Did you ever learn the piano and have a metronome sitting on the top, clicking out the beat?
When we are speaking we don't have a metronome to guide us, but we do have heartbeats, which set our bodies' nautral rhythms.
When we get nervous, our heart rate goes up, and most of us naturally speed up our speaking, sometimes to the point that it becomes gabbled.
One of the best things you can do when you are nervous is to slow your speech rate down. Here's a tip: If you can feel yourself racing, try sounding out every word individually. It forces you to slow down, and your audience (especially those with hearing impairments) will thank you.
Want advice, ideas, support on a speech? I hold a FREE Help for Speakers Q and A session every Wednesday from 1.00-1.30pm NZT (that's 11.00-11.30). Ring in if you have a question, need inspiration or ideas for an upcoming presentation, or want to talk about speaking as a way to get business.
How to join the Q and A
Ring the freephone line for your country (below)
Enter the guest code 5405 2101#
From New Zealand call at 1pm Wednesday- 0800 449 288.
From Australia call at 11am Australian EST on 1800 036 0901,
From the US call in Tuesdays at 6pm Pacific/9pm Eastern on 1866 814 5210.
For more speaker tips and ideas visit www.HelpforSpeakers.com or the Archive of Speaking Tips
E-mail Rachel@HelpforSpeakers.com or phone +64 ((0)21 0275 9023
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