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I recently listened to an NPR interview with Jessica Doyle-Mekkes, author of “I’m Speaking.” She offers suggestions on finding your voice in a respectful, authentic and confident manner:
• Pausing after making a point allows the audience to digest your remarks.
• Gesture using both hands, thus filling the space around you.
• Be mindful of your presentation pace in order to bring the audience along.
• Be deliberate in choosing your tone of voice; timbre should rise with bright messages and become lower for somber points.
• Incorporate stories as they are more memorable than statistics.
• Know your audience and craft the message accordingly.
– Betsie Gambel, Gambel Communications, The New Orleans 100