Honoring The Yin and Yang Inside Your Business Voice

Her are a few of my “Best Of” secrets for an outstanding presentation for women.

 The key to any out standing presentation is the sound of your voice.

I am always amazed when I speak with executives and decision-makers and while contemplating about their next presentation and how warming up one's voice never came to mind though most were well aware that another challenging meeting or speech was waiting for them in the next conference room. Here's a question, what do all athletes actors singers dancers do before any important job whether it be in sports or the arts, they warm up! They prepare their body and their emotions. For instance Boris Becker would never start a match without hitting a few tennis balls first, Tiger Woods would also walk the green for a few minutes feel the earth under his feet and of course hit a few golf balls. What about Kaitlin Farrington? We have to assume that she hit a few slopes on her snowboard before the Olympic games began. Also I would be willing to bet my last kit Kat chocolate bar that before Adele walks out on stage she has warmed up those awesome voice of hers for at least 10 min. if not more. I have a feeling if we did more preparation with our voice and our body if we took this step just as seriously as preparing our slides our power points, I believe that many of us would have much more success in our meetings and presentations in business. When I reminisce back in the days, when I was lackadaisical about preparation, I remember often having a strange if not a bad feeling, oh the butterflies were extreme my concentration could have been so much better.

Would you believe me if I confess that all of these feelings can be easily avoided by just following a few simple rules, most of us have certain things that we do each time we prepare a presentation right? You know your theme you know where you want to go, you even know how much time you want to spend and I'm positive you have a pretty good idea on how you plan to get there am I right?

 What about your voice? What about your sound?

Most importantly what about your body language?

Perhaps you would like to try some of these techniques the next time you have a presentation. For example your boss walks in your office and says okay I need a presentation from you on Thursday and it's already Tuesday and of course you've been bombarded with e-mails and meetings etc.

Try reframing from consuming any alcohol the night before your presentation is my first recommendation this suggestion alone revives at lease 30 to 35% of your voice also your body will not feel as tired. You can always go out and celebrate with your BF F's after you have rocked your presentation.

 My second suggestion would be to refrain from wearing anything tight on the day of your presentation, especially around your solar plexus. Some people become hoarse or their voice dries out more quickly than usual and you observe them reaching for water every 5 min. Often our body will crave water when nervousness sets in. I also try not to wear too high of an heel on a day when I know my concentration and speaking skills are essential.

 Okay as far as you're concerned your presentation is prepared your PowerPoint is ready your slides are perfect you know what to expect, you've got this awesome great job but wait you are still nervous!

 Okay ladies here is my truth, so smile smile and take a deep breath you're not alone! I remember back in the day when my stage fright was so horrific that I continuously had to keep running to the bathroom!

 How does one conquer Business Stage Fright?

 Try lying on a yoga mat either in silence or listen to soft music whatever works for you. If you happen to be held up at the office and you've got one of those reclining chairs that go way back then lean back and get comfy of course after locking your office door, this is your time, the last step of preparation, this process will bring you closer to finding your yang, lean back in your chair put your feet up on your desk after you kick your shoes off.

 Begin breathing in your stomach 6 to 8 times, taking nice long slow breaths. Your goal should be to relax your muscles, and with each breath you should be able to relieve tension.

 Now visualize the moment from beginning to end. This means start with what you're wearing on this particular day, the day of your presentation the day when you know your boss and your bosses boss will concentrate on each and every single word you have to say. Now visualize, Start with your feet decide what shoes you're going wear decide if you're going to wear stockings or not, if you're wearing a pantsuit look at the color of your pants and blazer, if you're wearing a skirt what color is it, look at it see it and go all the way to the top of your head and when I say head, I also mean how is your hair done on that day, do you have it back in a ponytail? Don't forget your scarf and earrings. This visualization process needs at least 10 to 12 min.

 Now were going to have have a little bit of fun!

Instead of going through the normal good morning or good afternoon ladies and gentlemen I'm glad you could be here today, close your eyes and look around the room looking all the faces that you know and those that you don't now.... smile, now take a breath and say your first three sentences out loud of your presentation with your eyes closed. Now sing your first sentences that you just said, still your eyes are closed it doesn't have to be PERFECT it's not about the tone it's not about the melody, this process simply allows you to feel, this exercise puts you on a path to identify exactly how authenticity awakens in our bodies, now try speaking your opening again, can you detect a difference? When I follow this step my openings are awesome I have immediately grabbed the attention of my audience, regardless of how big or small, my intention is to have a 100% positive communication! I forgot to mention that when you go through this process you will also discover a warmer glow in your face your colleagues will observe this step in you as positive energy.

 My next Tip for a challenging presentation have you ever tried wearing something sexy underneath your business outfit? This little secret is a definite confidence booster, which will naturally show in your voice.

Hey ladies we shouldn't forget that men wear a power tie on days where they know business counts. My last suggestion is for those who fear their voice is not strong enough it doesn't carry the room regardless of how small or how big. Try getting up an hour earlier and either head out for a power walk for at least 35 min. or if you can go work out. Nope I am not crazy! You have to think of it as if you're giving your voice, your instrument a shot of fabulous Italian espresso! Now that I prepare my voice along with my keynote I seem to be more at ease and the feeling of wanting to be perfect dissipates it's as though the 30 to 40 min. cardio deflates the ego and I have the chance to be more authentic instead. Many times in my cardio sessions I will be bombarded with fabulous ideas, you will feel as though your business intuition has connected to your female wisdom. In fact, I believe that warming up your body, simply gives your business intuition and your creativity time to bond, they become Ying and Yang.

 Enjoy your new attitude, enjoy your journey, if you happen to be one of those ” I don't like my voice” people I highly recommend nibbling on an Apple two hours before your next big presentation.

We all know Margaret Thatcher? Remember her speeches, or how often she was able to reach thousands of people in a single moment? I'm willing to bet, that perhaps some of you had no idea that Mrs. Thatcher's voice was coached. When she first started out in politics it was advice to her to perhaps work with the voice coach. She was told that it might be possible that the sound of her voice could perhaps lose her the election so she did.

Liz Howard

Founder of Soulfood- Seminars.com

 If you’re in Bavaria, join my “Discover Your Business Voice Group”!

We’ll start on the 28th of November we’ll meet twice a month evenings, for four months! This group is international!

 In a management or executive position; When it’s time to tell the story, present the facts, figures, numbers in the boardroom or on stage; when it’s time for that high pressure corporate presentation or final stage interview in front of board members or when your taking part in that video conference call… 

Where do you stand? Are you truly being heard? 

 I’m Liz Howard. My field of expertise is to make sure that you knock the ball out of the park each and every time with 100% confidence and attention so that you will always be heard and received. 

After training your voice with me I guarantee you will feel, see and experience fundamental changes so great, that together we will make the impossible possible!

 The Discover Your Business Voice Group-starts on the 28th of November, meeting twice a month for 4 months.

This will be a collective of international participants presented in both English and German.

 Here a just few words from what previous participants have experienced.

-      A boundary breaking experience that allows you to identify your fears, break them down and push past any speech or stage performance anxiety through the discovery of your own voice. Overall Liz highly motivated and deeply encouraged each and every one of us in the group to squash out the fear of not being perfect and to truly understand our own voice. 

I certainly feel that in Liz’s workshop I met a new and improved version of myself that I wasn’t sure existed until now! Liz, thank you so much for the transformation. I highly recommend to anyone who hasn’t quite yet got 100% voice confidence that Liz will certainly not just find it in you but bring it out! 

J. Van Acker

Senior Director, Human Resources 

Global Energy BU.

 -      There are only so many ways you can express on paper an experience yet, to understand it fully it can only be personally lived out! 

That’s why I urge anyone looking into working with Liz Howard to just take the plunge and see for yourself the transformational process she can open up to you.

A.Braconi

Senior Manager, Lufthansa Group.

-       If you do not believe in miracles you have not met Liz Howard.

 I got to know facets of myself that were hidden behind many doors, but have  now been unleashed and articulated.

B.Vallant

Aroma T.V.

 -      Vielen Dank, das war ein echtes Event! Du hast in Deinem Programm auch nicht nur, “Rock your voice” sondern auch etwas, womit Kolleginnen und Kollegen lernen k?nnen, wie sie neben der Stimme auch mit dem K?rper sprechen, also wie stehen, gehen oder sitzen.

O.K??s.

Vorstandsvorsitzender der Rechtsanwaltskammer

für den Oberlandesgerichtsbezirk München