The Secret to Master the Power of Your Voice

How was your last public presentation received? How about your most recent conversation? Your most recent sales pitch? The one aspect of your presentation you probably did not even think about your voice as your primary tool. You worried about what suit to wear. Or the structure of your words. Or your visual aids.

I want to know: Did you scream or whisper? Stutter or mispronounce? Did you study the size of the room? The power of the microphone? Did you control your pitch?

I want to know how your listeners felt when you were done speaking.

I’ve written about paralanguage, the nonverbal aspects of verbal communication, more times than I can count. In two of my books (Talk it Outand No Words), I dedicate entire chapters to the subject.

Vocal control starts and ends with the breath, yes. But breath control is akin to owning a piano. It’s pretty and offers the opportunity to play. Actually, using your voice and practicing key exercises is the route to a symphony. You can learn about some of those exercises here.

In today’s article, as promised, I offer you my most powerful secret exercise to master control of your voice, so every word you say is a compositional masterpiece!

It starts with a classic children’s story. Choose any favorite. I would suggest anything by Roald Dahl. (You’ll understand why in a moment.)

Next, find a child to entertain. You can have an adult or adults as an audience, but children are A — less judgmental, B — less threatening, and C — more fun for this exercise.

Read the story to the audience. But: Alter your voice to act out each character. Study Robin Williams, Frank Oz, or Seth MacFarlane. That’s why Willy Wonka Roald Dahl is perfect: Lots of characters to portray!

Next, silence that negative voice in your head that says you look like a clown. Just send it packing and keep using the exercise.

What’s the goal? To recognize how the characteristics of your voice, alter impact and meaning. You want to pay attention to:

1. volume
2. pitch
3. rate
4. pause

I learned to use this exercise when I would read to my sons. Later, my voice professors tuned the exercise for the best result. My favorite accomplishment was reading Roald Dahl’s Matilda to my boys. When Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman released their film in 1996, it amazed me the actors had similar voices to the ones I had adopted when acting it out for my children!

The character of the Trunchbull, for example, is loud, speaks quickly, and has a baritone pitch. That’s exactly the voice I assumed when acting her out. Why do you think? Because she sounds authoritative and mean.

Juxtapose that voice with the one I used for Gandalf when reading The Hobbitto my kids. The wizard speaks in a baritone, but slowly and quietly. He sounds authoritative and wise.

Or consider Willy Wonka. His rate of speech might be faster than most people (he’s brilliant and eccentric), but when he’s making a point, he slows the rate and volume of his speech. He also varies his pitch quite often — whether excited or stern.

If you want to get started right now, try using Lewis Carroll’s famous poem, Jabberwocky. You might remember it from Alice Through the Looking Glass. The benefit of using it for your practice is that the made up nonsense words Carroll uses allows you to recite the poem to create any story, any genre you want.

Try performing the poem as if:

1. You are a reporter reading the evening news;
2. You are a salesperson;
3. The story is a horror;
4. The story is for very young children;
5. The story is pornography;
6. The story is a noir detective film;
7. The story is an adult romance;
8. The story is a fantasy.

You get the idea!

Each time, you will discover additional aspects of your voice — and you will practice using your voice to effectuate emotion in your audience.

Practice makes much improved!