When a person hears your voice, it takes about 30 seconds to form an impression of you. No one has a perfect voice, but using it right will take your speech or presentation to a whole new level.
How can you get the most out of your voice during a presentation and also make sure you get your message across clearly?

Here are 10 tips for creating an attractive voice:

1. Have a conversation with your audience.
Think of them as a friend who wants to succeed, someone you talk to often. Practice working on your voice with a friend. Your voice partner can listen and then critique your pitch, pitch, volume, and speed. This person should also listen to you give your speech for the first time to see if he can understand the message you are trying to convey. If you can’t, chances are you can’t do the same for your audience.

2. Make sure you speak loud enough to be heard.
Make effective use of the microphone. People will get bored and totally lose interest if they can’t hear you. Speaking too softly can also be detrimental to your career, as you may be perceived as “lacking in management material” or “not strong enough to make decisions”, and could be passed over for promotions. When you’re home, practice talking with the TV on so that its volume is above the noise. However, when making speeches, insist on using the microphone.

3. Put emotion in your voice.
Say it like you mean it. Do this simple exercise to put the right emotion in your voice. The feeling you want to convey must correspond to the keyword, mental image and/or body language you wish to express.

• Try any of these key words: power, firm, strong, control. Repeat the words until your tone of voice matches the meaning of the word.
• Next, imagine that you are commanding a troop of soldiers in a life-threatening situation where they hang on to every word you say to save their lives. Feel the urgency of the situation and yet project calm even when communicating with those whose lives depend on you. Then sit in the boardroom and try to speak with purpose. Show that you are in control.
• Stand. Nobody is impressed by a person who slouches.

4. Speak your words.
Practice difficult words in advance. Practice makes perfect. It helps difficult words roll off your lips with ease and makes you look confident and professional. If you have to address someone in your speech, always check ahead of time how that person’s name should be pronounced. Making a mistake on someone’s behalf can be embarrassing for all parties.

5. Watch your rhythm.
If you are too fast, no one will understand you. If you’re too slow, people will think you’re less smart than you are. Some people talk too fast because they feel that what they have to say is not important, so they want to finish immediately. Your average speed should be 160 words per minute. If you’re talking too fast, try using the “one two” technique. Take a passage from the newspaper and read it aloud. Count “one two” at natural breaks. Get used to this pace. If you speak too slowly, you may be taking too long to get to the point. Challenge yourself by asking a question, then time yourself as you answer it. Keep doing it to shorten the time needed. Try to get to the point in half the time by eliminating non-essential words.

6. Eliminate verbal garbage.
Look at the “um”, “ah”, “okay”, “ah”, “you know” and so on. Verbal garbage is annoying. Until you realize you’re doing it, you’ll never get rid of it. Record yourself. Some people can say “you know” more than 30 times in 5 minutes without even realizing it. Pause instead of using a filler word. It has a stronger impact.

7. Get excited when it comes to an important point.
Your audience will feel the excitement too. You can speak louder or emphasize a key word by raising your pitch.

8. Know when to lower your tone to empathize with a situation.
Again, the audience will feel it if your voice says it. When delivering bad news, use the appropriate tone.

9. Be aware of the relationship between your head, neck and back.
Posture is always important for good voice production. Also, if there is tension in your face, head, neck or back, it could affect the quality of your voice. Do a simple facial massage, not forgetting neck and shoulder rolls, to release all tension before going on stage.

10. Breathe.
When we are anxious and stressed, we breathe shallowly. Be sure to breathe deeply and from the abdomen. Little by little you will start to calm down as you manage the adrenaline and convert it into energy for your speech. Support your voice with your breath and harness its power to be an effective speaker.

Article published in Straits Time CATS Recruit (Singapore) on July 8, 2006.