What is it that scares you more than death? If you think nothing can scare more than death, well, the fear of speaking in front of people is deadlier than the fear of death. Public Speaking is that one skill that each professional aspires to have.
Speaking is imperative but speaking with power is what we all aim for. Our guest this week was someone who is the pioneer of “Voice Culture” in India. Holding a Master’s degree in English literature and having a Diploma in Mass Communication as well as Advertising and Marketing, his linguistic skills are par excellence. Mr Satish Kakri has translated the entire Bhagwad Geeta, shloka by shloka into the English language which was published by “The English Edition”. They have also published his another book, “Management Goals through poetry”
VOICE CULTURE
The stage has been his passion since his younger college days. His business engagement and travel throughout Europe and America made him realize that we are not as articulate and confident in our speech as they were. He was quick to observe and learn that they used all their speech organs very well and optimally, which we, unfortunately, fail to do.
During this, he happened to meet Mr Allen who helped him understand this. According to Mr Allen’s voice is a mechanical thing. This mechanism includes the nitty-gritty like how the voice is formed, how are the words formed etc. this is where one needs to work to improvise on the voice.
JOURNEY
He started working with individuals wanting to improvise on their voice as well as speaking. He could see that people do not open their mouths enough, do not use their speech organs properly and hence they face the issues. He started dwelling deep into this since voice and speech are important. According to him, unless one is able to carry it, able to explain or express them, it is almost impossible to connect with people. He says when you are not trying to impress, just wanting to express yourself is when you operate from heart and hence people connect.
RAPID FIRE
Rapid-fire was a surprise with him. He was quick and precise in his answers here. Articulated and appropriate as well. He was ready to be fired from any side for the rapid-fire ☺ he loves doing activates and being outdoor and believes to be a friend by side. He believes that experience and enthusiasm are imperative to a trainer. He believes Tony Robbins to be his ideal. Enthusiasm – is that one trait that he believes all industry educators must have and was smart and quick to mention voice culture as one of the best habits to pick up in order to be a better coach/trainer.
VOICE, SPEECH AND THOUGHTS
According to him, good speech and good voice need a well-co-ordinated thought process. When we think and speak, we can be better understood. The computer brain is fast enough to process the information and voice it, but you need to give time to the other person to assimilate the thoughts and seep in the information. It is only then the objective of communication is established, irrespective of whether it is one too many or one to one. For being better at speaking with command and clarity one needs to exercise the speech organs and they are Jaw, Tongue, Teeth, Lips and Palette. Further to this, modulation helps you hold attention. He suggested deep breathing as a game-changing idea for better speaking. The increased oxygen intake with deep breathing helps you speak better.
TIPS ON VOICE CULTURE
- Listen; not just ears but with your eyes too
- Open your mouth and speak
- Slow down pace
- Raise the pitch
- Elongate the pauses
- Modulation
IMAGE MANAGEMENT AND VOICE CULTURE
He thinks of these two concepts to be brother-sister. There is a great co-relationship between the two. The image gives you an opportunity to connect with people, but to continue that and build a strong connection, we need powerful speaking skills. He gave a brilliant analogy of personal space and speech. Just like we are not comfortable with people invading our physical personal space, we should also understand that people are not comfortable with personal conversations with anybody and everybody. When integrated, they will have a holistic impact.
CONCLUSION
Any trainer/coach should speak from the heart and not hold any apprehension as to how would it look/sound if I say this? For this, the trainer/coach needs to be strong in his domain knowledge. Preparation matters while you deliver. Focus on habits, not just the goals.
BILLBOARD MESSAGE
Satishji says: “Communication is your best tool to easier happier and purposeful life”
We at Mega Image Consulting have rolled out a pledge, an Image Pledge on Valentine’s Day. Let us all out of the love and respect for ourselves take the pledge:
“Dress the way you want to be Addressed”
