The 7 keys you need to get THE BEST SOUNDING VOICE
How to instantly sound more interesting, confident and charismatic in any situation.
If you are like most people - you were never taught HOW TO SPEAK.
Our school system teaches us WHAT to say. For effective communication this is just not enough. You need something more.
Maybe you had a situation in your life where a confident person outcompeted you for a job, a sale or simply gained popularity just by sounding confident - many times without actually knowing anything.
It doesn't matter if you know more, have a higher competency or potential if you don't SOUND confident and interesting.
The 7 keys to effective communication
For many years I studied communication and performed on stage.
I travelled the world to learn from the top experts.
I discovered 7 key voice qualities that (if practiced) - instantly makes you sound better.
So what are the 7 key voice qualities? Let's dig in.
1. Speed
This is such a simple one but painfully neglected.
Perhaps you have listened to someone that is stuck in either speaking too slow or too fast - they are both bad!
What is interesting is the right amount of VARIATION, in the appropriate places.
How to Use Speed Effectively:
Slow down for emphasis: Important points deserve slower deliverySpeed up for excitement: Build energy with faster pacePause for impact: Strategic silence is more powerful than wordsMatch the content: Serious topics = slower, exciting topics = faster
Practice Exercise:
Read the same sentence at three different speeds:
1. Very slow (for emphasis)
2. Normal pace (for information)
3. Fast (for excitement)
Notice how the meaning changes with speed alone.
2. Volume
Again it seems basic.
You might be thinking you already know this. But how many people are actually using variations in volume effectively when they are speaking?
Practically no one.
A sudden blast of high volume can wake up a sleeping audience and pull attention.
While a shift to a whisper can have the audience leaning in, desperate to hear more.
The Volume Spectrum:
Whisper: Creates intimacy and draws people inNormal: For regular conversation and informationProjection: For emphasis and commanding attentionShout: Only for extreme emphasis (use sparingly)
Practice Exercise:
Practice the same phrase at different volumes:
- "This is important" (whisper)
- "This is important" (normal)
- "This is IMPORTANT" (projection)
Feel how each creates a different emotional response.
3. Rhythm
In music staccato is used to describe a sound that is sharp and separate from other sounds while legato is more of a smooth flow.
Staccato can be used to sound like a coach or a drill sergeant in bootcamp. It effectively motivates people into taking quick action if used properly and can create a sense of urgency.
Rhythm Patterns:
Staccato: Sharp. Separate. Words. (For urgency and command)Legato: Smooth flowing speech (For storytelling and connection)Mixed: Combining both for dynamic delivery
Practice Exercise:
Try this sentence both ways:
- Staccato: "You. Must. Take. Action. Now."
- Legato: "You must take action now, flowing like a river toward your goals."
4. Pitch
Speaking with a high pitch can make you sound weak and like you lack conviction - or it could even make you appear childish.
Speaking at a constant pitch will make you sound extremely boring! So don't do it 🙂
Pitch Mastery:
Lower pitch: Conveys authority and confidenceHigher pitch: Shows excitement and energyPitch variation: Keeps listeners engagedDownward inflection: Shows certainty and completionUpward inflection: Shows questions and uncertainty
Practice Exercise:
Say "Hello" with:
1. Low pitch (authority)
2. High pitch (excitement)
3. Rising pitch (question)
4. Falling pitch (statement)
5. Articulation
Being very exact in your pronunciation can make you sound articulate and intelligent - but too much can be perceived as try hard.
A less controlled articulation can sound fun, carefree, or dumb, drunk and drugged! So be careful.
Finding the Balance:
Clear articulation: For professional settings and important pointsRelaxed articulation: For casual conversation and connectionOver-articulation: Sounds pretentious and disconnectedUnder-articulation: Sounds sloppy and unprofessional
Practice Exercise:
Practice tongue twisters daily:
- "Red leather, yellow leather"
- "She sells seashells by the seashore"
- "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers"
6. Tone Color
The tone color is controlled by where the voice is projected. Some common examples are a nasal sounding voice (from the nose) or a raspy one (from the back of the throat).
This can also be very subtle so your voice could have a nasal quality without you necessarily noticing - and it can make you sound less confident!
My singing coach is constantly making me aware of the subtle nasal sounds that I make.
Tone color is great in acting for making characters - cartoons are extreme examples of using this type of voice quality.
Tone Color Variations:
Chest voice: Deep, resonant, authoritativeHead voice: Light, bright, energeticNasal: Annoying, whiny (avoid this)Breathy: Intimate, soft, vulnerableClear: Professional, trustworthy
Practice Exercise:
Say "Hello" projecting from:
1. Your chest (deep and resonant)
2. Your head (light and bright)
3. Your nose (nasal - notice how unpleasant this sounds)
7. Emotional Tone
This is perhaps the most important one. When people listen to you, they want you to take them on an emotional roller coaster ride and to experience a wide range of emotions.
Actors know that by using emotions they can play the audience like a finely tuned violin.
But how is this done exactly?
The face is the seat of emotional expression and by showing an emotion with your face - which is a completely learnable skill you also control the emotional tone in your voice.
The face is the remote control for your voice - it is that important.
But many of my students completely lack any facial expression and they are often not aware of how much this is affecting them.
Emotional Range:
Joy: Bright, lifted, energeticSadness: Lower, slower, softerAnger: Sharp, intense, powerfulFear: Tight, higher, uncertainSurprise: Quick, bright, elevatedDisgust: Harsh, closed, rejecting
Practice Exercise:
Say "That's interesting" with different emotions:
1. Joy (bright and excited)
2. Sadness (low and slow)
3. Anger (sharp and intense)
4. Surprise (quick and elevated)
Notice how your face naturally changes with each emotion.
How to Dominate Life
The problems in our life often have simple solutions. The basics, when trained and applied properly will always give you the best results!
By consistently practicing these basics I have trained both myself and others to:
- Sound more INTERESTING and CONFIDENT
- Have a much greater range of expression
- Be more in touch with emotions by expressing them properly
- Unleash power and rise up to be leaders
- Be more creative by unblocking expression
Changing your voice not only changes your sound - but it makes you grow to be a different person. It actually changes how you think and who you are at the core.
Your Daily Practice Routine
Morning Warm-up (10 minutes):
1. Humming scales (pitch)
2. Lip trills (breath support)
3. Tongue twisters (articulation)
4. Volume exercises (projection)
Throughout the Day:
- Practice one voice quality per conversation
- Record yourself speaking
- Listen back and adjust
- Get feedback from others
Evening Review (5 minutes):
- What worked well today?
- What needs improvement?
- Plan tomorrow's focus
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Mistake 1: Trying to change everything at onceSolution: Focus on one quality at a time
Mistake 2: Practicing only in isolationSolution: Use real conversations for practice
Mistake 3: Ignoring feedbackSolution: Record yourself and listen objectively
Mistake 4: Giving up too quicklySolution: Commit to 30 days of consistent practice
The Transformation Timeline
Week 1: Awareness - You'll start noticing voice patternsWeek 2: Experimentation - Trying new techniquesWeek 3: Integration - Techniques become more naturalWeek 4: Confidence - Others notice the change
Your Next Step
Choose ONE of these 7 qualities to focus on for the next week.
Practice it in every conversation.
Record yourself daily.
Notice the difference.
Then move to the next quality.
In 7 weeks, you'll have a completely transformed voice.
And a completely transformed life.
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