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Top 10 Problematic Speaking Skills

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Published: 21May2008
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Here is the Top Ten List that indicates you may need some help developing your speaking skills in the work place.

1. You hear yourself on tape and you refuse to believe that it is you speaking. Believe it or not, the way you hear yourself on tape is the real you! When you hear yourself speaking from within yourself, you are hearing the vibrations of sound vibrate off of the bony structures of your head. It sounds different when you hear your voice "outside of yourself" on a tape-recorder.

2. People mistake you for the wrong age and the wrong sex. If this is happening to you, you are probably speaking with the wrong pitch!

3. You have to repeat yourself more than once or twice a day. You might have a diction problem (mumbling), loudness problem (too soft) or a strong accent that makes you hard to understand.

4. Your speech has caused people to laugh. Not a good thing at all! Hope this never happens to you. It could be a problem with nasality (too much) so you sound like you are talking through your nose.

5. Your speech interferes with social or career mobility. This happens quite frequently since people climbing the corporate ladder are usually asked to spend more time in the public eye. Employers want a polished-looking representative of their company.

6. You've received negative feedback somewhere. Did you ever give a speech and your written feedback was that people couldn't hear you or understand you? That's a miserable feeling if you receive this kind of feedback. After all, I'm sure you spent a lot of time working on your speech.

7. You avoid speaking in front of a group because you fear it. An easy solution to feeling comfortable speaking in front of a group is to get in front of a group more often! The best place to do that is at a Toastmasters Club (most cities have them) where the purpose is to practice speaking in front of groups. Everyone is in the same boat as you!

8. People can tell where you are from by your regional accent. Being identified by your regional accent isn't necessarily a bad thing. However, some regional accents have a negative image and make the speaker sound uneducated. How is the accent of your region perceived?

9. Your voice tires during the day or you lose your voice completely. Not a good sign if you lose your voice completely. You may be harming your vocal cords by speaking too frequently, too loudly, or at the wrong pitch. Taking care of your vocal cords is essential for good vocal hygiene especially if you are dependent on your voice to make a living!

10. You emotions show through your voice. What pushes your hot buttons and how do you do talking about these issues in public? Employees in the public eye need to be careful about showing their emotions in public. Many company spokespersons need to pass this test before being put in front of a camera. Learning voice control techniques is the key to this skill and of course, it takes practice!

Speech and voice expert Lynda Stucky shows you how to use your voice effectively to establish credibility, position yourself within your company, and enhance your reputation as an authority in your area of expertise. She is a corporate speech pathologist who consults with business professionals on speaking to captivate, engage and inspire. http://www.clearly-speaking.com

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