Does how you talk make a difference? Some tips on effective voice and pronunciation

The Guardian

London

Have you ever planned in your mind what you want to say in a meeting yet when you go to speak, your voice comes out whiney, squeaky or is even barely audible? According to Valentine Palmer, principal of the UK’s Academy of Communication, who leads workshops on vocal training and communication, many people’s voices sound unattractive because there is not enough air surrounding them: “The key to an effective voice is keeping the communication area relaxed, and to do this, good abdominal breathing is crucial.”

With so much communication being conducted over the telephone, the voice is all the more important as we miss vital clues from body language and lip-reading. If you never talk face to face with a person, then your opinion of them will be based on how they sound, and if their voice isn’t strong or confident enough, they could lose potential business or be passed over for promotion, says Palmer.

Sarah Robbins, 30, a graphic designer from Wales, is described as “soft spoken” and consequently doesn’t get asked to do presentations or attend important meetings. “I’ve got the kind of voice that is easy to talk over, especially because I work with extrovert people. My boss infers that I am not confident and says I should be more forceful. I’m good at my job — it’s just my voice that lets me down.”

Being soft spoken is mostly an issue with females but with practice, women can achieve a strong, influential voice, confirms Palmer. “There are plenty of female judges and actresses who project their voices as well as any man and those with naturally smaller voices just need to work harder to be heard.”

Fran Perry, a teacher trainer for a language school in Brighton, south-east England, agrees. “As a teacher, a strong voice used in a variety of ways is fundamental. It’s important to vary the tone and volume so that all the students can hear and understand what is going on. Along with body language, I use it to indicate when we are about to switch topics or exercises. If I need their attention, I project my voice strongly, and when correcting, I speak softly and sensitively.”

It may all sound obvious, but Perry says the ability to use the voice competently in different ways doesn’t come naturally to everyone and often, both male and female student teachers need coaching on this.

Gill Brewer, a chartered occupational psychologist from Cumbria in northern England, feels that our communication is determined by our self-belief and that we need to examine this first if we are to ever have a more potent voice at work. “If you’re saying to yourself, ‘I’ve got nothing important to add’, or ‘I’ll sound stupid’, then you won’t be able to speak out with confidence,” says Brewer.

In Palmer’s seminars, called Take Control of Your Voice, he illustrates the importance of different vocal tones. “British people generally talk on a flat monotone which can sound boring. I also get people to think about their pronunciation by over-accentuating the vowel sounds and finally, but most importantly, I focus on breathing techniques. Most people don’t like the sound of their voice, and are scared to let it out because they don’t want to show their feelings. It is this fear that makes the voice sound thin, nasal and the vowels pinched,’’ he says.

Many clients consult him to refine regional accents, but Palmer believes accents help define personality and they are only an issue if the person is incomprehensible. “People generally just want to talk in a warmer, more open and easily understood voice,” he says. “The voice is like a musical instrument, we have the ability to change it infinitely. It can be improved with elocution, breathing and coaching. The principles are simple, but you must be willing to practice.”