The way you sound has a tremendous impact on your audience. When you improve your voice, you will also improve the effectiveness of your presentation.
According to researcher Casey Klofstad, who studied the influence of political candidate voices on voter choice, men and women consistently prefer candidates with lower-pitched voices.
We seem to instinctively like people with resonating voices more.
You don’t have to sound like James Earl Jones, but having some control over your voice can go a long way when you present. You will be able to add vocal variety. As a result, your words sound more interesting.
So how can you improve your voice by making it more resonating?
1. Breathe Deeply And Relax
Your voice is typically lower after you just wake up in the morning because your larynx is relaxed. Stress, on the other hand, tightens muscles including those that influence your voice.
The more relaxed and loose your vocal cords, the more deeply your voice will resonate.
To relax your vocal cords, take a deep breath to completely fill your lungs. Then, slowly exhale with a long, stretched Ahhhh… sound in a falling tone. The kind of sound you would make when you finally get to sit down and relax after a long and busy day.
Place one hand on your chest and feel how the vibration is getting stronger as your voice lowers.
Repeat this a few times and feel how your vocal cords relax and make your voice more resonant.
2. Stretch Your Vocal Cords
Drop your head down so your chin is just above your chest. Then hum in a low register.
While you continue humming, raise your head to face the ceiling. This will stretch your vocal cords and allows them to vibrate more.
Also stretch your neck muscles by moving your head in a circular motion a few times in each direction.
3. Move Your Mouth
When you don’t open your mouth completely, you constrain the sounds coming out of it.
Move your mouth fully to help the sound waves travel from your vocal cords to your listeners’ ears without any obstruction.
4. Keep Hydrated
Drink lots of water in the hours leading up to your presentation to keep hydrated.
During your talk, if needed, drink room-temperature water. Cold water tightens the muscles of your vocal cord, making them less flexible.
5. Pay Attention to Your Posture
Your overall posture also has an impact on your voice. When you stand or sit slouched over, you impact your breathing and restrict the flow of air.
To speak in a resonating voice, stand tall (or sit straight) and keep your head up.
For more practical exercises to improve your voice, watch the video in this post in which Julian Treasure shares some warm-up routines for your vocal cords.
The quality of your voice impacts how your audience feels about you. Higher pitch usually denotes excitement and enthusiasm while a lower pitch is associated with confidence.
Record yourself to find out if you could improve this aspect of your delivery. If needed, start exercising your vocal cords frequently to give them more range and your voice a deeper resonance.
