Archive for January, 2010

Modulation. What is it?

The easy explanation is to say that the word when connected with speaking or indeed music means a changing in the volume, timing or pitch. Modulation makes music or speech interesting to listen to. With speech it is modulation that makes the words and phrases stand out and to be more readily understood and remembered. It is important therefore that a public speaker masters the art of modulation.

Modulation is made up of three elements. Let me explain each one in order.

Pitch

The pitch is how high or low we speak just as there are higher or lower notes in music represented by the notes on the stave when written down. By varying the level of our voice in pitch we can create variety in our voice as well as use it to make certain words stand out. You might for example use a higher pitch for excitement and a lower pitch for something serious. People who speak on one level come across to an audience as quiet boring and so varying the pitch is essential. There are also many of us that develop a bad habit of raising the pitch at the beginning of a sentence and then gradually tapering downwards until the next one or those that end every sentence on a higher pitch. Your public speaking coach will advise you if you are doing this.

Pace

The pace or timing at which you speak also needs to be varied. There are occasions when quite rapid speech is called for, other times for it to be slowed more than normal. Rapid or slow speech should be used sparingly but there will be speeds that vary in between the very fast and the very slow. Always be wary that if you go too fast your words may become slurred and unintelligible and your listeners will not understand what you are saying. If you naturally speak fast even if the words are clearly spoken a constant fast speed will wear out your audience mentally so learn to slow down and speed up when necessary in short bursts. Likewise a naturally very slow speaker causes people to lose concentration as their minds want to go faster than the speaker. Speaking at a good pace and varying the pace does require practice and you will need feedback from your coach to help you master it. It can also help if you record your presentations and listen to them later and try and put yourself in the place of your audience.

Power

The third and final element of modulation is the power and volume that we use when speaking. Vary not just the loudness (volume) but also the power or intensity that we use in our voice. This is perhaps the simplest area of modulation to master for many people.

Practice

To be able to use good modulation will take practice and more practice. It is good as with most things in public speaking to try and use modulation in our everyday speech. You will find with good coaching and practice that good modulation will become second nature to you.

Roland Millward

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Networking is a fantastic way for you to find new customers and grow your business. You can network with anyone you meet starting with your own family and friends through to attending networking meetings with other business people.

Networking events are a great way to make new contacts and find those new customers that you are looking for. The people you meet may become customers but do look beyond that. You are looking for contacts that can bring you new customers so the people you meet may not do any business with you but may well refer others to you.

Avoid the hard sell

When you attend a networking event don’t go for the hard sell. It won’t work. Take time to get to know people and be interested in others not yourself. Tell people about what you do but don’t be tempted to sell. We all like to do business with people we like and so spend time getting to know people and let others get to know you.

Take the time to listen to others. A good listener is more likely to benefit from networking as you will be the person others turn to, to solve a problem and your product or service will be the solution. Always remember this: ‘people buy people’ and that is what networking is all about.

Building Relationships

When you meet new people, make sure that you keep in touch with them by email, phone or Twitter. It is always good to email everyone within 24 hours that you have met at an event so make sure that you have their business card and email address. In your email express how it was good to have met them at the networking event and make any comments that will build your relationship with them.

When you attend a meeting or indeed if you are out and likely to meet anyone make sure that you have business cards with you and any brochures or leaflets that you could give them.

Learn the right skills

At a networking event you are presenting yourself so do take lessons on presentation and public speaking skills so that you will stand out from the crowd. You need to learn to say a lot with very few words! Practice your introduction and presentations so that you can do them confidently and this will enhance the fact that you are an expert in your field and you will become a “must know” person.

Make sure that you devote time to networking and do not expect instant results. If you visit a group once a month in may take 6 months or more before people feel ready to do business with you. Therefore if you stop going after a month or two you will have lost out on a great opportunity for business.

Don’t worry about the type of businesses that you network with. For instance if you are a photographer and very few people at the events you attend use a photographer they will most likely know people who do or will need to use one later. Look beyond the people you meet as I mentioned earlier and aim for getting known as a good person to use and the referrals will come flooding in.

Networking does work

So don’t delay a moment longer – start networking with everyone you meet and find groups that you can join to network with and you will find that you can really grow your business.

Original article: How To Network And Grow Your Business – written by Roland Millward on Factoidz