Most CEOs, senior execs and corporate spokespeople put a lot of time and energy into crafting their key messages. But almost no thought goes into their delivery. You can have
the most amazing product rollout or the most sensational announcement at a press conference - but if no one can hear you, what's the point? This column will give you the tools
and exercises you need to completely change your voice. The goal: to make your voice deeper, give it a more quality tone, and train you to breathe more effectively so you don't
run out of air when you get nervous. Voice work can help you to learn how to project and fill the room with your sound. For maximum results, you should go through the exercises
twice every day for about five to ten minutes at a time.
Exercise One - Proper Breathing
Most people breathe backward, meaning they inhale and suck in their stomachs each time they take a breath. Proper breathing involves inhaling and filling your stomach with air
and then exhaling and feeling your stomach contract.
To practice this, stand against a wall with your shoulder blades pressed against the wall. Rest your hands on your stomach. Inhale through your nose and fill your stomach
with air. Exhale through your mouth and feel your stomach contract. As you breathe, make sure you don't move your shoulders.
Exercise Two - Managing Your Air
It's important to train your body to use air properly. Remain standing against the wall with your shoulder blades pressed against the wall. Continue to inhale through your
nose and expand your stomach; then exhale through your mouth. As you exhale, speak the words "one, two, three, four, five" using up all of your air. You should be completely out
of air after the word "five." Then, inhale through your nose and as you exhale, speak the words "one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten." This time, you
should be completely out of air after you speak the word "ten." Repeat the exercise, speaking the words one through fifteen, one through twenty and one through twenty-five.
As you practice this exercise, you'll learn how to force more air out when you speak "one, two, three, four, five" and you will learn how to use air more efficiently when you
count one through 25.
Exercise Three - Projection
Some people think they have soft voices. Others feel they have loud voices, but the truth is, we can all train our voices to project as much as we'd like. Projection is
merely the ability to push air out effectively and release the tension in your vocal cords.
To practice projecting your voice, go into a room and close the door. Stand against the farthest wall with your shoulder blades pressed against the wall. Place your hands on
your stomach as you inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Remember to fill your stomach with air as you inhale. On the exhale, say "ha, ha, ha, ha, ha." You
should feel as if you are bouncing the air out of your body. Speak as if you are talking to a person standing against the opposite wall at the far end of the room. Continue with
the exercise, using the words, "he," "hi" and "ho." Say each word at least five times on the exhale. Repeat the exercise three times.
Exercise Four - Pitch
First impression studies show that a man or a woman with a high-pitched voice is believed to be less intelligent and less capable. It's important to find a comfortable range
in which too speak that is neither too high nor too low. The following exercise will help you find your perfect pitch:
Continue standing with your shoulder blades pressed against the wall. Inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Remember to fill your stomach with air as you
inhale. On the exhale, speak the words "one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten." At the number "one," you should be speaking in your highest possible pitch.
As you count to ten, you should continue to drop your voice. At the number "ten," you should be speaking in your lowest possible pitch. Repeat the exercise beginning with the
number "one" in your lowest possible pitch, working your way up the scale to "ten." Next, exhale on the word "ha," hitting your upper pitch and your lower pitch. You should be
bouncing your voice up and down. Do the same exercise with the words "he," "hi," and "ho." Repeat this exercise three times. Next, exhale and count to ten speaking only in your
lower range. Then, introduce yourself in your lower range. (i.e., "Hello. My name is Lauren Bacall.") Finally, exhale and count to twenty speaking only in your lower range.
Repeat this exercise, three times a day.
A Final Word
If you do these exercises diligently, you will effectively change your voice in four to six weeks. A stronger, deeper voice will help you rivet your audience's attention and
command the respect your announcement deserves.
Jennifer Rabin
Jennifer Rabin is a former television news anchor and founder of Command Image, an image definition and communications consulting company serving executives,
corporate spokespeople, athletes and politicians. 650/620-9090. [email protected].
Act the Part
It may sound silly, but acting exercises can also help improve your delivery. Stand in front of a mirror and act out different emotions using the exclamation, "Oh!" Say "oh"
and look and sound sad. Say "oh" and look and sound angry. Try to perform ten different emotions.
Also, practice varying your volume in a speech. When you want to stress an important point, speak softly. When you want to energize the crowd, speak louder. Use volume and
tempo to convey emotion, importance and energy.
One of the best living examples of effective voice control is the Reverend Jesse Jackson. He draws you in by speaking very quietly and then explodes with volume to rally his
audience.
On the other hand, neither Vice President Al Gore nor Governor George W. Bush uses his voice effectively. Gore spends most of his time shouting so you never know what he wants
to emphasize. Bush doesn't use volume control at all and generally speaks in monotone.