Page 303 - Nutrition Counseling and Education Skills: A Guide for Professionals

controlling this variation is simple and natural; for others, it is a challenge. Nevertheless, the presenter needs
to attend to voice modulation. The goal when speaking in front of a group is to sound natural and
conversational. However, what sounds natural and conversational when standing in front of a large group is
not the same as what sounds conversational in a small face-to-face group. “Natural and conversational” from
the presenter’s point of view is exaggerated. The highs need to be a bit higher and the lows need to be a bit
lower. What may sound to the presenter’s ear as phony and theatrical generally sounds far less so to the
listener. The good news is that this trait can be fairly easily and quickly developed, even in those who
recognize a problem in this area. It requires risking sounding foolish and exaggerated in front of trusting
others until adequate reinforcement has convinced the presenter that the increase in vocal variation is really an
advantage. In any case, a delivery that is of narrow range or monotone is difficult to respond to for more than
a few minutes.10,13,15

When talking in front of a group, the speaker should generally attempt to speak more slowly than in
ordinary conversation. What is an appropriate rate during a small face-to-face discussion is probably too fast
for a group presentation. For some reason, there seems to be a correlation between the speech rate of the
speaker and the size of the audience. What might be easily grasped at a more rapid rate in face-to-face
conversation is not understood as quickly in large groups. Speaking at a slower rate also allows the presenter to
scan the audience while speaking to see if he or she is being understood. This also allows one to see if some
people need an opportunity to disagree, to see if he or she needs to talk louder, or to increase the variation
because some listeners look bored.

Professional speakers attend to their diction, particularly when pronouncing words such as “for,” “can,”
“with,” “picture,” “going to,” and “want to.” In ordinary conversation, one is not likely to judge negatively a
speaker who mispronounces common words and engages in sloppy diction, saying, for example, “fer,” “ken,”
“wit,” “pitcher,” “gunna,” and “wanna,” for the words listed above. However, when that speaker is in front of
an audience, these mispronounced words often stand out and lead to negative inferences regarding the
speaker. Professionals who present themselves in front of groups must attend to their diction because they risk
losing credibility if it is poor.

Once speakers have become conscious of their diction and have decided to improve it, several steps are
required. First, speakers can ask trusted others who are often around them to listen critically and to stop them
each time a diction error occurs. Second, after they learn of the common diction problems, speakers need to
train themselves to hear the errors. It is difficult to critically evaluate ourselves during speech. Like learning to
ride a bicycle or use a computer, this learning and training task is uncomfortable at first, but improvement
comes quickly. Third, speakers need to recognize that working on diction is an ongoing task. Professional
speakers never stop listening to the way their words are coming out and continually plan ahead to pronounce
them correctly. When necessary, phonetically clarify difficult words or phrases on small cards. Guard against
stumbling or mispronunciation by practicing these challenges over and over until they flow easily.10,12,15

Gestures and Body Language

It is good practice to keep your hands away from your body and from one another. Allow them to be free to
gesture. Avoid holding anything in them while talking unless it is a useful prop like a laser pointer or a visual
aid. A laser pointer or a computer mouse should selectively illustrate important points. Audiences are

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