When Faced with Acute Hoarseness in the Middle of a Speech

It could be a draft of wind hitting an unprotected neck, or some unwelcome bit of pollen tickling the mucous membrane, or just plain old nervousness, but believe me, there will come that moment when your voice just refuses to obey your brain. Hoarseness can attack even the most seasoned speaker. Do you really want to know when it gets ridiculous? That supremely uncomfortable moment when your voice is so damaged only a high pitched screech comes out. Here are 7 useful tips to combat hoarseness in public speaking.

1) Rehearse.

I know this sounds funny but your best solution begins before the presentation. Rehearse your speech. During the rehearsal do practice deep breathing and voice projection. Listen to yourself delivering the loudest and the softest levels of volume that you plan to use. Here's an exercise that I find helpful: Speak from the throat, expelling enough air to hurt the vocal chords. Now say the same line again but with proper voice production and projection this time. Make a mental note of the difference in voice quality and thoracic health and you will remember to project properly at the live presentation.

2) Breathe properly.
Voice production is all about breathing so if your voice begins to go south in the middle of a speech, slow down and ask yourself "Am I breathing correctly?"
Truth is, if you are an experienced public speaker and you haven't been introduced to voice training, well it's time to sign up for a course. Learn the difference between breathing from the thorax(throat)and breathing from the diaphragm (abdomen).

3) Water the great healer.The jury is still out on when is the best tie to drink water in relation to public speaking. Some experts recommend that you sip water during the speech. Some recommend that it is better to drink a liberal portion 35 minutes before speaking. I have tried both. Personally, I believe in both methods. So remember to drink a glass or two of water about one hour before your speech. Do keep a glass of room temperature water handy to sip from durng the presentation.

4) Watch that draft.Fresh air is good for health but there are time that you must control your exposure to the passage of air especially through a room. You don't want a draft - a current of air in a confined space - rushing at you from an open door or window. Some kind soul might have placed a high speed fan above your head, supercooling your face and neck. This will chill your throat and your speech. Stop in the middle of your speech and request the necessary measures to protect your throat, your voice, and the speech. Turn off the offending fan which is causing supercooling. Close or adjust the drafty door or window. This is the time to reach into you briefcase and pull out tht scarf or towel you brought along for this very problem. Wrap it around your neck, the warmth will improve voice production. Adjust it for comfort and body heat.

5) Focus on volume instead of pitch for vocal variety.
The onset of hoarseness will limit your ability to vary the pitch of your voice. So you simply modulate the loudness or softness of volume to compensate for vocal variety in pitch.

6) Ask the audience to do some talking too.If you are presenting several sessions in,say, an all day seminar, take an unscheduled break and change the type of activities. You were probably doing too much of the talking. Involve the participants some more.

7) When all else fails conclude your speech.You will live to speak another day. Summarise the rest of your points and save whats left of your voice for an enthusiastic conclusion.

At some point in your speaking career you will be afflicted by hoarseness in the middle of a speech. On some occasions you will breathe or sip your way through it. In acute cases you will jump to the end of your presentation in order to protect your vocal chords. Whatever you choose to do, do it with elegance and confidence. Don't draw too much attention to the problem, stay on topic.