Why improve the quality of your speaking voice? Simple, your voice is the most powerful verbal communication tool that you have. Have you ever been in a situation where you were skeptical of meeting someone face to face just because of how they sounded on the phone? Or maybe you had a negative impression of a person because of their voice on the phone, but realized they are awesome when you met them face to face?

Your voice prequalifies you. People might not have the patience to meet or connect with you, when your voice is your only avenue of leaving an impression, like a phone call, or a podcast or sometimes even a video of you. And so, you could be trapped behind a voice that does not convey who you truly are. Just think about that.  

But there is good news. YOUR VOICE IS NOT ORIGINALLY YOUR VOICE! “You said what?” I said, “Your voice is not your voice.” Your voice was acquired.  For instance, say you are an American born in Nigeria. How do you think you would sound? You most likely would have a lower register, lower pitch, slower-paced, and potentially husky voice.

I once met a middle-aged Asian man at the library, and I was going to ask him a question. When I approached him, I had an expectation; to hear the cadence firmness of someone from East Asia. When he opened his mouth to speak, he sounded like a middle-aged American man from mid-west. If my eyes were closed, I would never have guessed correctly. What do I want you to know? You can improve the quality of your voice.

You are fully responsible for the quality of sound that comes out of your mouth. Although I just said your voice is not originally yours, which is just a way to let you know that you can improve it. Since your voice identifies you, make an effort to make it a sound that people want to listen to.

1. Evaluate your own voice

When was the last time you heard the sound of your voice? No, I don’t mean when you are speaking to a friend. I mean on a recording, like your voicemail, a recorded call, or a video. How did you like it? If you were like me, maybe not much.

If you want to start improving the quality of your voice, the first thing you must do is know exactly how you sound. Record your voice in different situations. For example, I sound different when I give a presentation than when I am talking with a friend. Also, pay attention to how you sound when you start talking and how you sound at the end of your talk.

When you know how you sound, then you have a base/standard with which you can measure your progress.        

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2. Learn to assume the right posture.

You could be holding back the vocal power that you have within just by how you stand or sit. Straighten your back, square your shoulders, spread out your chest. When you do this, you create enough room for oxygen to fill up your vocal tract, which enables maximum inflow and outflow of air. When you have enough air within, it increases the power of the voice you produce.

Why? Your voice is a product of the breath you take in. To confirm this, breathe in enough oxygen. Then close your nostrils to prevent exhalation. Now count 1, 2, 3, until you exhaust the air within. You would notice that you can’t produce any more words or sound if your nostril remains covered.      

3. Learn to breathe the right way

The way you breathe affect the way you speak. From experience, I can tell you that this is true. To increase the power behind your voice, you have to breathe from the diaphragm. It is called diaphragmatic breathing. You do this by drawing in air by contrasting the diaphragm.

Unfortunately, most people breathe thoracically (thoracic or shallow breathing). When you do this, it limits the air that goes into your lungs, ultimately affecting the power behind your voice.  It could be a bit uncomfortable when you are trying it out for the first time. When you’ve been breathing a certain way all your life, adjusting might not be very easy. But make sure you practice diaphragmatic breathing when you are speaking.

4. Vocal Exercises

Practicing vocal exercises can be a good way to develop your natural speaking voice. But before you start vocal exercises, note that air is the source of your voice. Your take in enough air so you can speak powerfully, but when the air comes out through your mouth, it is shaped to words and sounds with the help of different part and speech organs present in the mouth. They include your vocal cords, your articulators (the lips, teeth, tongue, jaw, and palate), the nose and pharynx. Direct your vocal exercises towards the individual part

Vocal exercises help to strengthen these organs and body parts. Just as we work out different body parts to improve our overall body frame, the same goes for our voice organs.

5. Always stay hydrated

During your vocal exercises and speaking, always stay hydrated. It is most important if you intend to speak for a long period. What you don’t want is to irritate your vocal cord. Irritating your vocal cords could affect the overall healthiness of your voice. The reason why experienced speakers keep a glass/bottle of water close where they can reach it and hydrate.

6. Vocal warm-up

Just as athletes warm up before a game to get the blood flowing, you should get some vocal warm-ups before you give a speech or have a major or high-stake conversation. When your voice stays idle for a while, your vocal cords and other speech-related parts relax and, therefore, the need to warm them up.

7. Adjust your pace

What is the value of your words? When you speak at a very fast pace, the value of your words reduces. Learn to speak deliberately, with intention and purpose. Treat every word you say as a crystal, delicate, and special. When you develop this mindset, it would almost immediately affect your pace. Going by the words of Arthur Samuel Joseph:

 “In all communication, it is never how fast but how effective. Nothing is gained by going too fast; potentially, everything is lost.”

Don’t be afraid to speak

This nugget is very important for introverts and those who feel like their words don’t matter. These individuals speak less, either because they are afraid or shy or don’t just talk much. The problem with this is that, “What you don’t use you lose.” A popular and accurate quote, especially in this regard. Extended periods of repeated silence weaken your speech organs and ultimately affects the strength of your voice.

I encourage you to bring your voice back to life. Speak out. If you have an opinion, say it. And don’t just say it, express it with some volume, confidence, and clarity. Doing this gives strength back to your voice and, most importantly, makes you a better person.    

No matter how you sound now, you can transform your voice one day at a time by adhering to the above practices.  But I must remind you that change does not come overnight; it takes time and effort. So, if you believe your voice is important enough, then put in the time and effort and watch as you transform your voice from ordinary to powerful.