5 Practical Ways to Release the Power of Your Voice
Written by: Natasha Bazilevych, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Do people always listen when you speak? Imagine if your listeners would not only pay attention every time you spoke but trust you and take action. Imagine if every story you tell and every speech you give changes somebody’s life. Wouldn’t that be fantastic?
Having a powerful voice can help you with that. It will grab your audience’s attention and hold it till the end.
It’s a public speaking crime to deliver a wonderful speech with a monotonous voice. It kills the message and leaves no witnesses of the crime.
Why? Because nobody paid attention.
So, what are the main techniques you can use to release the power of your voice?
1. Practice Tongue Twisters
This is my favorite exercise. Tongue twisters help you practice enunciation, articulation, and rhythm. They’re powerful, and they’re fun!
Just search on the Internet, and you’ll see a huge variety of tongue twisters. Here’re a few examples:
Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
Betty Better bought some butter, but she said this butter’s bitter. ...
She sells seashells on the seashore.
How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? ...
How can a clam cram in a clean cream can?
2. Practice voice relaxation
If your throat muscles are tight, they will close the pathway for air and sound. It will result in a bad projection of your voice. You’ll basically pitch it back to your throat, and you'll sound like a thud.
So, what should you do? Simply relax your articulation organs: jaw, throat muscles, and lips. You can also practice saying “me-mo-me-mo-me-mo-me.” This little exercise will make your jaw more flexible.
Another way to relax your voice is to yawn on purpose. Open your mouth wide, and then say “hum” after the yawn. Prolong this “hum” word as much as possible.
3. Do breathing exercises
I’m sure you’ve heard about the usefulness of breathing exercises for our health: for sleep, to calm down, to relax, etc. They’re also a powerful tool for our voice.
A couple of easy exercises will help you take control of your voice even when you’re extremely anxious and nervous. They will teach you to project the voice. They will make it stronger and more manageable.
Here are a few of them.
Breathe in from the belly, stop, exhale, and count “one-two-three-four-five.” Repeat while lying down, sitting, or standing.
Breathe in from the belly, and say every letter of the alphabet on each exhale. Inhale, exhale while saying “A,” inhale, exhale while say “B.” And so on.
Laugh heartily with a big “Ha-Ha-Ha” until you exhale all air from your lungs. Breathe in and repeat. Then laugh soundlessly through your nose with your mouth closed.
4. Add vocal variety
Have you ever had to sit through a boring lecture? There’re lots of ways the speaker could make it more interesting. One of them is to add variety to your voice.
Play with your pitch, change the rhythm, increase or decrease volume or pace, and finally, add powerful pauses.
Don’t be monotonous. Like I said before, it’s one of the biggest public speaking sins!
5. Project your voice
Would you like to know if you’re projecting your voice correctly? Hum “Happy birthday’, and see if you feel the air on your lips. Make sure you don’t pitch your voice back to your throat. Your lips will even get a little itchy.
Practice enunciating words and phrases. Pronounce them, making emphasis on every syllable. Tongue twisters are rather helpful in this case as well.
Remember always to carry your voice forward when speaking. And the audience will feel its power.
Would you like to learn more about the power of YOUR voice? Would you like to become a confident speaker who prepares clear, persuasive messages?
Are you ready to work 1:1 with a public speaking coach? Then contact me, and we’ll schedule a call. It will be the best decision you’ll make in your life.
Natasha Bazilevych, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Natasha Bazilevych is an international speaker and business trainer. She teaches business owners, top managers, and entrepreneurs to give powerful presentations and reach audacious goals. Natasha has been teaching business skills for 13 years, has two bachelor's degrees and an MBA. Her signature program, “Speak With Power,” is a unique experience after which each participant knows how to overcome fear, craft powerful messages and deliver them with confidence.
