Whether you’re on a conference call, making a sales presentation, or talking to a loved one, the way you use your voice influences your message—and the response you get.
How Your Voice Works
Your voice communicates your opinions, emotions, and state of mind. It can create a sense of connection or distance depending on its tone and melody. If your pace and volume don’t change, your listener will be lulled into “audio complacency”—regardless of your message and underlying emotions.
Consider this. People expect “The kitchen is on fire!” to be shouted. They expect to hear a sense of urgency. The same words, spoken slowly and in a whisper, could result in a catastrophe.
Experiment with pace and volume. Ask yourself questions. For example, do your emotions affect the speed and intensity of your voice? Does altering your pace or talking louder or more softly affect how you feel?
Research shows that varying your volume and pace:
Keeps your listeners’ attention
Provides audio cues about the information you’re sharing
Communicates your emotional state effectively
The following tips will help you use pace and volume to maximum advantage:
Pace
Pause to increase the effectiveness of your message and to slow your pace. Non-stop speech prevents listeners from visualizing and conceptualizing your information. Pauses help keep them involved and responsive.
Match your pace to your listener’s. If you are speaking to someone whose pace is slower than yours, slow down. If the opposite is true, speed up. That simple technique helps establish rapport. In a group of fast and slow speakers, vary your pace to match your emotions and the information you’re sharing.
Slow your pace by reducing your pitch. People who sound shrill or unpleasantly high-pitched are often talking fast.
Consider the pace that will most effectively communicate the information you want to share. Use a fast pace to create excitement, communicate energy and enthusiasm. Slow down when you are providing new or complicated information, numbers, or an important detail.
Control your breathing. The faster and shorter your breaths, the faster you speak. The deeper you breathe, the slower you speak and the calmer and more confident you sound.
Volume
Be sure your volume is appropriate to the environment or medium. A cell phone doesn’t require shouting. An intimate setting doesn’t mean being difficult to hear. Even using a microphone requires you to project your voice.
Use a loud voice to get attention. Use a loud voice if you are angry, excited, or want to emphasize a phrase or idea.
Use a softer volume if you wish to create intimacy, convey sadness, tell a secret, or emphasize a point.
Be heard. Your listener shouldn’t have to work to hear you. Breathe from the lower abdomen, yawn to create an open feeling in your throat, drop your jaw and let it move freely. Don’t tighten your lips. Instead, allow them to form sounds accurately.
When you’re not feeling confident, if you’re unsure of your information, or if you anticipate criticism, you may not speak loudly enough to be heard. (“If you don’t hear me, I won’t have to deal with negative or painful responses!”) If you have difficulty speaking up in certain situations or with certain individuals, explore the reasons why. Be compassionate with yourself and look for ways to shift your perspective. This exercise can be very helpful in permitting you to use an appropriate sound level.
For more information about how The Speaking Bridge can work with you to improve your vocal quality and speaking techniques, please call (415) 395-8355 or email Deborah@thespeakingbridge.com.
Testimonial
"I must thank you at least once a week in my head. Every speech I’ve made since working with you, without exception, has gone well. I now speak all over the world, don’t get nervous & look forward to it. Thank you for working with me."
