Say What?

03 Aug Say What?

Last week, while training in Chicago for CDK, we asked attendees about their ratio of virtual to live presentations. Most were virtual. Because they position themselves close to their laptop screens, conditioning kicked in. The attendees who were primarily on camera had soft voices that were difficult to hear. Even when facing a medium-sized live audience, they couldn’t project.

The hybrid world of communication is here to stay. Be nimble and flexible to master both. When you rehearse, do it out loud. Record and play back your voice, in order to adjust it to the space you’re in. Practice in intimate venues and then go outdoors to hear the difference. Calculate the volume and breath support required for each. Visualize your voice as a dart tossed at a target. The propulsion is your breath, launched by your diaphragm muscles. Vocalize “Ha!-Ha!” while opening your throat.

Another exercise is to have a colleague hold up their hand as the target. Throw your voice to their hand as they slowly move further away. This builds your awareness and projection muscles. Make your voice match your spirit.