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Fred Miller

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Practice Tip #1 – Read Aloud!

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Reading Aloud Will Improve Your Delivery.

Practice -Practice -Practice

We’ve all heard that mantra, and it’s true.

And one of the best ways to improve your voice is to:
Read Aloud – Read Aloud – Read Aloud

Hearing yourself as you speak, and listening to a recording of yourself, are two of the quickest ways to improve your Verbal Delivery.

Areas for improvement are quickly ‘heard’ and usually easy to correct.

Pay attention to your:

  • Pronunciation and Enunciation
    • Are words pronounced as they should be with the correct syllables emphasized?
    • Is your diction correct, or are you mumbling?
    • Are you speaking clearly and distinctly?
      • If English is your second language, or if you have a regional accent, don’t completely trust your own judgment on this, get the opinion of a trusted adviser.
      • Projection of your voice
        • Will the entire audience be able to hear you clearly?
        • Is the projection consistent, or does your voice sometimes fade?
      • Inflection
        • Do you speak in a boring monotone, or do you correctly put inflection into sentences that paint vivid pictures in the minds of the audience.
      • Cadence
        • Is the pace of your delivery boringly the same, or do you quicken and slow down the speed based on emotion and content?
      • Pauses
        • Do you stop speaking long enough for the audience to digest the words you’ve just spoken, or enjoy laughing at a humorous statement?

 

Pick a variety of material to read.

  • Read aloud several news headlines and the stories that follow.
  • Read aloud magazine articles.
  • Read aloud children’s books.
    • These are among the best to read, since many are written with the intention to be read aloud to kids.
      • If you have a child, or children to practice on, so much the better.

Read Aloud, and ‘Hear’ the improvement!

About the Author:
Fred E. Miller coaches, speaks and writes about Public Speaking and Presentation Skills.
314-517-8772
Fred@NoSweatPublicSpeaking.com
https://nosweatpublicspeaking.com

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    20 Comments

  1. I try to practice each presentation 3 to 4 times — I actually think you can overpractice a presentation or speech as well. It can sound too canned.

    I find that for me, 3 or 4 times practicing gives me some really powerful phrases that I make sure to use in the presentation while still having the presentation seem conversational.

  2. Russ:

    Thanks for the comment.

    Practicing helps you pinpoint, and perfect, the phrases that should, then will, have the most impact on your audience.

    Always, the Opening and Closing should be practiced. Because of the Law of Primacy and Recency, the first and last things you say will be what the audience will remember.
    Have a Strong Opening and Strong Closing!

    Practicing out loud will definitely help!

  3. Fred,

    AS always, excellent tip. You are a true professional and one to learn from.

  5. Mr. Miller, I was speaking with a good friend today about some of these topics. I expressed to him that at times I can tell my voice goes into a dull monotous monotone during conversation(unfortunately he nodded in agreement). It made me think back to my mom as a school teacher when she would read aloud to her students. She was a master at delivery. Her inflection and creation of voices to match characters was truly a gift. Thank you for your wisdom and I now know exactly what I will be doing for part of the Memorial Day weekend — reading aloud to my grandson. Thanks again!

  6. Phil:

    My wife, like your mother, is an ex-teacher and great reader of stories. Teachers like them can mesmerize their students with the delivery of the story.

    It’s a practice those of us who want to improve our presentations should take to heart and do, as you shall this weekend!

    Thanks for visiting and posting your comment.

  7. stumbled across your site and like what you teach. will get the book soon
    thanks, Ray

  8. Hi , I want to be an actor. I have had opportunities to be in auditions but thing’s always end up going wrong, but i think that happened for a reason because when i talk people can barely hear i stutter a lot! I also mumble when i speak and recently this past weekend my friend and i had a discussion on how the way we struggle when we read books because i usually read inside my head but now we both decided to read out loud cause that can help with my acting career. Hopefully i’ll be your BOOKS !

  10. Thank you, Pujan.

    I suggest reading your article out loud after you’ve completely written it. You’ll be amazed at the many ways you’ll be able to make improvements!

  11. Thank you for this advice. I tend to speak with a mumble and/or monotonous tone, which is disappointing to me. As an Australian I would love to tell a good old fashioned yarn, but because of my voice and projection people get bored very easily. I will practice speaking out aloud from now on!

  12. Practice – Practice – Practice, Tiffy!

    Record yourself. Listen, and do it, again!

    You have a positive attitude about improving and will accomplish your goal.

    Id love to hear those old fashion yarns!

  13. I am a new VPPR at Highway Toastmasters Club and I see some really good material here. Would I be allowed to use some of it to help Toastmasters?
    Also I was looking for advice on what to read aloud for one of my projects. Thank you so much for giving me the idea about children’s books! I had really been wondering where to start.

  14. Viv,

    ABSOLUTELY, and thank you for asking!

    Use anything you want, and please acknowledge where the material came from.

    Good Luck!
    Fred

  16. I am a professional, in real estate industry, currently studying my MSc. However i have challenges in presentation, particularity reading aloud to the audience. My voice is so boring and i do mumble a lot. Is there any chance of me improving on this weakness at this stage and at my age. Please help on what i should do

    thank you

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