You wouldn’t believe how often I see people who don’t open their mouths enough, when they speak. Yeah, I can hear you saying, “Gimme a break! My grandmother could have come up with that.” But the consequences of this pervasive little habit are quite profound, including
- Weak voice- because less breath flows out when your mouth isn’t open far enough
- Mumbling- because speech sounds get distorted being squeezed through your teeth
- Speaking too fast- because your tongue can move really fast when your jaw isn’t moving
- Lacking credibility- Have you ever heard someone say, “He’s lying through his teeth!”
What can you do about it? The best approach would involve jaw relaxation exercises, and that’s what I recommend. But since most people just want to jump to the result, here’s what I suggest. Look in a mirror. Normally, you want to have at least one finger-width of space between your upper and lower teeth, on average. Some sounds will be even more open, some less. But on average, a finger-width.
For practice, you should go for two finger-widths. Very open. Use a mirror. The visual confirmation of openness is very important. You’ll be surprised at how easily your mouth starts to close up. If you’re not watching, you don’t even know it.
Start with single words, such as “spa,” “fad” and “high.” When that isn’t so hard, move to phrases, such as “father’s spa,” or “jazz lab,” or “fly high.” When you have the feel of that, try sentences, such as, “My father travels in style,” making sure you’ve got a least a thumb-width of space between your teeth, on the stressed vowel sounds. When sentences are easy, try reading paragraphs in front of a mirror. Remember, you’re looking for an average of one finger-width of space between your teeth. When that doesn’t feel so strange, try speaking with more openness in everyday conversations.
If you haven’t been speaking with a relaxed sense of openness, this might feel very strange and unnatural. You’re not used to allowing sounds to emerge from your body with so much space. That doesn’t mean it’s wrong; it’s just different. So play with it until the feeling is familiar, until it feels like you.
When you are able to speak in public with a relaxed sense of openness around your mouth and jaw, you will reap some significant benefits.
- Your voice will be stronger- more openness leads to more breath support
- Your articulation will be clearer- more openness encourages more precision
- You will speak at a relaxed pace- more openness means your jaw has to move a bit further, slowing you down
- You will appear strong, confident and credible- take my word for it
Those are all major elements of successful communication—and all have a connection to opening your mouth. You know I hate gimmicks, shortcuts and superficial techniques, but this is something that anyone can understand. And it’s not hard to practice. So open up!
FAQs
Example: “My greatest weakness is that I sometimes have a hard time letting go of a project. I'm the biggest critic of my work. I can always find something that needs to be improved or changed. To help myself improve in this area, I give myself deadlines for revisions.
What is an example of initiative answer? ›
Example of using your initiative in a part-time job
'In my part-time job as a copying assistant at a reprographics place, I always attempted to fix a paper jam or a broken photocopier before asking a more experienced colleague to help.
What is the star technique in interviewing? ›
STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action and Result and it's a technique you can use to not only strengthen your answers but create a narrative and structure as well. We recommend the STAR interview method to candidates who want to tailor direct and concise answers to impress interviewers.
How to answer an interview question about attention to detail? ›
“I believe in understanding the big picture, but I focus on the details to ensure the overall goal is achieved. For instance, while managing a project, I ensure every task is executed perfectly to meet the larger objective.”
Can you tell me about a difficult work situation and how you overcame it? ›
Here are a few phrases you can use when answering the interview question 'Tell me how you handled a difficult situation': 'I remained calm while under pressure'. 'I took a step back and assessed the situation'. 'I identified the key issues'.
What are your strengths and weaknesses? ›
For strengths, discuss how they can help you excel at the job. For example, if you're a motivated self-starter, focus on how that relates to the role you're applying for and how you believe this strength can benefit the company. For weaknesses, avoid anything that doesn't directly impact your professional performance.
What to say in a tell me about yourself interview question? ›
The best way to answer "Tell me about yourself" is with a brief highlight-summary of your experience, your education, the value you bring to an employer, and the reason you're looking forward to learning more about this next job and the opportunity to work with them.
Why should we hire you? ›
A: When answering, focus on your relevant skills, experience, and achievements that make you the best fit for the role.You should hire me because I am a hard worker who wants to help your company succeed. I have the skills and experience needed for the job, and I am eager to learn and grow with your team .
How do you answer "describe your best and worst boss"? ›
This question addresses both a positive and a negative experience with a manager so it's useful to be consistent about how you describe your ideal leaders in the workplace. If you liked one manager because of their personal approach, avoid discussing how you disliked another manager's hands-on leadership style.
How to find out if someone is detail-oriented in an interview? ›
The ability to stay focused is crucial to a detail-oriented person. Candidates who value attention to detail will have a work routine they use to stay organized. Describe a situation when a project you were working on did not meet established deadlines.
Clearly describe your weakness (preferably with specifics, not vague clichés hiring managers have heard hundreds of times). Give a short example of a time your weakness affected your work. Talk about what you've done to improve your weakness.
What is the best answer for "Tell me about yourself"? ›
Provide a Brief Highlight-Summary of Your Experience
The best way to answer "Tell me about yourself" is with a brief highlight-summary of your experience, your education, the value you bring to an employer, and the reason you're looking forward to learning more about this next job and the opportunity to work with them.
What are the best answers to give in an interview? ›
To answer, follow the formula below:1. Share one or two positive qualities and personal attributes: "I've always been a natural leader and worked well in a fast-paced environment...”2. Back them up with examples: "...I've exceeded my KPIs every quarter and have been promoted twice in the past five years.
