How Enunciation Helps Engage Your Audience.

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A key tenet of sales is to make it easy for your prospective customers to buy from you. A process that's too convoluted, it's believed, increases the likelihood that the buyer becomes confused or frustrated and opts out. The same is true in public speaking. If we confuse or frustrate our listeners, they won't buy what we're selling — be it a product, a service, or a message. And yet many of us unknowingly make it difficult for our listeners to, well, listen. One of the most common ways we do this is by not speaking clearly. We garble words and syllables. We don't enunciate.

Why Enunciation Matters

Not enunciating can happen for a variety of reasons — habit, aging, simply not giving it much thought. But you should be giving it thought, because it matters. Listen to your presentations. Are you speaking clearly? Are you making it easy for your listeners to receive your message? If you are, good on you. If you're not — or if you want to speak even more clearly — here are some exercises that will help.

Five Exercises to Enunciate More Clearly

Tongue twisters. Say various tongue twisters repeatedly. Growing up with a lisp and a stutter, I had to do these ad nauseum. I hated them. But they helped. Ironically, I used to sing the Three Stooges' "B.A. Bay" song over and over without realizing I was practicing a tongue twister. It counts.

Bite a pencil. When you speak while clamping down on a pencil, it takes real effort to form words. It won't be easy at first — and it won't be easy after a lot of practice, either. But it will be worth it.

Anchor your tongue. Keep the tip of your tongue pressed against the back of your lower teeth as you speak. This exercises other areas of your tongue, your jaw, and your lips — parts that don't always get the workout they need.

Over-enunciate. As we get older, our jaw, lips, and tongue aren't as toned as they used to be — just like any other part of the body, they need to be worked out. While you're driving, read signs out loud, over-enunciating every syllable. You'll be surprised how quickly your mouth gets tired. Just don't let it distract you from the road.

Read out loud. When you're reading a book, a magazine, or anything on screen, read it out loud and clearly. This helps with enunciation, but also with inflection, tone, and other vocal qualities that matter to speakers. If you have the opportunity, read to your children or grandchildren. You'll both benefit.

There are many more exercises available — simply search online for enunciation exercises, find what works for you, and make them part of your routine. Over time, you'll speak more clearly, and your audiences will be far more likely to buy what you're selling.

Thank you for listening to this episode of Public Speaking with Peter George. Are you ready to be calm, confident, and credible every time you speak in public? Then visit petergeorgepublicspeaking.com and let's make it happen. I'll see you next time.