Coaching

The sound of the voice and the way you speak make a huge difference when it comes to convincing your audience. These two factors account for almost forty per cent of the impression you create. This means the only thing that is even more important is how you look, because that gets a score of 55 per cent. By contrast, what you actually say (your content) only gets a measly seven per cent.

So how can you make your voice sound good without taking speaking lessons? First of all, taking lessons isn’t a bad idea. Second, there are some simple tips that you can follow right away.

Make sure you drink some water ahead of an interview or a speech. It’s also a good idea to have a glass of water at hand during the event. If you need to gain time or settle down at some point, take a sip. Coffee is fine too, but don’t drink too much of it or it’ll make you nervous. Avoid drinking milk. The fat it contains will gum up your vocal chords, creating what’s known as a frog in your throat.

Warm up your voice before you go onstage. Sing if you can, or at least hum high and low. Exaggerate letters and sounds to loosen up your speaking muscles. Breathe in and out deeply, and do so several times. Bend over deeply as you breathe out, then straighten up again as you breathe in. This will not only flush your brain with oxygen, it will also loosen up your diaphragm, giving your voice more volume.

Make yourself speak slowly, loudly and clearly. If you tend to mumble, stress the bright letters, that is, the vowels. If you tend to speak too fast, stress the dark ones, that is, the consonants. Most of all, speak as you usually speak, not as you usually write. When you speak naturally, people will perceive you as a sentient human being, and that is exactly what you want to achieve.