Nancy Daniels
Official Guide
Public Speaking Expert
Nancy Daniels Quick Facts
- Main Areas
- Voice Improvement, Public Speaking, Presentation Skills
- Career Focus
- Voice Coach, Speaker, Trainer, Author, Business Owner
International Speaker and Voice Specialist, Nancy Daniels, also known as The Voice Lady, has been involved in voice training since 1977. A graduate of Gettysburg College with a BA in music, she discovered the techniques for improving the sound of the speaking voice while in graduate school at American University in Washington, D.C.
Prior to her move to Canada in 1981, Daniels worked in New York City for G. Schirmer, ICM Artists and the Aspen Music Festival where she was director of public relations. Aware that her own speaking voice was a predominant factor in obtaining employment with such reputable firms, she believes that a dynamic and mature-sounding voice is a fantastic asset, increasing one’s confidence and self-esteem.
While in Canada Daniels taught Voice and Public Speaking at the University of Western Ontario’s Graduate School of Jou alism, The Ivey School of Business, and St. Peter’s Seminary. In 1989 she started her own business, Communication Dynamics, for businesses and the general public.
Upon returning to the States in 1997, she opened her business under the name Voice Dynamic and from 1999 to 2003 continued to teach Voice & Diction and Public Speaking at the college level.
In addition to her corporate workshops, Nancy Daniels holds seminars and group workshops throughout the United States and Canada. For those unable to work with her directly, she is now offering Voicing It!, the only voice improvement course on video covering The Voice Dynamic Approach.
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Articles by this expert
SelfGrowth articles and saved writing connected to this expert.
Article
***If You Clip Your Words, Your Message Can Get Lost
Recently I was talking on my cell phone to a woman from my credit card company and I was continually asking her to repeat herself. When our business was completed, I told her that because of the way she clipped her words, I had missed much of what she was saying.
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***What Is Color in Public Speaking?
Color is the life, the emotion, the animation, and the passion you express in speaking. Whether you are in conversation, holding a conference call, or giving a speech or presentation, not expressing color when you talk is referred to as speaking in monotone. Another way of saying it is boring. I have found a distinct relationship between dressing colorfully and speaking with expression.
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***Public Speaking Is Not about You, It Is about Them
Do you know what the purpose of public speaking is? Think about that for a moment. Too often, we are so consumed by our fear, our topic, or our delivery, that we often miss our reason for public speaking. You could be standing on a stage or in the front of a classroom or at the head of the conference table. Wherever your location, your purpose is to impart knowledge to a select group of people. Whether your intention is to inform or persuade, your reason for being in front of those people, be it to a group of 5 or a crowd of 500, is your audience.
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***Preparation Is the Key in Public Speaking
I cannot tell you how many of my clients have admitted to me that they do not prepare for their presentations. When I hear that I am always stunned. If you know in advance that you are to speak to a group of people for whatever reason, how can you not prepare in advance? This is a no-brainer in my opinion. Do you not think that every single athlete, musician, singer and actor prepares for the big game or opening night in advance? Yes, they may be extraordinarily gifted in their abilities but that does not mean they can afford not to practice or rehearse.
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If You Smile At Your Audience, I Guarantee They Will Smile Back
Were you to give a presentation with no vocal variety, no facial expression and no body language, what do you think the reaction would be of your audience? Unless you are a comedian and that characteristic is part of your ‘shtick,’ do not expect your listeners to be much enamored by your lack of color – the life, emotion, and animation one displays in speaking.
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***Great Speaking Voice Vibrates in Your Chest – Not in Your Nose
When you listen to the greats, like James Earl Jones, Julia Ormond, George Clooney and Diane Sawyer, one characteristic which they all share is that their voice vibrates in their chest when they speak. While everyone vibrates in the area directly below the vocal folds, as well in the throat, mouth, and nasal cavities, those who power their voice by means of their chest cavity actually feel vibrations in their mid-torso region. Does it matter whether you vibrate in your chest or not? Only if you want a warm, rich, resonant sound.
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***Discover 5 Ways to Open Your Presentation That Are Guaranteed to Capture Their Attention
When I was teaching public speaking at the college level, I would fail any student who opened his or her presentation with the words, “Today I am going to talk about….” That is not a memorable opener and that is not the way to begin a speech or presentation.
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***An Effective Closing is Just as Valuable as Your Opening in Public Speaking
The poet Longfellow said, “Great is the art of beginning, but greater the art is of ending.” While this 19th century poet was referring to the poem, his words are equally applicable to public speaking. Many great presentations and speeches are less than stellar because of a weak or non-existent finish. Yes, you must grab your listeners’ attention with your opening. It is a must if you want to capture your audience from the moment you begin.
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***4 Methods for Closing Your Speech or Presentation That Will Leave a Lasting Impression
The last thing you want in public speaking is to leave your audience abruptly hanging without the knowledge that you have concluded. In my previous article, I discussed the need for signaling the end of your talk. The 2nd criterion, however, involves reinforcing your central idea. The most common closings are: 1. Briefly Summarizing Your Development. If you have a few subtopics, then you could end your speech or presentation by briefly listing those subtopics which all serve to reinforce your main topic.
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***Furtive Glances Are Not the Same As Making Eye Contact with Your Audience
If you have trouble making eye contact with your audience, I suggest you make every attempt to change that practice. A young lawyer with whom I was working would glance about the room, briefly looking at someone and then immediately glancing at someone else, never actually seeing any of us in his audience. At first, you would think he was making eye contact but as he continued in this pattern, you realized that he saw no one in his audience. A furtive glance tells your listeners that you have something to hide.
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***If You Are Soft-Spoken, Your Message Is Not Being Heard
I once met a man who told me that his soft-spoken voice made others become quiet and pay attention to him. It took everything in my power not to laugh in his face. In today’s loud, fast-paced, hectic world, being soft-spoken is definitely not a strength, especially in America. To be constantly asked to repeat yourself is one of the reasons others take over the conversation. Imagine watching a movie and the volume is not quite loud enough to be able to understand the actors’ words. That is exactly what is happening when you speak and others cannot hear you.
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***Why You Should Not Memorize the Body of Your Speech or Presentation
At a workshop I was holding in Toronto, one of the participants proceeded to deliver part of a rote, memorized persuasive presentation. This man, who I will call Bill, told us that he was a ‘professional’ speaker and that his presentations lasted 90 minutes. Luckily for us, he was only allowed to speak for 8-9 minutes; however, it took just 5 minutes of his memorized script for the attention of the group to begin to fade, as their eyes glazed over. What was so interesting about Bill’s delivery was that at one point, he forgot a word.
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Favorite Quotes & Thoughts from Nancy Daniels
- "Without effective delivery, a speech of the highest mental capacity can be held in no esteem, while one of the moderate abilities, with this qualification, may surpass even those of the highest talent." Cicero
- Nervousness is wonderful! It's that extra spurt of adrenaline that can give you the edge: learn to control your nervousness, not eliminate it.
- Speak to your audience, not at them.
- Treat your audience as if you were having a conversation in your living room.
- The voice you here on your answering machine is the truth -- the sound you hear in your head is a lie.
- Stop yelling at your kids; start projecting.
- Speak in living color, not only with your voice but by means of facial expression and body language.
- Discover your optimum speaking voice: you will sound better, you will look better, and you most definitely will feel better about yourself.
- Learn to breathe with the support of your diaphragm. It will change your life forever.
Contacting Nancy Daniels
Call Nancy Daniels at 1-888-627-2824 or if you are outside of the US 1-856-627-6040. Email Nancy at daniels@voicedynamic.com
How to get started
To see if Voice Dynamic is right for you, click below to visit Nancy Daniels' website where you will find 'before' & 'after' video clips of her clients, information on problems with the voice such as vocal abuse, soft-spokeness, and accent reduction, as well as Voicing It! , the only video training on voice improvement and presentation skills. You can also phone The Voice Lady for a free consultation at 1-888-627-2824. http://www.voicedynamic.com
Other highlights
Workshops: Held throughout the United States and Canada, the 2-Day Workshop covers all aspects of the Voice Dynamic Approach as well as presentation skills.Participants are video-recorded throughout the training and receive a copy of their own material on DVD after completion of the course. Group size is limited to 6. For more information, visit www.voicedynamic.com/workshops.htm