How you voice sounds plays a big part in conveying your message effectively to your audience. A confident sounding voice is a key to being able to speak with confidence and conviction.
Studies on effective communication show that how you use your voice can account for up to 38% of the message you are conveying depending on the circumstances. Although, it is not always that high, it will convey a message about you and your speech over and above the words that you speak e.g. a weak timid voice can lead the audience to conclude that about you also, or lazy diction and the audience may conclude that you are lazy or don't care.
Your voice reflects your feelings. When you feel confident your voice tone will reflect this. Self-confidence in speaking comes from being well prepared, practiced and having a topic you care about and you know will be of interest and benefit to your audience.
There are actions you can take to improve your voice the sound of your voice and help to overcome the effect that nerves can have on it;
1. Physiology
How you feel affects your body language and posture. If you lack confidence your physiology is different to that when you are confident and adversely impacts your voice quality.
The good news is that if you take a confident stance of standing up straight and tall and you look up and out you will not only appear more confident you will feel more confident. Your voice will reflect this feeling when you speak.
2. Lubricate Your Voice
When the nerves kick it can cause your mouth and throat to feel dry. To prevent this, drink some lukewarm water. A couple of small glasses is probably all that is needed to stave off a dry croaky voice. Too much water may cause you other challenges.
3. Relax
Learn and use techniques that will help you relax before you go up to speak, for example stretching helps relieve tension. Also just before you start to speak a few deep breaths before you go on will also help relieve anxiety and overcome the tendency to rush in and speak too fast because of nerves.
4. Practice
When practicing your delivery, also include voice practice. Your voice should complement and support your speech. When you practice, try using pauses to emphasize important points in your speech. Also vary the tone,pitch and speed of your speaking using your everyday conversation as guide i.e. as they fit in with what you are saying.
Try videoing or recording your practice to identify areas that may need to be improved. Reading aloud from a book emphasizing the emotions in the text will help to overcome any speaking voice bad habits you may identify.
To speak with confidence, an effective speaker will not concentrate on their voice but on delivering their speech with belief and conviction. They will rely on their practice and other pre-speaking actions to ensure their voice is expressive and confident.
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