires memorization of a script that has been marked by the actor; i.e., pause here, smile there, increase your volume, etc. In teaching public speaking, I emphasize not marking the script because I don’t want a rote delivery. The..read on What is Your Important \'Commodity\' in Public Speaking? [pic1]Look at Webster’s definition of public speaking: the art or science of effective oral communication with an audience. Which word do you think is your ‘commodity?’ If your answer is audience, then you are correct. Without an audience, the most..read on What Causes Debilitating Fear in Publc Speaking? [pic1]Please understand that I am not talking about the usual nervousness experienced by most of us making a presentation or giving a speech. That nervousness is good. It is beneficial: that extra spurt of adrenaline can help make your delivery exhil..read on Does the Caller Ever Ask to Speak to Your Mother? [pic1]The sound of your speaking voice is determined by two things: the actual vocal apparatus which you inherit, and your environment. If you were raised in Brooklyn, NY, for example, there is an excellent chance that you will talk through your nose..read on Are Your Neck and Shoulders Sore by the End of the Day? Part II [pic3]In order to learn to breathe with support, I want you to place your hands under your rib cage and cough. The muscle that kicked out at you is your diaphragm. If you have ever watched a funny movie and laughed for two hours, you may remember b..read on Are Your Neck and Shoulders Sore by the End of the Day? Part I [pic1]Why the difference? Because we women carry our stress differently than men; and, we tend to become more aware of it by the end of the day. While I haven’t done a controlled study on the subject, I have found that the stress men carry (if ..read on Your Voice Speaks Volumes About You -- What Is Your\'s Saying? [pic1]Allow me to begin by asking you a few questions. 1. Do you believe that the image you project has an impact on your life, either professionally or personally? 2. Have you heard your voice on your voicemail, answering machine, or camcord..read on |
Nancy Daniels Writer Experience Director of Public Relations - Aspen Music Festival; Adjunct Professor - University of Western Ontario, Graduate School of Journalism More information about the writer Having taught 1,000's of people how to find their 'real' voice for more than 25 years, I can't imagine a job more gratifying! To witness the increase in their self-confidence is incredibly rewarding. |
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