Listen to Yourself

What do you sound like when you're speaking to an audience? Do you have a broad vocal range, or are you stuck in a monotone, or a rigid speech pattern? Do you sound authentic? Are you using a lot of fillers ("um," "uh," "I mean...")? Find out.

As you practice your speech, record yourself so you can go back and listen to what you sound like. You'll probably be unsurprised to learn how much of a surprise it can be to listen to yourself speak: often, you'll find that it sounds completely foreign to how you felt you delivered it. Don't be discouraged: learn from the experience and practice your delivery until it becomes something you'd like to hear if you were an audience member.

As always, the goal is: speak the way you would want to be spoken to.