voice image secrets

VOICE IMAGE SECRETS

What's the quality of your speaking voice telling other people?

How is your vocal image?Do you really know how others hear you? And do you know what they think or feel about you as a result of listening to your voice?

Their response is your voice image

It's well known that how we dress and present ourselves has an almost instant impact on the people we meet. In some situations, for example job interviews, work presentations and special social occasions, that impact is critical.

We are judged on our appearance and those initial judgments form the basis of how we are perceived. At a job interview a crumpled shirt, scruffy trousers and scuffed shoes say to a prospective employer: 'I don't care enough to make a real effort.‘

What's less well known is that voice or voice quality has a similar impact.

Voice image has been the 'secret' of people who use their voices professionally. Actors, radio broadcasters, television presenters, politicians, tele-marketers, professional speakers, all of whom depend on the impression their voice makes for success, know its importance.

What you do with your voice, how you speak, matters.

A NEGATIVE VOICE IMAGE – WHAT ARE ITS QUALITIES?

Is it nasal as if the speaker had a peg on their nose?

Is it shrill?The speaker has hard piercing tones like that of a concrete cutter.

Does the speaker squeak?The voice uses the upper/high registers continually.


Is it sing-song? The speaker swings through a habitual up-down pitch range regardless of subject matter.

The voice is monotonous. It drones on and on and on with little variation of pace or pitch.

The speaker is hesitant. The words are held back and arrive timidly.


The speaker mumbles and the words blur into one another without distinction. You can't understand what is being said.

Does it race? The speaker gabbles at break neck speed. It's difficult to comprehend what they've said.

It is too loud regardless of circumstance. The voice overwhelms its hearers.


It is too quiet as if its embarrassed to be heard.

Is there a constant rising inflection at the end of each sentence? This makes you mentally answer everything you hear and question whether the speaker is sure of themselves.

Is the accent so broad it swamps clear communication?


Is the breath held for too long so the speech sounds strangled or tight?

Is there a difficulty with some of the letter sounds? For example, 'S' or 'R' or any other single, double or multiple letter combination

WHAT PERSONALITY TRAITS HAVE YOU ATTRIBUTED TO THE SPEAKER BECAUSE OF HOW THEIR VOICE SOUNDED TO YOU?Have you decided they are: shy lacking in self-esteem lazy careless arrogant (too loud for

too long) over-anxious or nervy

(motor-mouth) boring

lacking intelligence a complainer or whiner easily influenced incapable of

leadership indecisive immature dull and more...

A POSITIVE VOICE IMAGE

Let's focus now on a voice that you love listening to.What are its qualities?

Does it sound natural, relaxed and free?

Is it varied and flexible?The pace, pitch, tone, and volume shift organically without effort in response to what is being talked about.

A POSITIVE VOICE IMAGE

What personality traits do you automatically assume about the speaker?Would you say they are more likely to be

confident authoritativeunderstanding independentattentive, interesting

energetic dynamicwarm caringrespectful mindful of others

AND NOW LISTEN TO YOURSELF

The easiest and most effective way to do this is to record yourself.

Merely listening to yourself inside your own head won't give you the clear feedback you need.


There can be a vast difference between what we think we sound like and what we actually do. I know because I've experienced it. Hearing myself on tape let me know exactly what I sounded like and where I needed to put the effort in.

Ideally what you want is a 1 - 2 minute sample of your normal speaking voice - the voice you'd use naturally without self-consciousness.


Play back the clip and listen as objectively as possible to what you hear.

If you were somebody else, what would you think about the speaker?

What aspects of delivery do you need to focus on if you want a confident dynamic voice image?

VOICE IMAGE...

... is a collective package made up of equal parts of breath control, articulation, volume, pitch, tone, pausing and speaking rate. A great voice image is strong in all of them.

breath control is essential for flexible voice production. If you are holding your breath or breathing from the top of your lungs the quality of your voice will reflect that.

articulation is how you pronounce your words. Are they clear? Are the endings as well as the beginnings audible?

proper pronunciation is knowing 'how' to say a word. It is different from articulation in that you can mispronounce words but still be speaking clearly!

volume, pitch and tone is how loud or quiet your voice is, as well as the range it travels through (high to low), and its quality.

pausing in the right place for the right length of time gives your speech emphasis and definition. Silence can speak louder than words.

speaking rate refers to the speed your words come out of your mouth at. Speaking either too fast or too slowly is a problem.

voice image secrets

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