We were delighted to be involved with the second Brand Yorkshire event at Elland Road Football Stadium earlier this month. Once again, Helen hosted the Redvoice stand in the Bremner Suite (feet are still aching) whilst Victoria did what she does best – she took to the stage, not only to host and introduce the speakers, but to deliver her own interactive presentation all about presentation skills.  It was tremendously well received and we had some wonderful feedback from the audience.

One of the things that came in that feedback was about her energy and passion and how watchable and memorable she is when she is presenting and how they wish they could be like that.  Doesn’t every speaker want to hear that about themselves? more to the point, don’t most speakers THINK that is what is being said about them?  Actually, the reverse is often true because, as in many presentations of all sizes, from small meetings to international conferences, the time, effort and preparation has been put into 7% of the impact – the content (the words, the PowerPoint slides)

We keep banging on about this but in order for the message to be remembered by the audience, it isn’t just about WHAT we say, it’s about HOW we say it.

We all know what it takes to put a conference together – months of organisation, co-ordination and frustration but it is always a shame when the speakers don’t quite cut the mustard and the audience come away disillusioned because they don’t remember the message that was being communicated.

We often advise people to ‘observe aggressively’ (that doesn’t mean BE aggressive) but to really make a point of noting everything about someone when they’re presenting -  at a conference, a sales pitch,  an internal meeting a one-to-one, even on TV (Policitians are good to watch).   How memorable are they and how much of what they have said can you really actually remember?

The speakers can either make or break a conference – is it worth taking the risk?

See CONFERENCE SPEAKER TRAINING

Corporate online video – oh my goodness how much fun can one person have watching these corkers?

A few years ago, websites were very basic but as time has moved on, so have websites with their moving images, flash, e-commerce, social media interaction, blogs etc – everything is that bit more sophisticated and businesses started to realise how important it is to have a top notch website to convey to their clients, their shop window.

Creating a really good website takes time and money (and in some cases, blood, sweat and tears.)  You probably started with looking at your brand and how you are going to convey that to your clients, you then have to work on the design of the site (engaging web design & builders) –  the look and the feel of it, how many pages, writing copy, adding images, building the site, uploading it, investing further in SEO (using SEO specialists.) We’re talking thousands of pounds here.

For a while now there has been the opportunity of uploading video to your site – this is going to add to the brand and convey the personal touch to your offerings.   Done well, (often with the help of Video Production companies) this can be a very effective tool for your business. However, there are many, many corporate videos out there that are seriously damaging the brand.  WHY, when you have spent so much time and effort in creating this masterpiece, do you not concentrate on HOW you are conveying your message in your videos?

Even filming a video for YouTube, this should still be about you, your personality and your brand – especially where there is a link to your website.

I have watched a fair few corporate videos and these are just some examples of what is out there. (can’t mention names unfortunately:)

• A company owner sitting by his very untidy desk (dirty coffee cups and dead plants), swinging left and right in his chair while he speaks to the camera (ie potential clients)
• A promotional video where the man is constantly flicking his eyes to the right to read off his script, talking jargon at 100 miles an hour then had information sheets periodically covering up his face whilst he was talking!!
• A corporate video where the CEO was practically in the dark, so without being able to see his face, the message was not conveyed.
• Another Business owner talking ten to the dozen whilst people were walking back and forth in the background – totally distracting.

Looking natural (as we like to say “Being yourself …Confidently”) in front of a camera takes time and effort.

• Being aware of your environment is absolutely key to how you are going to get your message across.
• Ensuring YOUR own  personality is the one that comes over.
• What to wear – many do’s and don’ts working with cameras
• Your posture and how it will affect your performance
• Your voice – the resonance, the sound, the speed and variety
• What is your message?

So my question Why spoil the ship for a ha’porth of tar?  Although a very old saying, it means; Why, when you have invested so much in producing and constantly monitoring your website, would you cut corners and scrimp on something so important as really making an impact on your personal video for your website?

See on our Online Video Presenting Skills page

By Helen West

Whilst sitting with my foot in plaster and having been ordered to keep it elevated for at least 3 weeks, I’m sort of restricted in all areas of my life! My Consultant said he would give me sick note for 3 months – who do I give it to? Myself? I’m running my own business here and I don’t want to be out of it for 3 months!!

Mobility considered –I’m not able to get out to meet people at the moment, so it’s a good opportunity for me to update my Social Media, read blogs etc because that’s what everyone is advising me to do. I have embraced social media and am really enjoying learning more about it every day and meeting people on-line (even though I prefer the face to face meetings)
Like everybody else in the business world, I am trying to let everyone know what we do and inform them as to what the benefits would be to them by working with Redvoice.

I’ve been thinking about Blogging. Blogging is big and every day there are 500,000 new blogs uploaded and that is only on WordPress!!!! What makes a good blog? What makes you click on a link to read one? (I’m sure there are 100,000 blogs answering those questions!)

Blogging is a way of getting you out there, for people to see who you are and what you do (or for those who like it to be able to post a long, incomprehensible, boring sales pitch that nobody wants to read)

I’ve had a chance to take a peek at a few whilst sitting here; so many overpromise and under-deliver on interesting content! I want to see and read the personality behind the blog that makes me go back for more.

One blog I particularly liked was one by Jennifer Holloway from Spark Personal Branding, who posed the question “Why do men make better Trumpeters than Women?”  http://www.sparkexec.co.uk/2011/07/03/why-do-men-make-better-trumpeters-than-women/ This is all about ‘blowing your own trumpet’ and why it’s ok to do so.

I started thinking about blowing the Redvoice trumpet, and I am going to do exactly that in my next blog, but it isn’t going to be a sales pitch, it isn’t going to be about me or Victoria, it’s going to be about what other people think of us and how it has impacted on them. I want it to be something that will make you stop for one second and think about how it could impact on you too. Blowing your own trumpet is good but it is also about HOW you do it.

We talked in our last blog about “The Voice and The Marathon” and about how exercising the voice should be an important part of our lives as much as exercising the body.

I have subscribed for years to the Reader’s Digest magazine and really enjoy the diversity of the content on every page.  This month, I happened to come across a piece all about The Voice which made me sit up and read more.  Below is an excerpt from the feature:

Turn Back the Speaking Clock

Can a person’s voice really give away their age? Reader’s Digest Health Editor, Susannah Hickling investigates if the vocal experts can turn back the speaking clock?

“We can dress well, dye our hair, use creams in a bid to knock the years off our perceived age. But what about the telltale reedy, cracked sounds that come out of our mouths as we get older? Though I think I still look reasonably youthful for 50, I have a horrible feeling that I’m developing a classic quavery, elderly voice, my throat feels sore when I raise my voice and it’s taken me more than two months to get over a bout of laryngitis.”

Have a look at this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLxzFSO8gS8 and whilst it doesn’t look terribly pretty, we’re looking at how the voice works.  What would you do without it?

Then have a go at the “Guess the Age Test” – interesting results http://www.readersdigest.co.uk/magazine/179/1546-Turn-Back-The-Speaking-Clock
Let us know how you did.

Look after that voice – you do that and it won’t let you down.

Everybody has been talking about the London Marathon that took place on Sunday, 17^th April.  Congratulations to all those who took part.

The day before was World Voice Day.  So what? I hear you ask – what has the London Marathon got to do with World Voice Day?

It occurred to me that the 23,680 people who finished the Marathon will have put a tremendous amount of effort in their training in preparation for the event.

Did you know that the Voice is another muscle that needs constant care and attention and training to keep healthy?   Do you care enough about it?

We blogged about it last year and wrote a piece for the Yorkshire Post (here is the link to our last blog just in case you would like to have another look – .  http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/people/Speaking-out-in-support-of.6226517.jp Well it has come around again and it gave me pause for thought.

• How many of you take your voice for granted?
• How many of you warm it up and prepare it for your working day?
• How often do you have to speak in meetings,  present to clients,  speak in public,  give presentations,  talk on the phone,  talk to your colleagues?

Here are our favourite Top Tips on How to Look after your Voice

Stay hydrated.  Moisture is good for your voice.  Drinking plenty of water throughout the day is the best way to hydrate your vocal chords

Smile when you speak! Smiling helps to relax the larynx, makes the voice more expressive and helps the voice resonate to sound stronger and brighter. 

Stop shouting.  Shouting or screaming puts great strain on the vocal chords and is always bad for the voice.

Don’t clear your throat.  Clearing the throat is like slapping the vocal chords.  Instead, take a sip of water or swallow.

Warm up your voice. Always warm up the voice before heavy use.  Simple exercises such as gliding through your vocal range on different vowel sounds will considerably increase the flexibility and strength of your voice.

Support the breath.   The breath is the power source of the voice.   Make sure you fill your lungs before you start speaking and don’t let your breath run down before refilling your lungs and refuelling your voice.

Pay attention to your throat.  When we’re in a place with loud background noise, we often don’t realise how loudly we are talking.  Always pay attention to how your throat feels, because it will often feel raw or irritated long before you notice the vocal strain.

Rest up. If you are unwell and your voice is becoming hoarse, it’s vital to rest it as soon as possible and as much as possible.  Pushing the voice when you have any kind of throat infection can lead to more serious vocal problems.

Stop smoking. The single worst thing you can do for your voice is smoke.  It causes permanent damage to the vocal chord tissues.

Check it out If you suffer from persistent hoarseness or suffer for extended periods of time, you should seek medical advice from your GP.

Think about these points and Love your voice – after all, it’s the only one you’ve got.

As part of an extensive study in the 1960s by Professor Albert Mehrabian, a much used finding has been quoted (and mis-quoted) relating to the percentages of what we remember about a person.

55% of the message relates to WHAT WE SEE – their image, facial expression, what they are wearing, the body language they are using

38% of message is HOW IT IS SAID – the tone, the pitch, the pace, the accent of the voice

ONLY 7% of the message is WHAT IS SAID – the actual words themselves

We use these statistics in the work we do when “Teaching people how to be themselves ….. confidently.” Whether it be a public speech to hundreds of people, a one-to-one meeting, a pitch for business, attending networking meetings,  appearing in a video/TV, you will find that most people will put most of their effort into only 7% of their impact!!!

On our website, you will notice on every page we have carefully selected quotes from various sources all relating to Communication. One in particular by Joseph Priestley came to my mind when watching a video on You Tube the other day:

“The more elaborate our means of communication, the less we communicate”

Please click on the link and enjoy the spectacle that is communication at its best with absolutely no words involved. www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JmA2ClUvUY

An opportunity arose for us to submit an article for an online business network – to let people know about their businesses (with no hard selling).  Helen jumped at the chance and spent a happy couple of hours producing the following.  It’s a good exercise to take time out from your busy working lives to think about what it’s all about and to reflect on how it all started, why and where we are now.  Enjoy the read.

THE BACKGROUND INFO

I am (fairly) normal 45 year old woman – happily married for 22 years with 2 boys (17 & 20).  My working life started off at secretarial college (didn’t want to be a secretary for anyone thank you!!) and from there, progressed through several secretarial roles until I ended up working in HR for a large national bakery chain in the south.  After relocating back to Yorkshire, I entered the world of Recruitment – subsequently working for two independent agencies (and doing the relevant exams).  I LOVED the ‘people’ contact and there was nothing like the buzz of marrying together a new relationship of employer and employee and all that goes with it.  Unfortunately, the way I liked to work (honesty, integrity, good communication, relationship building) didn’t match that of my employers (make the placements and get the money in no matter what) – it didn’t sit well with me.   After that, I changed direction completely and worked for an independent Optometrist for 11 years and ended up re-training as a Dispensing Assistant (more exams)

SLIDING DOORS MOMENT NO. 1

I decided to give up working at the Opticians – enjoyable job, lovely people but I felt if I didn’t move on, things would be pretty much the same for the rest of my life (maybe it was a midlife crisis – I was 40!!)  so I bid my farewells and decided to take ‘time out’ to really decide what I wanted to do.  The first two months were divine – long lie ins, no worries,  I was a “lady that lunches” – except I was sooooooo bored because most of my friends were out working.  My brain was going soggy and I still didn’t know what I wanted to do when I grew up.  I then considered going back to work in the Optical industry (obviously hadn’t thought about the reason I left in the first place) but what I really wanted to do was to work for myself and as a self confessed ‘jack of all trades, master of none’  I wasn’t sure exactly how I was going to go about it. I realised that actually the ‘master’ of my trade was that I am good with people and that I am at my happiest there. OK, what to do.

NEW YEAR’S EVE 2007 – I was staying with a good friend in Scotland for Hogmanay and whilst enjoying a little early evening snifter (before the real party started), I admitted to her that I was really bored, didn’t know what to do and until I found out, I was considering my youngest son’s desperate pleas to get a dog (“maybe in the springtime”, “perhaps”, “we’ll see” kind of thing) at which point, her face lit up and she announced loudly (enough for big ears youngest son in the other room to hear) that her friend’s dog had just had puppies and they were ready to leave their mother imminently and that we should go and see them the next day (New Year’s Day??!!!)  Well, ‘Big Ears’ pleaded and begged until I caved in and reluctantly agreed.

Cutting very long story short here – I defy anybody to go to see a litter of 8 week old Labrador/spaniel cross puppies and not come home with one, even if it did involve a new year’s day hangover, a four and a half hour journey in the car and absolutely nothing at home for a new puppy (no dog food, bed etc – shops closed).  Result, Meg (or Meggy Moo as she is affectionately known) the little chocolate labradinger!!  What a shock – puppy training is not for the faint hearted (I won’t get too descriptive here).

Two weeks after bringing her home, I ventured into my local park in Calverley for her first walk and it’s like being a magnet for every person in that park – everyone loves a new puppy.  Well I ended up walking round the park with a lovely lady called Victoria Pritchard and her little dog Murphy. It took one lap of the park and I realised this was someone I really took to and admired for her friendliness, infective energy and passion for life and people and that we had a whole lot in common (apart from the pooches).

Victoria and I became very good friends and through this friendship, we spent much time walking our dogs and finding out more about each other’s lives.  I found out that she trained 20 years ago at LAMDA (the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art)  as an Actor and has worked over the years in Theatre and Television (what was she in I hear you ask?- Bad Girls, Holby City, recently Emmerdale, has just filmed for Hollyoaks and was the face of Ocean Spray cranberry juice, amongst a whole host of other things).

Fourteen years ago Victoria was working for the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford and was approached by the BBC training centre to see if she would like to deliver a session concentrating on the voice, as part of their Communication/Presentation skills course for the big Canary Wharf Banks.  Victoria delighted in providing this session but after 6  months or so, realised that there was a huge crossover between what she, as an Actor does and what people do every day in business – communicate with their ‘audience’ – be engaging and interesting and keep it interesting. From there, she devised an interactive, energetic, experiential programme which covered everything to do just that – looking at verbal and non-verbal communication, body language, posture, eye contact, breathing, diction, dealing with nerves as well as the technical side of how the voice is used.  Over the years, this programme has been very successfully delivered by Victoria herself all over Europe and she even took it over to America to teach others.  The only downside was that she was working as a consultant for other training providers and although it was her own programme, she wasn’t receiving the lion’s share of the money or the recognition – time to start her own business – except she didn’t have any of the business knowledge, administration, business development skills required to do so.

SLIDING DOORS MOMENT NO 2

Whilst delivering these courses, Victoria continued as an Actor and presenter and moved from London to Leeds for 6 months to film a series for Yorkshire Television.  During this time, she was unable to live in the serviced apartments provided by the studios because she had Murphy, her little dog, so she explored the local area and arranged to view a rental property in Calverley.  Turning up for her appointment to view, the owner didn’t (turn up) so instead of marching back to the taxi to take her back to her apartment, she decided to stay and have a little look round the place.  She ended up having a chat with a lady who suggested that she try the other house on the road which was for sale, except she didn’t want to buy, only wanted to rent for 6 months – the lady suggested that she speak to the owner who might consider renting it out – that was nearly 4 years ago!!!!

What did Victoria find out about me?  Well really, all the aforementioned details in this article and how frustrated I was becoming by not working and getting out there and how much I wanted to ‘do something different’ but I didn’t know what.

We were both there looking over each other’s shoulders for the solution to our frustrations when she suddenly jumped up with her arms outstretched  in a “Eureka” type moment and announced – I’ve got the product – you’ve got the business know how – we’ve both got the passion – how about starting our own business?  The seeds were planted.

Question!!

What would have happened if I had said no to my son about getting the dog?

What would have happened if Victoria had taken herself off back to Leeds in that taxi and ultimately back to London?

OCTOBER 2009

OK – let me see what it’s all about then if we’re going to make it a business?  (I’ve attended NUMEROUS courses over the years and have come away disillusioned by most of them – why? because the trainers/presenters are boring and un-engaging.)

Victoria delivered a one day course with 6 accountants who wanted to improve their skills in communicating and presenting themselves, I was absolutely blown away by the results, the feedback from the delegates and the overall  delivery and interaction of the session.  I was excited, I wanted to see more – I did see more and the more I saw, I realised what a truly fantastic product we had here.

REDVOICE IS BORN!!!!

Why Redvoice?

Well obviously everything we concentrate on is centred round the voice and the Red bit stands for a number of things – passion, fear, danger, anger, excitement, vibrancy (and hopefully this is a name that stands out in peoples’ minds)

Now what?

We need a business plan, a Brand,  a USP, a strategy, a route to market etc etc oh yes and maybe some money?  Oh and had we realised we’re in the middle of a recession? – training and marketing budgets are being slashed, people are being made redundant – money is tight – why are we starting a new training business now?

Because a  recession is EXACTLY the time that people need what we have to offer more than ever – people are having to work so much harder to fight for business against their competition – it is all about making contacts, relationship building, earning trust, getting back to the basics of communicating and doing business with honesty and integrity.  Gone are the days of the hard-nosed sell – people buy from people they trust.  This brought us to our strapline/USP ‘It’s not about being confident … it’s about being YOURSELF confidently.’ It’s true and it works.

Marketing ourselves

We walk the walk and talk the talk!!!!

We networked – attending as many in our area first of all, just to build the contacts and it wasn’t just about turning up to every networking event going for the sake of it, we turned up with real passion in our bellies and shared it with others.

Victoria delivered talks and seminars at networking events about communication and presenting yourself with confidence – showing that she ‘does it herself’ in her own working life and then shares the knowledge in our workshop/courses

We’ve listened to what people want – many lawyers are crying out for what we offer (they are really fighting for their business now) but they want their mandatory CPD points for it – we went away and worked hard to become accredited suppliers for the Solicitors’ Regulation Authority.

We blog, we write articles (?!) and have been dragged kicking and screaming into the 21^st century that is social media, which I’m sure we can improve upon.

Obstacles

Getting some people to understand that this is an investment in themselves, which impacts on their working lives.

Getting to speak to the decision makers – once we get in front of them – they ‘get’ what we do.

As a new business – getting people to pay up on time.  Cashflow!!!!

Successes

Every single delegate evaluation form comes back with nothing less than ‘excellent’ and words like ‘life-changing.’

The repeat business we get.

Being contracted to deliver a course on the spot after hosting a breakfast seminar at a networking event.

Being accepted as an accredited supplier for the SRA.

What’s the one piece of advice I wish I knew then that I know now?

Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Don’t expect everybody you meet to deliver on their promises – ride the disappointments and move on.

What’s the best piece of advice you have been given.

Make a good initial investment in your Branding and keep it simple.  We did that, we made it an extension of our own personal brands and we have had nothing but good feedback about it.

When the going gets tough, the tough get going – keep the passion going when things seem hard.

Just be yourself …  CONFIDENTLY!!!!!

IIn our last blog, we talked about ‘Bad Breath’ and ‘Smiling’ when hosting your exhibition stand – we thought we would share with you the rest of the top tips to make the day on your feet, interesting, engaging and enjoyable – you  never know, you might actually want to get some business out of it!!

• Smile when you speak! Smiling helps to relax the larynx, makes the voice more expressive and helps the voice resonate to sound stronger and brighter.  The “smile behind the eyes” is key  to engaging your audience.

• Hands – Allow yourself the freedom to use your hands naturally as you would in everyday life.  Be aware of the impact of your handshake.

• Match non-verbal and verbal – Make sure the information you give out non-verbally fits with the information you give out verbally – you are the ambassador of the brand and you have to project that.

• Warm up your voice. Always warm up the voice before heavy use.  Simple exercises such as gliding through your vocal range on different vowel sounds will considerably increase the flexibility and strength of your voice. This will help with your stamina during a long day of talking.
• Support the breath.   The breath is the power source of the voice.   Make sure you fill your lungs before you start speaking and don’t let your breath run down before refilling your lungs and refuelling your voice.

• Stay hydrated.  Moisture is good for your voice.  Drinking plenty of water throughout the day is the best way to hydrate your vocal chords and also stops you getting bad breath!

• Don’t clear your throat.  Clearing the throat is like slapping the vocal chords.  Instead, take a sip of water or swallow.

• Pay attention to your throat.  When we’re in a place with loud background noise, we often don’t realise how loudly we are talking.  Always pay attention to how your throat feels, because it will often feel raw or irritated long before you notice the vocal strain.

• Take the initiative.  “Be yourself confidently” on the stand. Be bold when approaching people with a good strong handshake, read their body language and most important of all LISTEN and RELAX!!!

ENJOY YOUR DAY

The Yorkshire Mafia is a business membership group.  It is a place that brings together executives and stakeholders from the Yorkshire Business Community to meet, network, share experience, learn, build relationships and ultimately trade.

The 15th March sees their first conference which is to be held at the Royal Armouries .  This event has attracted over 1200 delegates who will sample the delights of several innovative and engaging speakers and 70+ exhibitors – see www.theyorkshiremafia.com

On a wet, cold, miserable Monday evening at Restaurant Bar & Grill in Leeds, 55 of the said exhibitors turned out to attend a session run by Redvoice, in which they were able to pick up ideas and tips to make the day hosting their stand impactful, effective, engaging and overall enjoyable. Everybody joined in – we had a laugh with it and the feedback was tremendous.  From all the tips that were given, if nothing else, remember the “smile” and the bad breath!!!!

The reason for spending that day on your stand is to promote your business – it’s YOU that will be remembered and YOU that follows up the business, not the table and pop up stands behind you.

ENJOY!!!!

The serious training commenced on 2nd January and since then she has now racked up an impressive  136 km and burnt 10,388 calories!!!!  Every day starts, come rain or shine, with a run through the woods and along the canal with the dogs, culminating in a big run on Sunday morning (which gets bigger as the weeks go by)

In addition to all the aforementioned activities in our girl’s busy life, she also finds time every week to work as a volunteer Childline counsellor in Leeds  - making a difference to the lives of children who need someone who will listen to them whatever their troubles.

Victoria is running the Marathon to raise funds for Leeds Childline   www.childline.org.uk and would be extremely grateful to anyone who would like to sponsor her.   She will shortly be setting up a Just Giving page and we will announce it on here.