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How to Use Your Voice Effectively During A Presentation

In this article, we’ll explore some practical tips and techniques for using your voice effectively during a presentation. From speaking clearly and varying your tone and pitch to using inflection and emphasis, these strategies can boost your vocal delivery and feel more confident and in control.

1. Vary Your Tone and Pitch

2. use inflection and emphasis, 3. speak clearly and concisely, 4. avoid filler words and phrases, 5. use pauses strategically, 6. pay attention to your body language, 7. avoid monotony, 8. use vocal pacing, 9. speak with confidence, 10. use repetition, final thoughts.

Another important aspect of using your voice effectively during a presentation is varying your tone and pitch. This helps to keep your audience engaged and interested in what you are saying. 

Try to avoid a monotone voice and instead vary the pitch and tone of your voice throughout the presentation. For example, you might raise your voice slightly when making an important point, or lower it when speaking more softly or confidentially.

In addition to varying your tone and pitch, it’s important to use inflection and emphasis to help convey your message. This means emphasizing key words or phrases in your presentation, such as by raising your voice slightly or pausing before or after the emphasized word. 

Inflection can also be used to convey different emotions, such as excitement or concern, depending on the content of your presentation.

The first tip for using your voice effectively during a presentation is to speak clearly and concisely. This means articulating your words carefully, pronouncing them correctly, and avoiding filler words such as “um” or “like.” 

It’s also important to speak at an appropriate pace, neither too fast nor too slow, so that your audience can follow along easily. Take your time when speaking and pause at appropriate moments to emphasize key points.

Filler words and phrases, such as “um,” “like,” and “you know,” can be distracting and take away from the impact of your message. Try to avoid using them as much as possible. 

If you find yourself slipping into using filler words, take a moment to pause, collect your thoughts, and continue speaking. This will help you to speak more clearly and effectively.

Pauses can be a powerful tool when used strategically during a presentation. Pausing before or after a key point can emphasize its importance and allow your audience to digest the information. 

Pausing can also help you to collect your thoughts and regain your composure if you are feeling nervous. Be sure to practice your pauses during your practice sessions to ensure that they are effective and not too long.

Your body language can also impact your vocal delivery. Standing up straight and using confident gestures can help to project confidence and authority in your voice. Avoid slouching or fidgeting, as this can detract from your message and make you appear nervous or uncertain.

Monotony refers to a lack of variation or excitement in your vocal delivery. This can make your presentation seem dull or uninteresting to your audience. 

To avoid monotony, try to vary your tone, pitch, pacing, and volume throughout your presentation. This can help to keep your audience engaged and interested in your message.

Vocal pacing refers to the speed at which you speak. Varying your pacing can help to keep your audience engaged and interested in your message. 

You can use a slower pace to emphasize important points or a faster pace to add excitement to your presentation. Practice adjusting your pacing during your rehearsals to find the right balance for your presentation.

Confidence is key to effective vocal delivery. Practice speaking with conviction and authority to project confidence and credibility in your message. This can help to keep your audience engaged and interested in your presentation.

Repetition can be an effective tool for emphasizing key points and making your message more memorable. By repeating important words or phrases, you can help to reinforce your message and make it more impactful. Practice incorporating repetition into your presentation where appropriate to add emphasis and impact.

Using your voice effectively during a presentation takes practice and attention to detail. By incorporating pauses, active listening, speaking with confidence, using repetition, being authentic, and practicing the other techniques discussed in this article, you can master the art of vocal delivery and deliver a clear, confident, and engaging presentation that leaves a lasting impression on your audience.

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Raise Your Voice: 10 Vocal Techniques For Powerful Public Speaking

Reyaa Agarwal

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Have you ever wondered what sets apart a captivating speaker from a forgettable one? It’s all about the power of the voice! Whether you’re delivering a persuasive presentation, giving a TED talk , or simply addressing a crowd, mastering vocal techniques can elevate your public speaking game to new heights. In this blog, we’ll uncover ten vocal techniques that will transform your voice into a mesmerising instrument, captivating your audience’s attention from the moment you open your mouth. So, warm up those vocal cords, embrace your inner performer, and let’s embark on a journey to unleash the full potential of your voice for effective public speaking !

The Power Of Projection: Be Heard Loud And Clear!

Are you tired of straining to be heard? It’s time to project your voice with confidence! Discover techniques to engage your diaphragm , control your breath, and project your voice to the back of the room. Whether you’re speaking to a small group or a large audience, you’ll grab attention and leave a lasting impact with your powerful voice.

• Diaphragmatic Breathing: Diaphragmatic breathing, also known as belly breathing, is a technique that involves engaging the diaphragm to promote deep, controlled breaths. To engage your diaphragm, place one hand on your abdomen and inhale deeply, allowing your belly to rise as you fill your lungs with air. Exhale slowly, feeling your belly lower. This technique helps activate and strengthen the diaphragm, improving breathing efficiency and vocal projection.
• Vocal Exercises: Certain vocal exercises can help engage the diaphragm and promote better control over your voice. One effective exercise is the “Siren” exercise, where you start at a low pitch and gradually slide your voice up to a higher pitch and back down again. This exercise encourages the use of the diaphragm and helps expand your vocal range.
• Yoga and Pilates: Engaging in activities like yoga and Pilates can also help strengthen the diaphragm and improve its function. These practices often emphasise deep breathing and core engagement, which indirectly targets the diaphragm. Exercises such as the “Hundred” in Pilates and various breathing techniques in yoga can promote diaphragmatic engagement and overall breath control.

By incorporating these techniques into your vocal and breathing exercises, you can develop a stronger connection with your diaphragm and improve your ability to control your voice and engage your audience effectively.

Mastering Pace And Pause: The Art Of Rhythm In Speech

Speech is like a dance, and rhythm is its beat. Learn the art of pacing your speech and strategically incorporating pauses for emphasis and impact. Explore the power of silence and let it speak volumes. By mastering pace and pause , you’ll create a captivating and engaging delivery that keeps your audience on the edge of their seats.

• Practice Timing and Rhythm: One technique for mastering pace and pause is to practise timing and rhythm during your speech or presentation. Pay attention to the natural flow of your words and sentences, and aim for a consistent and appropriate pace. Practice delivering your content at different speeds to find the right balance. Use a stopwatch or timer to track your timing and make adjustments as needed.
• Emphasise Key Points with Pauses: Pauses can be used strategically to emphasise important points and allow them to sink in with your audience. When you reach a significant point or want to create anticipation, pause briefly before continuing. This gives your audience time to process the information and adds impact to your message. Experiment with different lengths of pauses to find what works best for the content and tone of your presentation.
• Use Vocal Inflection and Variation: Another technique for mastering pace and pause is to incorporate vocal inflection and variation. Varying your tone, pitch, and volume can help add interest and engagement to your speech. Use pauses in conjunction with vocal inflection to create emphasis and convey meaning. Practice modulating your voice and experimenting with different patterns of pacing and pausing to keep your audience engaged and attentive.

Remember, mastering pace and pause is a skill that comes with practice and experience. By being mindful of your delivery, practising timing and rhythm, and using pauses strategically, you can enhance your overall speaking ability and effectively engage your audience.

Taming The Tension: Unlocking Vocal Relaxation

Are you plagued by vocal tension? It’s time to loosen up and find your vocal freedom! Do exercises to relax your jaw , neck, and throat. Release tension, embrace your natural voice, and speak with ease. By unlocking vocal relaxation, you’ll project confidence and authenticity, captivating your audience with every word.

• Jaw Relaxation Exercise: Start by gently opening your mouth and allowing your jaw to relax. Place the tip of your tongue behind your upper front teeth and let your jaw hang loose. Slowly move your jaw from side to side, feeling the muscles in your jaw release any tension. Repeat this movement several times, focusing on keeping your jaw relaxed throughout.
• Neck Stretch: Sit or stand with a straight posture. Slowly tilt your head to one side, bringing your ear towards your shoulder. Hold the stretch for a few seconds, feeling the gentle stretch along the side of your neck. Repeat on the other side. Next, lower your chin towards your chest and hold for a few seconds, feeling the stretch in the back of your neck. Finally, tilt your head back and look up towards the ceiling, stretching the front of your neck. Repeat these stretches a few times, focusing on maintaining a relaxed and steady breath.
• Throat Release Exercise: Sit or stand with good posture and take a deep breath in. As you exhale, make a low “ahh” sound, allowing your throat to fully open and relax. Repeat this sound a few times, focusing on the feeling of the vibration and relaxation in your throat. You can also gently massage the muscles at the front of your throat with your fingertips in a circular motion to further release tension.

These exercises can help alleviate tension in your jaw, neck, and throat, promoting relaxation and reducing any discomfort or stiffness you may be experiencing. Remember to listen to your body and stop any exercise that causes pain or discomfort.

Pitch Perfect: Harnessing The Power Of Vocal Range

The magic of voice lies in its versatility. Explore the power of pitch variation to convey emotion and captivate your audience. From high notes of excitement to low tones of seriousness, your vocal range is a palette of colours waiting to be explored. Embrace the full spectrum of your voice and paint a vivid picture with your words.

Imagine you’re giving a motivational speech. By utilising pitch variation , you’re able to inject enthusiasm and energy into your delivery, motivating your audience to take action and pursue their dreams.

• Siren Exercise: Begin by smoothly gliding your voice from your lowest pitch to your highest pitch and back down again, resembling the sound of a siren. This exercise helps you explore and expand your vocal range, allowing you to have better control over your pitch and explore different tones.
• Vocal Fry Exercise: Practise producing a low-pitched, creaky sound by deliberately engaging your vocal fry. This exercise helps strengthen your vocal cords and improve pitch stability, enabling you to hit lower notes with clarity and control.
• Lip Trills: Close your lips and produce a buzzing sound as you exhale slowly. This exercise helps relax and warm up your vocal cords, enhancing your pitch accuracy and control. It also aids in improving breath control and sustaining notes effortlessly.

Articulation Excellence: Enunciate And Articulate With Precision

Clear communication is key to effective public speaking. Explore exercises to enhance your enunciation and articulation, ensuring every word is crisp and easily understood. Master the art of pronunciation, clarity, and diction, leaving no room for misinterpretation. Enunciate like a pro and command attention with your impeccable speech.

• Tongue Twisters: Challenge yourself with tongue twisters that focus on specific sounds or letter combinations. Repeat them slowly and gradually increase your speed. This exercise improves clarity and precision in articulation, helping you pronounce words more accurately.
• Consonant Articulation Exercises: Practise exaggerating and isolating specific consonant sounds, such as “t,” “d,” and “s.” Pay attention to the placement of your tongue and the clarity of the sound. This exercise improves diction and enhances the overall intelligibility of your speech.
• Reading Aloud: Choose passages or texts with varying levels of complexity and read them aloud with emphasis on clear and precise articulation. This exercise helps you develop better control over your mouth muscles and improve your overall speech clarity.

Emotional Resonance: Infusing Your Voice With Emotion

Your voice is a powerful vehicle for emotion. Learn to infuse your words with genuine feeling to create an emotional resonance with your audience. Whether it’s joy, empathy, or determination, let your voice reflect your authentic emotions. By connecting on an emotional level , you’ll establish a deep rapport and leave a lasting impact.

• Emotional Recall: Tap into personal experiences or memories that evoke specific emotions. Practice expressing those emotions through your voice, allowing the feelings to resonate in your tone, pace, and inflection. This exercise helps you develop authenticity and emotional depth in your delivery.
• Vocal Characterisation: Experiment with embodying different characters or personas and expressing their emotions through your voice. Explore the nuances of tone, rhythm, and volume to convey the intended emotions convincingly.
• Visualisation Technique: Before speaking, mentally visualise the emotions you want to convey and imagine how they would manifest in your voice. Focus on connecting with the emotional essence of your message and channelling it through your vocal expression.

Masterful Intonation: Conveying Meaning Through Tone

Intonation is the secret sauce that adds flavour to your speech. Learn how to use variations in tone to emphasise key points, create suspense, and convey meaning. Whether it’s a rise in tone for a question or a fall for a powerful statement, your intonation will guide your audience’s understanding and engagement.

• Phrase Emphasis: Practise emphasising different words or phrases in a sentence to alter the intended meaning. Experiment with various tonal patterns to convey different shades of emphasis and highlight the key elements of your message.
• Rising and Falling Inflection: Explore using rising inflection to indicate a question or uncertainty and falling inflection to convey a statement or certainty. Practice modulating your voice to create natural and engaging intonation patterns.
• Dynamic Pacing: Experiment with varying the speed and rhythm of your speech to reflect the emotional content and importance of different parts of your message. Use pauses and changes in pace to add emphasis and maintain listener engagement.

Dynamic Volume Control: The Soft And Loud Of Impactful Speaking

Volume control is your secret weapon for impactful speaking. Explore techniques to adjust your volume, from soft whispers to powerful proclamations. Use volume to create emphasis, build suspense, and engage your audience in a dynamic journey. Harness the power of volume and watch as your words reverberate in the hearts and minds of your listeners.

• Whisper Exercise: Practise speaking softly and clearly, making sure your words are still intelligible. Focus on maintaining clarity and projection, even at lower volumes. This exercise helps develop control over your breath and vocal muscles for effective soft-speaking techniques.
• Vocal Projection: Practise speaking with a strong and confident voice, projecting your sound to fill the space around you. Focus on maintaining good posture, engaging your diaphragm, and using appropriate breath support to produce a powerful and resonant voice.
• Volume Variation: Explore the power of contrast by intentionally varying your volume levels throughout your speech. Experiment with softer moments.

Authenticity Amplification: Embracing Your Unique Voice

In a world of imitators, authenticity is a breath of fresh air. Embrace your unique voice and let it shine through your speaking. Discover techniques to unleash your natural vocal qualities, quirks, and personality. By amplifying your authenticity, you’ll connect with your audience on a genuine level, leaving a memorable impression.

• Self-Reflection: Take time to understand and embrace your natural speaking voice. Reflect on your own vocal qualities, strengths, and unique characteristics. Embrace your individuality and avoid imitating others. This will help you develop a confident and authentic speaking style.
• Authentic Storytelling: Share personal experiences and stories that reflect your true self. Connect with your audience by being genuine and relatable. Allow your voice to convey the emotions and authenticity behind your stories, creating a stronger connection with your listeners.
• Self-Acceptance: Embrace your voice as a part of your identity. Celebrate its uniqueness and avoid comparing yourself to others. Practice self-acceptance and develop a positive mindset towards your own vocal abilities. This will enable you to speak with confidence and authenticity.

The Secret Of Vocal Warm-Ups: Preparing Your Instrument

Just like a musician tunes their instrument, you must warm up your voice before speaking. Explore vocal warm-up exercises to relax your muscles, improve vocal agility, and prepare your instrument for a stellar performance. From tongue twisters to vocal sirens, these warm-ups will unleash the full potential of your voice.

• Lip Trills and Buzzing: Perform lip trills and buzzing exercises to warm up your lips, tongue, and facial muscles. This helps to improve articulation, flexibility, and overall vocal control.
• Tongue and Jaw Exercises: Engage in tongue and jaw exercises, such as tongue stretches and jaw rotations, to release tension and promote relaxation in these areas. This aids in improving clarity of speech and reducing vocal strain.
• Vocal Sirens: Practise vocal sirens, gliding your voice smoothly from the lowest to the highest pitch and vice versa. This exercise helps to warm up your vocal folds, expand your range, and promote vocal flexibility.

Master Vocal Techniques With Mentoria! 

By mastering these ten vocal techniques, you have unlocked the key to powerful public speaking. Embrace the power of projection, pace, relaxation, pitch, articulation, emotion, intonation, volume, authenticity, and warm-ups. Infuse your words with magic and captivate your audience with the sheer force of your voice. So, step onto the stage, own your unique sound, and let your voice be the symphony that resonates in the hearts of all who listen.

We’re here to provide you with all the help! Kick-start your journey with Mentoria and discover the right fit for you. Feel free to call us to speak to our career mentors and choose the right guidance plan that suits your needs.

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What Are Effective Presentation Skills (and How to Improve Them)

Presentation skills are essential for your personal and professional life. Learn about effective presentations and how to boost your presenting techniques.

At least seven out of 10 Americans agree that presentation skills are essential for a successful career [ 1 ]. Although it might be tempting to think that these are skills reserved for people interested in public speaking roles, they're critical in a diverse range of jobs. For example, you might need to brief your supervisor on research results.

Presentation skills are also essential in other scenarios, including working with a team and explaining your thought process, walking clients through project ideas and timelines, and highlighting your strengths and achievements to your manager during performance reviews.

Whatever the scenario, you have very little time to capture your audience’s attention and get your point across when presenting information—about three seconds, according to research [ 2 ]. Effective presentation skills help you get your point across and connect with the people you’re communicating with, which is why nearly every employer requires them.

Understanding what presentation skills are is only half the battle. Honing your presenting techniques is essential for mastering presentations of all kinds and in all settings.

What are presentation skills?

Presentation skills are the abilities and qualities necessary for creating and delivering a compelling presentation that effectively communicates information and ideas. They encompass what you say, how you structure it, and the materials you include to support what you say, such as slides, videos, or images.

You'll make presentations at various times in your life. Examples include:

Making speeches at a wedding, conference, or another event

Making a toast at a dinner or event

Explaining projects to a team 

Delivering results and findings to management teams

Teaching people specific methods or information

Proposing a vote at community group meetings

Pitching a new idea or business to potential partners or investors

Why are presentation skills important? 

Delivering effective presentations is critical in your professional and personal life. You’ll need to hone your presentation skills in various areas, such as when giving a speech, convincing your partner to make a substantial purchase, and talking to friends and family about an important situation.

No matter if you’re using them in a personal or professional setting, these are the skills that make it easier and more effective to convey your ideas, convince or persuade others, and experience success. A few of the benefits that often accompany improving your presentation skills include:

Enriched written and verbal communication skills

Enhanced confidence and self-image

Boosted critical thinking and problem-solving capabilities

Better motivational techniques

Increased leadership skills

Expanded time management, negotiation, and creativity

The better your presenting techniques, the more engaging your presentations will be. You could also have greater opportunities to make positive impacts in business and other areas of your life.

Effective presentation skills

Imagine yourself in the audience at a TED Talk or sitting with your coworkers at a big meeting held by your employer. What would you be looking for in how they deliver their message? What would make you feel engaged?

These are a few questions to ask yourself as you review this list of some of the most effective presentation skills.

Verbal communication

How you use language and deliver messages play essential roles in how your audience will receive your presentation. Speak clearly and confidently, projecting your voice enough to ensure everyone can hear. Think before you speak, pausing when necessary and tailoring the way you talk to resonate with your particular audience.

Body language

Body language combines various critical elements, including posture, gestures, eye contact, expressions, and position in front of the audience. Body language is one of the elements that can instantly transform a presentation that would otherwise be dull into one that's dynamic and interesting.

Voice projection

The ability to project your voice improves your presentation by allowing your audience to hear what you're saying. It also increases your confidence to help settle any lingering nerves while also making your message more engaging. To project your voice, stand comfortably with your shoulders back. Take deep breaths to power your speaking voice and ensure you enunciate every syllable you speak.

How you present yourself plays a role in your body language and ability to project your voice. It also sets the tone for the presentation. Avoid slouching or looking overly tense. Instead, remain open, upright, and adaptable while taking the formality of the occasion into account.

Storytelling

Incorporating storytelling into a presentation is an effective strategy used by many powerful public speakers. It has the power to bring your subject to life and pique the audience’s curiosity. Don’t be afraid to tell a personal story, slowly building up suspense or adding a dramatic moment. And, of course, be sure to end with a positive takeaway to drive your point home.

Active listening

Active listening is a valuable skill all on its own. When you understand and thoughtfully respond to what you hear—whether it's in a conversation or during a presentation—you’ll likely deepen your personal relationships and actively engage audiences during a presentation. As part of your presentation skill set, it helps catch and maintain the audience’s attention, helping them remain focused while minimizing passive response, ensuring the message is delivered correctly, and encouraging a call to action.

Stage presence

During a presentation, projecting confidence can help keep your audience engaged. Stage presence can help you connect with your audience and encourage them to want to watch you. To improve your presence, try amping up your normal demeanor by infusing it with a bit of enthusiasm. Project confidence and keep your information interesting.

Watch your audience as you’re presenting. If you’re holding their attention, it likely means you’re connecting well with them.

Self-awareness

Monitoring your own emotions and reactions will allow you to react well in various situations. It helps you remain personable throughout your presentation and handle feedback well. Self-awareness can help soothe nervousness during presentations, allowing you to perform more effectively.

Writing skills

Writing is a form of presentation. Sharp writing skills can help you master your presentation’s outline to ensure you stay on message and remain clear about your objectives from the beginning until the end. It’s also helpful to have strong writing abilities for creating compelling slides and other visual aids.

Understanding an audience

When you understand your audience's needs and interests, you can design your presentation around them. In turn, you'll deliver maximum value to them and enhance your ability to make your message easy to understand.

Learn more about presentation skills from industry experts at SAP:

How to improve presentation skills

There’s an art to public speaking. Just like any other type of art, this is one that requires practice. Improving your presentation skills will help reduce miscommunications, enhance your time management capabilities, and boost your leadership skills. Here are some ways you can improve these skills:

Work on self-confidence.

When you’re confident, you naturally speak more clearly and with more authority. Taking the time to prepare your presentation with a strong opening and compelling visual aids can help you feel more confident. Other ways to improve your self-confidence include practicing positive self-talk, surrounding yourself with positive people, and avoiding comparing yourself (or your presentation) to others.

Develop strategies for overcoming fear.

Many people are nervous or fearful before giving a presentation. A bad memory of a past performance or insufficient self-confidence can contribute to fear and anxiety. Having a few go-to strategies like deep breathing, practicing your presentation, and grounding can help you transform that fear into extra energy to put into your stage presence.

Learn grounding techniques.

Grounding is any type of technique that helps you steer your focus away from distressing thoughts and keeps you connected with your present self. To ground yourself, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and imagine you’re a large, mature tree with roots extending deep into the earth—like the tree, you can become unshakable.

Learn how to use presentation tools.

Visual aids and other technical support can transform an otherwise good presentation into a wow-worthy one. A few popular presentation tools include:

Canva: Provides easy-to-design templates you can customize

Powtoon: Animation software that makes video creation fast and easy

PowerPoint: Microsoft's iconic program popular for dynamic marketing and sales presentations

Practice breathing techniques.

Breathing techniques can help quell anxiety, making it easier to shake off pre-presentation jitters and nerves. It also helps relax your muscles and get more oxygen to your brain.  For some pre-presentation calmness, you can take deep breaths, slowly inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth.

While presenting, breathe in through your mouth with the back of your tongue relaxed so your audience doesn't hear a gasping sound. Speak on your exhalation, maintaining a smooth voice.

Gain experience.

The more you practice, the better you’ll become. The more you doanything, the more comfortable you’ll feel engaging in that activity. Presentations are no different. Repeatedly practicing your own presentation also offers the opportunity to get feedback from other people and tweak your style and content as needed.

Tips to help you ace your presentation

Your presentation isn’t about you; it’s about the material you’re presenting. Sometimes, reminding yourself of this ahead of taking center stage can help take you out of your head, allowing you to connect effectively with your audience. The following are some of the many actions you can take on the day of your presentation.

Arrive early.

Since you may have a bit of presentation-related anxiety, it’s important to avoid adding travel stress. Give yourself an abundance of time to arrive at your destination, and take into account heavy traffic and other unforeseen events. By arriving early, you also give yourself time to meet with any on-site technicians, test your equipment, and connect with people ahead of the presentation.

Become familiar with the layout of the room.

Arriving early also gives you time to assess the room and figure out where you want to stand. Experiment with the acoustics to determine how loudly you need to project your voice, and test your equipment to make sure everything connects and appears properly with the available setup. This is an excellent opportunity to work out any last-minute concerns and move around to familiarize yourself with the setting for improved stage presence.

Listen to presenters ahead of you.

When you watch others present, you'll get a feel for the room's acoustics and lighting. You can also listen for any data that’s relevant to your presentation and revisit it during your presentation—this can make the presentation more interactive and engaging.

Use note cards.

Writing yourself a script could provide you with more comfort. To prevent sounding too robotic or disengaged, only include talking points in your note cards in case you get off track. Using note cards can help keep your presentation organized while sounding more authentic to your audience.

Learn to deliver clear and confident presentations with Dynamic Public Speaking from the University of Washington. Build confidence, develop new delivery techniques, and practice strategies for crafting compelling presentations for different purposes, occasions, and audiences.

Article sources

Forbes. “ New Survey: 70% Say Presentation Skills are Critical for Career Success , https://www.forbes.com/sites/carminegallo/2014/09/25/new-survey-70-percent-say-presentation-skills-critical-for-career-success/?sh=619f3ff78890.” Accessed December 7, 2022.

Beautiful.ai. “ 15 Presentation and Public Speaking Stats You Need to Know , https://www.beautiful.ai/blog/15-presentation-and-public-speaking-stats-you-need-to-know. Accessed December 7, 2022.

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Presentation Training Institute

A division of bold new directions training, five ways to use the pitch and tone of your voice when presenting.

If you are preparing for a presentation, you’ve most likely dedicated time to preparing your content, putting together the perfect outfit, and rehearsing. However, there is one aspect of your image you may have neglected: the effectiveness of your voice. The way you articulate can have a huge impact on the way others perceive you. If you want to speak clearly and express your emotions, then you need to learn to control your voice, change your tone, and use pitch variation for better stress and intonation. Here are a few tips for improving your speaking voice so you can nail your next presentation. 

What is the difference between pitch and tone?

Pitch and tone are two different components of sound. Pitch refers to the degree of highness or lowness of your voice. While some people naturally have a higher or lower pitch, it can also change based on our emotions. For example, when someone is excited, they usually speak with a higher pitch. Tone refers to a vocal sound made when someone speaks and includes pitch, quality, and strength of the voice. Tone can also demonstrate emotions conveyed through the voice. When we are angry or annoyed, for example, we speak with a harsh tone. 

How can tone and pitch be used in a presentation?

• To Place Emphasis

During your presentation there will be times when you really want to emphasize a certain point. These important points need to be clarified so the audience understands that they are important. We can stress importance by changing the tone and inflection of our voice. Try putting emphasis on particular words to grab the audience’s attention by raising your pitch and strengthening your tone. 

• To Convey Emotion

If you are passionate about something, you can show it through your voice. When you use inflection, you can convey a wide range of emotions such as sadness, anger, excitement, fear, or humor. The tone of your voice also can also convey different feelings to your listeners and this is a great way to captivate them and engage them in your message. 

• To Demonstrate Authority

If you attend a presentation and the speaker introduces themself loud and clear with a nice low tone, you are likely to assume that this person is confident and credible. Now, if that same person has a very high pitch and speaks softly, you are more likely to assume they are nervous or unsure about speaking. The tone and pitch of your voice can change the way others perceive you, so be sure and speak with the right tone to demonstrate that you are an authority on the topic and a credible speaker. 

• To Add Vocal Variety

We have all sat through a class or presentation at some point where the speaker had a monotone voice throughout the entire presentation. More than likely, this left you bored, uninterested, and on the verge of falling asleep. The most successful speakers are those who change the tone and pitch of their voice throughout their presentation. Vocal variety increases your charisma and makes you more interesting. 

• To Make it Conversational

When we are speaking in normal conversation, we are always adjusting our pitch and tone without even thinking about it. You want to do the same in a presentation so you don’t sound stagnant. When you use inflection and vocal variety, your presentation feels more like a conversation between you and the audience.

• Presentation Tips 7: How to use your voice effectively
• Presentation Skills

When you give a presentation your first goal should be to capture and hold the attention of your audience. Everyone must be able to hear and easily follow what you are saying. Fortunately you have one very valuable and versatile tool at your disposal to make this happen – and that’s your voice. In this post I will explain how to use your voice to best effect and have the impact you want on your audience.

First of all it’s important to recognise that giving a presentation is not the same as having a conversation with an individual or a small group at a meeting. When speaking in public you need to put a lot more effort into how you use your voice.

How to improve your speaking voice – the 4 essentials

No doubt you’ve sat through a presentation where it was difficult to hear the speaker or they spoke in a monotonous voice. Perhaps you persevered and tried hard to concentrate on the message. The truth is that the majority of audience members will drift off, give in to boredom and find alternative activities such as doodling on their notepads or fiddling with their smartphones. To keep your audience engaged you must use your voice well.

Be aware of the volume of your voice. Generally that means speaking out and projecting your voice more than you would in a normal conversation. It depends of course on the size of the room and numbers in the audience. Don’t speak too loudly or it will sound as if you are lecturing your audience. Don’t speak too softly either or they will simply lose interest. Whilst the most important thing is to be heard at all times, you should also try to vary your volume e.g. raise your voice to draw attention to a point; lower it to lend a bit of intrigue to what you are saying.

As well as making yourself audible, it is of course essential that you speak clearly. That means articulating words properly and taking care not to mumble or to ‘swallow’ word endings. The best way to achieve clarity is to move your lips and open your mouth wide enough for the sound to escape!

• Tone and emphasis

The content of your presentation may be of high quality, but you’ve got to make it sound interesting too. This means using your voice to convey enthusiasm, conviction, empathy etc. The tone you adopt should be consistent with the content of your message e.g. avoid sounding too cheerful if you’re announcing some bad news to your workforce!

Bear in mind that it’s possible to change the meaning of a sentence depending on the particular words you emphasise. So it’s important to decide on what words you should emphasise, perhaps by highlighting them in your notes and by practising out loud.

Avoid dropping your voice at the end of sentences as you are likely to send your audience to sleep – a technique used by hypnotists! Instead, try to put a little bit more emphasis into the final word of a sentence, without exaggerating too much.

• Pace and Pauses

There’s a tendency for people to speak too fast when they are presenting. This may come about because of nerves and an eagerness to get the presentation over and done with. As a general rule, when presenting you should speak more slowly than in ordinary conversation. Aim for about 150 words per minute to allow your audience enough time to take in what you are saying.

No doubt you will have noticed how comedians use a deliberate pause before delivering a punch line. This is a technique you can use also in formal presentations for deliberate effect and to allow your audience time to absorb a key point.

Voice and relaxation exercises

Your voice is capable of making a wide range of sounds, although typically we use only a limited amount of our voice capacity when presenting. Some of the inhibition comes from feeling nervous about speaking in public. If you have to deliver many high level presentations, then you may like to consider using the services of a voice coach.

Here are some simple exercises you can try by yourself to help warm up your voice before delivering a presentation.

• Get your vocal chords working by humming a tune.
• Pretend you are chewing a sticky toffee.
• Practise breathing deeply to fuel your voice.
• Think of some tongue-twisters and say them out loud, taking care to articulate every word.

Improving your vocal quality will enhance your presentations and make you come across as more confident and credible. Your body language and the visual impression you make matters a great deal too.

Click here to read one of my previous posts on How to make a great first impression.

Please contact me if you would like to find out about training courses or coaching on Presentation Skills. Click her e to view a sample Presentation Skills training programme.

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About the author: margaret johnston.

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Presentation Tips 6: How to make a great first impression

Presentation Tips 5: How to structure a presentation

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Presentation Skills: A Strong Speaking Voice

The second way to engage the audience, your voice is how you aurally demonstrate your personality and passion to the audience.

A presentation voice has five characteristics.

1.  Volume or loudness

2.  Pitch: how high or low a voice is.   Pitch is the rate of vibration of the vocal chords.  The faster the vibrations, the higher the voice.  The vibrations are dependent upon the length and thickness of your vocal cords, as well as the tightening and relaxing of the muscles that surround them. Other factors contribute too, such as emotion and moods – namely, fear.

3.  Tone:  the emotion of the voice.   Tone vocalizes what the speaker is feeling.  A positive tone might be described as “friendly” or “confident,” while a negative tone might be “bored” or “fearful.”

4.  Clarity.   Enunciation, the act of speaking precisely.

5.  Speed or pace.

Here are some suggestions to create a strong voice.

Breathe from the diaphragm, not from the chest.  When you inhale – slowly and deeply – the chest should not rise.  Instead, your stomach should rise as your diaphragm expands.  Image your belly button moving away from your spine.  This will give you a full tank of air.  Release it slowly as you talk:  it’ll give you better control of your vocal cords.  

Be prepared for the rush of adrenaline.   When you get nervous or fearful, your body releases adrenaline into the blood stream.  Among other symptoms, your vocal cords are restricted and your breathing becomes more quick.  When your brain realizes you’re not in mortal danger, it stops releasing adrenaline – usually after 90 seconds up to 2 minutes.  You can’t control the release of adrenaline, but you can be prepared for it by fully rehearsing the first two minutes of your presentation so it’s flawless.  It not only gives you confidence by starting well, it also cements the audience’s positive first impression of you.

Speak louder than you normally do.   Your presentation voice is not your talking voice. Speak loud enough so the person farthest from you can easily hear.  That’s hard to self-fix in a presentation since you’ll always sound loud to yourself.  You need an objective ear to signal that you’re too quiet.  If possible, place a friend or colleague at the farthest point.  A secret gesture will tell you if you’re not loud enough.

Change the pace of your voice.   Most experts say a slow, deliberate presenting voice is best.  There’s good reason to agree.  A slower speed allows for better enunciation, clarity and understanding.  People who speak quickly often give the impression they’re reckless, nervous and out of control.

At the same time, there’s research ( Speed of Speech and Persuasion and Celerity and Cajolery: Rapid Speech May Promote or Inhibit Persuasion through its Impact on Message Elaboration ) that shows talking fast signals confidence, intelligence, objectivity and superior knowledge.  The general research conclusions are this:

• A faster voice is more persuasive when the audience won’t like your messages. (Their internal voice can’t catch up to create counter-arguments, so they may see you as more persuasive.)
• A slower voice is more persuasive when the audience will like your messages.  (A slower voice allows more time for the audience’s self talk to revel in the good news, so they see you as more persuasive.)

Agree or disagree, one thing is universally true:  a flexible voice is most comfortable and interesting to listen to.   Generally, keep your pace at a moderate clip – neither fast or slow. But speed up slightly to add energy, and slow down when you want to add emphasis or gravitas.

Smile.   A natural genuine smile – not a toothy grin – is the most effective and easiest way to emotionally warm up the voice, not to mention makes you look more approachable.

Keep the voice lubricated.   Always keep water at hand.  Not caffeine (it’s a diuretic.)  Not alcohol (it’s drying).  Not milk (it creates phlegm – and for that matter, so does chocolate). And definitely not a cigarette at least 30 minutes prior to your speech.  Water at room temperature is best.

Avoid filler words.  I’ve  already written a post on vocal fillers or tics:  Er, Can I – um – Eliminate – uhhhs – When I Speak?

The post also includes additional recommendations on creating a strong voice.  The best first step:  record your voice so you know what you sound like.

Finally, a word about silence.

Every now and then, it’s important to stop talking for a moment.  If you don’t, when do you give the audience a chance to think about what you’re saying? And it’s good for you too.  A moment of silence gives you the chance to breathe completely and perhaps take a sip of water to wet the mouth.

The use of eye contact, voice and gestures depends greatly on the culture, status, age and gender of your audience.  If you travel for work internationally, adapt and match the style of your presentation skills to your audience, not vice versa.  Do research and show the utmost respect for your host’s culture.

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33 Why Your Voice is the Most Important Part of Your Speech: If They Can’t Hear You It is Only a Frustrating Exercise in Lip Reading

There is no such thing as presentation talent, it is called presentation skills. -David JP Phillips, author of How to Avoid Death by PowerPoint 

Why Your Voice is the Most Important Part of Your Speech

The most important part of your delivery has to be your voice. You are not an actor in a silent film, a mime in a skit, nor a person giving lessons on lip reading. You are a presenter giving a speech.  If they can’t hear you and they can’t understand your words, then you have failed. Like any other skill, strengthening your voice takes practice, but it is time well spent. This chapter gives you reasons for why you should develop your voice and includes activities and videos to help you improve your voice.

First things first. Let’s talk about why it is important to work on your voice. If you have an attractive voice, people tend to attribute other positive characteristics to you. Research highlights that those with attractive voices are believed to be warmer, more likable, and more honest. Those with confident voices are believed to be more dominant and are perceived to be higher achievers. Strengthening your voice can help you with your speech, but it can also help you in other parts of your life. A strong voice will help you in your job interview, in meetings, and in interpersonal relationships.

This chapter is mostly made of exercises for you to try to strengthen your voice. Reading the activities will not help you, doing the activities will. As with all skills, you won’t necessarily improve with one try, it takes practice.

Warm Up Your Voice

Do a five-minute vocal warm-up.

• Loosen up and shush: Loosen up your upper body, take a deep belly breath and then say shhhh
• Tongue Trills: Descending and ascending
• Hum it Up: Hum up and hum down
• Chant: Meem, Mime, Mohm, Moom
•  Pronounce: Ma, Pa, Ta

TRY IT: Watch the video below to learn how to warm up your voice using these five steps.

Work on Clearly Articulating Words

Articulation refers to the clarity of the sounds you produce. The opposite of articulation is mumbling. Try putting a pencil in your mouth horizontally and then read your textbook out loud working on keeping your lips off of your teeth to exaggerate the sounds.

Another way to work on articulation is to do the practice drills. Here are some suggestions from Communication in the Real World .

• Say “Red Rover” ten times, overenunciating each  r .
• Say “Wilbur” ten times, overenunciating the  w  and  r .
• Say “Bumblebee” ten times, enunciating each  b .
• Say “Red-letter, yellow-letter” five times, making sure to distinctly pronounce each word.
• Say “Selfish shellfish” five times, making sure to distinctly pronounce each word.
• Say “Unique New York” five times, enunciating the  q  and  k . (To really up the challenge, try saying, “You need, unique, New York.”)

Bring Your Voice Up Front

Bring your voice from the back of your throat to inside your mouth. Practice bringing your voice forward by trying this exercise.

Say the words “coal, coal, coal.”

Now, do it again. Say the words “coal, coal, coal” as you hold one hand in front of your mouth and feel the air pushing out on your hand.  Do it several times to feel the air. Now say the words “coal, coal, coal,” but this time let it drop to the back of your throat. Notice that the air is no longer pushing on your hand.

When people have strong, energetic voices, they have their voices upfront.  When people are tired, weak, or unenergetic, they have their voices in the back of their throats. As speakers, we want to have strong energetic voices.

Now you understand what we are trying to do. Try it one more time each way: “coal, coal, coal.” This time, don’t just feel for the air difference, but also listen for the difference in sound.

Practice Regularly

When I first started doing public speaking, I practiced by reading out loud. I can remember reading the book Jaws to my sister every night before bed. I would walk around the room with the book in my hand and in my best clearly articulated, well-projected voice, I would read:

The great fish moved silently through the night water, propelled by short sweeps of its crescent tail. The mouth was open just enough to permit a rush of water over the gills. There was little other motion: an occasional correction of the apparently aimless course by the slight raising or lowering of a pectoral fin—as a bird changes direction by dipping one wing and lifting the other.

It is not enough to want to get better; you have to practice.  Poet Laurette Amanda Gorman struggled with speech articulation throughout her life particularly struggling with Rs and Sh’s. It took practice to have the strong voice that she uses today.  

Watch this short video and notice how she clearly articulates each word. At age 22, she is the first poet to perform at a Superbowl.

Click this link  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ejbSCjg2qo to watch (Embedding is disabled so you have to watch it on YouTube)

Practice These Phrases

Once you have your voice warmed up, voice coach Graham Williamson suggests you practice these phrases. As you speak them, try to keep an even tone and pace as if you were speaking one long word with no break in between.

1.    Many men munch many melons. 2.    Mandy made marinade in May. 3.    Major Mickey’s malt makes me merry. 4.    My mom’s marvelous modern manicure. 5.    Mervin Maclean’s mess marred my marmalade.

Magnify Your Voice

Having a strong, clear voice is important for speechmaking. The best way to learn to amplify your voice is with practice. Amplify doesn’t mean to scream, it means to use the force of your breath and the amplification provided in your mouth to make the sounds strong and clear.

Try talking to your furniture. Right now, look at a chair that you can see and say, “Hello chair.” Imagine seeing your words as rays of light traveling to the chair. Now, look out of a window or a door and see an object farther away and try it again. For example, I may look out the window and say, “Hello tree” and imagine my words traveling to the tree. Try this for various objects at varying distances.

Arguably you may feel silly doing this but trust the process and give it a try. Practice with things inside your room and outside your window. Feel the air and notice the difference.

Practice-Changing Your Volume

To practice changing the volume of your voice, Williamson suggests counting exercises. Try to do it in one breath.

1.    Count and gradually increase the loudness. 2.    Count and gradually decrease the loudness. 3.    Count and increase the loudness on every 2nd number. 4.    … on every 3rd number. 5.    … on every 4th number. 6.    … on every 5th number. The monotonous speaker not only drones along in the same volume and pitch of tone but always uses the same emphasis, the same speed, the same thoughts—or dispenses with thought altogether. Monotony: the cardinal and most common sin of the public speaker. J. Berg Esenwein, The Art of Public Speaking  

Yawn to Open Up

• Yawn a couple of times really big. Feel the back of your throat open when you are yawning.
• Now try a big yawn, as you exhale close your mouth, let out a sigh. The goal is to open your throat.
• Focus on the back of your throat opening up. Now yawn right before taking a big breath to open up the back of your throat. Relax your larynx and your head and neck muscles.

TRY IT: Watch the video below for step-by-step instructions. (Turn up your volume, the video is very quiet).

Exercise Your Vocal Folds

• Grab a straw and prepare to try this technique.
• Put the straw in your mouth, pinch your nose, and hum.

TRY IT: Watch the video below for step-by-step instructions.

Watch the video and notice how he uses pauses to give the audience time to laugh. He also uses pauses to give the audience time to anticipate what he is going to say next. In those pauses, you can tell that the audience has guessed what is going to happen by their gasps, laughs, and sighs. One person even says, “Oh, no!”

Joy is a concept that is very hard to pin down, but you know it when you see it. And I saw the joy in the eyes of my roommate. The dude is clearly excited about something.  

Advanced Vocal Training

All the activities above are for all speakers. For those of you who want to take your vocal training to the next level, watch this video to find your natural range. She references a piano keypad, so I made one available for you.

You can download a virtual piano keyboard here:  https://www.onlinepianist.com/virtual-piano

Speak With Power

Avoid uptalk.

Uptalk is where the voice goes up at the end of sentences.  To many listeners, uptalk makes the speaker sound uncertain, insecure, and annoying.  Within other circles (groups of uptalkers), the use of uptalk may signal that the speaker is “one of us.”  UK Publisher, Pearson, interviewed 700 managers on the use of uptalk and this is what they found:

• 85% thought it was a “clear indicator of insecurity.” 
• 70% found uptalk annoying.
• Of those, 50% said that uptalk would hinder the prospect of employees and interviewers.
• 44% stated that they would mark down applicants with uptalk by as much as a third.

The evidence is clear that in professional circles, uptalk can hurt your credibility. Record yourself while giving a speech and listen for uptalk. Start being aware of when you do it in everyday speech.

Avoid Filled Pauses

Um, uh, ok, like, ya know. All of these happen to even the best speakers, but they are distracting. According to one study, recording yourself and listening to your speech is one way to reduce ums. Another trick is to replace the filler word with the word “period” or “pause” in your everyday speech to help your filler awareness.

Why do we use filler words? We use filler words because we are afraid of silence and pauses. As an advanced speaker, you should begin to think of pauses as a purposeful thing you do for emphasis. Eliminating those “ums” will make you sound more organized and confident.

Public speaking instructor Cathy Hollingsworth emphasizes that speeches need to “start with real words” (not ok, um, or so). In her classes, she even gives students a do-over and allows them to restart if they begin with a filler (but only if they catch it themselves).

Watch this fun slam poem by the teacher and poet Taylor Mali on that trouble with filler words.

Occupational Voice Users Often Abuse Their Voices.

When people think about occupational hazards, few people immediately think of voice damage but studies highlight that occupational voice users are at risk. Teachers, preachers, singers, actors, and coaches are all considered high-risk categories. Their voice damage can cause pain, it can reduce their effectiveness at their jobs, and can even result in loss of income. In 2001, it is estimated that 28 million workers experienced voice problems every day.  One in three teachers reports a financial loss due to voice problems. “School teachers report problems with their voices 60% of the time in their lifetime and 11% at any given time”, according to the Cleveland Clinic.   It may be no surprise that some coaches do a lot of yelling. In a survey of 500 soccer coaches, 28% reported having vocal symptoms such as coughing and hoarseness. Pastors are another group who often experience vocal abuse. Fifty-seven percent of Seventh-Day Adventists pastors who were studied experienced voice clearing and hoarseness. Even though Catholic and Pentecostal pastors use their voices differently, there was no significant difference in groups in terms of hoarseness, and 14% of those pastors studied reported the hoarseness did not clear completely and hindered work life. In summary, for many professionals, their voice is the tool of their trade and it becomes an occupational hazard to abuse their voice. 

What Occupations Experience Voice Disorders?

• Sports coaches
• Radio broadcasters
• Wind instrumentalists
• Business professional
• Fitness instructors
• Cycling instructors
• Telemarketers
• Customer service representatives
• Tour guides
• Music teachers

Unless you are a musician, actor, or speech professional, you may not have thought about how important it is to protect your voice. Everyone should protect their voice–it is precious. Learning to use your voice safely and in a confident manner can benefit you not just in your speech life. In the words of Jen Mueller, American television and radio sports broadcast journalist, “The only way you find your voice is to use it.” Now is your time to find it and use it!

Key Takeaways

Remember This!

• Having a strong voice can help you as a speaker, but it can also help you professionally.
• Do vocal exercises to improve the strength of your voice.
• Using proper air control helps your voice.
• Avoid vocal fillers and uptalk.

Please share your feedback, suggestions, corrections, and ideas.

I want to hear from you. 

Do you have an activity to include? Did you notice a typo that I should correct? Are you planning to use this as a resource and do you want me to know about it? Do you want to tell me something that really helped you?

Click here to share your feedback. 

OPTIONAL EXTRAS

Focus on varying your voice.

There are many factors in your voice you should consider when making a speech.

Watch the video below for examples of each of these.

It only takes one voice,  at the right pitch to start an avalanche. Dianna Hardy International Bestselling Author

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Zuckerman, M.  Hodgins, H. and Miyake, K. (1990). The vocal attractiveness stereotype: Replication and elaboration.   Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 14 , 97-112. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01670437

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• Generation Z – Finding Its Voice © AM19 - IMF Inspired is licensed under a CC0 (Creative Commons Zero) license
• Man drinking water © Damir Spanic

Advanced Public Speaking Copyright © 2021 by Lynn Meade is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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What It Takes to Give a Great Presentation

• Carmine Gallo

Five tips to set yourself apart.

Never underestimate the power of great communication. It can help you land the job of your dreams, attract investors to back your idea, or elevate your stature within your organization. But while there are plenty of good speakers in the world, you can set yourself apart out by being the person who can deliver something great over and over. Here are a few tips for business professionals who want to move from being good speakers to great ones: be concise (the fewer words, the better); never use bullet points (photos and images paired together are more memorable); don’t underestimate the power of your voice (raise and lower it for emphasis); give your audience something extra (unexpected moments will grab their attention); rehearse (the best speakers are the best because they practice — a lot).

I was sitting across the table from a Silicon Valley CEO who had pioneered a technology that touches many of our lives — the flash memory that stores data on smartphones, digital cameras, and computers. He was a frequent guest on CNBC and had been delivering business presentations for at least 20 years before we met. And yet, the CEO wanted to sharpen his public speaking skills.

• Carmine Gallo is a Harvard University instructor, keynote speaker, and author of 10 books translated into 40 languages. Gallo is the author of The Bezos Blueprint: Communication Secrets of the World’s Greatest Salesman  (St. Martin’s Press).

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How To Project Your Voice To Deliver a Standout Presentation

Posted by Belinda Huckle  |  On June 26, 2018  |  In Presentation Training, Tips & Advice

In this Article...quick links

1. Warm up your voice

2. start strong to hook your audience, 3. speak confidently and clearly, 4. vary the pace of speech and use pauses, 5. vary pitch and volume.

What you project can make or break a presentation. No matter how well-written they are, it won’t guarantee that you will be heard. To hook your audience and maintain their interest, you will also need to present it well.

That’s when your voice comes into play. Without the shadow of a doubt, its role is significant in getting your message across. Indeed, the tone you use will be instrumental in the delivery of your presentation as it will reflect your personality, your confidence and your passion for the subject. In other words it will give you credibility (or not).

So how to project your voice to deliver a standout presentation? To make it a powerful weapon, here are five tips to project your voice with strength and authority.

When presenting, putting your best self forward is crucial to connect with your audience. That includes mastering your tone of voice, which needs to sound both authoritative and approachable. This “tool” is a crucial component to establishing your personal presence as a presenter.

Therefore, as an actor or singer would do before getting up on stage, you need to warm it up. There are plenty of ways to do that, which include working on your articulation and breathing. Here are three quick and simple exercises you can try:

• Take several deep breaths – Breathe in slowly for a count of 4, hold for 2, then exhale slowly for a count of 4. Do at least 6 rounds.
• Yawn a few times – This basic “exercise” will release the tension in your jaw, throat and on your vocal cords.
• Repeat tongue twisters – Tongue twisters are sequences of words that are hard to pronounce quickly and clearly. Not only they will help to warm up, but they will also condition you to articulate better.

Spending as little as 2 minutes on these simple exercises can be enough to set you up, or at least your voice, for a  successful presentation.

The first 30 seconds of a presentation are always crucial. Indeed, research has shown that this is all you get to try and hook your audience, before potentially losing their interest for good. Knowing that, and the fact that you only get one chance to make a stellar first impression , it’s important to pay particular attention to your introduction.

Keep things simple, avoid technical jargon or overly complicated phrases, and focus on your tone of voice. In most cases your intro should not contain any complex content, giving you an opportunity to place emphasis on a strong delivery style. You don’t want to be too colloquial, but you can be relaxed and conversational. The simpler your introduction, the easier it will be for you to kick off the presentation confidently, calmly and to speak with conviction.

If you want to be heard and understood, shyness is not an option. If you’re using a microphone, always place it in a position allowing increases in volume. Presenters tend to lower their voice to avoid microphone sound-distortion, but this common mistake can severely reduce the impact of what you’re saying, making you sound hesitant. On the contrary, be slightly louder! And make sure that everything is in place to encourage a strong, confident voice.

To avoid looking unsure or nervous, rehearse, rehearse and rehearse again. The better you are prepared, the more confident you will feel, appear and sound.  

Good preparation will also help with clearing your speech of vocal tics and filler words (ah, um, er, right, okay, etc). These can be particularly damaging when pitching ideas and recommendations as they’ll significantly undermine the conviction in your voice and therefore your overall credibility. Thanks to meticulous preparation up-front, you should have the meat of your presentation in the back of your mind to be able to avoid any vocab clutter.

Contrast is vital to the overall impact of a presentation. There’s nothing worse than presenters staring at their notes or speaking like a robot. You need to bring your presentation to life to give your audience the will to listen. If you present with a monotonous voice you will inevitably lose their interest.

Don’t be too quick as this will make you look nervous and hard to follow. On the contrary, if you’re too slow you’ll appear hesitant and bore your audience. You need to find the right balance. The easiest way to do this is to treat your presentation like a conversation rather than a performance. If you can do this and be yourself everything should fall naturally into place without you even thinking about it.

Remember that pauses can be a great way to draw attention to important aspects of your presentation. For example, a strong pause after a critical point will help it to land with authority and impact.

Pausing will also help to chunk up your presentation – in effect helping to create chapters in the story. Moreover, pauses give the audience time to reflect and digest what you’re sharing which is crucial for maintaining their engagement.

Similarly to the above, pitch and volume can provide the all-important contrast to keep an audience engaged. It’s vitally important that certain parts of a presentation are given special emphasis with higher pitch and volume. This will help you convince your audience that you care and know about what you are presenting.

If you have done your homework before the presentation you shouldn’t need to think about adjusting these. Just try to stay natural and engage with your audience. The tone, pitch and volume of your voice will naturally vary depending on what you’re saying and how crucial it is.

Mastering your voice is crucial for an impactful and compelling presentation. Want to learn how to make it a valuable asset? Get in touch with secondnature today and let us help you achieve your business goals through effective presentations .

Written By Belinda Huckle

Co-Founder & Managing Director

Belinda is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of SecondNature International. With a determination to drive a paradigm shift in the delivery of presentation skills training both In-Person and Online, she is a strong advocate of a more personal and sustainable presentation skills training methodology.

Belinda believes that people don’t have to change who they are to be the presenter they want to be. So she developed a coaching approach that harnesses people’s unique personality to build their own authentic presentation style and personal brand.

She has helped to transform the presentation skills of people around the world in an A-Z of organisations including Amazon, BBC, Brother, BT, CocaCola, DHL, EE, ESRI, IpsosMORI, Heineken, MARS Inc., Moody’s, Moonpig, Nationwide, Pfizer, Publicis Groupe, Roche, Savills, Triumph and Walmart – to name just a few.

A total commitment to quality, service, your people and you.

Create Your Course

How to do a voiceover on google slides or powerpoint, share this article.

Voice-over presentations offer a better learning experience because they are a more engaging way to learn. 

Some students learn better through visual cues, while others learn by listening. However, adding voice-over narration to your presentations enables students to benefit from the best of both worlds. It allows adding important information and context to explain what’s on the slides – as if your students were attending a live lecture!

Now, you may assume adding voice-over to your presentations is complicated. However, it isn’t as tricky as you probably think! Once you have your slides ready, there are just a few extra steps you’ll need to take to add narration. 

In this blog, we share four ways to do a voiceover presentation – voice-over Google Slides, PowerPoint, screen recording, and the Presentation lesson feature on Thinkific.

Before we get into the options, let’s quickly cover the only ground rule regarding recording voice-overs: Don’t sacrifice sound quality. Viewers are willing to put up with rough visuals but don’t forgive poor sound. Most computers have built-in microphones that sort of get the job done, but we recommend headphones or a USB Microphone to improve the quality of your voiceover.

Related: How To Set Up A DIY Home Video Recording Studio For Cheap

Now, let’s get into your voice-over options. Toward the end of the article, you will also find five tips for adding a good voice-over. If you’d like to sit back and learn, check out this video we created on how to easily add voiceover to your slides:

4 ways to do voice-over presentations

There are two main routes you can take to record a voiceover for your presentations :

You may want to use PowerPoint or Google Slides to add voiceover to each slide that plays as students make their way through the presentation. PowerPoint has recording functionality built-in, but with Google Slides, some extra steps are involved with recording your audio, then uploading it to Google Drive before you can embed it on each slide.

Alternatively, you may want to ditch the slides and create a screen recording of the presentation. To do this, you can use any screen recording software as you talk through the slides and turn your presentation into a video lesson. And if you’re a Thinkific user, you can create voiceover slides with the Presentation lesson feature.

Use this list to skip to your preferred voice-over narration method:

• How to do a voice-over on Google Slides
• How to do a voice-over on PowerPoint (Microsoft Office)
• How to do a voice-over screen recording
• How to do voice-over slides with Thinkific

Option 1: How to do a voice-over on Google Slides

Google Slides doesn’t have built-in functionality to record your slides, but you can still accomplish the same with it with an extra step. You can add voiceover to Google Slides by uploading an audio file saved in Google Drive to each slide.

For this option, all you need is Google Slides and a computer with a microphone. 

Let’s go through the steps-

Step 1: Create your audio files for each slide and upload them to Google Drive.

Tip: Organize your files with a naming convention. You’ll need to locate these files in the next step. To keep them organized , following a naming convention for your audio files, including Course, Lesson, and Slide numbers, helps.

Step 2: Insert audio to your slide, and configure play settings

Next, you can insert audio from your drive into each slide individually.

The files you uploaded should be in the Recent tab, but you can also search for the file manually.

Step 3: Configure your audio settings 

Google Slides gives you the option to specify how the voiceover should act. To open the Format options menu, you can click on the speaker icon, then go to Format options under the Format menu.

Voice-over formatting options for Google Slides:

• Autoplay- You can choose if you want the audio to play automatically or manually when a student clicks the slide.
• Loop- You can define if you want the recording to stop or repeat once it gets to the end.

• Button size and colour – You can resize the button by dragging the corner and changing the colour using the “Recolor” option.

An online course or membership site can be a wildly successful way to monetize content.

Need help figuring out where to start? Get free training and start building for free !

Option 2: how to do a voice-over on PowerPoint

Microsoft Powerpoint has a feature that many average users don’t know about, which allows you to add voice-over narration to your PowerPoint. For this option, all you’ll need is Microsoft PowerPoint and a computer with a microphone.

On Windows computers:

Step 1 – in the top menu, go to slideshow >> record slideshow..

You have the option to record from the beginning of the presentation or from the current slide you’re on.

Step 2- Start recording

Once you select which recording you’d like to go ahead with, you’ll be in full-screen mode with options to record, stop, and replay. Once you click record, there will be a countdown timer from 3.

Anything you type in the notes section of the PowerPoint can be viewed by clicking on the notes button at the top.

The recording will stop automatically once you make it to the final slide. You can also pause, stop, or replay a recording at any time by pressing the pause button in the top left of your screen.

You can also record a video of yourself in the corner by selecting the video option in the bottom right corner.

Step 3 – Testing your narration

Once you’re finished, a speaker icon will appear at the bottom right corner of all the slides with recorded narration.

Just hover over the speaker icon to play, skip to time, or adjust the volume to play the narration.

On Mac Computers

Step 1 – click on slide show..

In the top menu, click Slide Show and choose the slide you want to start working on. Unlike on Windows, you will have to select the slide you want to work on manually. If it is the first slide you wish to choose, do so. 

Step 2 – Click on Record Slide Show

Step 3 – Choose the input method

On the top of the screen, you can turn off the camera, if you wish to, or turn it on. 

The next button helps you choose the voice input, whether your Mac’s in-built mic or an external device. 

Step 4 – Add a voice-over to slides

As with the Windows version, add voice-over to the slides one by one, and add notes if you wish. 

Step 5 – Complete recording

Once done, click on the large red button to start recording. Once your voice-over is complete, click the same button to stop recording. Again, add notes if you wish to. Then, move to the next slide. 

Step 6 – Click on tips for more controls

Click on Tips for several functions and shortcuts you can use on your Macbook to control your voice-over recordings. The Mac version of the PowerPoint tool is much easier to use. 

Step 7 – Verify your voice-over for accuracy

After your voice-over is complete, return to your presentation, and make sure that your voice-over is accurate by clicking on the white “Play” icon at the bottom of each slide.

Option 3: how to do a voice-over with screen recording

The last option involves recording your screen and audio as you discuss the presentation.

Check out our guide: How To Record Your Screen On Any Device .

We’ll show you free options and two paid options with advanced editing features:

Hit the record button on the video conferencing software

The easiest and cheapest option for screen recording without additional software is to join a Google Meet or a Zoom call by yourself, share your screen, and press the recording button.

This may be easy for a simple presentation but may prove frustrating for a longer presentation –  the inability to edit means you’ve got one shot to make it through your presentation without any mistakes.

Use your computer’s built-in screen recorder

On Windows 10 , just click Windows + G at the same time to open the Game Bar, and press “Start Recording”.

If you’re on a Mac , you can make a video recording of the entire screen or just a portion of it. Shift-Command(⌘)-5 will display on-screen controls for recording the entire screen.

Two paid screen recording options

If you want the ability to edit and customize your video and access more editing options, you’ll need to invest in some software like Screenflow or Camtasia .

Here are our two favorite options , depending on whether you’re on a Mac or Windows System:

Screenflow is a software program for video editing and screencasting for Apple users and is one of the best options for screen capture. This software functions well as a video editor for novice editors, but it lacks the deep customization and functions of a more advanced editor like Adobe Premiere Pro.

Download free trial of Screenflow

Camtasia is an all-in-one screen recorder and video editor that works on both Windows and Mac. It is one of the most widely used systems for screen recording and video editing. It is popular for its user-friendly interface and simple video editing.

Try Camtasia for free

Option 4: how to do voice-over presentations with Thinkific

If you have created a presentation on an external platform like Keynote , PowerPoint or Google Slides, you can use a Presentation lesson to display it within your Thinkific course! 

This function enables you to record audio while speaking to specific slides. You also have the option to upload a recording for each slide. 

This is a great way to create a customized experience for your students right within Thinkific .

To create a Presentation lesson, you will need to upload a PDF file. Each page in your PDF will be converted to images that will be displayed as slides within your Presentation lesson for students to navigate through.

If you have created a presentation in an external platform like PowerPoint you can simply export it from that platform as a PDF to later upload to Thinkific!

Here are the steps to create a Presentation lesson with voice-over on Thinkific .

With that, let’s explore what it takes to ensure a good voiceover.

Follow these five tips for adding a good voiceover

• Invest in a good microphone – Most cell phones and computers come with built-in microphones. These may not provide the professional-grade audio quality necessary to create compelling online lessons. Therefore, you must invest in a professional microphone that eliminates noise and disturbances. As we mentioned earlier, the most important rule is to ensure that your audio quality is high.
• Use a teleprompter – Although you may speak out your presentation and elaborate on the impromptu bullet points, you could make mistakes. These mistakes may make you seem like a novice.  A teleprompter can help you read out your sentences in front of the webcam or the mic without making any errors. The result is – top-notch quality presentations with voiceovers.
• Clear your throat – Most people do not realize the importance of a good quality voice. In fact, voice-over artists are hired simply because of their excellent voices! While you do not need to hire professional voice-over artists, you can ensure that you sound your best by gargling your throat and clearing it before you begin to record. In other words, avoid recording your voiceover if you have a sore throat or when your voice sounds hoarse. Keep a jug of water ready next to you to keep sounding fresh.
• Sound confident – Confidence doesn’t come with good quality microphones and teleprompters alone. Practice talking in front of a mirror, which will help ensure that you sound and look great. In fact, dressing professionally just before you record your voice-over may also have psychological benefits – you could feel more professional and thus sound more professional and confident.
• Edit audio if necessary – Despite all the care taken, you may make mistakes during voice-over recording. Listen to your slides repeatedly and make changes until you are completely satisfied with how you sound. Although there are audio editing tools out there, they may not be necessary for simple presentations such as the ones required for online lessons.

Whichever method you choose, turning a regular presentation into an engaging voice-over is sure to improve the quality of your presentation.

But here’s a thought: Why not monetize your presentations with an online course?

Sign up with us for free and try it out (we dare you) . 

Not ready to take the leap, but still interested in improving the quality of your production? Check out one of these related guides:

• How to Create Video For Your Online Coaching Course
• How to Improve the Video Production Quality for Your Online Course
• Best Equipment & Software For Creating Online Courses
• 4 Elements of Effective Video Content for Online Courses

This guide on voiceovers was published in August 2020 and was updated in October 2022.

Colin is a Content Marketer at Thinkific, writing about everything from online entrepreneurship & course creation to digital marketing strategy.

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Resource 11: Vocal Technique for Presenters

Resource 11, vocal technique for presenters.

As a presenter, your voice is one of your most powerful tools. To utilize the power of your voice, you need to make sure your voice stays healthy and well-supported. It is also important to be self-aware of your own natural vocal style and explore how you can develop even more range in your vocal color and tone. Volume also comes from breath support and healthy vocal production; that said, being a good speaker doesn’t necessarily mean you need to be loud.

Vocal Health

• Drink water and keep your vocal cords lubricated (avoid “sticky” drinks like milk or soda, which can make it hard to enunciate).
• Breathe deeply and make sure your shoulders and chest don’t lift up when you breathe – it should be coming from your diaphragm. Use your stomach muscles as you speak.
• Make sure your voice doesn’t dip too low into the vocal “fry” (that uhhhh sound at the very bottom of your range). Keep your overall pitch a little higher than you think.
• Warm up before you speak, especially if it is a long talk or early/late in the day.

Volume and Support

• Remember: Breath drives the ability to speak loudly. Breathe deeply – as you speak, make sure you take pauses so that you actually have time to breathe.
• Using crisp and precise diction and consonants can imitate volume.
• Lift up the roof of your mouth and yawn to create more space in your mouth and allow for more vocal resonance (look up “exercises to raise soft palate”).
• Release your jaw and make sure you are opening your mouth enough. Place a thumb on your chin to release your jaw and massage the hinges by your ears. Massage your cheeks and make sure they are loose.

Vocal Colors

Developed by voiceover artist Thom Pinto, the “Colors” approach was designed to help explore the full spectrum of the human voice. This approach was intended to help voiceover artists to portray different characters using only their voice and to add a range of depth and feeling to their performances. In the context of public speaking, this method can be applied to help you become more self-aware of your most natural communication style and make more intentional choices about your vocal tone. Colors can be used with a light or heavy degree of treatment, and your choice of color should be driven by the content and context. NOTE: Vocal colors are different than emotion – while they may overlap, these colors refer to how the voice sounds (not always how the person feels).

High-Energy Colors

• Robust enthusiasm, outgoing, excited, passionate
• Quick gestures directed forward; lower and louder voice; fast-paced, big smile, heavy delivery; vocal pitch varies; direct eye contact
• Assertive, no-nonsense, tough, forceful, stark, business-like
• Stern facial expression; choppy, pointed hand gestures; clipped and choppy vocal rhythm; very straight posture; very direct eye contact; loud volume; lower vocal pitch without much variation
• Joyful, giggly, childlike, hyper, energetic, young
• Bouncy physicality; hand gestures directed upward; high-pitched voice; fast-paced delivery; not always direct eye contact

Relaxed Colors

• Motherly, warm, loving, kind, encouraging
• Smiling; warmth in the eyes; circling hands; slightly higher and lighter voice; smooth and comforting delivery style
• Grounded, cool, intellectual, centered, calm, understated, subtle
• Hands at side or cupped in front; straight posture; serious facial expression; lower voice with even pitch
• Off-the-cuff, spontaneous, casual, fresh, breezy, conversational, noncommittal
• Leaning on one side; shrugging; free-form hands with wavy gestures; not always direct eye contact; thoughtful or upbeat facial expressions; vocal pitch varies
• Earthy, textured, salt-of-the-earth, gritty, tough with a smile
• Hands on hips or leaning on something; slight side smile; circling hand gestures; slow overall speed; gruff, throaty texture to voice; lower pitch, towards the bottom of vocal range; lilting, smooth vocal delivery

Character Colors (more for acting than everyday life):

• Seductive, flirty, sensual, playful
• Swaying hips; slight smile; playing up and down the notes of your voice; smooth, round vocal tone; musical voice; flowing gestures
• Monotone, ominous, emotionless
• No facial expression; slow overall delivery, taking time on certain key words; lowest part of the vocal range with no change in pitch; straight posture
• Airy, dreamlike, breathy, disconnected, spacey
• Little to no facial expression; slow overall delivery; highest part of the vocal range with no change in pitch; floaty hand gestures; very breathy pitch with a “spray can effect” to the overall vocal quality

How your voice influences your presentation

During a presentation, the audience hears and interprets the speaker’s every spoken word. They perceive every gesture, every look, every change in posture, every modulation in voice, and every emphasized phrase as messages. And sometimes, the body can unknowingly express something other than the wording of their speech. A top presentation is one in which the overall expression is cohesive, i.e., if the verbal language, voice and body language all say the same thing as the text itself.

Here, we’ll look at how our voice impacts our presentations.

The spoken word structures the topics and gives your audience the opportunity to properly understand contexts and follow you and your presentation in all its complexity. Even the driest subject can be rendered exciting through the use of a lively voice, timbre, pitch, presentation speed and well-placed pauses.

Articulation

Practice articulation; read something from a book or newspaper, speaking exceptionally slowly and clearly. Be mindful of the fact that your audience will be hearing the presented information for the first time. Just for fun, place a wine cork between your teeth and say, “How now brown cow.” Or, “She sells seashells by the seashore.” As loudly as you can. It was by applying this method (or putting pebbles in the mouth, though these were rarely accessible) that Demosthenes became one of the most famous orators of his time. Before that, he had mumbled away quietly and inarticulately. It’s a case of developing clear vowels and taking care not to swallow consonants. Observe yourself and see what each vowel does to your facial muscles and the shape of your mouth. Get a sense of the difference between a round O and a U or the “ow” in “brown cow,” and be exceptionally clear, because the sequence of consonants and vowels will then be very deliberate.

The volume of your voice conveys energy and power. But that doesn’t mean you should shout loudly across the room. Try the following: Stand upright. Feel your feet on the floor. Anchor yourself and imagine you are a tree with its roots in the ground. This will give you a confident stance. Now get a sense of your breath. To do this, place one hand on your chest and the other on your belly. Feel where your breath goes … then practice very deliberately breathing into your belly, in such a way that your chest and shoulders do not rise up as you breathe, but rather your stomach pushes out on the inhale (not the most attractive look for the moment, but healthy nonetheless) and goes in again on the exhale. Voice and voice volume are created by combining many of the body’s tools, including the diaphragm, your vocal chords, the orifice of your mouth and throat, your breath … Did you know that good abdominal breathing also influences your autonomic nervous system? It makes you calmer. And when you’re calmer, your voice gets deeper. Chest breathing/shallow breathing and nerves make your voice higher. And the higher your voice, the less you’ll convince your audience of your competence and expertise. Next time you are part of an audience yourself, close your eyes and just concentrate on the presenter’s voice, their timbre, their breathing. You can even try it when you’re on the phone. What you hear will amaze you.

Pitch of the voice

Everyone has a neutral pitch; the tone and pitch that come naturally when you’re feeling at ease and the vocal chords are relaxed. Most of us lose contact with it. Because we lapse into shallow breathing, are hurrying or nervous, perhaps because we want to convey a sense of toughness or dynamic management traits. But it’s at this precise neutral pitch that you appear more authentic and competent. Try the following exercise: Adopt the rooted tree position (as described above). Breathe deeply into your stomach. Calm yourself. Now try to hum to yourself. From top to bottom. And get a sense of where you feel most comfortable. You may need to try it a few times as we’re no longer used to doing this, but it’s actually very simple. Just like when we say “mmmm” if we eat something tasty. And at this exact point, say any simple little phrase. Once you’ve done this a few times, you’ll generally feel you’re able to speak without straining at all.

These small tips of course only scratch the surface of the topic. The most important thing is to get back in touch with yourself and thus be more aware of your own voice or, by observing others, more consciously notice the voice as a tool. Because who already does that in everyday life?

The breath and voice are incidentally two aspects we intensively focus on in our presentation training.

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How to Do a Voice Over Presentation on Google Slides

Table of contents.

Have you ever wanted to add a personal touch to your presentations? In this article, we will guide you through the process of “how to do a voice-over presentation on Google Slides” – a powerful tool that enables you to add audio narration to your slides, transforming a static presentation into an engaging and informative experience.

What Does Voice Over Presentation on Google Slides Mean?

A voice-over presentation on Google Slides refers to adding audio narration to accompany the visual content of a slideshow. This feature allows the speaker to provide additional context, explanations, or insights that may not be easily conveyed through text or images alone. Essentially, a voice-over transforms your Google Slides presentation into a dynamic and interactive storytelling medium.

Top 10 Use Cases of Voice Over Presentation on Google Slides:

• Educational Lectures : Voice-over presentations are perfect for educators who wish to provide students with a comprehensive explanation of the subject matter while displaying relevant visual aids.
• Training Sessions : For organizations, voice-over presentations can be used to conduct employee training, ensuring uniformity in information dissemination.
• Product Demos : Highlight the features and benefits of a product with a voice-over presentation that seamlessly integrates visual content with explanatory audio.
• Online Courses : Voice-over presentations are invaluable for online educators who wish to create immersive and interactive course content.
• Client Pitches : Win over potential clients with a professional voice-over presentation that showcases your products or services.
• Tutorial Videos : Create step-by-step tutorial videos using Google Slides and voice-over narration to guide viewers through the process.
• Research Presentations : Share research findings and insights with a voice-over presentation that adds depth to the data being presented.
• Personal Stories : For creative projects, use voice-over to share personal stories or experiences, adding an emotional touch to your presentation.
• Conference Talks : Enhance conference presentations by incorporating voice-over narration to highlight key points.
• Marketing Campaigns : Leverage voice-over presentations to create engaging marketing materials that resonate with your target audience.

How to Do Voice Audio in Google Slides?

• Open your Google Slides presentation and click on “Insert” in the toolbar.
• Select “Audio” from the dropdown menu.
• Choose the audio file you wish to add from your Google Drive and click “Select.”
• A speaker icon will appear on your slide, and you can customize the playback settings using the “Format options” menu.

How to Do a Voiceover for a Slide Presentation?

• Record your voiceover using a recording software like Audacity or Voice Memos (for Mac users).
• Save the voice recording as an audio file (e.g., WAV or MP3).
• Upload the audio file to your Google Drive.
• Insert the audio file into your Google Slides presentation following the steps mentioned above.

How Do You Record a Presentation on Google Slides?

• Use a screen recording software like Loom or OBS Studio to record your entire presentation.
• Click the “Record” button and start presenting your slides while speaking into the microphone.
• Save the recording and share it with your audience or embed it in your Google Slides presentation.

How to Do a Voiceover on Google Slides Using a Screen Recorder?

• Prepare your Google Slides presentation and have your script ready.
• Open a screen recording software and select the area of the screen you want to capture.
• Press the “Record” button and start presenting your slides while speaking into the microphone.
• Save the recording and share or embed it in your presentation.

How to Do a Voiceover on Google Slides Using a Text-to-Speech Translation Software?

• Write the script for your voiceover and copy it to the clipboard.
• Open a text-to-speech translation software like Google Translate or an online text-to-speech tool.
• Paste the script into the text box and select the desired voice and language settings.
• Click “Convert” and download the audio file.
• Upload the audio file to your Google Drive and insert it into your Google Slides presentation.

Dos and Don’ts of Adding Audio to Google Slides Presentation:

• Do ensure that the audio file is in the correct format and compatible with Google Slides.
• Don’t overload your presentation with too many audio files, as it can be overwhelming for the audience.
• Do test the audio playback settings to ensure the sound quality is clear and audible.
• Don’t forget to consider the timing and synchronization of the audio with the slides.

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Speechify is clearly the best option for your slides or presentations. It also provides seamless integration with the Speechify Studio suite of AI products for people who need to create stunning videos and voice overs. Perfect for teams of all sizes.

How to do a voiceover presentation on Google Slides?

Record your voiceover, upload the audio file to Google Drive, and insert it into your presentation.

How do you add voice over to a presentation?

Insert the audio file into your Google Slides presentation by clicking “Insert” in the toolbar and selecting “Audio.”

Can you do a voice-over on Google Slides?

Yes, Google Slides allows you to add voice-over narration to your presentations.

Can you record audio in Google Slides?

Google Slides doesn’t have a built-in audio recording feature, but you can record your voice using external software and insert the audio file into your presentation.

How to add narration to Google Slides presentation?

Record your narration, upload the audio file to Google Drive, and insert it into your Google Slides presentation.

What is the best way to do a voiceover for a presentation?

The best way to do a voiceover for a presentation is to record your voice using professional recording software, ensuring the audio quality is clear, and then insert the audio file into your presentation.

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Cliff Weitzman is a dyslexia advocate and the CEO and founder of Speechify, the #1 text-to-speech app in the world, totaling over 100,000 5-star reviews and ranking first place in the App Store for the News & Magazines category. In 2017, Weitzman was named to the Forbes 30 under 30 list for his work making the internet more accessible to people with learning disabilities. Cliff Weitzman has been featured in EdSurge, Inc., PC Mag, Entrepreneur, Mashable, among other leading outlets.

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The Voice Recap: As Teams Fill Up, Singers Throw Down on Blinds Night 5

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As The Voice ’s Season 25 Blind Auditions neared their conclusion Monday, we were introduced to a standout that one coach went so far as to liken to Brandy, a would-be winner who gave a performance that could only be called Dylanesque, and a country boy with as much gravel in his vocal as you’d find on a dirt road in Nowhereseville. Read on, and we’ll review all the singers who advanced from Night 5 of the Blinds.

Zoe Levert (Team Legend), “Better Man” — Grade: C | Eh, this was Tay Tay done just OK. There was nothing in Zoe’s take on Little Big Town that made me want to run from the room covering my ears. But it was so aggressively average, all I’m likely to remember from the one-chair turn’s tryout five minutes from now is Dan + Shay serenading her and her fiancé with their wedding song, “From the Ground Up.”

Ducote Talmage (Team Dan + Shay), “Sand in My Boots” — Grade: B | Auditioning with former Voice contestant Morgan Wallen’s hit, this country-boy firefighter got chair turns right away from John and Dan + Shay by unleashing a terrifically gravelly growl. Not sure what held Reba back (from turning at all) other than maybe she wanted to hear that he was a two-trick pony rather than just one. As far as I was concerned, that one trick, singing like a particularly memorable stretch of dirt road, was enough. 

Ryan Coleman (Team Dan + Shay), “Ain’t No Sunshine” — Grade: C | Motivated by a car wreck that nearly ended his life, this 25-year-old farm boy kept Dan + Shay debating whether they wanted him on their team till the very end of his number. You could hear why, too. Ryan can sing, sure. And his voice had some grit to it. But the performance lacked anything compelling or even authentic; in the end, it was affected rather than effective.

Zeya Rae (Team Reba), “bellyache” — Grade: C | This one’s tough to judge since we heard so little of it. The one-chair turn sounded a mite unsure of herself to me, but Dan + Shay thought they heard touches of Florence + the Machine and Lana Del Rey. For Zeya’s sake, I hope Dan + Shay heard right, not me.

AJ Harvey (Team Dan + Shay), “Girl From the North Country” — Grade: B+ | Determined to sing from the heart, this 25-year-old Native American would’ve gotten a chair turn from me, like, instantly. Besides the fact that his tone was a thing of beauty, I 100-percent believed every word that he sang. (Yes, even the ones that I couldn’t make out because he mumbled them Dylan-style.) Does the two-chair turn possess the firepower to survive the Battles? TBD. But as auditions go, this was a good’n.

So, which contestant(s) made the kind of impression on you that we’d have to describe as lasting? Vote in the poll below, then get into the nitty and also the gritty in the comments.

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AJ was my favorite tonight with Serenity a close second. The rest were just meh. The wedding serenade by Dan&Shay was really sweet.

Does anyone know who the fantastic choir was who sang with the judges at the beginning of the show? They were AWESOME!! Also, I thought AJ was great!! IMHO, remaining artists were just meh…..

From the tiny excerpt they shared, I thought Zeya Rae sounded good. I would have liked to have heard her whole song. Why didn’t they give her the same opportunity afforded the others?

If past seasons are any indication, she won’t make it through the Battle Rounds.

These long profiles and videos of singers that get no chairs turned are unnecessary.I guess they are just trying to trick the viewer,but it’s really just a waste of time

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The Voice Recap: A 4-Chair Turn Comes Up Short as Season 25's Blinds Wrap

A s The Voice concluded its Season 25 Blind Auditions Tuesday night, Chance the Rapper, John Legend, Reba McEntire and new coaches Dan + Shay all finished filling up their teams. But which of them recruited the evening's most impressive contender? Read on, and we'll discuss not only her but the four-chair turn for whom there just weren't enough chairs to turn.

Val T. Webb (Team Chance), "Nobody's Supposed to Be Here" - Grade: A | At first, this 43-year-old background singer's cover of Deborah Cox's ballad sounded just lovely; it was marvelously easy listening. But toward the end of the number, she really let loose and revealed a voice that was much bigger and bolder than we or the coaches could've realized. At that point, she got all four chairs turned in her direction. (Hear why below.)

Kyle Schuesler (Team Dan + Shay), "The Scientist" - Grade: B+ | Rocking an ascot, this 19-year-old poured so much angst into Coldplay, and seemingly effortlessly, that he sparked what would've been a four-chair turn, Chance said, had his team not have just been filled up. D'oh! Taking a page from Gwen Stefani's playbook, Reba told Kyle that his voice was very relaxing and soothing. So basically chamomile tea for the ears.

L. Rodgers (Team Reba), "Wild Horses" - Grade: C+ | "I'm actually Mrs. Rodgers," this 34-year-old joked before her tryout. "Won't you be my neighbor?" Between that and the memorable look, I loved her already. The self-described "weird girl," who eventually discovered that she's autistic, picked a hella tough song - no place to hide on the Stones' ballad. But at the last second, Reba remembered that she had to turn her chair if she wanted to recruit L., who'd won her over with her "emotion, range, clarity, power." Maybe I wasn't listening closely enough?

Olivia Rubini (Team Legend), "Long Long Time" - Grade: B | The daughter of a record producer, Olivia said in her pre-interview that her sound was "old '70s… but also fun pop" a la Miley. And was it, actually? Well, halfway. It doesn't get more '70s than tackling Linda Ronstadt. Overall, Olivia's vocal seemed kinda controlled but forgettable till she went big and revealed more range than I'd guessed was there. In her coach's estimation, "the only time you messed up was you got a little bit shaken by me turning around."

So, which contestant(s) really dazzled you Tuesday? Vote in the poll below, then answer in the comments: Which coach do you think has assembled the strongest team?

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Elyscia Jefferson's "Flawless," "Effortless" Voice Had 1 Coach Regret Not Turning

Sometimes a Coach doesn't turn their chair and ends up kicking themselves later.

On  The Voice , you have to turn your chair relatively quickly. Blind Auditions move fast; a quick chair turn indicates enthusiasm, and it only takes a matter of seconds for some artists to make a choice in their heads. But of course, the Blind Auditions aren't always definitive. Coaches can play conservatively and end up kicking themselves for it later, and that's exactly what happened to one Coach during Elyscia Jefferson's Blind Audition Monday night.

How to Watch

Watch  The Voice Mondays and Tuesdays at 8/7c on NBC and next day on Peacock.  

RELATED: Every Blind Audition on  The Voice  Season 25

Jefferson, a 20-year-old singer from Baltimore who travels and performs extensively with her family's band, immediately won over several Coaches with her performance of Michael Jackson's "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)." Despite quick turns from Reba McEntire, Dan + Shay , and Chance the Rapper, she couldn't quite win over John Legend, who listened quietly until the end of the song, then ended up regretting it.

Watch Elyscia Jefferson Perform Michael Jackson's "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" on  The Voice  Season 25

After Jefferson's audition ended, Chance the Rapper was the first to praise her performance, which included a fun new arrangement of the classic song, and plenty of notes that showcased her vocal range.

"I really like your tone," he said. "That was a crazy arrangement of 'P.Y.T.,' and I want to be there to support you in picking the songs and just showing America and the rest of the world who you are. You can really only do that on Team Chance."

Backstage before her audition, Jefferson cited two Coaches as key inspirations and people she'd love to work with: John Legend and Reba McEntire . While Legend didn't turn, McEntire definitely did, and knew exactly what to say to her prospective new team member.

"The way you perform on the stage, you're very at-ease, you're comfortable," she said. "I'd love to work with you so much because there's so many things that I can help you with. You inspire me. You're young and you're incredibly talented."

When it was Legend's turn to talk to Jefferson, he noted that he did consider turning his chair, but knew that the moment had probably already passed, particularly with three other Coaches already offering spots on their teams.

RELATED:  An Official Recap of Team Reba on The Voice Season 25

"I was ready to turn after a while but then I was like 'I'm too late,'" Legend said. "I regret it. I'm sad."

In the end, Jefferson went with the instinct she showed backstage and picked McEntire as her Coach.

"Any time Reba beats you, you're kinda just like, 'I understand. I see what's happened here,'" Chance said after the audition ended.

How far will Elysica Jefferson go? Keep watching  The Voice , Mondays at 8/7c and Tuesdays at 9/8c on  NBC  and next day on  Peacock .

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Movies | Column: Best Oscar night in a long time. Here’s…

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Movies | column: best oscar night in a long time. here’s why, in 5 easy pieces..

For the civilian in me, the one with a 50-year rap sheet of annual Oscar night viewership dating back to “The Sting,” Sunday’s Academy Awards went down nice and easy. Same goes for the critic me. We were both happy.

Best Oscars show in several years. Surprising, yes?

Yes. Especially given the expected and ultimately fulfilled dominance of front-runner “Oppenheimer” — seven wins , including for best picture, best director (Christopher Nolan), best actor (Cillian Murphy), best supporting actor (Robert Downey Jr.), plus cinematography, musical score and editing — and hardly any awards constituting an upset. Minimal upsets plus zero train-wreck moments (no Will Smith violence; no envelope mix-up, though I did love the tiny jump scare Al Pacino provoked with his abrupt reveal of the biggest award of the night) typically means bleh TV. So why was the 96th running of the bull Sunday such a surprise, even without actual surprises?

Here are five theories that, stitched together, form one big Frankentheory, in honor of Emma Stone’s Oscar-winning portrayal of Bella Baxter in “Poor Things.”

1. The quality of goods on display: Way up this year. Take the 10 best picture nominees. Even “Maestro,” the one arguably least deserving of inclusion, had some terrific elements and scenes in its corner. The Thanksgiving Day argument between Leonard and Felicia Bernstein (Bradley Cooper, not the evening’s happiest attendee, and best actress nominee Carey Mulligan) made the rest of the movie’s relationship details feel either dodgy, phony or rushed. But look, compared to some of the lesser titles filling out recent best picture nomination lists? “Elvis” in 2022? “Don’t Look Up” in 2021? “Promising Young Woman” in 2020? “Jojo Rabbit” in 2019? “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “Green Book” in 2018?

2. The actual, unironic love and respect in the room: So many Oscar ceremonies arrive in righteous sanctimony without much in the way of interesting things to say in between numbers. This year was different, and better. The production itself sold its various presentation concepts, such as rounding up five previous Oscar winners to introduce this year’s performing categories, with a shrewd blend of wit and heart. And when certain winners took the stage and took the opportunity to express a view or two, miraculously it kept the show moving.

3. Now that’s how you go political: Quick, civil but pointed, and move on. Footage of the late Russian dissident, Putin enemy and likely Putin casualty Alexei Navalny, slipped into the show Sunday night in a beautiful and moving way. Also brief. Just right. Elsewhere, winning the international feature Oscar, “Zone of Interest” writer-director Jonathan Glazer referred to his film’s depiction of dehumanization in relation to Hitler’s Third Reich as well as linking it to Israel’s invasion of Gaza: “Right now, we stand here as men who refute their Jewishness and the Holocaust being hijacked by an occupation which has led to conflict for so many innocent people.”  No stridency, no reiterations, just clear opinions eloquently expressed, with one eye on the clock.

4. It’s fair game to take on the local industry on the industry’s biggest night: Oscar winner Cord Jefferson, who adapted (and directed) “American Fiction,” maximized his speech time by calling out the conglomerated, amalgamated, any-old-tentpole-in-a-storm mess that is contemporary Hollywood. Instead of throwing dice at a $200 million franchise burger, Jefferson said, “why not try making twenty $10 million dollar movies?”

5. When a sound designer gets an Oscar-night standing ovation, something is working: For “The Zone of Interest,” designer Johnnie Burn and production sound mixer Tarn Willers created a welter of ghastly everyday horrors, largely unseen but ever-present: furnaces, gunshots, screams, not quite realistic, not quite fantastic. It’s design genius of monstrous subtlety. My friend Eric Lindbom texted me from a Los Angeles Oscar party and said it first, and best: Not since “The Conversation” in 1974 has there been a feature so reliant on such a brilliantly detailed soundscape.

While we’re on it: When a film as bracing as “The Zone of Interest” garners five Oscar nominations, in an especially rich year, the Academy members are doing something right. They, and we, got an entertaining awards show in the bargain. Four-time MC Jimmy Kimmel? Solid. Coming off Jo Koy’s herniated hosting effort at the Golden Globes two months ago, I’ll take solid and easygoing, no questions asked.

Emily Blunt squared off against Ryan Gosling for a grudge match of a “Barbenheimer” peacekeeping mission. Quite droll. So was Kate McKinnon. And special thanks to John Mulaney for a transcendent non-sequitur riff on “Field of Dreams” dream logic, smack in the middle of introducing the category of best sound design. Long comic odds, for sure. But Mulaney found gold.

I suppose you had to be there, or rather anywhere, somewhere, watching. But this is why morning-after YouTubing has a secure place in this world. And amazingly — for a while longer — so does Oscar.

Michael Phillips is a Tribune critic.

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‘My Eyes See “Oppenheimer”’: Al Pacino’s Awkward Best Picture Announcement

Pacino did not name the 10 nominees before saying the prize went to “Oppenheimer,” the favorite to win.

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By Matt Stevens

• March 10, 2024

Al Pacino put a room full of Hollywood stars a little bit on edge to close out the 96th Academy Awards.

Rather than listing all 10 nominees while presenting the best picture Oscar, or offering a conventional “And the Oscar goes to,” Pacino simply said “Here it comes” before slowly opening the envelope.

“And my eyes see ‘Oppenheimer,’” Pacino said next, to tepid applause from an audience that seemed unsure whether that statement was the most important proclamation of the night.

“Yes, yes,” Pacino, 83, said of the movie that was considered the favorite to win best picture and finished with a night-best seven awards.

At that point, on came the music, and cheers rose from the crowd. The camera cut to Christopher Nolan, the film’s director, and Emma Thomas, one of its producers, as they stood up and made their way to the stage.

Did Jimmy Kimmel see it coming? Just minutes earlier, Kimmel, the host of the ceremony, made a joke about needing to tear up the envelope that said Emma Stone had won best actress for “Poor Things,” an allusion to the epic “Moonlight”/“La La Land” best picture mix-up of 2017 .

After the ceremony, Bill Kramer, the chief executive of the academy, said he was pleased with Pacino’s performance. “Everything went beautifully,” Kramer said. “He was just having fun up there.”

Nicole Sperling contributed reporting.

Matt Stevens writes about arts and culture news for The Times. He has been a journalist for more than a decade. More about Matt Stevens

Our Coverage of the 2024 Oscars

The 96th academy awards were presented on march 10 in los angeles..

Our Critics’ Take: The Oscars were torn between the golden past and the thorny present. But to our critics Manohla Dargis and Alissa Wilkinson, the show mostly worked .

A ‘Just Ken’ Spectacle: In one of the most anticipated and exuberant moments of Oscar night , Ryan Gosling took the stage to perform “ I’m Just Ken ” from “Barbie.”

Cillian Murphy’s Career: If you’re looking to expand your knowledge of the Irish actor’s work after his now Oscar-winning performance  as the physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, here are some excellent options .

Bro-Brooches: This year, several male stars wore baubles  more often associated with granny’s jewel box than Hollywood heartthrobs.

Inside the After Parties:  Here’s what we saw at the Governors Ball  and Vanity Fair’s party , where the famous (and the fame-adjacent) celebrated into the night.