Make Your Voice Your Number One Asset

Turn Their First Impression into a Lasting Impression.

If you are a successful business leader and entrepreneur today, you know how vital it is to have executive level speaking and communication skills.

You must be able to motivate or impart crucial information. You must speak clearly and directly. You must be assertive without being aggressive to strike the balance between warmth and authority. Your audience must hear and understand you.

How you sound has a tremendous impact on how your message is received. To be most effective, the quality of your voice must genuinely match the meaning and content of your presentation. Is your voice all that you want it to be?

To illustrate how important your voice is, think about a time you had a phone conversation with someone and you knew exactly how they were feeling simply from the sound. Though the effect can be subtle or it can be very obvious, voices always reflect a person’s inner state and you know if they are angry, depressed, happy, or nervous.

When someone has a nasal quality, hoarseness, or they sound monotone, it’s harder to focus on what they’re saying. The most brilliant and innovative ideas and information can be lost as a result of a voice that’s hard to listen to for some reason. This inability to be heard or understood can have serious consequences in your business.

Ask yourself how others perceive you and the words you are saying. When your voice and your content of your message match, it gives you credibility. It makes you compelling to listen to. Your listeners will intuitively trust and respond to you.

One of the best ways is to start listening to people and consciously identifying who, in your opinion, has a compelling voice. To identify the memorable qualities, ask yourself these questions while you listen.

Do they sound polished?
Are they charismatic?
Does their voice seem professional?
Are they passionate but not pushy?
Do you sense their warmth and sincerity?
Would you trust what they say?
Is their voice resonant and connected?
Do they sound truly confident?

When you’ve identified the qualities you like, evaluate your own voice by recording yourself or getting feedback from a trusted friend or colleague. Your next step might be to find a reliable self-study vocal development program or a qualified coach.

Developing a resonant balanced voice is an ongoing process and it may take several weeks or months before you or others start to notice the differences. However, continuing with the process will positively affect your communication, your presentation, and ultimately your business and career.

The author of this article, Katherine Scott of Voice of Destiny™ , is a singer, songwriter, author and professional voice coach. For over fifteen years in her private voice practice, Katherine has inspired singers and speakers to discover or uncover the strong engaging voice they were always meant to have. In her unique approach, the voice is an intersection point for connecting the sound, how they express who they are, and their personal vision of their successful career and life.

You can find insights and solutions to vocal challenges at http://www.youruniqueexpression.com. Visit http://www.vocalmapping.comfor free audio voice tips and voice exercises to use on a daily basis so your voice will sound fully present in any situation.