I found life with a stutter extremely frustrating as at times I could speak very well. For example when I spoke to what is now my ex-girlfriend I very rarely had a problem, however when attempting to speak to her parents I struggled quite badly.

I was at a loss to comprehend why I could speak free from this speech impediment to person A but that I could not talk fluently to person B. I did attended various forms of stammering treatments but to no avail.

I read many books about speech imediments, achieving fluency and about how to stop stammering, about a potential stammering cure and spoke to many speech therapists. From what I read and from what I was told, I was made to believe that I was unable to live a stuttering-free life as it suggested you are unable to eradicate a stutter. This was not really the form of stammering advice that I was looking for; I wanted specialised therapy etc.

I was not exactly impressed with the negativity – I am a person who believes in the power of positive thinking.

I then was fortunate enough to watch Bruce Willis being interviewed on the television. He stated that he had had a stutter which had started when he was a young boy, however he had managed to achieve fluency when he was a late teenager. This was a huge inspiration to me and I then decided that I would attempt to overcome my own speech impediment.

After nearly a year of working very hard and with the help of watching a seventy minute DVD that I purchased from The How To Stop Stuttering Centre I was able to achieve fluency. I now have a much more fulfilling life and I also have a successful career selling front doors.  

Stuttering can be overcome with hard work and a lot of desire; if I can do it then so could you.

I'm something of a political junkie, someone who enjoys watching politicians speak. And, among their speeches I find leadership convention speeches among the most interesting. No doubt you've heard the political analysts explain how often leadership races depend on the delivery of keynote speeches.

Let’s talk about delivery, and one technique that good speakers use. Of course it’s used not only by politicians, but by anyone who wants to deliver a persuasive message in a speech or presentation.

Lower the volume! Many speakers do just the opposite, of course. They raise their voices in hopes of adding emphasis.

But, the people who study speaking tell us to lower the volume. Consider what happens when you do that.

First, you force members of the audience to listen more closely. If you speak at one level, then drop the volume quickly, we in the audience focus more intently than we did a moment before. We have to; otherwise we wouldn't hear what you say.

In addition. the audience will pay more attention to your facial expressions and body language when your voice drops. Automatically, audience members look for other cues to find out what you're saying.

Third, in reducing the volume you'll automatically slow down, too. That, too, triggers audience awareness that something has changed and we need to be more alert than we were.

It's not something you do a lot; rather, it's something you do infrequently because if you use it a lot, it loses its effectiveness. You use lower volume when you want to emphasize a point.

You'll also find it helpful to lower the volume when you want to shift directions in your speech or presentation. It catches the attention of audience, and as a result, members of the audience will be paying attention and will know that you’ve moved on to a new topic or new section.

Try it for yourself, even in simple one-on-one conversations: Lower your volume and see what kind of effect it has on the other person.

Robert F. Abbott is an online writer and publisher specializing in consumer information sites, including a QuickList on Cuisinart Food Processors , and business communication, including articles that help you increase your communication skills and knowledge.