Each and every one of us has a natural ‘tone range’ (from high to low) within which we generally operate and the bigger the Event or Conference stage, the more important your Tone of voice. Not only will the wrong tone likely convey the wrong message – but a flat or compressed tone range will make it difficult to build and maintain audience engagement.
In general, when attempting to verbally convey information a reasonably wide tone range can provide more flexibility, more options & a better toolkit than a range that is significantly compressed.
Beware of the last word in any sentence in your speech or presentation!! if you inflect your tone up on the last word in a sentence it can turn sentence into a question, if it was a questions that’s perfect – but I see many speakers inflecting at the end of most sentences when in fact it’s a statement not a question – you’ll be agitating the audience and importantly this will impede your ability to convey your key message(s).
Recall the last speaker with a really compressed tone range and then consider this -
- How likely are you to you switch off?
- How much extra effort would it take to stay interested?
- What would you be focusing on - their voice or the information within their words (or maybe your emails and iPhone)?
- How much would their compressed tone range affect the speaker's ability to
communicate their key message(s)?
If we consider the overarching purpose of public speaking which I believe to be “sending some sort of message” a compressed tone range when Presenting or Speaking this can make it difficult to convey those key messages.
PRO TIP: Record yourself and listen back - how is your range?? To open it up more try these singing exercises and then bring that into your public speaking. Remember practice makes perfect so get out there, get recording for feedback and contact me for advice or feedback at anytime.
About the Author
Luke Hannan is one of Australia’s most Experienced, Energetic and Engaging Professional Conference and Event MCs who truly understands what it takes to connect during conversation.
As a Professional Moderator, Luke knows how to connect you with your audience, uncovering deep and meaningful insights that give life to Rich Conversation. With a real focus on interactivity and engagement, Luke will ensure your next discussion is robust, power packed and flows smoothly throughout.
Across his career Luke has partnered with clients such as Westpac, Google, IBM, BUPA, CPA Australia, Dell, Oracle, SAP and Citrix to deliver over 800 seamless live and virtual events and Luke also runs Public Speaking and Presentation workshops, helping Schools, Companies and Individuals accelerate the development of their communication skills.
Luke has an MBA from the University of Technology Sydney plus held Senior Project and Risk Positions in a Banking and Finance Career spanning more than 20 years and travels from Sydney where he lives with his Wife and 3 Children in and loves Trail Running, Playing the Piano, and Motorsport.
