Speak Up!

One of the things I noticed when I was hiring for certain roles was people's reluctance to speak up.  During interviews people would mumble, look down at the floor, slink down in the chair so their chin was virtually on the table and speak quietly.  This made it very hard to understand what the applicants were saying as they mumbled so much and really didn't make me want to hire them, no matter what great education, experience or jobs they had previously.

Mumbling isn't just frustrating for the listener but it gives the impression that the speaker does not care, lacks confidence and has little to say.  Typically, especially in an interview setting, this is not the impression you want to leave!

Here are 5 tips to avoid mumbling:
1) Slow Down - pause, take a breath, allow the silence..... slowing down thoughts and speech is the first step to being a clearer communicator.  Speaking more slowly allows you to enunciate words fully and not be tempted to drop the endings (gettin', runnin') known as elusion; or combine words with the 'intervocalic r' ('her_reyes', as opposed to 'her eyes'). We also let our thoughts get ahead of our mouths and before we know it, we've said something we shouldn't have!
2) Practice Enunciation - if you know there are words you struggle enunciating then practice saying them correctly, especially before an important meeting or interview.  Over-exaggerate the enunciation, practice in front of a mirror so you can see which articulators you are using and get used to the way they work together to pronounce the words.  NB: Check the spelling of the difficult words in a dictionary first to make sure you have the correct spelling.
3) Speak assertively - you don't need to shout your message out there but speaking assertively and projecting the voice forward will get people's attention.  Let's face it, generally it is the people who speak the loudest who get the job/praise/exposure.  It needs to be carefully handled though as you don't want to be known as the 'loudmouth' or people to think you have a hearing issue!
4) Sit up straight - sit with your back against the chair, shoulders back, head high and feet on the floor.  Keep the throat and air passages open and avoid hunching over as this restricts your air flow and ability to get enough breath into the body to support you as you speak.  It also looks a lot more professional and impressive than being hunched over in the chair and will make you feel more in control as well (even if you don't feel it!).
5) Practice pitching - whether you're in an interview, having an important conversation with the boss or giving a presentation, practice, practice, practice.  Find a trusted colleague, friend or family member to practice in front of and give feedback or if you have the technology, record yourself as you have the practice conversation/pitch.  If you don't know how you sound, it is imperative that you record yourself talking so you can hear what everyone else does.  You might be surprised....

The Golden Rule to avoiding mumbling is being confident in what you are saying and using your body to convey this confidence - standing or sitting with shoulders back, head held high and direct eye contact.  Depending on the situation you are in, the nerves may be there so the shoulders tense, the throat constricts and the voice gets shaky. Deep breaths, pausing and relaxing are key to getting through this but we all know, it's not always that easy!

Remember - speak slowly, enunciate and sit up straight.