Allow me to begin by asking you a few questions.

1.  Do you believe that the image you project has an impact on your life, either professionally or personally?

2.  Have you heard your voice on your voicemail, answering machine, or camcorder recently?

3.  Do you like what you hear on that recording equipment?

You probably do believe that the image you project is important.  You may even feel that your visual image is as important as your abilities in your profession.

You probably have heard your voice on some form of recording equipment; i.e. the voicemail message you change daily or weekly.

You probably don't like what you hear on that recording equipment.

Have you ever considered that your voice on your recording equipment is part of the image you project?  I am not talking about how youthinkyou sound.  I am talking about how everyone elseknowsyou sound.  Those are two entirely differently voices.

What you hear when you speak is distorted sound - sound that is vibrating through the solid and liquid of the brain.  What everyone else hears, however, is sound that is traveling through air; therefore, the sound you hear on your voicemail is how you are recognized by the rest of the world!

If you are not sure how you sound, try recording your voice and then studying the playback.  What did you hear?  If the sound you hear is akin to nails on a blackboard, too soft or too loud, gravelly or wispy, monotone or flat, too fast or too slow, wimpy or bullish, too young or too old, you might consider improving your vocal image by discovering your ‘real' voice.

Those who are using their ‘real' voice sound like Cher, James Earl Jones, Kathleen Turner, Julia Ormond, Sean Connery, and Diane Sawyer. These people are not anomalies.  There are many, many wonderfully dynamic voices that unfortunately are not being heard because most people don't know that they have a better voice inside.

Your ‘real' voice is probably deeper in pitch, warmer in quality, and even sensual, given the right tone of voice.  Powered by the chest, it will be richer, fuller, and resonant.  Do any of those adjectives presently describe what you hear on your voicemail?

The benefits of discovering your ‘real' voice are so numerous that you will find your life improving in ways you cannot imagine; but, the most important benefit is that you will have total control over how you sound.  No more quivering voice at the lectern; no more uncontrollable speed delivering your presentation.  Instead you will discover a voice that sounds as good as you look as well as the best means of controlling nervousness in any form of public speaking.

Your voice speaks volumes about you.  What is yours saying?