Naturalness

EXPRESSING yourself in a natural manner helps you win the confidence of others. Would you put your confidence in something said by someone who spoke to you from behind a mask? Would it make a difference if the face on the mask was more handsome than the speaker’s own face? Not likely. So rather than using a disguise, be yourself.

Naturalness should not be confused with carelessness. Poor grammar, wrong pronunciation, and muffled speech are not appropriate. Slang should also be avoided. We always want to manifest appropriate dignity, both in our speech and in our bearing. Someone who manifests such naturalness is neither overly formal nor overly concerned about impressing others.

On the Platform. When you speak to a group, a natural, conversational style of delivery is usually best. Of course, when the audience is large, you need greater voice projection. If you try to memorize your talk or if your notes are too detailed, you are probably overly concerned about wording things precisely. Appropriate wording is important, but when it is given too much attention, delivery becomes stiff and formal. Naturalness is lost. Your ideas should be carefully thought out in advance, but give most of your attention to the ideas, not the exact wording.

The same is true when you are being interviewed at a meeting. Be well prepared, but do not read or memorize your answers. Deliver them with natural modulation so that your comments will have an appealing spontaneity.

Even desirable speech qualities taken to an extreme may strike an audience as being unnatural. For example, you should speak distinctly and use proper pronunciation but not to the extent that your speech sounds stiff or artificial. Emphatic or descriptive gestures, when done well, can enliven your talk, but gestures that are stiff or grandiose will detract from what you are saying. Use ample volume, but try not to be excessively loud. It is good occasionally to put fire into your delivery, but you should avoid being bombastic. Modulation, enthusiasm, and feeling should all be used in a manner that does not draw attention to yourself or make your audience feel uncomfortable.

Some people naturally have a precise way of expressing themselves, even when they are not giving a talk. Others are more colloquial in their speech. The important thing is to speak well every day and to conduct yourself with Christian dignity. Then when on the platform, you will more readily speak and act with appealing naturalness.