How to measure yourself in an objective way in order to confidently step up to a microphone and tell your story
“Try speaking slower.”
“Maybe don’t move your hands so much.”
This is feedback I used to receive quite frequently after giving any type of presentation. I desperately wanted to become a better speaker but struggled to continuously improve on certain aspects of public speaking such as speaking at the appropriate amount of words per minute and having an engaging room presence. It’s not that I didn’t want to improve; I simply didn’t have a sufficient way of measuring and analyzing these aspects of presenting… until I came across Orai.
Orai, simply stated, is “a speech coach in your pocket.” It is an Android and iOS based application that helps you improve your public speaking. It provides the speaker with metrics related to pace, filler words, energy, conciseness, pausing, and confidence.
How it works
Before you begin a presentation, you simply open the app on your phone, hit record, set it on a nearby surface, and forget about it for the remainder of your presentation. Once you are done speaking, you hit stop. Orai then provides you with a detailed analysis of your speech. If you don’t want to simply forget the app while practicing, Orai also offers a real-time pacing chart.
It’s that simple!
How it helps
Preparation
Orai gives me the motivation to practice for an upcoming presentation. Without a way to measure my pace, filler words, energy, etc., I often felt like practicing my presentation was not valuable. I felt as if I was repeating my speech over and over with little improvement. Through the metrics Orai provides, I can analyze my data and adjust how I am presenting. Orai gamified the act of practicing a presentation: with every round, you try to get to the perfect pace, have no filler words, and bring just the right amount of energy. The app even provides you with an overall percentage of how you did, with your goal being to reach 100%.
Pace & Pausing
Orai has helped me speak slower when I talk — either when I’m giving a presentation or in general day-to-day conversations. I am now naturally closer to my goal of speaking at about 125 words-per-minute. It is suggested to speak at 100–150 words per minute during a presentation; hence, I aim for the sweet spot right in the middle. I was amazed at how fast I naturally talk. Now that I am able to measure my words per minute, I can focus on speaking slower and now know what 125wpm sounds like.
Filler words
I have also drastically decreased the amount of filler words I use, particularly “um” and “uh.” I was amazed at how many filler words I was using when I first recorded with Orai. Now, I can’t stop noticing when I or others say a filler word!
Energy
Orai includes a metric of your energy level. It describes whether you had too much energy, too little, or anything in between and gives you a playback of your speech that showcases when you showed this level of energy. Without having someone listen to you speak, energy level is extremely difficult to analyze on your own.
Giving Feedback
Overall, I find it much easier to think about the way I am speaking and to make small corrections mid-speech. Orai has also given me a structure I can use when providing feedback to my colleagues when they are practicing for their own presentations. I think about their pace, filler words, pausing, and presence which allows me to provide more meaningful feedback.
Check it out!
I highly recommend checking out Orai if you are looking to improve your presentation skills and/or want to be clearer and more efficient when you speak. Even without using the app, I now have the knowledge to recognize when my pace is too fast, I have too many filler words, or my energy is lacking. Orai has helped me constantly improve how I professionally present and casually engage in conversation.
Orai has both a free and paid version. More information can be found here.
Note: this article is written about the version of Orai as of 9/24/19
About me: I’m a Product Experience Manager on the Fusion team at Optum. We strive to accelerate the enterprise by bringing unique mind-shifts that allow teams to ideate and solution on an opportunity — any opportunity. My background is in Computer Science and Mathematics which helps me bring a logical mindset to all aspects of my work. Want to know more? You can find me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/alexacolyer
A Fusion publication. We are employees of UHG and these views are our own and not those of the company nor its affiliates.
