Have you ever watched an inspirational speaker whose sole ability
to inspire seemed to come from his loud voice? As you flip through
television channels you are bound to land on a station where someone
is trying to sell you something or “inspire you” to give away your
money somehow. Much of this is driven through the volume and
urgency of the voices saying, “Do it now!” The urgency of the “now”
builds the excitement, and that excitement often raises the volume
of the speaker. I’m not saying that the loud voices are yelling; they
do have a constant tone and pitch that often maintains this sense of
urgency through the higher volume.
I have been in situations when I know that the speaker’s goal was
to motivate or inspire me, but I felt more discomfort—or in some
cases boredom— since there was too much constant volume. Many
times in these cases, I have found very little vocal variety, so the speech
becomes monotonous. In some cases, a speaker’s inspirational message
is simply about repeating the same words or phrases over and
over. Although some repetition is encouraged to ensure the message
sticks with an audience, using the same boisterous tone may get old
without any vocal variety. I find my mind starting to wander when the
loud voice gives me a feeling of being talked at, as opposed to being
talked to or talked with.
Inspiration can come from different types of speakers. Many speakers
have caught and kept my attention by effectively varying their voice
and pitch. Some spend a lot of time in the higher-volume state, and I
am all right with that because they periodically bring it down. Most
importantly, they have a message that has connected with me and has
maintained my attention, not simply because they had a loud voice.
Loud may get your attention, but will it maintain that attention?
Whether you are introverted, extroverted, loud, or soft, realize that
inspiration can come from all types of speakers. The delivery is one
factor to ensure your effectiveness, and having an important message
for the audience to take away is another. Have you captured the hearts
and minds of the people you are interacting with? You can connect in
so many different ways with the audience. Just be confident in knowing
that you are connecting.
Thomas B. Dowd III’s books available in softcover, eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only):
- Now What? The Ultimate Graduation Gift for Professional Success
- Time Management Manifesto: Expert Strategies to Create an Effective Work/Life Balance
- Displacement Day: When My Job was Looking for a Job…A Reference Guide to Finding Work
- The Transformation of a Doubting Thomas: Growing from a Cynic to a Professional in the Corporate World
- From Fear to Success: A Practical Public-speaking Guide received the Gold Medal at the 2013 Axiom Business Book Awards in Business Reference
- The Unofficial Guide to Fatherhood
See “Products” for details on www.transformationtom.com. Book , eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only) purchase options are also available on Amazon- Please click the link to be re-directed: Amazon.com
