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Move Your Audience with Your Voice

By Lynn Grasberg

 

Great singers do it and so do great speakers. They literally move their audiences with the power and resonance of their voices. These pros vibrate the bones and bodies of their listeners - giving a massage with sound, and adding to the emotional impact of what is said.

Q: What makes a voice fuller and more resonant?
A: Warming it up.

Speaking is a physical activity, and just as you should warm up your muscles to run or ski, you also need to warm up your voice so that the resonating cavities of your throat, mouth and nose are working for you. Here's one easy way to do it.

The Magic of Yawning

Try this: speak for a few seconds and pay attention to the quality of your voice. Now, yawn several times in a row, sighing on the outbreath. (Ahhhhhhh.) When you stop yawning, speak again. You will probably notice more fullness in your sound because your throat is relaxed and open. Yawning has also caused you to stretch and relax many muscles in your face and neck, releasing constriction and opening up more space to amplify and bring out the rich qualities of your voice.

Cultivating Resonance with Your Audience

When you warm up your voice, you produce a warmer, fuller sound. Interesting, isn't it, that resonance also means the shared understanding between people. You can cultivate warmer, fuller connection with your audience by paying attention to these five points:

1. Pause before you speak. Take a moment to connect with your audience with your eyes and your heart before you start.
2. Stay connected to your audience, no matter what. Bring yourself TOWARDS them with your energy and your intention.
3. Breathe and make relaxed eye contact throughout your talk - If you happen to forget what you want to say, find it in your audience's eyes.
4. Pay attention to your audience's non-verbal cues and respond to the unspoken conversation.
5. Ta-DAH! When you are done speaking, pause again while you accept the audience's applause and appreciation.

 

Resonate!

Remember to take time to warm up your voice before you speak, and pause to connect with your audience before you say a word. You too can move your audience with your voice and the quality of your presence.

 

Copyright © Lynn Grasberg 2008

This article is excerpted from Ta-DAH! Lynn Grasberg’s free monthly newsletter.

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Lynn Grasberg lights up the stage at conferences, conventions and retreats as a keynote speaker and musical comedienne. As a presentation skills coach, she helps individuals and organizations make powerful presentations, handle change with humor and resilience, and develop top-notch communication skills.  Contact her at 303.913.5226, LynnGrasberg.com. 

Note: You have permission to publish this article as long as the resource box is included. Do not edit it in any way without permission. Please let us know of its publication by sending either a website link or a courtesy copy of your publication to lynn@lynngrasberg.com.

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