In any effective presentations, the audience must be able to hear what the presenter is saying clearly. Here are some tips on how you can speak clearly.

1) Don’t rush and don’t speak too slowly. How can you know what is considered too fast or too slow? Study the pace most people use in the area in which you are making a presentation. Don’t sacrifice clarity, but do try to mirror pace.

2) Open your mouth! Speakers who feel tense often clench their jaws. Remember to open wide and let your words out

3) Don’t crowd the microphone. A microphone can amplify each breath you take and magnify small sounds the audience wouldn’t otherwise hear

4) Use the lavaliere microphone with care. These can be wired or wireless and you should dress appropriately to accommodate the lavaliere. You may want to wear something with a lapel or tie so the lavaliere mike can be clipped to it. If possible, ask about this in advance of your appearance so that you will be prepared.

5) No slouching, please. When your posture is poor, your words twist and turn to make their exit. This doesn’t bode well for clarity

6) Don’t string words together unless you do so for a reason. Utter them as one and expect to get a smile form listeners. Continue to string words together, however, and you will probably see puzzled looks on faces

7) Some presentations are recorded. The recordings may be sold or distributed to attendees. Take advantage of these recordings sessions. Obtain the product and listen to yourself. Challenge yourself to find at least one thing you can do to sound better. Don’t blame yourself for “perceived” errors if the recording quality is less than perfect.

8) When quoting an individual, be accurate. Still, if you misrepresent someone because you transpose a number or omit an important word, you do that person and your listeners a disservice. When you don’t speak clearly, the quote is as good as gone!

9) Visual aids “speak” too. Are they large enough to be seen by everyone in the room? Are they loaded with text or easy to read? Do they supplement what you are saying instead of repeating it? In short this portion of our presentation “talks” to listeners. Make sure that what is “said” is well said

10) Are you using the “active” voice? This permits you to communicate in a short, to the point style. It’s far easier to communicate clearly when you are brief and to the point.