***The 2 Things You Need to Know in Your Search for a Better Speaking Voice

By Nancy Daniels The Official Guide to Public Speaking
The official guide to Public Speaking

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When it comes to improving your speaking voice, there are various thoughts, theories, and techniques available at your disposal. Many of these ideas or approaches will actually accomplish very little; therefore, it is important to understand what you should look for in good voice training.

What is your primary objective?

To have a more authoritative speaking voice?
To be heard the first time you say it?
To speak more distinctly?
To learn how to control your speed?
To eliminate chronic hoarseness?
To do away with a wimpy voice?
To end breathlessness?
To sound more attractive to the opposite sex?
To be able to capture the attention of the room with your opening words?

What is unfortunate about the different approaches to voice training is that many of them offer tips, advice, or/and exercises for each and every problem without ever tapping into your ‘real’ voice. Essentially, they work with what you already have.

Those who understand the true dynamics of the speaking voice, however, are going to show you how to find the voice inside that you don’t know exists.

It is in there and, in many cases, it sounds nothing at all like your ‘habitual’ voice. I call it your ‘real’ voice and you can only find it if you learn how to do 2 things correctly:

1. Change the placement of your voice by allowing your chest to become your primary sounding board or amplifier – chances are good that presently your chest is doing nothing towards the production of your sound.

2. Speak within your optimum range which will, in 99% of the cases, be lower in pitch than your habitual voice (pitch refers to the highness or lowness of sound – not your volume which is the loudness or softness of sound).

What is fascinating about good voice training, is that once you discover your ‘real’ voice, the problems you may have experienced in the past, will automatically be gone because of this simple change in placement.

Your voice will sound richer, warmer, resonant;
Your volume will improve;
You will no longer sound like a child;
Chronic hoarseness will be gone;
Breathlessness will be no more;
Your diction will be cleaner;
Your speed will be under control;
You will no longer sound wimpy;
You will sound more attractive to the opposite sex;
You will be able to command the attention of the room just by the sound of your voice.

If the technique or approach you are about to invest in does not teach your how to use your chest to power your voice, don’t waste your time or your money.