Master Your Voice Today

There is a very particular kind of frustration that a lot of people carry around for years, and they often do it quietly.It sounds like this:“I know I can speak.”“I know what I’m talking about.”“I’m absolutely fine in a normal conversation.”“But put me in a meeting, a panel, a group call, a boardroom, or any room where it matters, and suddenly I’m different.”

There’s something slightly uncomfortable about what we’re going to look at today.Because once you notice it, you won’t be able to un-hear it.And more importantly, you may start to recognise it in yourself.In the last episode, we talked about the pressure gap.The difference between who you are at your best and how you come across when the stakes rise.Today, we’re going one level deeper.We’re going to look at how that gap shows up in your voice.Not in obvious ways.In small ways.Subtle ways.The kind of shifts that you don’t notice when you’re speaking.But other people register almost immediately.

Struggling to make your voice heard in the crowded world of online meetings and webinars? In this episode, we dive into practical voice projection exercises that will help you cut through the noise, speak with clarity, and project your message to a larger audience with confidence. Whether you're presenting to a small team or addressing a virtual auditorium, these techniques will ensure your voice commands attention.

Most of us, including me before I became a professional singer, take a shallow breath into the top of our chest, so when we speak it can sound tight and thin.  Using correct diaphragmatic breathing, we can let a lot more air into the lungs and therefore use this air to create more resonance.  Exploring different areas of resonance will give you more projection and variety of tone in your voice, helping you communicate your message more confidently and with more authority.

Speaking anxiety is a very real thing, in fact, it has a name; ‘Glossophobia’ Individuals who have fear of speaking publicly suffer from strong fear in social performance situations and social sphere. (Stein, Walker, & Forde, 1996).   Causes of stage fright: The experience we have when asked to make a presentation or before speaking at a conference is primal, and comes from our ‘fight or flight’ response, which is ingrained deeply into our DNA. The body releases Adrenaline to counteract and control the fear, but of course, we don’t need to run away from animals anymore…

Here's a sample of an interview I did recently with champion 'Speaker Coach' Bob Ferguson where we talked about his concept called 'Sprints and drags' to keep the listener on the edge of their seats, which I would have been if my seat wasn't so comfortable...