The Power of the Human Voice

Introduction

• The human voice: a powerful tool capable of great impact (e.g., starting wars, expressing love).
• Many people feel unheard when they speak.
• Aim: to speak powerfully and induce change.

Seven Deadly Sins of Speaking

1. Gossip: Speaking ill of someone not present.
2. Judging: Creates barriers; people don’t listen if they feel judged.
3. Negativity: Hard to listen to; spreads misery.
   • Includes complaining (a common habit, especially in the UK).
4. Excuses: Avoiding responsibility; off-putting.
5. Exaggeration/Embroidery: Demeans language and can lead to lying.
6. Dogmatism: Presenting opinions as facts.
7. Complaining: Viral misery; spreads dissatisfaction.

Four Cornerstones of Powerful Speaking (

HAIL)

• Honesty: Being true, straightforward, and clear.
• Authenticity: Being oneself; standing in one’s truth.
• Integrity: Being trustworthy and reliable.
• Love: Wishing others well; adds kindness to honesty.

The Toolbox: Enhancing Your Speaking

• Register: Using different pitches (e.g., chest voice for weight).
• Timbre: Quality of the voice; preferred qualities are rich, smooth, and warm.
• Prosody: Sing-song quality; essential for conveying meaning.
• Pace: Speed of speaking; can be varied for effect.
• Pitch: Can vary to convey different meanings.
• Volume: Loudness; can emphasize points.

Preparing Your Voice

• Importance of warming up the voice.
• Exercises:
  1. Arms up, deep breath, and sigh out.
  2. Lip warm-up: “Ba, Ba, Ba, Ba.”
  3. Lip vibration: “Brrrrr.”
  4. Tongue exercise: “La, La, La, La.”
  5. Rolling an R: “Rrrrrr.”
  6. The Siren: “Weeeaawww.”

Conclusion

• Current state: poor speaking habits in noisy environments.
• Ideal: conscious speaking and listening in conducive environments.
• Result: Enhanced understanding and a more beautiful sounding world.