Take Care of Your Voice for Virtual Presentations

While the nationwide quarantine and shelter-in-place restrictions have spawned numerous webinars and posts about how to rock your next virtual meeting (and I know, because I have written many myself), here’s one topic that has not been addressed much: how to take care of your voice.

Aside from making sure you have top-notch audio equipment when presenting, consider these pointers to prevent a “big frog in your throat”:

Avoid consuming dairy products

When eaten prior to presenting, they can contribute to throat congestion.

Stay away from caffeine

Caffeinated beverages rob the body—and throat—of moisture.

Avoid alcohol

For the reason above—and other obvious ones.

Drink room-temp water

Nix the ice as it restricts the vocal cords.

Warm up your voice before going live

Begin by stretching your mouth muscles with a deep yawn. As unattractive as this may sound, produce some saliva and swallow it. Clear your throat once or twice, and then choose a vocal repetition workout such as articulating “me, they, me, they” or the tongue-twister of your choice such as “rubber baby buggy bumpers” and the tricky “she sells seashells by the seashore.”

To customize a keynote or professional development session that will have your audience laughing and learning, contact Mandi Stanley.

Certified Speaking Professional Mandi Stanley works with business leaders who want to boost their professional image by becoming better speakers and writers through interactive high-content keynotes, breakout sessions, workshops, technical writing seminars, and fun proofreading classes.