Most people who hear themselves on their voicemail or answering machine do not like what they hear. How do you feel when you hear yourself on some form of recording equipment? When you think about the image you project, be it in person or over the phone, would you consider your recorded voice to be an asset? Does it ‘speak well' for you?
How you think you sound and how everyone else hears you are two different things. So my question to you is what image does your voiceon your voicemailproject? Do you sound like a child and you are over 21? Do you speak too softly or with too much volume? Would you describe your voice as being wimpy, hoarse, gravelly, nasal, strident, or harsh? Perhaps you speak too fast or too slowly? Do people ask you to repeat yourself because of an accent or dialect?
If you would like your speaking voice to be an asset instead of a liability, there are 3 things you need to do:
1. Discover your ‘real' voice by using your chest cavity to power your sound instead of just your throat and voice box. In doing so you will have a richer, warmer, deeper voice which will sound more mature – not too old, not too young – ageless.
2. Learn the techniques for projection which means increasing your volumewithout shouting. If you are soft-spoken or if you speak too loudly, talking with the proper amount of volume is extremely important. Those who are soft-spoken have a message which is not being heard. If you speak too loudly, on the other hand, your listeners cringe from being bombarded with too much sound because it hurts their ears.
3. Speak in ‘living color.' Allow your emotions to be seen and to be heard not only by means of your vocal variety but also in your facial expression and body language. You may have a wonderfully rich, resonant voice but if you speak with no color, then you are boring.
You have a better voice inside – it is just a matter of finding it. Once you do, you will be amazed at not only how much better you sound but also by the increase in your level of confidence. The benefits of good voice training go far beyond your voice and presentation skills, however. The techniques you will learn are truly a life-changing experience.
