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TOP TIPS

PowerPoint

Point & Turn Method
Presentation Tips

Style

Image
Mono & Multi Tones
Presenting Image
Style and Substance

Technique

Presenting: First Steps
Getting Organised
Knowing The Audience
Main Points
Office Party Speeches
Rehearsing
Presentation Relevance
Questioning Technique
Time Planning: Presenters
Top 10 Techniques

SPEAKER RESOURCES

Speaker Notes

Presentation Skills

Presentation Objectives

Audience Research

Audience Engagement

Confident Speaking

Telling it Straight - Tip: 10

PRESENTATION STYLES monotone versus multi-tone

An often made comment about a speaker's style might involve their "boring" presentational voice or tone. Or worse still a commentator might refer to a speaker droning on and on and on....

Unfortunately the two are often linked.

This month we look into a very simple explanation for why speakers adopt a monotonic speaking voice and then suggest an easy approach to fixing it.

Monotone Versus Multi-Tone

There are not many of us who have a problem with the art of conversation. Yes, there are undoubtedly some experts out there, but it isn't something that concerns most of us. We know the rules. We know what to expect and so do our co-conversationalists. We speak at an understandable pace and with a volume or tone that's right for someone right next door to us. But when we take that same tone of voice into the presentation room then we run the risk of sounding monotonic and perhaps....dull? Why is this?

NEWS

As the figures clearly show. Very often they don't show much at all. Here's a point:

Check that an audience can read the figures beforehand – the font size of any data is all important. A squinting audience isn't necessarily a focused audience.

Presentation Techniques

There is a simple reason. The conversation style works when we are speaking in small groups with close proximity to one another. We don't need and certainly don't expect drama from our interlocutors – albeit a good contentious subject will result in some drama. But speaking at the front of a seminar room there's a distance between ourselves and our audience – who are not cast in the role of interlocutors. Our face-to-face positioning is replaced with a group to individual stare. The relatively flat conversational tone, fine for daily use is rendered inappropriate by the combination of distance and body positioning. Distance and one-to-many stances amplify a conversational tone. Where it's conversational on the front row it's definitely monotonic and without emphasis at the back. And that's a problem when we want to seriously engage our public speaking audience.
It is possible – and many speakers do this – to get as close as possible to our audience. But no matter how close you are to the front row you are going to be further away from the second and third rows. And that can not support a conversational tone. Adopting a conversational tone in this presentation environment would suit the immediate needs of those closest to you but not those at still greater distance. A better presentation solution – introduce some drama and excitement into your voice. Inject your speech with added emphasis – louder words at key moments or lower and softer phrases at others. Such subtle changes will help to keep your audience attentive. You should practise some exaggerated emphasis on either the first, middle or closing words in your sentences. Try practising when you are on your own at first! It might seem strange to you – but by the time you are heard by your audience it will be fine. The added emphasis and tonal variation that you introduce will be greatly appreciated.

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