Speaking in a monotone is more than a problem. It’s boring. There is no other way to say it. The problem with a monotonous delivery is that it puts your audience to sleep, and it does so very quickly. If actors spoke in a monotone, television and movies would not be one of our greatest forms of entertainment. The other problem if you speak in a monotone is that you give the wrong impression to your listeners. He says you don’t care because no emotion is seen, heard, or felt.
I worked with a lovely woman named Dawn. In person, Dawn showed a lot of color when we spoke. However, she Dawn was not comfortable talking on the phone and she spoke in a monotone that gave the impression that she was a cold and distant person. Nothing could have been further from the truth. While her heart may have been saying one thing, her reaction on the phone was saying something entirely different. Dawn recognized the problem and made the change, both in her delivery and her acceptance of the phone.
Imagine watching a TV show or a movie and everything the actors said was expressed without emotion, without feeling, without life, without animation, without color. Most likely, you will quickly change the station or turn off the television. Can you tell that if you gave a presentation or speech with a voice that didn’t show emotion or feeling, your audience wouldn’t be very impressed?
When speaking in public, we all have something to sell. It doesn’t have to be a tangible product. It can be an idea or an opinion. Even giving an informative presentation has something to sell and that’s simply to make your audience want to listen to you Whether a group of people have taken the trouble to give you 20 minutes, 40 minutes, or an hour of their time, it’s your responsibility to make your presentation entertaining.
Do you know why Zig Ziglar is so successful? Because he speaks with passion. Ziglar could sell anything to anyone, not because of his products or ideas, but because of his passion. His passion is to mesmerize, invite and motivate. But, the passion can only be felt or perceived with a colorful delivery. In fact, he may be very passionate about your product or idea, but if his vocal range, facial expression, and body language are flat, then his passion is hidden.
Learning to speak with color is much easier than you think if you allow your emotions to be seen and heard. It will take some practice, but a good exercise that I recommend would be to videotape yourself saying the following sentence without any expression. then say it again allowing be expressive – through your voice, your facial expression and your body language. (Do this in private at first.)
I want to go to the game tonight even though I don’t have tickets.
[If you need some help with this exercise, after you record it the 1st time with a flat, emotionless delivery, try saying it the 2nd time with a smile on your face, nodding your head in agreement at the same time. You may feel foolish doing this but trust me, you will sound much better in your 2nd attempt than your 1st.]
Now play the 2 takes. Was there a difference in expression between the two? Did you really look or sound silly on your second reading like you thought? If you tried this exercise fairly, I’d be willing to bet that your second take was definitely more interesting than your first.
Don’t keep your passion hidden the next time you give a speech or presentation. Let your excitement be seen and heard and I guarantee the sales will follow.