SPEAKING.APP

My name is Allison Shapira, and I teach public speaking and presentation skills. I'm going to give you an example of uptalk, when our voice goes up at the end of a sentence, followed by what I like to call straight talk, when our voice follows a conversational arch and ends naturally. So here's an example of uptalk, which I hear a lot at conferences when people introduce themselves. My name is Allison Shapira, and I'm the president of Global Public Speaking. It sounds like a question, like I'm not really sure that that's my name or that I have a right to be speaking to you. Now, here's an example of straight talk. My name is Allison Shapira, and I'm the president of Global Public Speaking. Do you hear the difference? Allison Shapira. Allison Shapira. In the second example, my voice sounds more confident and more authoritative, which make me more credible as a speaker. So as you're speaking in public, especially if you're introducing yourself, when people's first impressions of you are formed, make sure that you state your name and your title with authority and confidence, not with a sense of questioning. Now, in some countries and in some languages, uptalk at the end of a sentence is part of the language and part of the accent, and that's okay. But when you're speaking English, and especially when you're introducing yourself, make sure a statement sounds like a statement. It adds to your credibility and authority, and authority as a speaker, and makes you command more presence in the room. Good luck!