Transcript CONVERSATION SKILLS

COMMUNICATIONS
1. Nature
2. Process
3. Interpersonal
Relations
4. Transactional
Analysis
5. Organizational
Communication
COMMUNICATION -NATURE
Communication is a process by which an idea is transferred
from a source to a receiver with the intention of changing
his behaviour.(interpersonal situations)
It is a mutual exchange of facts , thoughts or perceptions
leading to a common understanding of all parties. It does
not imply agreement.(encompasses organizational
communication.)
Intrapersonal communication-the reasoning, analysis or
debate that a person carries out within its own mind .
NATURE
Communication is Perception- is highly personal and has a
large component of emotions ,values and needs of
individual.Effectiveness of communication thus is limited
to the range of perception of the recipient.
• Communication is Expectation – people perceive only
what they expect to-depending upon their own needs,
values, motives, background or even the situational
context.The unexpected is ignored or misunderstood.
• Communication makes Demand- are in terms of
emotional selection, preferences or rejection on part of the
receiver.It has been scientifically established that the
words with pleasant association are retained easier and
longer in a persons memory than otherwise.
• Communication differs from Information- logic
characterizes information, which is also formal and
impersonal in nature.(perception)Information infact
presupposes communication, because, unless the latter
takes place, the former is of no use to anybody.
CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION
VOCAL
NON-VOCAL
VERBAL
SPOKEN WORDS
WRITTEN
WORDS
NONVERBAL
SIGH
FACIAL
EXPRESSION
GRUNT
POSTURE
GESTURE
INFLECTION
SPATIAL
RELATIONSHIP
Three sub sciences
• Kinesics
• Proxemics
• Paralinguistic
Have emerged as substantial contributors to the art of
communication.
• Kinesics- is dynamics or movement aspect of NVC as related
to gestures,head nods,facial expressions eye movements and the
like.
• Proxemics- deals with roles of bodily contact,physical
proximity and body orientation
• Paralinguistic-deals with the non linguistics aspect of speechpitch, pauses, modulation ,etc.
Communication-Process
COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE PROCESSES
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To act as a speaker,writer,listener or reader,the
learner must be able to act out a sequence of
skilled actions.
To speak , the learner must be able to :
Plan and organize a message (cognitive skills);
Formulate a linguistic utterance (linguistic skills);
Articulate the utterance (phonetic skills);
To write , the learner must be able to :
Organize and formulate the message (cognitive
and linguistic skills);
Hand-write or type the text (manual skills)
To listen , the learner must be able to:
• Perceive the utterance (auditory phonetic skills);
• Identify the linguistic message (linguistic skills);
• Understand the message (semantic skills);
• Interpret the message (cognitive skills);
To read , the reader must be able to:
• Perceive the written text (visual skills);
• Recognize the script (orthographic skills);
• Identify the message (cognitive skills).
• Understand the message (semantic skills);
• Interpret the message (cognitive skills).
COMMUNICATION PROCESS
Ideas Info Intentions
Necessitymessage
of usinginwords,
symbols
Interpreting
terms
of
Its
final
shape
and
form
depends
and Purpose background
or formsexperience
in a preciseand
manner on
the channel selected and the speed
expectation
SOURCE
ENCODING
FEEDBACK
Understood and
acted in the light
of it
MESSAGE
DECODING
RECEIVER
COMMMUNATING EFFECTIVELY
Regardless of your job title or the type of organization
or industry you work for ,your job requires being able to
effectively interact with others-staff, peers, and bosses.
Internal customers: fellow employees, inside and outside
the department where you work,to whom you provide
services or assistance.
External customers: people outside your organization
who need the product and services, suppliers ,investors.
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The goal of the communication process is mutual
understanding.
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Interpersonal communication involves senders and
receivers.Take turns being senders and
receivers,otherwise the tension mounts as the tug-ofwar goes on.
The ways that help to achieve the goal of
mutual understanding are :
• ASSERTIVE SPEAKING - or the act of
expressing yourself directly,positively and
with confidence,so that your point comes
across clearly and you maintain respect
towards others.
• ACTIVE LISTENING - or the act of
providing non-verbal and verbal feedback to
a speaker that allows his or her message to
be expressed and shows understanding of
the message.
Barriers to communication
INITIATION OF MESSAGE
Different personalities of sender and receiver
Different perceptions of sender and receiver
Receiver evaluates credibility of sender
Words have different meaning
Receiver hears what he wants to hear
Code not understood
Noise
Distorted message
HOLDING ASSUMPTIONS
 The problem with assumptions is that they can lead to
mistakes, misunderstandings, and strained relationships.
 Jumping to conclusions
 Finishing people’s sentences
 Interrupting
 Tuning out
 Dismissing new ideas
 Focusing on intentions: focusing on intentions instead of
actions sometimes causes you to interpret inconsequential
actions as destructive or of ill will.
 Thinking you know best: making decisions for someone
else without first checking with the person who is affected
directly by what you do. Save such surprises for birthdays.
 Stereotyping: shows your ignorance.
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Deal with each other as an individual
Listen first
Avoid generalizations
Communicate first ; act second
Make the safest assumptions of them all: assume that the
other person means well. This assumption allows you to
see and deal with the actions and ideas of others at face
value.
FOUR APPROACHES TO SPEAKING
1.
MY WAY OR THE HIGHWAY: THE AGGRESSIVE
APPROACH
 “You must…”
 “Because I said so”
 “You idiot!”
 “You always/never….”
 “Who screwed this up?”
There is nothing subtle to the aggressive approach. The following
are the common behaviours :
 Blaming, accusing
 Intimidating body language
 Demanding, ordering
 Raised voice
 Harsh, personal language
 Verbal browbeating
2. THE APPEASING WAY: THE NON ASSERTIVE
APPROACH
 “Uh…..if that’s the way you want to do it….um, that’s fine
with me.”
 “I don’t know if I could do that.”
 “I’ll talk to him soon about that problem; I’ve been really
busy.”
 “I am sorry to ask you.”
 “I hate to bother you.”
 “Maybe that’s a good idea”
Behaviours:
 Soft voice
 Overly agreeable, no point of view expressed
 Avoidance
 Withdrawn body language
 Sounding unsure
 Beating around the bush
 Sounding hopeless and helpless
3. SUBTLE BUT AGGRAVATING: THE PASSIVE AGGRESSIVE APPROACH
 “I knew that wouldn’t work.”
 “If that’s the way you want it…..”
 “How could you even think of that?”
 “When was the last time you helped me?”
 “The problem with Joe is….”
Behaviours:
 Appears to agree but really does not agree
 Tells others but not the source of concern
 Makes subtle digs and sarcastic remarks
 Keeps score and sets conditions
 Nonverbal message contradicts the verbal massage
 Holds back expressing concern or providing assistance
 Criticizes after the the fact
4. STRAIGHT AND POSITIVE: THE ASSERTIVE
APPROACH
 “Yes that was my mistake.”
 “As I understand your point…..”
 “Let me explain why I disagree with that point.”
 “Let’s define the issue and then explore some options to
help resolve it.”
 “Please hear me out and then work with me to resolve my
concern.”
Behaviours:
 Takes responsibility
 Listens actively
 Takes initiative
 Speaks up, is direct and constructive
 Shows sincerity
 Is solution focused
 Assumes confident voice and body language
 Addresses concerns directly to the source
 Requests needs
DO NOT CONFUSE AGGRESSIVE FOR
ASSERTIVE
AGGRESSIVE
 Blunt
 In conflict situations, a
harsh in tone
 In conflict situations,
blame and browbeat the
other person
 Push your own way
 One way conversation
flow
ASSERTIVE
 Direct
 In conflict situations, a
firm tone
 In conflict situations,
collaborate on the
solutions
 Speak up, yet hear what
the others have to say
 Two way conversation
POSITIVE IMPACT OF POSITIVE
LISTENING
 Accentuate the positives
How do you feel when someone really listens to you?
 Respected
 Cared for
 That you’ve gained rapport
 Rewarded
 Satisfied
 Sense of achievement
Positive feelings:
 Increased productivity
 Stronger working relationship
 Better quality of work
 Greater customer satisfaction
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Repeat business
Easier and better problem solving
Greater cooperation and team work
Less stress
Listening is a powerful means of communication that can
increase your effectiveness on the job.
THE THREE STAGES OF THE LISTENING PROCESS
 Stage one - receiving: you take in the speakers message
through your senses, hearing and seeing.
 Stage two - processing: this activity takes place in your
mind and involves analyzing, evaluating, and synthesizing.
Great deal of concentration is needed. “What does the
speaker mean?”
 Stage three - responding: the speaker sees and hears what
the listener does. The speaker feels respected and
understood by the listener, connection is made and
productivity goes up.
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PUT A POSITIVE SPIN IN THE MESSAGE
Make something sound better than it is: combine tact and
clarity. “This decision by the management is really a good
one for you . Remember our jobs are about adapting to
change and keeping this business moving forward . If you
keep this in mind , the new strategies will work just fine.”
Emphasize what you can do instead of what you can’t. “I
will help you”,
“I will ensure your problems are resolved”.
“Based on a few other matters I need to handle now, I can
take care of your issue by the end of the day”
“I can give you a status on that item by the end of
tomorrow. I first need to check on what happened with it.”
“I can give you an update in two days. I’ll know more
about where that issue stands then.”
AVOID LANGUAGE THAT DWELLS ON PROBLEM
• “Whose fault is this?”
• “You’re wrong about what happened.”
• “You never help when I need you.”
• “Why can’t you get this right ?”
• “Why are you causing such problems here ?”
USING LANGUAGE THAT FOCUSES ON SOLUTIONS
• Option: “Let’s explore some options for resolving this
situation.”
• Idea: “I have an idea that can help solve this problem.”
• Recommendation: “Here’s what I recommend we do.”
• Suggestion: “May I offer you a suggestion or two on handling
that challenge?”
• Solution: “Let’s take a look at some possible solutions that can
help us.”
• Proposal: “I have a proposal that can help resolve this issue.”
Interpersonal communication
• The goal of communication process is mutual
understanding (no small feat) .Communication
involves senders and receivers.They may have
differences , but differences aren’t an excuse to
have a tug - of-war ; rather differences are issues
to work through to reach the desired outcome.
• Lack of trust , deceit , self centeredness , non cooperation , unhappy atmosphere and the like
have the beginning in distortion or breakdown of
interpersonal communication.
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Components of interpersonal communication
Perception of self-social self,material self and
spiritual self.
Person perception-filters we tend to apply to our
behaviour when relating to others.
Complexities in relationship
Self fulfilling Prophecy
Spirals
Paradoxes
Congruence between being and seeming
Empathy
Positive regard
Interpersonal styles and relationship
There is a scientific basis to understand the dynamics of
communication.Joseph Luft Harry Ingham, behavioural
scientists,have developed a model of social interaction
known as Johari Window which facilitates understanding
of the basis of interpersonal communication that in turn
determines the quality of relationship.
This model in a very condensed form states the fact that we
as individuals consciously know some of our strengths and
weaknesses,but are not aware of certain others. Similarly,
other people become aware of our positive qualities and
shortcomings through the type of relationship we develop
with them.
Feed Back
Known
to self
E
X
P
O
S
U
R
E
Unknown
to self
Known
to
Others
Arena
Blind
Spot
Unknown
to
Others
Facade
Unknown
Communication – Johari Window Model
IT ISN’T JUST WHAT YOU SAY BUT
HOW YOU SAY IT
 What you say is important, but how you say it often carries
more weight
 Most people haven’t been taught how to truly listen; therefore,
you can’t count on them to listen fully and effectively when
you speak to them
 Make steady eye contact
 Maintain eye contact
 Look in the right places
 Posture
 Facial expressions-tells all or nothing at all
 Gestures-use in unison with your speech
 Project your voice- vary speed and pitch
 Show inflection in your voice
 Display sincerity in your tone
 Enunciate your words clearly
 Insert pauses occasionally in your message
 Match your pace with your listener’s pace of speaking
AVOID:
 Staring and glaring
 Looking away and all round
 Darting glances
 Blinking excessively
 Focusing on one person, not everyone
 Glazing over
 Slouching
 Invading space
 Hovering over the listener
 Looking blank
 Looking stern
 Folding your arms
Transactional analysis
• Transactional analysis can be distinctly divided into the
following types of analysis:
• Structural Analysis: it covers the individuals
personality,his mental make up-the frame work which
forms the basis of his behaviour.
• Transactional analysis: this refers to the analysis of what
people say and do to each other or analyzing transaction.
• Games analysis: this pertains to analysis of situation
where people respectively engage in a pattern of behaviour
of saying or acting one thing but implying something
different and deriving a psychological pay off from these
transaction.
• Script analysis: this relates to analysis of life dramas or
roles which are determined for us by early developmental
process, which we later keep playing more or less
compulsively.
Transactional Analysis
Dr. Eric Berne ,a clinical psychologist , helps us in
understanding the perspective of human
behaviour and that makes the process of
communicating smooth and productive.
Dr.Berne has identified the basic unit of social
interaction as ‘Transaction’.
• When two persons encounter each other ,they
provide a stimulus and receive a response –termed
as ‘Transaction’.
• Each person is composed of three different kinds of
constituents –PARENT, ADULT and CHILD EGO
STATES. Transactional Analysis is the method of
analyzing these transactions to identify which constituent
of one individual activates which one other.
• Structural Analysis:is a method of analysing a person’s
thoughts, feelings,and behaviour based on the phenomenon of
ego states.
• An Ego State: a consistent pattern of feeling and experience
which is directly related to a consistent pattern of behaviour
can be defined as an ego state.e.g. from a punishing boss he
becomes a cajoling subordinate
• Parent Ego State:the unquestioned recordings made in early
childhood of the messages received from elders.
• Child Ego State : manifests itself in feelings of joy,
frustration,rejection,playful ,manipulative,etc.
• Adult Ego State: starts functioning when the child’s mind
starts processing the data from the parent and the child ego
states and tests it against reality to make its decision.It relates
to objective information and data gathering ,and rational
decision making or problem solving based on the data
available.
ANALYSING TRANSACTION:
P
A
P
A
C
C
P
P
A
C
A
C
P
A
C
P
A
C
A- Have you finished the job?
A- No Sir, there is little bit left.
P- No excuses. Get the job done quickly.
C (showing fear)-Yes Sir.
C- I feel like flinging these papers out.
A- You mean things are a bit tough here?
Take a break!
• CROSSED TRANSACTION
P
A
C
P
A
C
P
A
P
A
C
C
P
A
C
P
A
C
A- What time is it ?
C -You better buy a good watch…
P- You behaved terribly today.
P- Were you any better?
C- I will go and play table tennis today.
P- Can’t you be ever serious about studies.
• ULTERIOR TRANSACTIONS
P
A
P
A
C
C
A(P)- Your team can accomplish the task if
properly supervised.
A complex transaction where more than two ego states are
involved in the stimulus or response itself.
Adult ego state is normally the last to develop and tends to
lag behind generally even in later life.parent or child tend
to respond automatically when a stimulus is received.it is
desirable therefore ,to remain in the adult ego as often as
possible to avoid frustration resulting from crossed
transaction.
GAMES ANALYSIS
• A psychological game has been defined as a recurring set
of transaction ,often repetitive,superficially rational,leading
to a pay off.
• Games are played from all ego states, but the adult ones are
most calculative in nature.They are played either to fill time
, to reaffirm life positions, to draw attention or to enact a
pre-determined life drama.e.g..KICK ME “I have messed
up things again ,sir”The pay off is a negative stroke.That is
the food of his psychological being.
• Now I got you SOB-The initiator plays the game from the
parent ego state and the subordinate is generally
manipulated into doing something wrong.
• The need for filling time, is satisfied through playing games
which can be destructive to a varying degree. Certain
amount of game playing cannot be avoided, but excessive
indulgence can result in tragedy.
We should avoid getting involved in game
playing by adopting the following measures:
 Be alert to stimuli which are likely to result in
game playing.
 Refusing to play complementary parts in games.
 Increase involvement in fruitful activities.
 Develop more open and intimate relationship with
people.
 Have positive regard for others and accept them
for what they are.
Script Analysis
Shakespeare says:
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All the world’s a stage.
All men and women are merely players.
They have their exit and entrances
Each man in his time plays many parts.
This symbolises the concept of script which gets embedded
in our psyche in the early years of our life,and plays the
role of –hero, persecutor,victim or rescuer.
Consider this: We Americans love our freedom’.
We Rajputs will rather die in battle than be taken prisoner.
In our company ,if two of us take a bet,only one checks up;
The other takes his word for it.
These are samples of national character,racial ethos and
organisational
Culture which become scripts and determine how each
player should enact his part.
Organisational Communication
• In an organisation ,groups, departments,branches and
services,tend to develop philosophies,strategies,tactics,and
views of their own which promote, sustain,and protect
their special interests. At times ,these may sub-optimise the
organisational goal thus creating conflict situations
• The two channels of communication are:
• Formal Structure
Organisational chart
Job description
Regulations
Informal Structure
Rumours
Grapevine
Work group loyalties
Distortions in organizational communications
• Chain of command .
• Information hoarding.
• Specialization.
• Sycophancy
• Staff screen
• Feed back- Lack of it and Lack of cognizance.
Breakdown of information:
• Division to brigade- On no account must hamlets be
burned down (written order)
• Brigade to battalion- Do not burn down any hamlets
unless you are absolutely convinced that Vietcongs are in
them.(on radio)
• Battalion to company- If you think there are any Vietcongs
in the hamlets ,burn them down.(on radio)
• Company commander to troops - Burn down the hamlets!
(verbal order)
Mass communication
Effectiveness of mass communication
• Com.eff = F(message x situation x personality x group
norms)
• Effective communication has been described as a function
of above factors.
How to reach the individual?
• Fraction of selection = Expectation of Reward
Effort Required
In order to increase the receptivity of an individual ,the
communicator can resort to :
• Increase the receiver’s expectation of reward.This pertains
to what is his expectation of gain from grasping your
message.
• Reduce the effort required for him to grasp.
Feedback: will always get feedback in one form or the other,
direct or indirect.
ENHANCE TEAMWORK
To enhance effectiveness in teamwork for productivity
and unity:
• Make newcomers feel welcome: new members need to
go through the learning curve and need to pay attention
to the dynamic among all members of the team.Ask
others to help in showing new person the ropes.
• Keep information flowing : think of the flow of
information as a loop.By opening and closing the loop,
you keep the flow moving.CLOSING THE LOOP :
Following through and getting back to others, informing
them of what happened or what you found out about an
issue.OPENING THE LOOP : Taking the initiative to
let others know something in advance, or passing on
information that is helpful for them to know-without
being asked.
• Teach so that others can learn : Part of what often is
needed in teams often involves cross-training or
showing team members how to do certain tasks.Explain
the process step by step,be receptive to questions
,answer them clearly and directly.
• Offer assistance: “ I can help you get that assignment
done,if you’d like ”. Speak the language of a valuable
team player. People want to know they can count on
you.
• Ask for help: Asking questions is a sign of interest and
assertiveness, not of stupidity.
• Speak up in meetings : The more you get involved in
team situations, the more you are asked to attend team
meetings.
• Talk in terms of outcomes : Make outcomes the focus
of these discussions.Ask “ what goals are to be met ”,
“ what results do we need to accomplish,” “ what
customer needs do we need to meet ”. The outcome
needs are often lost in the debate over “ your way versus
my way ”.
• Give feed back supportively : Doing so enhances
teamwork,it opens up honest communication.Describe
your observations based on action,not subjective
commentary.Give feedback to recognize good
performances.
• Take problems to the right source: As a team deal
with them collectively.
• Maintain a sense of humor : An effective team is
people laughing with each other.eases the stresses that
come with the job.
Actions That Lend Credibility To Your
Communications
• You can’t buy credibility ; it can only be earned.
• Credibility means having others find you are believable,
trustworthy and deserving of respect.
• Following Through : Do what you agreed to do,and get it
done by that time.Forgetfulness and disorganization aren’t
acceptable for lack of follow through.Consistency of
actions supporting words breeds credibility.
• Returning Phone Calls : Responsiveness builds
credibility.
• Being Passionate : Passion is about having interest and
enthusiasm and puts emotion into your message. “Allow
yourself to be emotional enough to provide conviction, but
not overly emotional to lose credibility.” Sara Nelson.
• Demonstrating Expertise: Be knowledgeable. Know your
stuff and share with others. When others come to you for
service or assistance, they want your expertise to come out in
the interaction.
• Disagreeing Without Being Disagreeable : Disagree with
ideas and thoughts and make that the focus of what you have
to say .Avoid treating opinions as right or wrong.
• Staying Calm under Pressure:Deal with stress without
getting stressed out.Listen and communicate
constructively.Do venting privately.Inflame and distress
others ,when you show your stress.
• Taking Positive Approaches To Problems : Problems are a
part of all jobs.Much of what you are getting paid for has to
do with fixing problems.Let people know they will not be
shot or tarred and feathered for the problem focus on
solutions. Become a positive problem solver.
• Listening First ,Acting Second :Making snap judgments,
jumping to conclusions ,and reacting before gathering all the
facts don’t inspire confidence from others.
• Showing Sincerity :is a quality of coming across as genuine
and honest.Have good intentions matched by your tone of
voice.
• Being Straightforward : means being direct ,candid,and clear.
• Direct : “ The numbers on page 4 of your report do not add up
correctly”
• Blunt : ‘The numbers on this report are all screwed up and
show you nothing about using data.’
Being clear, respectful, and forthright in your communications are
universally appreciated.do it consistently,you definitely have
credibility.
CONVERSATION
MUTUAL EXCHANGE OF
IDEAS AND THOUGHTS
CONVERSATION SKILLS
• MAGIC KEY TO PERSONAL AND
SOCIAL POPULARITY
• BUSINESS MEETINGS PAY OFF
• EXPRESS YOUR POTENTIAL
• KNOW A SENSE OF PERSONAL
HAPPINESS
• DEVELOP NEW FRIENDSHIPS
• STRENGTHEN OLD ONES
BEING A GOOD LISTENER
WILL MAKE YOU A
WINNER
INITIATE
CONVERSATION
• ASK QUESTIONS
• MAKE A STATEMENT
FOLLOWED BY A QUESTION ON:
the party, food,weather, current
news, books, movies or pay a
compliment
WITH ONE PERSON
Provide a topic that:
• Appeals to his interest
• Leads to discussing his hobby
• Gets him talking about his job
• Pays a compliment to him
IN A GROUP:
SPARK A DISCUSSION ON A
SUBJECT THAT INTERESTS
MANY PRESENT :
• a hobby/ interest that the group has
in common
• a spectator experience you’ve
shares together
WATCH YOUR
REACTIONS
• BE PLEASANT
• BE CHEERFUL
• BE SINCERE
CONVERSATION MEANS
GIVE AND TAKE AND
NOT SIMPLY ASKING
QUESTIONS
RID YOURSELF OF
INHIBITION/ SHYNESS
• THINK OBJECTIVELY ABOUT
THE PROBLEM, NOT
SUBJECTIVELY ABOUT
YOURSELF
• PUT THE NEEDS OF OTHERS
FIRST
COMMUNICATE
CLEARLY
• ENGAGE MIND BEFORE
TONGUE
STARTING
•SIMPLICITY IMPROVES EFFECTIVENESS
•DON’T GET EMOTIONAL
•USE SPECIFIC AND NOT GENERAL WORDS
•AIM FOR A MORE ANIMATED
COVERSATION
BUILD A RESERVOIR OF
KNOWLEDGE AND
CULTIVATE INTERESTS
USE A GENERALIST AND
SPECIALIST APPROACH
•READ BOOKS, PAPERS, MAGAZINES
•RECALL MOVIES, TV SHOWS
•KNOW YOUR ENVIRONMENT,
GEOGRAPHICAL AREA
•KNOW YOUR JOB, YOUR COMPANY
AND ITS PRODUCT/ SERVICE
DON’T
•MONOPOLISE
•BE GARRULOUS
•BE INSULTING & ABUSIVE
•AIR DIFFERENCES
•TALK OF MUNDANE TOPICS
CONTD
DON’T
•TALK OF ILLNESS & MISFORTUNE
•GOSSIP
•INTERRUPT
•FINISH SENTENCES
•SNATCH STORY
VOICE MODULATION
SPEECH BLEMISHES & HOW TO DETECT THEM
MIRROR
• Are you using your hands too much?
• Are you tense, aloof, stiff, talking without moving your
lips? Forcing your voice? Making faces while talking?
TAPE RECORDER
• Helps you to hear exactly as you sound. You can detect
your defects and shortcomings. You can use it to review
your ideas aloud, to edit, practice speech/presentations
before interviews.
VIDEO RECORDER
• This is a combination of mirror & tape recorder. Helps to
see as well as hear.
• NOSE TALKER
• When you talk through your nose, you twang. Clasp your
nose between thumb and forefingers and say “ Mona sang
seventeen songs & swooned” Your fingers pick up the
vibration caused in your nose by “M”, “N” and “NG” The
three legitimate sounds in our language.
• The voice finds its way through the nose if your mouth
does not open enough when you talk.
• There should be at least half an inch gap between your
teeth when you talk. Nasal speakers speak with their teeth
close – worse are those who speak with their lips closed.
• For persuasive and impressive speech bring your
resonance from your chest and not your nose.
• The clenched jaw speaker emanates tenseness & strain.
Tightness in the voice creates the impression you are
holding back.
Strident
• Do you talk that way even when you are not angry?
• Neck looks taut, veins and cords stand out like ropes. Muscles around
the chin are tight to the eye and touch.
The Unfocussed Speaker
• Sounds weary & depressed.
• Lacks vitality, vigor, energy, enthusiasm & intensity.
Whisperer
• When you fail to project because of improper breath support.
• Whispering is for telling secrets. Whisper is a ghost of a sound from
which tone and resonance are missing.
A Fader
• One whose voice comes and goes. Starts on a strong note but fades
into silence.
Fog Horn
• Because of faulty breath support leading to strain.
Unsupported voice is like climbing a hill in high gear. It
moves slower , jerks and finally stalls altogether..
Lazy lips
• A person whose lips do not move enough. Fails to project,
runs whole words together sometimes omitting whole
syllables.
Colour Gray
• Average voice scales 12 to 20 notes. A professional singer
or actor reaches 36.. A bad speaker hits 5 notes. This is
the voice like a tap with a faulty washer – it goes drip drip
drip – the kind of voice that puts people to sleep.
• No variety, no pitch, no colour. To check your voice for
drabness read from a newspaper and check your speech for
pitch and pacing.
Does your speedometer need adjusting
• Talking fast makes the audience breathless and talking
slowly puts him to sleep!
• We should average between 120 to 160 wpm. We read
faster than we talk. Rate should never be constant. Thought
and emotion alter pacing. Pause for effect. Chance in
tempo provides variety.
Speech tics
• “You knows”, “:That is”, “um” and “I believes” Also
called padding. Unattractive and irritating.
• Don’t upstage with visual detractors .
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Eye Clasp
Like a handclasp – establishes link with human being
Tells you audience reaction.
Improve your voice
Proper breath support is the foundation of a good voice.
The way you exhale is what counts.
Project your voice, don’t shout.
Don’t let your voice sound older than you are
Make your lips lively, not lazy
Be a low pitcher
Be a smooth talker.