VOICE : Use Your Secret Weapon
Voice is our most subtle yet the most powerful tool. Be it about voicing your opinions in your personal life, making a presentation at work amongst colleagues or an event where you are to be public speaking. Specifically in public speaking scenarios, we tend to focus on the content ,ideas and even body language but we often forget that it is our voice that is the direct medium of information into our thoughts and messages for the audience. Understanding voice and the effect of it’s tone on the message we deliver can help us better our presentations and conversations.
Just like practicing and increasing your knowledge and affinity to a musical instrument expands your skills, you can train to make your speaking voice better. When speaking to a large group of people an authoritative and resonating voice is found most appealing as well as effective. By working on your voice and its power to resonate you can become an even more confident and persuasive public speaker.
Like any other skill, this too requires persistence, patience and awareness. Here are some of our tricks and tips to help better your speaking voice.
AWARENESS OF THE POWER OF VOICE
Put simply, your voice is a tool that conveys information from your mouth to the ears of the listeners. But isn’t just that. Your voice is capable of becoming an apparatus of expressing a wide range of emotions, intentions, experiences and meanings. Otherwise delivered information in a presentation that is through just words, graphs, charts, bullet points or even images cannot compare to the power and control of your own voice.
As humans, we inherently possess mirror neurons in our brains that enable and allow listening to share the emotions you’re experiences — but only if your voice is skilled enough to create those emotions for them. If used correctly this instrument can help you gear through success faster.
BE A BETTER LISTENER
Once you are aware and conscious of the power of voice, it’s time to start observing and learning. For that you must pay attention to what your hearing-especially in terms of other’s voices. You must possess a general sense of awareness about liking one person’s voice while not being able to stand another’s and then to pinpoint their qualities.
Underneath the first layer of simply the sound — there is a lot more going on. Such as how well a speaker’s voice is catching attention and able to influence. Ask yourself what your ears find soothing, grating, monotonous, exciting, intriguing, unusual, or otherwise peculiar in a speaker’s voice.
A pleasant sound voice in a well paced delivery can attract you to listen more closely and also open up your mind to the influence of their words and ideas.
SLOW DOWN FIRST
Taking baby step first — you must slow down the pace at which your practice speaking. When one speaks more slowly, their voice automatically exudes confidence, power and authority. As soon as you sound confident, you immediately become twice as credible and receive the attention of the audience. Also it gives the listeners the time and opportunity to absorb as well as reflect over what you are saying.
In fact if you have noticed, most leaders and powerful people speak slowly, enunciate clearly and express each word with confidence.
When we speak too quickly, our pitch increases as a side effect — making us sound almost childlike and squeaky. This in turn decreases your credibility as well as the impact and influence of your words over the audience.
It is always helpful to remember that a confident, loud speaking voice combined with an even pace will surely lead to a powerful speech.
GIVE VOCAL EXERCISES A CHANCE
Like all other muscles in the body, the human voice can also be understood and made stronger with exercise and use. Many people who have started out with weaker voice become powerful, confident speakers over time by building their voices with the help of the right vocal exercises.
For starters you can memorise a piece of poetry and practice reciting it regularly while doing everyday chores, or while driving or having a walk. But while you practice imagine you are making a dramatic presentation in front of an audience. Put in emotion, emphasis, strength and energy into your words each time. Slowly and steadily try putting emphasis on each word, or different words in the line of the poetry. You will notice how each emphasis changes the meaning of the entire poetry. Explore with this exercise to understand the power of your own voice.
STAY WELL FED
For effective voice projection and speaking it is essential to stay energised. Eat lightly before a short talk. This will ensure two more things — your body is alert and bright when you start speaking and it will also help your brain function at its best.
Similarly, before a long talk make sure you have eaten well. A meal that is solid and high in protein will ensure you are energised for a good four to five hours. As you need to think and speak effectively, protein is the perfect brain food.
To generate your best possible voice, make sure to only drink water that is at room temperature prior to your talk or presentation. Cold water tends to chill your vocal cords and that results in a lack of warmth in your voice. Drink warm water with honey and lemon juice as a routine to avoid a sore throat and be able to project your voice without bounds.
