By Sudha Hariharan

VOICE PLAYS A MAJOR ROLE IN POWER COMMUNICATIONS

Power communication skills enable you to turn negatives into positives. Getting ahead in today’s competitive world requires excelling at relationship skills and, this can be developed through proper voice communications.

A string of of high-sounding degrees tagging your name could be of little use if you can’t express your views correctly , concisely and above all in a pleasant, well-modulated voice. Surprisingly, today we find highly-qualified people getting tongue-tied when they have to communicate---even more surprising is their standard of language, accent and tone.

One does not have to use high-sounding words to impress others: one must speak correctly, paying attention to usage of words, grammar, tone, etc. In short, apart from having complete command over language, one must also speak in the right tone in order to impress. In the course of several encounters, with men and women, in our day-to-day life, it is simply appalling to come across people who are academically highly qualified but exhibit a total apathy to communicating effectively.

But there are still times at work when women need to project authority----whether while giving a presentation, negotiating a raise or a deal, or vying for promotion. A well-modulated, pleasant-sounding voice and right intonation can ease the path to success. Women use language to seek confirmation, create connections and reinforce intimacy. They can, however, learn to communicate with greater authority. No matter whether you are a man or a woman, a good voice is an asset that can be cultivated inorder to enhance personality.

Our voice is a trademark, as unique as a thumbprint. More than a communications channel, it is a means of creating a favourable impact. It is also wrong to believe that only singers, performers and politicians need a good voice. We spend many hours and huge sums of money on fine-tuning our physical appearance, but we forget to hone our voice, which is our ambassador to the outer world.

Popular actor and TV anchor, Simone Singh says, “When you speak to others, your voice is conveying a message about your personality…a good voice personality projects a positive message while a poor voice gives a negative message”.

Pallavi Jha, Managing Director, Dale Carnegie Training , says “Public speaking is the best marketing tool we have today. It costs close to nothing and gives you a platform to market and sell your products. However, most people do not consider this a tool because of their fear of speaking in front of groups.”

Renowned speech expert and theatre actor Sabira Merchant, who trains Miss India contestants , says “ We often react to sloppy diction and an unpleasant voice. We cannot escape the fact that we are judged by both, our written and our spoken language. As most of us speak a great deal more than we write,we need to master every phase of voice if we are to win friends, enjoy life more fully , and succeed in earning a great living”.

It is true that often we have judged some people as weak and unsuccessful merely by hearing their voice…..sometimes we get the feeling that the person has a strong personality and is worthy of our respect, confidence and friendship. Most of the time when we listen to a person on the phone or over the radio, we tend to develop a mental image of him or her. Says Merchant, “ It is important to ask ourselves if others are ‘listening’ to what we are saying or how we are saying it.”

Dr. Natash Ann D’souza, a leading speech therapist and audiologist with Breach Candy Hospital (Mumbai) stresses on the need for refined and precise articulation.”Articulation”, she says,” is about the way your lips, tongue, teeth and other mouth parts form word sounds…it must be crisp and clear. However, often due to sheer laziness and ignorance, articulation is dull and lax, conveying a sloppy image. On the other hand, clear and crisp articulation gives the impression of intelligence”.

“Articulation” says Natasha,”is the simplest aspect that can be changed, and the best way is to practice and pay attention to the words, especially syllables or words ending with ‘f’,’r’, ‘l’, etc. You can pop large grapes into your mouth and practice”.

As Abraham Lincoln said, "You are what you think". Before each speaking opportunity, think and write out positive affirmations (i.e. "I'm a great speaker") and you will eventually believe it and become it”, says Jha, who trains numerous corporate executives the mantra of developing public speaking skills.”

"Practice makes permanent" –and just like with everything else in life the more you do it the better your skill becomes. So take every opportunity you can to speak!

Here, inflection plays an important role---how you change your voice to create interest and meaning . There are five key tools of inflection----varied pace, varied pitch, pause, emphasis and ‘ smile’. For instance when we are sad, we often speak softly in a low pitch. Poor voice personality contains too few, too many or misplacement of these tools. Good inflection is the appropriate application of the tools as it helps to hold interest and effectively communicates the meaning.

Inflection can be developed with practice. “Intonation”, says Dr. D’souza,”deals with how you develop your voice. A voice can sound ,weak, flat or strained which is unpleasant and difficult to listen to. A full, rich, voice (like Amitabh Bachchan’s) moves forward and out to the listener. Many people speak through their nose and this makes their voice squeaky; instead one should speak through the mouth”.

Together, the three features—articulation, inflection and intonation –give a person a good and compelling voice personality. Says Sabira: Nearly 40 percent of the meaning of what you say is conveyed by the personality of your voice. So if you want to get your message across clearly and effectively, developing a good voice is vital.

Pallavi Jha gives us some more insight into how to hold audiences. She says,” Visualize the audience in their underwear - You immediately calm your fears by realizing that everyone is just a person like yourself. Also 90 percent of a good presentation revolves around good planning. If you want to decrease your anxiety -- know your audience, research your topic, prepare a good outline and then follow it.

Be yourself. Many fears can be attributed to a speaker trying to adapt to a style that

is not their own. “

So whether you are seeking success in your career or harmony in your relationships

it is important to develop not just a good physical personality, but a charming and impressive voice personality too!