Seven great habits to improve your speaking voice

"Enunciate!....Enunciate!"  50 plus years later I can still hear that empassioned call from Miss Lawler as she urged Old Oak Junior Mixed school choir to give it our all! Thinking about it, her words have probably been "recorded" in my sub-conscious all this time....which possibly explains why I find voice such a compelling element of communication.

But it is the case that audiences are as much if not more influenced by the sound of a voice than by the words that voice utters.  And with so much of that influence happening at a subconscious level.

You only have to catch the latest TV commercials for Barclays Bank to get an example of that. Where Stephen Merchant lends his "so honest and trusting" sounding West country dialect to a market sector much in need of restored trust.

So if you are routinely influencing others...whether that be in a buyer's office, the board room or from a conference stage then you should be making the best of your voice. Here are some excellent habits that will have a big impact on your voice:

• Sing in the shower. Give your lungs and larynx a good work out, it will also add power to your voice.

• Find a willing young listener and read children’s story books. They are a great way to practice dramatised delivery of words and comfortable regulated breathing

• The dreaded “gruffness” is nearly always due to digestive mucous in the tubes caused by eating too late or food that is too rich. So avoid both.  Avoid coffee and chocolate, these dehydrate you.

• Lubricate your throat. Warm water with lemon is highly recommended.
• If you need to clear your throat cough gently. Do not “slap” the vocal chords.
• Good breathing creates resonance which creates vocal power. Trying to squeeze power from the throat or unnaturally lowering the voice in a growl will strain your voice.
• Practice breathing evenly from the diaphragm and not the chest. It frees up the chest to add sound capacity and resonance. And it gives greater stamina.
For many of us in business we have to speak to impress. It is a physical activity. The more we practice the better we become. And if we try and perform without putting in the training then we only have ourselves to blame if we get "crocked!"

For more tips and advice on how to improve the persuasiveness and presentation of your business messages please visit http://www.persuadability.co.uk/