Public Speaking International specializes in helping clients overcome speech problems for effective communication. Here are some of the areas we can work with you in:
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- Nasality. Nasality occurs when the soft palate (the area at the very back and top of your mouth) doesn’t close off the route to the nasal passage. Resonation therefore escapes up into the nose, and the tell-tale nasal sound develops. The good news is that true nasality is rare. Most of the time, the person thinks they’re being nasal, but at PSI, we assure them that’s not the case. If nasality is present, we use exercises of the palate and tongue to teach new “good” vocal habits.
- Rapid speech. Breathing is the key here, in two ways: Slower, deeper breathing that originates in the diaphragm will help you slow your entire pace down (for it’s the overall approach to speaking and anxiety that are causing things to get out of whack). We also work with you to get your breathing into rhythm with your speaking. If you’re speaking too fast, chances are you’re gasping for breath, throwing both your rhythm and your sound off.
- Eliminating vocal fillers. "Um's," "uh's," "like," and "you know"—do you suffer from these common speaking nuisances? If you do, former actor and Voice and Diction professor Dr. Gary Genard will show you how to improve the clarity and impact of your speech by banishing vocal fillers forever!
- Tight jaw. You may be aware that each of us has an upper jaw (maxilla) and lower jaw (mandible). But did you realize that only the upper jaw is part of your skull? The lower jaw or mandible is attached to your upper jaw by muscles and tendons. That’s important information if you suffer from tightness in the jaw that inhibits your speech. It’s actually a common problem, but one that’s easily overcome. We’ll show you exercises to relax the muscles at the jaw “notch” so you can produce sound more effortlessly and clearly. You may have the best things in the world to say, but if the words aren’t getting very far past your lips, they won’t be very effective.
- Weak voice or lack of assertiveness. Most of us forget that the voice is physical—it’s the result of air activating vocal muscles in the larynx. We work with clients to a) produce a sufficient reservoir of air; b) sustain vocal sound, and c) support the sound to the ends of phrases. That last part is critical because in English, the most important word usually comes at the end of a sentence. When your voice strongly supports your complete idea, you sound authoritative and worth listening to. Combine this type of vocal production with assertive body language, and it’s amazing how powerful a speaker you can become!
- Speech anxiety. We’ve all heard that public speaking ranks above death as a fearful event in people’s minds. Whether that’s actually true or not (though people do report it that way on surveys), speech anxiety is not as difficult to overcome as may be believed. At Public Speaking International, we use the best tools ever devised for reducing stage fright—techniques of the theater. PSI founder and president Dr. Gary Genard, a former professional actor, is an acknowledged expert in this area.
- Harsh or abrasive speech. If your voice has a harsh or abrasive quality, there’s a good chance you’re using too much “glottal attack.” The glottis is the opening between the folds of your vocal cords. When we inhale, the glottis is completely open; but when we speak it’s closed as the vocal cords rub together to produce speech. Too much force used in bringing the folds together creates an unpleasant sound, especially on words beginning in vowel sounds. Voice coaches induce slightly more breathiness to overcome this problem. (It’s the opposite of limiting the amount of breath released by someone who has a breathy quality to their speech). Reducing a harsh speaking style can go a long way in making you sound friendly and more empathetic.
With a background in acting as well as teaching Voice and Diction, we specialize in practical hands-on techniques for overcoming these and other speech problems. Expect fast and dramatic improvement in your ability to influence others.