Vocal Variety

Just as gestures and body language affect how you are perceived, vocal variety affects how you are heard. Here are key elements, common errors, and good practices to develop greater vocal impact:^[1] 

• Pace: The speaking speed. Speaking too fast and the audience cannot keep up. It’s been found that people who slow down their pace when speaking to groups are thought to have greater gravitas, credibility, and authority. But too slow of a pace can seem boring.
• Volume: The loudness or softness of a voice. Adjust volume to suit the setting; slightly louder than conversational tone works well in small rooms, while larger spaces may require projection or a microphone for clarity.
• Pitch and Resonance: The highness or lowness of a voice. Vary pitch to convey enthusiasm or emphasize points. A higher pitch often signals excitement, while a lower pitch can denote seriousness or signal transitions in a speech. Research suggests a general preference for lower vocal pitch, with participants ascribing more positive personality traits to lower-pitched voices. 
• Pauses: Breaks in speech used intentionally or unintentionally for emphasis or to collect thoughts. Intentional pauses can add dramatic effect or allow for reflection, while excessive or unintended pauses may disrupt flow and engagement. 
• Intonation: This describes changes in vocal tone within a sentence. To achieve the desired effect, use the three common intonation patterns appropriately.
  • Ending a spoken sentence with a rising tone indicates a question or suggestion.
  • Ending a spoken sentence with a descending tone is generally interpreted as an order.
  • A flat intonation is used to indicate a statement.

The ability to adjust these vocal components can significantly impact the success of one’s message delivery. Individual practice and awareness can develop a confident and engaging speaking style that leaves a lasting impression on listeners.

Language Choices

Whether we speak to inform, persuade, or inspire, the common denominator is a desire to communicate and to arrive at a shared understanding of an idea or situation. An in-depth understanding can lead us to oversimplify or overcomplicate the explanation of a concept foreign to our audience.

One of the most common communication barriers is jargon, or the terminology associated with a particular profession. As the French philosopher Étienne Bonnot de Condillac observed, “Every science requires a special language because every science has its own ideas.” For perspective on this challenge, and how to overcome it, Communications teacher Melissa Marshall describes her experience teaching communication skills to engineering students. Marshall notes that jargon is a barrier to communication. For example, “you can say ‘spatial and temporal,’ but why not just say “space and time,” which is so much more accessible to us?”^[2]

Directed at scientists, but with broad applicability to communicators, watch Communications teacher Melissa Marshall’s “Talk Nerdy to Me” TED Talk.

You can view the transcript for “Melissa Marshall: Talk nerdy to me” here (opens in new window).

A few specific recommendations:

• Eliminate bullet points (use a powerful visual instead). Because you’re giving a speech, rather than a business presentation, you shouldn’t need bullet points to keep you or your audience on track.
• Use stories and analogies to scaffold your important points.
• Display images and diagrams to illustrate what’s being described.

A related point, is to be sensitive to socio-cultural variations in language and interpretation. Adapt your language to your audience but always keep the following in mind:

Clarity: Ensure your words are clear and easily understood by the audience. Avoid using complicated or obscure words or ideas that might confuse your listeners.

Amount of Words: Use only the necessary words to express your ideas succinctly, avoiding unnecessary elaboration. As the old adage goes, “Tell the time, don’t build the clock”.
Strike a balance between simplicity and complexity to maintain audience engagement without talking down to them.

Obscenity: Refrain from using curse words as they can distract from your message and potentially offend your audience. Even when discussing topics related to obscenity, use caution and consider language choices carefully.

Jargon: Clarify unfamiliar terms to ensure everyone in the audience understands your message. Define acronyms or abbreviations when first introduced to facilitate comprehension for all listeners.

You can use language strategically to enhance your ability to connect with and persuade your listeners.

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