How to improve voice and speech
Listening to some people is a pleasure, even if they are simply introducing their acquaintances, making a toast at a wedding, or suggesting a meeting place. You want them to continue pleasing your ears with their pleasant voice.
Such vocal ability may seem like a gift of nature, but in practice, it is a skill that can be learned by being patient and persistent. Becoming better at this requires time, so do not expect a quick and perfect result at the same time. In this article, we present a plan to improve the tone and delivery of your voice, which will undoubtedly affect the desire of others to listen to you.
Remember the main thing
Paradoxically, a good voice is not the most important thing on the way to becoming a person who is pleasant to listen to.
You can be a stutterer, you can have the worst voice in the world, but you can still be interesting because of the meaning that was put into what you say.
Before you start speaking, you need to clarify what you are going to convey to people, what specific goal you are pursuing. You need to be able to put yourself in the listener's shoes. With an understanding of what you are saying and why, and with an appropriate tone, you can significantly increase interest in your speech.
Use shorter and simpler words
Vary the length of your sentences, don't make them cumbersome and long. Your breathing is a concrete guide here, it shouldn't be interrupted until you finish the thought embedded in the sentence. "Clarity and simplicity should be in everything," says Donna Mac, a radio announcer with over 25 years of experience.
Listen to yourself
Nowadays, anyone can easily record themselves on a voice recorder: just make an audio note on your phone. However, people rarely use this, which is a serious omission. Many people do not like the sound of their own voice, which is often due to the difference in perception between live and recorded sound: the structure of our skull changes the way it sounds.
An audio recording can be compared to a mirror. Many of us are not models, but we react to our reflection in the mirror without disgust or embarrassment, which allows us to work on ourselves and look better. By listening to your speech on a recording, you can understand which tone, intonation and delivery will be better in a particular situation.
Breathe correctly
Breathing during speech is extremely important. The vast majority of people breathe during a speech or conversation without using their diaphragm. This makes them stop in the middle of a sentence, as there is no air left in their lungs to finish it.
The ability to breathe correctly is similar to a habit. Don't think that only professional singers have it: training in expressive reading out loud, especially long sentences, can allow you to not think about breathing in the future.
Use slowing down
We live in a world with a wild pace. This gives us the opportunity to use a special tool to improve our speech - slowing down. Focusing attention on something in your speech in this way will allow you to highlight the necessary words and phrases that carry more meaning and significance than others. Even if the subject matter of your speech or conversation is dramatic and intriguing, you can convey it through a measured pace.