================================================= Simply Speaking...Selling Yourself & Your Ideas E-Zine Volume 2, No 10, October, 1999 Copyright, 1999 ================================================= Published by: Lenny Laskowski, DTM & Professional Speaker FREE Monthly Speaking Tips http://www.ljlseminars.com/monthtip.htm ------------------------------------------------------------------- LJL Seminars http://www.ljlseminars.com A Truly Entertaining & Dynamic Speaker Presentation Skills Seminars & Keynotes & Internet Marketing Voice 1-860-666-4855 eFAX: 1-305-489-6481 In Continental USA: 1-800-606-4855 106 Schoolhouse Road, Newington, CT. 06111-4002 United States Of America Subscribe to our FREE Simply Speaking E-Zine mailto:Sales@LJLSeminars.com ========================================== In this issue: 1. Voice Too High? - Guest Article by Susan Berkley 2. Our NEW Simply Speaking Discussion Board 3. Lenny's new program - How to Grow Your Business Using the Internet" 4. Seminars, Workshops, Consultation services 5. Lenny's keynote speeches 6. Lenny's books, videotapes, audiotapes & booklets 7. How to request more information about Lenny's services 8. How to Subscribe / Unsubscribe 9. Advertising Rates / Sponsorship Rates ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- * FREE Monthly Speaking Tips - October, 1999 * ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- This month and occasionally in future issues I will be featuring articles from other professionals which I feel are a benefit to my subscribers and matches the focus of my newsletter. I have had several requests by people to include articles and I am willing to do so as I have done in this issues but they must be related to the topics of speaking, presentation skills and communication skills. =================================================== 1. Voice Too High? - Guest Article by Susan Berkley =================================================== ******************************************************************* VOICE TOO HIGH? HERE ARE 6 WAYS TO SAFELY LOWER YOUR PITCH July 1999 by Susan Berkley ******************************************************************* In this month's VoiceCoach we answer subscriber questions about VOCAL PITCH. A reader writes: "Even though I'm a mature female and a stockbroker, I am often mistaken for a child when I answer the phone or leave messages. I 'm not sure what to do. Is my voice too high? Too hesitant? How can I start to sound my age?" Another reader writes: "I am a small man and my voice is higher than I prefer. Are there any ways to lower my voice? I once heard that one movie star used to go into the mountains and scream for hours." First, Screaming will not lower your voice. DO NOT try this. In fact, screaming or yelling for prolonged periods of time can actually injure your vocal chords. If you've ever yelled a lot at a sporting event and experienced a sore throat the next day, you know what I mean. All voices are beautiful when properly played. And some voices are just naturally higher than others. But all of us have an optimal pitch. Your optimal pitch is the speaking range that's healthiest for your particular voice, the range within which you have the greatest amount of resonance, comfort and vocal flexibility. If you feel your voice is too high, you may be habitually speaking above your optimal pitch. And if this is the case, you can definitely change it. Here are the steps to take (from Chapter 6 of my book: "Speak To Influence:How To Unlock The Hidden Power Of Your Voice" available at your favorite bookstore or at our website http://www.greatvoice.com 1. GET A REALITY CHECK- YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE A PROBLEM AT ALL Unless you are frequently mistaken for a child your voice may not be as high as you think. Like body image, voice is one of those things where it's difficult to be objective. To find out if others share your opinion, tape record your voice speaking normally to a friend or business associate. Then give the tape to a trusted friend or colleague. Ask them to give you balanced feedback -positive and negative. If your friends agree that your voice is too high, proceed to step two. 2. FIND YOUR NATURAL PITCH In order to appreciate your natural pitch, you must first learn where it is. Dr. Morton Cooper, a Hollywood voice coach, says the best way to find your natural pitch is to hum a few bars of a simple song like "Happy Birthday." The pitch at which you naturally hum is the same pitch at which you should speak. 3. COMPARE YOUR SPEAKING VOICE TO YOUR HUMMING VOICE Both should match in pitch. A tape recorder will make it easier to compare the two. 4. PRACTICE SPEAKING AT YOUR HUMMING PITCH In private, alternate humming and speaking until you get the hang of it. n public, hum discreetly by saying"um hum" as if agreeing with the other person you are talking to. This will keep you speaking at your optimal pitch throughout the day. 5. RELAX Tension tends to make the voice rise. Muscles tighten and voices can become shrill. For a better voice, breathe deeply and exhale stress. 6. SPEAK FROM YOUR BODY, NOT YOUR HEAD While speaking visualize that your voice is emanating from your chest or your belly instead of your head. Now reverse the process and see if you can notice the difference. A head voice sounds thinner, a chest voice deeper and more resonant. To test that your voice is properly placed, put your hand on your breast bone. It should vibrate slightly when you speak. Your voice coach, Susan Berkley ******************************************************************** "Copyright 1999 by Susan Berkley. Reprinted with permission from The VoiceCoach electronic newsletter. For a free subscription visit http://www.greatvoice.com A top voice-over artist, Susan Berkley is one of the voices that says "Thank You for Using AT&T". She is a communications expert and author of "Speak to Influence: How To Unlock The Hidden Power of Your Voice" available in bookstores now or from 800-333-8108." ***************************************************************** For a FREE email subscription to The VoiceCoach monthly newsletter, send a message to: majordomo@voicecoach.com with the following command in the BODY of your email (not the subject line): subscribe voicecoach-list =================================================== 2. Our NEW Simply Speaking Discussion Board !!! ==================================================== I asked, you responded and I listened... Join our on-line discussion board where you can participate and ask me questions specific to presentation skills, speaking, communication skills & related topics. You do this by "posting" your questions on my discussion board and I will provide a response. Other visitors to my website and subscribers to my Simply Speaking E-Zine can also post a response. This is YOUR Discussion Board. To go immediately to the Simply Speaking Discussion Board take the link below and enjoy! http://www.ljlseminars.com/discussion.htm ==================================================== 3. " How To Grow Your Business Using the Internet" ==================================================== Lenny's website routinely receives between 40,000 and 60,000 visitors EVERY month and the numbers continue to grow! Lenny has sold his speaking products to clients in over 76 countries and now has over 18,00 subscribers to this Simply Speaking E-Zine as a direct result of his Website! Lenny's articles are published regularly in over 100 newsletters or magazines every year. His website has visitors from over 100 countries around the world! Do you have a website? Are your thinking about developing a website? Would you like to know Lenny's secrets? Lenny has developed a BRAND NEW exciting program entitled, "How To Grow Your Business Using the Internet". This exciting program will provide you all the inside secrets to Web Page Design so people CAN find you, How to rank high in the search engines, How to effectively use newsgroups and E-mail marketing and much more. Want Lenny to deliver his powerful 90 minute keynote by this same title? Would you like to spend a FULL DAY with Lenny and learn all his secrets? Maybe you would like a 2 hour private telephone consultation with Lenny. You can. Just call 1-800-606-4855 or E-mail us at Sales@LJLSeminars.com and ask about this exciting program. This might be just the perfect program for 1999 to launch you or your organization into the 21st century. Why not call today and schedule Lenny for your next meeting. Can't wait and need to know some of Lenny's top secrets now! Lenny has written a powerful new book entitled , "How To Grow Your Business Using the Internet" which describes in detail what Lenny has spent the last 3 years learning about the marketing on the Internet. This book retails for $ 49.95 and if ordered in response to this E-zine can be yours for only $ 39.95!! You can even order this exciting new book directly from Lenny's website. Just send along a corresponding e-mail and mention this e-zine to purchase this book at this special rate. VISA, MASTERCARD, AMERICAN EXPRESS, DISCOVER CARDS WELCOME!!! Why not order today! ==================================================== 4. Seminars, Workshops, Consultation Services ==================================================== 5. Lenny's keynote speeches =================================================== 6. Lenny's books, videotapes, audiotapes & booklets =================================================== 7. Where to get more information Lenny's services. Feel free to request information about Lenny's seminars, workshops and keynotes. If you would like a formal proposal, please E-mail your request to: Sales@LJLSeminars.com or mail to the address below: ====================================== Lenny Laskowski, DTM & Professional Speaker FREE Monthly Speaking Tips http://www.ljlseminars.com/monthtip.htm ------------------------------------------------------------------- LJL Seminars http://www.ljlseminars.com A Truly Entertaining & Dynamic Speaker Presentation Skills Seminars & Keynotes & Internet Marketing Voice 1-860-666-4855 eFAX: 1-305-489-6481 In Continental USA: 1-800-606-4855 106 Schoolhouse Road, Newington, CT. 06111-4002 United States Of America Subscribe to our FREE Simply Speaking E-Zine mailto:Sales@LJLSeminars.com ========================================= ******* You can earn 10% commissions ******************** ===================================================== You can also earn 10% commissions on any leads you send my way. Provide me the name, address & telephone number of those you know who might be able to use my services, make the initial call with them and tell them I will be contacting them and send me an E-mail that you have done so. When I contact them and if we result in doing business with them I will mail you a check for 10% of the total contract just for referring us! ============================================================= 8. How to Subscribe to This E-zine: For a FREE email subscription to Simply Speaking monthly E-Zine, send a message to: majordomo@ljlseminars.com with the following command in the BODY of your email (not the subject line): subscribe simply To unsubscribe to our newsletter by e-mail: Send an e-mail to majordomo@ljlseminars.com and in the BODY of the message type: unsubscribe simply =============================================== 9. 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Also, send me two(2) copies of the actual publication to the address below: As new monthly tips are developed they will be e-mailed separately. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thanks again for visiting my website and remember to keep returning EACH month for new tips. Also, let me know if you would like to see any other speaking tips and remember to pass these tips along to EVERYONE you know! Until next month! - Lenny Laskowski :-)