Consider this. Energy is 70% of a job. If you don’t have it, be nice. Injecting energy into your voice is critical for firstly gaining a person’s attention and then retaining a person’s attention as you continue to speak.

The key message for this Module is:

Use the ‘school-yard’ YA, YA, YA technique for voice energy.

Let me explain the YA, YA, YA technique. Imagine yourself as an eight year old child in a school yard taunting another child. Like this NYA, NYA NYA, NYA, NYAA NYAA. Now what you do is take that ugly, nasal, but what you do is take the Nya Nys Nya energetic voice and shape it to an energetic three syllable YA, YA, YA chant, that you say to yourself in your head and then inject into your speaking voice to give it energy

In effect with this technique you’re whipping your voice to your audience and then whipping back their attention.

Now to be clear you don’t say YA, YA, YA chant aloud – just inside your head, and inject its energy into the first and subsequent words that you speak.

Here’s how it works in practice. In a moment I’ll say the YA, YA, YA in my head and then start a presentation with it whipping to the people at the back of the room.

Energy is 70% of a job, if you don’t have it, be nice.

Always keep a degree of YA, YA, YA energy in your voice when you speak. Keep it even if you are using a softer voice like this, (mk makes whipping movement and a softer voice) energy is 70% of a job, if you don’t have it, be nice

The only time you wouldn’t use YA YA YA energy is when you are consoling someone for a loss. Then it wouldn’t be appropriate.