The Human Voice and Effective Speaking

Introduction

• The human voice is a powerful instrument
• It has the power to start wars or convey love
• Many people feel unheard when they speak
• Goal: How to speak powerfully to effect change

Seven Deadly Sins of Speaking

1. Gossip
   • Speaking ill of someone not present
   • Leads to mistrust
2. Judging
   • Hard to listen when being judged
3. Negativity
   • Example: Complaints about weather, politics
   • Viral misery, not spreading positivity
4. Excuses
   • Avoid taking responsibility
   • Hard to listen to
5. Exaggeration (Embroidery)
   • Devalues language, can lead to lying
6. Complaining
   • A national sport in the UK, but spreads misery
7. Dogmatism
   • Confusing facts with opinions
   • Difficult to listen to

Positive Foundations for Powerful Speech

• HAIL: Honesty, Authenticity, Integrity, Love
  • Honesty: Be true and clear in what you say
  • Authenticity: Be yourself, stand in your own truth
  • Integrity: Be reliable, do what you say
  • Love: Wish people well, temper honesty with kindness

Vocal Toolbox: Tools to Enhance Speech

1. Register
   • Varying vocal location (nose, throat, chest)
   • Depth associated with power and authority
2. Timbre
   • Preferred voices are rich, smooth, warm
   • Can be trained with breathing, posture, exercises
3. Prosody
   • Sing-song quality, imparts meaning
   • Avoid monotone or repetitive prosody
4. Pace
   • Use speed to excite or slow down to emphasize
   • Include silence for impact
5. Pitch
   • Varies with arousal, different pitches convey different meanings
6. Volume
   • Use volume to convey excitement or importance
   • Avoid continuous loudness (sodcasting)

Vocal Warm-Up Exercises

1. Deep breath, sigh out
2. Lip exercises: "Ba, Ba, Ba"
3. Lip vibration: "Brrrr"
4. Tongue exercises: Exaggerated "La, La, La"
5. Rolling an R: "Rrrrr"
6. The Siren: "Weeeaawww"

Conclusion

• Speaking powerfully helps in important moments (e.g., proposals, speeches)
• Warm up your voice
• Ideal world: Conscious creation and consumption of sound for better understanding

Applause