Sound intelligent, powerful, polished, articulate, confident, and credible.

To sound more intelligent: Speak just a bit slower to allow yourself to select your most appropriate vocabulary and to give the impression of being thoughtful and well organised.

To sound more powerful: Use short, simple declarative sentences. You say what you mean and you mean what you say. Cut out any useless connectors, adjectives and adverbs, especially superlatives.

To sound more polished and honest: Never answer a question with a blunt ‘yes’ or ‘no”. Append a short phrase of clarification and always make sure you have answered the question. If a person is hostile, don’t get defensive. Provide a professional answer. If you are not sure, admit and be honest. The audience will appreciate the honesty.

To sound more articulate: Make a special effort to pronounce the final sound in a word and use its energy to carry over to the following word. Articulation problems are less amusing when they occur in a speech.

To sound more confident: Carry your body up. Hold your head as if you had a crown on it. Don’t let your arms and legs have side-to-side motion when you move. Keep your elbows and knees close to the midline of your body. Be attractive and dynamic.

Dr. Ralph C. Smeadly, the founder of Toastmaster International, wrote, “ The speaker who stands and talks at ease is the one who can be heard without weariness. If his posture and gestures are so graceful and unobtrusive that no one notices them, he may be counted as truly successful.”

<B>Dharamjeet Bucktowar</B>