================================================= Simply Speaking...Selling Yourself & Your Ideas E-Zine Volume 2, No 11, November, 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. TOP 4 WAYS TO KEEP YOUR VOICE FROM SOUNDING TIRED 2. Our NEW Simply Speaking Discussion Board 3. How to Successfully Grow Your Business Using the Internet Seminar - NEW!! 4. Classified Ads 5. Seminars, Workshops, Consultation services 6. Lenny's keynote speeches 7. Lenny's books, videotapes, audiotapes & booklets 8. How to request more information about Lenny's services 9. How to Subscribe / Unsubscribe 10. Advertising Rates / Sponsorship Rates ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- * FREE Monthly Speaking Tips - November, 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. =================================================== 1. TOP 4 WAYS TO KEEP YOUR VOICE FROM SOUNDING TIRED =================================================== ******************************************************************* THE VOICE COACH "Tips and techniques for people who want to make a powerful and positive impression every time they speak" August 1999 By Susan Berkley ******************************************************************* TOP 4 WAYS TO KEEP YOUR VOICE FROM SOUNDING TIRED This month's question comes from a stockbroker who asks: "Does speaking in a pitch that is not your natural pitch make your voice more likely to get tired and scratchy at the end of the day?...or is that just the whiskey and cigars? I think I also tend to lapse into a monotone if I speak in my natural pitch." Susan Berkley replies: (Note: a persistent sore or scratchy throat or a chronically weakened voice could be the sign of a serious medical condition. If you suffer from any of these symptoms please get it checked by a doctor) 1. CORRECT PITCH All voices are beautiful if properly played. Some of us are flutes and some of us are cellos. Speaking in a voice that is too high or too low for your particular instrument for any length of time puts tremendous strain on the voice and can definitely make you sound tired and scratchy. We all have an optimal pitch, the place where your voice sounds its best. Speech pathologist Dr. Morton Cooper tells us humming is the best way to find your optimal pitch. Simply hum a simple song like "happy birthday" and then speak. Your speaking pitch and your humming pitch should match. Use a tape recorder or enlist the help of a friend to check your pitch. 2. CORRECT TONE FOCUS If your voice still tires easily, the problem could be that you are speaking too far down in your throat. The throat alone does not have the power to resonate or project the voice. For your voice to stay healthy and sound its best, it should resonate evenly between the nose, the mouth, and the voice box. This area is known as the facial mask. To find your facial mask and focus your voice, simply say "um-hmm" When you feel a slight buzz in your lips and nose you will know your voice is properly focused. Practice saying um-hmm throughout the day to keep your voice in focus. 3. GOOD BREATH SUPPORT Make sure you are breathing correctly. When inhaling, your chest should remain relaxed and not rise. Your waistline should expand when you inhale and contract when you exhale. Unless you are panting from exertion, this movement is small and almost imperceptible. To feel the muscles used for breath support, place your finger tips just below your ribs. Now make a quick short cough. The muscles you feel contracting against your finger tips are the muscles you use for breath support. Breathing for good speaking does not require a lot of effort. If you generally feel relaxed and healthy you are probably breathing correctly. If not, a yoga class can be extremely helpful. 4. CLEAN LIVING You joke about the whiskey and cigars, but I want to reiterate how bad this is for the voice. Just this past Sunday (8/22/99), the New York Times ran an article on how a low, sultry voice can be a woman's most attractive and fashionable feature. That's fine if you're born with it. But I have actually met women and men who smoked and drank to acquire that low sexy voice artificially. I'm all for having a good time but I just want to go on the record as saying that these people are just plain stupid. In addition to putting your health at serious risk, heavy drinking and smoking harms the vocal chords through dehydration and irritation. Speaking in your natural pitch shouldn't make you sound monotonous. It should make you sound great! The average pitch range is quite adequate for interesting speech. It's very hard to hear ourselves as others hear us. Call a few friends and ask them what they think. I bet you will be pleasantly surprised. For more information, see my book "Speak To Influence: How To Unlock The Hidden Power Of Your Voice."(Campbell Hall Press, $14.95) Available now at your favorite bookstore or from 800-333-8108. Copyright 1999 Susan Berkley (201) 541-8595 616 Palisades Ave. Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632 http://www.greatvoice.com susan@greatvoice.com =================================================== 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 Successfully 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 78 countries and now has over 18,500 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 receives 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? Columbia University Business School invited Lenny to share his techniques & secrets at a special program just for them on October 11, 1999! You to can also learn from the master. Lenny can provide this INFORMATION-PACKED ONE-DAY seminar entitled "How to Successfully Grow Your Business Using the Internet" for your business or organization. Here is what you will learn in this seminar: * Strategy of Website Design * Key Website Design Elements * How to get top listings in major Search Engines * How to effectively use Newsgroups * How to effectively use E-mail * How to use E-Zines to grow your business * How to get FREE listings * What publishing articles can do for your bottom line * How to combine your on-line with your off-line marketing methods And MUCH MUCH MORE!!! For information about bringing this seminar to your organization please e-mail us at: Sales@LJLSeminars.com ==================================================== 4. * * * * * C L A S S I F I E D A D S * * * * * ==================================================== ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A "Treasure Trove" of Motivational Short Stories Discover the best original and inspirational stories on the Internet delivered email to you 5 days a week -- and they're FREE! Great source for speech material, ideas, new insights into human nature. As seen in People Magazine. http://www.heartwarmers.com Send email to: join@heartwarmers.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ************************************************************************** -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Looking for GREAT gift ideas? Get Jake's FREE Article "UNIQUE GIFT GIVING IDEAS FOR EVERYONE ON YOUR LIST"! Find gifts that are affordable, unusual, collectible, memorable... you name it! Jake's FREE Ideas will help you find the PERFECT gift for everyone on your list! Request it NOW! http://www.jakesmp.net/free-gift-list.htm?subject=ssez -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ==================================================== 5. Seminars, Workshops, Consultation Services ==================================================== 6. Lenny's keynote speeches =================================================== 7. Lenny's books, videotapes, audiotapes & booklets =================================================== 8. Where to get more information Lenny's services. Lenny's 2000 Speaking Calendar is starting to fill up!! Feel free to request information about Lenny's seminars, workshops and keynotes. To request IMMEDIATE information visit Lenny's autoresponder page and receive information NOW! Take this link below: 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! ============================================================= 9. 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 =============================================== 10. Advertising Rates / Sponsorship Rates =============================================== Our Simply Speaking E-zine has a current circulation of 18,500+ subscribers from over 78 countries (77% within the United States). This E-zine is sent out once each month to all subscribers. It is sent out approximately the 10th of each month. Solo ads are acceptable and more than one ad can be submitted. The rates are as follows: 25 word ad - runs for 4 consecutive months = $ 50 50 word ad - runs for 4 consecutive months = $ 95 200 word ad - runs for 4 months = $ 350 25 word ad - runs for 1 full year = $ 140 50 word ad - runs for 1 full year = $ 260 200 word ad - runs for 1 full year = $ 995 Inclusion of links within your ad is acceptable. You provide your own subject lines for the ad which will have its own section within our newsletter towards the end of our E-zine. It's subject line will also be included in our index at the beginning of our newsletter. Sponsorship Ads Sponsorship article (listed as "article from our sponsor(s)") - This article must provide some good FREE advice or tips and can be of length typical of our newsletters (See archived articles at our website) and will be prominantly listed in our E-Zine index and included on our website Month tips (Previous E-Zine Section). We would also inlude a link from our website's Link page to your website. This article would appear immediately after our FREE speaking tips article. Your investment would be: $ 499 for 4 months of ads + articles + link to website (banners are welcome) $ 1299 for 1 FULL year of ads + articles + link to website (banners are welcome) Payment options: Payment for advertising must be provided at least 1 month before ads begin (must include your ad copy as well - text only to allow us to incorprate into newsletter) We accept Visa, Master Card, Discover Card and American Express. ============================================================ Feel free to distribute these FREE tips to EVERYONE you know. You may also publish these tips in any of your company's newsletters or publications FREE if you include the above address below and credit me as the author. 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 :-)