persuasion Increase your pace when you want to create excitement and energy. Vocal Fillers Fillers can destroy your presentation, hurt your credibility, and annoy your audience. Most people feel they don't have a problem with this, and most of them are wrong. You would be amazed when you tape yourself what words you use to fill in space during a speech. Fillers are not acceptable and need to be eliminated from all speech. Vocal fillers include the common "um," "er," and "uh." Some people have their own idiosyncratic way of filling in the silence between ideas that makes them uncomfortable. Some repeat the first two or three words of a sentence until their brain catches up and they decide what they're going to say. Others might say, "Okay" at the end of every sentence, as if they're checking audience comprehension. Pitch Pitch is the highness or lowness of the speaker's voice. Low is best. In our culture, deeper voices are generally interpreted as reflecting authority and strength, for both men and women. In addition, a deeper voice is stereotypi cally considered to be more believable, indicative of an individual's sincerity and trustworthiness. Many speakers practice lowering their voices because of the benefits of a lower pitch. Some speakers even drink hot tea before they speak, a technique that creates a lower sounding voice. Remembering to employ variety in your speaking is a constant challenge, but it is of paramount importance. You can help people remain alert and pay attention while you speak if the pitch of your voice rises and falls. There are two main reasons why this strategy works. First, the varying pitches will prevent your voice from sounding monotonous. Second, the varying inflections can help emphasize a particular word. Remember, if you are not an engaging speaker, you will not be persuasive. Volume Obviously you're not going to be very persuasive if no one can hear you. You've probably experienced the aggravation of straining and struggling to hear a speaker. Before your presentation, test the room to ensure you can be heard from all parts of the room. Also, test to see whether you're going to need amplification. If yes, be sure this equipment is available and properly set up prior to beginning. Certainly, the converse is also true: Be sure you are not yelling or shouting at your audience. This understandably is just as aggravating for the audience, or even more so, as struggling to be able to hear. Raising your voice for impact or dramatic effect is not as effective as lowering your voice. The technique can work, but you must be very careful about how you use it. Additionally, people who keep a calm and steady voice in emotional moments are often considered more credible and competent. Articulation Clearly articulate every sentence, phrase, and word. When your speech is clear and coherent, it conveys competence. When your articulation gets sloppy, it suggests lack of education and laziness. persuasion