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A person’s voice greatly influences other people’s perceptions of them. However, most of us have no idea what we sound like until we hear a recording of our voice. Here we provide some practical guidance and techniques to help you speak positively and with impact in any situation.
A
Accent: according to a survey carried out by the Aziz Corporation, upper class and working class accents are more of a hindrance than a help when it comes to business success. [1] However, most respondents agreed that a cheerful and upbeat manner is a much more important attribute than accent, so work on improving vocal quality before thinking about changing your accent.
Articulation: the clarity of your speech is important, so try to ensure that you enunciate every word clearly. Don't mumble or mutter, and concentrate on pronouncing 't's, 'd's and 'g's at the end of your words.
B
Breathing: good breath control is essential to creating a top quality voice, as it helps you to relax and calm your nerves. Practice effective breathing by placing one hand on your chest, the other on your stomach. Take a deep breath through your nose and count to three or four as you do so (this will help control the pace of your breathing). Now breathe out through your nose for a count of three. Repeat this exercise as often as necessary.
C
Confidence: you are in charge of your voice and of everything you say, so speak with as much confidence as you can. The key to speaking with confidence is knowing what you are talking about, so ensure you are knowledgeable about your subject and practice talking about it out loud.
Contents: the content of your message is vitally important, so don't automatically assume that your listeners will understand jargon or colloquialisms, and avoid using slang terms, swear words and long, complicated words or phrases.
E
Expression: add interest to your voice by lowering and raising your pitch, volume and speed of delivery at appropriate moments to keep your audience engaged. Practice reading a sentence in different tones to express meaning, emphasizing a different word every time.
I
Intonation: if your tone of voice is incongruent with the message you're delivering, then your listeners may not believe what you are saying. Make sure that your message is clearly reflected in your tone to avoid any confusion, e.g. delivering positive news in glum, somber tones will only serve to baffle your audience as to the message you are trying to get across.
Improvisation: a fun technique to help you speak with authority. You can do it alone, but it is better with a partner or audience who can suggest the subject matter or topic to be improvised and can provide immediate feedback. If you're working alone, find a newspaper or magazine, choose a headline at random and use that as your topic. The basic idea is to speak for one minute about a subject which you have no prior knowledge of. This will help exercise your brain, as well as making you more comfortable speaking in front of others. It an also improve your ability to speak spontaneously and deal with unexpected questions.
M
Message: in any speaking situation, always focus on your message and make sure that your tone of voice properly reflects the contents of your message. The aim is to get the message across without any confusion so that your audience clearly understands what you are saying.
N
Names: using people's names in conversations where possible (but not so much that it sounds false) makes others feel you have taken a real interest in them, and they will be more likely to respond to you in a positive way.
Nerves: identify the situations that make you feel most nervous or anxious. It is usually these situations that will make your mouth dry up and your throat muscles tense, making your voice croaky or high-pitched. If you are able to identify the situations where this is likely to happen, you can minimize the effect by practicing breathing and relaxation techniques.
Non-words: for example 'um', 'er' and 'uh'. Avoid using these at all costs, as your listeners will be inclined to think you don't know what you're talking about. Pause regularly, think about what you're saying and use 'real' words instead.
P
Pace: many voice problems are linked to speaking too quickly. This can lead your audience to mishear words, or, even worse, tune out completely, thereby reducing the impact of your message. Be aware of your listeners' ability to cope with the quantity of information you are delivering, and vary your pace by pausing regularly. Your rate of speech should be appropriate to your message - a serious message should be paced much more slowly than something which is more light-hearted and upbeat.
Pitch: some voices are easier to listen to than others. If your voice is naturally low or high pitched, then it will be difficult for your audience to hear you. Take your time when you are speaking, control your pace and breathe evenly – this will help to balance your pitch at a steady level.
Posture: sit or stand in a neutral position, head held high and arms relaxed by your sides. Try to make eye contact with the person you are speaking to, as this indicates confidence. Use a moderate amount of hand gestures to emphasize what you are saying.
R
Recording: making a video or audio of yourself speaking is a great way to review your ability and to identify any bad habits. In particular, look out for mumbling, poor articulation, speed of speech and body language such as odd gestures, twitches or tics that you may not be aware of – but don’t forget to pick out the positive aspects too. Share your recording with a friend or colleague and ask them for honest, objective feedback. This may be somewhat unnerving at first but their advice could provide valuable food for thought.
S
Silence: pausing at well-chosen moments can help emphasize your main points. It gives your audience the chance to process what you have just said, providing structure to your speech and demonstrating that you are in control.
Sing: many actors like to sing or hum before a performance as it helps warm up the vocal muscles. It is also a great way to prepare for a public speaking engagement. Sing or hum a song of your choice – and don’t worry about being out of tune! While you are singing, vary the volume, pitch and rate to indicate various moods or emotions such as enthusiasm, happiness, anger or sadness. This exercise will also help if you are feeling nervous, giving you something else to focus your energy on.
Smile: a smile will come across in your voice and make you sound interesting and enthusiastic, even when the person listening can’t see you. As a result, people will respond to you in a more positive way.
Smoking: it is widely documented that smoking has a detrimental effect on your voice. Any smoker wishing to improve their vocal quality should think about quitting or cutting down. For others, it’s important to stay out of smoky environments wherever possible.
T
Think: take a few moments to think carefully about what you want to say before you say it, especially when answering questions. This will help you to organize your thoughts and formulate an appropriate response.
Tongue-twisters: these great vocal warm-ups will help you to practice your diction. Repeat each phrase at least five times, as fast as you can. Some examples include:
- Round and round the rugged rocks the ragged rascal ran.
- She sells sea shells on the sea shore.
- Red leather, yellow leather, red leather, yellow leather.
- Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
- New York’s unique. Unique New York, You know you love unique New York.
V
Ventilation: in many modern offices and workspaces, air conditioning can make the air very dry, which can aggravate the vocal chords. In order to avoid this, ensure you take a break and go outside the building whenever you possibly can.
Volume: ensure that your voice is loud enough for people to hear, as it can be quite demoralizing if you are asked to repeat yourself over and over again.
W
Water: water lubricates vocal muscles, helping to keep them in tip-top condition. Have a bottle or glass of water nearby at all times and sip regularly.
