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Train your voice for your professional success

Reading time 7 minutes
Train your voice for your professional success

Your voice has a great influence on how you are perceived by other people. It's not just what you say, but how you say it. One and the same statement can have a completely different effect depending on whether you speak in a whisper or dynamically. The voice is therefore an indicator for Self-confidenceAt the same time, it can also betray insecurity. To appear competent and self-confident, voice training is recommended. We tell you how this is possible.

Train voice: Is that possible?

In a nutshell: Yes, it is possible to train your voice. It doesn't take much effort, but regular training is important. First, however, you should understand why your voice is causing you problems in the first place. Often (unconscious) tensions are to blame. The latter must be resolved in order to achieve a powerful voice.

How is the voice created?

Before you can train your voice, it is useful to gain knowledge about the physiological processes of speaking.

The voice is produced in the larynx. A regular flow of breath gets the vocal cords going, while the nose, mouth and throat form the individual sounds. If you are inwardly tense, your breath comes to a standstill. As a result, your voice sounds too shrill, too soft, or you lose it altogether.

This is already annoying in a private context, and in professional life it can even be detrimental to your career. With a quiet and brittle voice, you will hardly succeed in giving a rousing presentation or convincing your superior of your ideas. This applies regardless of whether your proposals are valuable in terms of content.

What makes a convincing voice?

It may seem unfair, but voice can be a real career impediment. Based on how a person speaks, we automatically draw conclusions about their competence. If your voice sounds too high, too soft, too shrill or too monotone, you are automatically judged to be less competent. This impression is difficult to compensate for, even with good performance.

A confident personality speaks clearly and at a volume that is easy to understand. A voice that is too loud and dominant has just as negative an effect as a hoarse whisper. According to studies, people with deep voices have an advantage: Content that is presented in a deep voice is remembered longer. Memory adhere.

The following voice patterns generally have a negative effect and should therefore be avoided:

  • A nasally voice comes across as arrogant and unsympathetic.
  • Stumbling speech: If you constantly falter, you raise doubts in your audience.
  • Sharp, loud and dominant voice: You attract attention, but at the same time seem aggressive.
  • Pathetic speaking: If you speak too pathetically (overemotionally), you will appear untrustworthy.
  • Speaking too fast: If you speak too fast, your listeners will not be able to follow your content.
  • Monotone speaking: A monotone way of speaking has a tiring effect.

Let's summarize once again: If you want to speak with a convincing voice, you should not swallow any sounds, speak neither too loudly nor too softly, and make sure that your voice sounds as deep as possible. Furthermore, the right speaking tempo and appropriate intonation are crucial. Training the voice is therefore a complex but worthwhile undertaking.

What are the gender differences?

Different criteria apply to women and men when it comes to a convincing and likeable voice. For example, men with deep voices seem more attractive to women. A deep male voice evokes associations of size, strength and power. This is proven by the following scientific elaboration Pennsylvania State University.

Conversely, men prefer women with higher voices. A high female voice evokes associations of daintiness and need for protection. Although this no longer conforms to the emancipated image of women, the perception of attractiveness has not changed. However, the voice should not sound too high either: Shrill and bleeping voices are off-putting.

improve voice

Train voice for a speech or lecture

Training your voice is worthwhile and possible for everyone. Especially immediately before a speech, you should prepare not only the content, but also the voice. In the following, we would like to introduce you to the five most effective exercises for a sonorous and powerful voice:

1. knocking out

A well-known exercise from the field of professional Voice trainings is the so-called "tapping out". This exercise relaxes both body and soul. All you have to do is tap your body from top to bottom. For this you use the palm of your hand.

Start at your right shoulder and move down your arms to your hand. Tap your way back down the inside of your arms to your chest. Then repeat the process on the left side. Now tap across your abdomen to your legs and feet. Again, start on the right side.

Finally, tap across your back until you are back in the starting position by your shoulders. Repeat this exercise three times in a row.

2. loosen shoulders

The shoulders are a reliable indicator of mental tension. Most people unconsciously raise their shoulders when they feel uncomfortable. If you notice this, the following exercise can help:

Pull both shoulders up at the same time and hold them in this position for about three seconds. Then let your shoulders sink loosely downward. Caution: Do not drop suddenly! Breathe out deeply while doing this. Repeat the exercise at least three times - ideally immediately before a speech.

3. the cork

With the help of the cork exercise, you loosen your jaw. In fact, you need a cork, e.g. from a bottle of wine, to perform the exercise. First say the following sentence: "Welcome. My name is xy and I welcome you warmly." Now put the cork in your mouth and repeat the sentence.

Admittedly, this may feel strange at first. But the effect will convince you. After just one repetition, you will notice a clear relaxation in the jaw. As a result, you can fully exploit the sound repertoire of your voice.

4. the bubble exercise

This exercise also serves to loosen the jaw. Imagine that there are many small air bubbles between your teeth. These gradually become larger and larger, forcing you to move your jaw further down. At some point, the imaginary air bubbles will become so large that your jaw will hang down completely loosened.

5. tongue click

Strong tongue muscles are crucial for the clearest possible articulation. Clicking your tongue is like fitness training for your tongue. You press your tongue against the top of your palate and let it drop down with a jerk. This creates the clicking sound. Repeat this exercise several times a day.

Tip: The most effective way is to combine all the above exercises. For example, an exercise circuit could look like this:

  1. Perform the exercise three times to loosen your shoulders.
  2. Tap your body once vigorously with your palm from top to bottom.
  3. Click your tongue several times in a row.
  4. Speak a few sentences with a cork in your mouth.
  5. Loosen your jaw with the help of the bubble exercise.

Voice training for a pleasant and convincing voice: Can voice training help?

If necessary, the above exercises can be supplemented by professional voice training. The latter is particularly worthwhile if you are heavily dependent on your voice for professional purposes. This is the case, for example, if you are aiming for a career as a professional speaker or presenter (radio and television).

But what exactly happens during voice training? The first step is a so-called anamnesis conversation, in which the personal wishes and vocal deficits are discussed. A professional voice coach will immediately recognize any potential for improvement. He can show you further targeted exercises.

How can I train my voice and maintain long-term success?

Vocal exercises are one thing, but to ensure that the successes you achieve last, you need to take good care of your voice. First and foremost, this means providing your articulation tools (larynx, tongue, lips) with sufficient fluids. Make sure you drink at least 2 - 3 liters a day.

Tip: If possible, the drinks should be non-carbonated, such as still water or tea. After all, nothing is more unpleasant than having to burp constantly during a conversation or even a speech.

During a lecture, drinks are usually available for the speaker. If this is not the case, there are ways to oil your voice in other ways. Suck on a piece of candy, swallow a little saliva, or run your tongue along the back of your incisors. Of course, you can also do this regularly in everyday life to keep your voice supple.

Furthermore, the following tips will help:

1. warm up your voice

If you want to train your voice, you should perform a warm-up program, similar to sports. Humming and humming are well suited.

2. save your voice when you have a cold

In order to maintain the success of the voice training in the long term, it is important that you take it easy when you are ill. It is best to speak as little as possible! However, you should refrain from whispering. When you do so, the vocal folds do not close completely, which can cause them to dry out. This prolongs the hoarseness.

3. go regularly to the fresh air

Poorly ventilated rooms irritate your mucous membranes. Ensure good air circulation at your workplace and move regularly in the fresh air.

4. renunciation of smoking

Smoking makes the voice permanently rough and scratchy. If you are aiming for a career where a lot of talking is involved, you should give up smoking as soon as possible.

The power of the voice in a speech

You may have attended a speech yourself that was not a pleasure to listen to. A speaker who has not mastered his vocal craft can put extreme strain on the nerves of his listeners. No matter how well-founded the content: If the voice is too shrill, too quiet, or barely understandable, this greatly diminishes the effect of the speech.

In 1967, the U.S. psychologist Albert Mehrabian developed the "rule of three for communication. According to this, the effect of our words depends 38 % on our voice, 55 % on body language and only 7 % on content. Therefore, it is not surprising that professional speakers train their voice.

Did you also know that we unconsciously imitate the person we are listening to? A nervous speaker also evokes nervousness in his audience. Constant throat clearing also has a downright contagious effect. However, the same applies vice versa: If the speaker's voice sounds calming, the audience also relaxes. Professional speakers make use of this knowledge.

Conclusion: Train your voice for more (professional) success

Training your voice can pay off in more ways than one: A strong voice makes you appear more confident and competent in no time. This is particularly advantageous in professional life.

If you are aiming for a career as a professional speaker, you cannot avoid the topic of voice training. In this context, we would like to introduce you to our free workbook "Keynote Development Recommend. Learn how to captivate your audience and get your message out to the world. We'll introduce you to 10 ultimate pro tricks.

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Reviewed by Dr. med. Stefan Frädrich

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