What does your voice say about you!

One of our most important tools as trainers or managers is our ability to vary the pitch, speed and passion of our voice, be it in meetings, tool-box talks or at presentations.  Your voice is a wonderful tool and should be used in all its varieties throughout the delivery of your session.

Interestingly I was in church just recently and the key message was about managing what you say!  It made me think about how such a small part of our body can manage to get us into so much trouble sometimes!!!  It is the strongest muscle in your body, proportionately.  So you need to manage both your tongue and the words that come out of your mouth with as much effort as you put into other forms of communication. Consider this...I bet you think about the report you have to write for your boss for considerably longer than you think about what you are going to say to your team!!

How often have we been in meetings, presentations or training sessions where the person presenting the information has been so passionate and alive about the subject you come away feeling inspired and motivated.  Equally we have also had the opposite experience…how do you want your delegates or team members to feel when you are talking?

I encounter many managers who bemoan the fact that they have to have team meetings and they never get any response from their team.  I question this: maybe this is about how you deliver your messages?  Your role as a manager or trainer is to ‘sell’ the concept, idea, new process or procedure to your audience; if you sound bored or non-committal what do you think will be the outcome?  What ideas do you use to liven up your team meetings? How do you get your team involved in the meeting?

Whatever your reason for speaking to a group of people you need to be convincing, knowledgeable, enthusiastic, passionate so that you get your message across.  You need to take time to consider exactly what you are going to say and where you are going to put the emphasis so that you keep your audience engaged.

Remember the old saying; “think before you speak”.

Thanks for your time, Suzanne Unsworth

http://www.rubusassociates.co.uk