If you want to be respected more, get more dates and be taken more seriously, the tone of your voices has to be able to reflect all the above qualities. Do not expect people to give you any good respect if you have a squeaky voice or talk in a very high pitched voice tone. So learning how to deepen your voice will be a good thing to do, if you don't naturally have that deep, strong and sexy voice that everyone loves to listen to.

The best and most effective way to learn how...

Torture is sitting through a long-winded speech in which the presenter is staring at his/her notes on the lectern, focused entirely on reading to the audience. My feeling is that if you are going to read something to me – and I'm not attending a reading at the library or Barnes and Noble – then why not copy it, pass it out, and we can all go home or back to work. Better yet, email it to me!

Public speaking means communicating with your audience. It is a live venue, the...

Neither is correct. The voice that is too loud hurts the listeners' ears -- the voice that is too soft is not being heard. In both cases, the message is being lost because listeners are unable to focus and it all boils down to volume.

I just received an email from a Public Speaking Forum in which the writer was questioning what to do with her client's loud voice. The responses from those who are professional speakers, as well as some who teach presentation skills, were interesting...

Mark Twain once admitted it took him about three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech. With sufficient advance preparation, you, too, can seem to speak effortlessly. The trick, of course, is to be ready for questions or comments that are likely to be made in specific situations.

You know your life. You know the situations you are likely to be in. You know most of the people who will be part of those situations. And, you know their personalities. Some are persistent. YOu can be...

When you are giving a speech or presentation, much of the time you will need some notes so that you can remember what to talk about.  Learn some strategies to having proper notes for your speech and some different variations to consider.

If you are giving a short speech of around five minutes, you really don't need notes.  You can prepare this speech and do it from memory.  Just have a few main points that you remember and go from one point to another.  If you...

Nothing is more frustrating than finding a topic for a persuasive presentation for your public speaking class or for Toastmasters, especially if you are not one to voice your opinion on subjects that could be controversial. If you are stymied for a topic, do some soul searching and make a list of topics for which you have particular leanings.

Blogs, forums, and websites that provide articles for commentary are excellent avenues to explore for topics. In fact, just listening to the...

In my previous article I discussed the often difficult task of selecting a topic for your persuasive presentation. Your next step is not the creation of your presentation but the research for it. Yes, you have a particular belief, idea, or theory which you feel is correct or better or easier or whatever. The question is why should anyone believe you?

If you do not research the pros and cons of your topic, then your chances of persuading those in your audience to agree with you are...

When you listen to the greats, like James Earl Jones, Julia Ormond, George Clooney and Diane Sawyer, one characteristic which they all share is that their voice vibrates in their chest when they speak. While everyone vibrates in the area directly below the vocal folds, as well in the throat, mouth, and nasal cavities, those who power their voice by means of their chest cavity actually feel vibrations in their mid-torso region.

Does it matter whether you vibrate in your chest or...

Color is the life, the emotion, the animation, and the passion you express in speaking. Whether you are in conversation, holding a conference call, or giving a speech or presentation, not expressing color when you talk is referred to as speaking in monotone. Another way of saying it is boring.

I have found a distinct relationship between dressing colorfully and speaking with expression. While I am generalizing, it has been interesting to see how those who dress with color usually...

Writing an essay, taking a pop quiz, and giving a speech probably are three of the tasks students dread most. Speaking in public terrifies many people of all ages. Adolescents are not immune. It doesn't matter that they may be speaking only to their closest friends; most students feel very nervous because peer pressure is so intense. Usually there are a few students who delight at being given a chance to address their classmates. Over time with practice, the rest can learn to enjoy...