The Power of the Human Voice: How to Speak So People Listen

The human voice is the instrument we all play. It's arguably the most powerful sound in the world—the only one that can start a war or say "I love you." Yet, many people feel that when they speak, they aren't heard. Why is that? How can we speak powerfully to effect change in the world?

Let's consider several habits we need to move away from. Here are seven deadly sins of speaking that many of us can fall into:

1. **Gossip**: Speaking ill of someone who isn't present. This habit erodes trust, as those who gossip are often also gossiped about.

2. **Judging**: People who are judgmental are hard to listen to, as being judged makes us feel defensive and inadequate.

3. **Negativity**: Constant negativity is draining and difficult to listen to. My mother, for example, became very negative in her later years, making every conversation a struggle.

4. **Complaining**: Though complaining is a common pastime, especially in the UK, it's a form of viral misery that spreads discontent rather than joy.

5. **Excuses**: Those who never take responsibility for their actions and always blame others are hard to engage with meaningfully.

6. **Exaggeration**: Embellishing stories diminishes credibility and can lead to outright lying, which destroys trust.

7. **Dogmatism**: Confusing opinions with facts and bombarding others with these "truths" makes listening difficult.

These seven habits are worth avoiding. But is there a positive approach to improve our speaking? Yes. There are four powerful foundations for effective communication, conveniently forming the word "HAIL":

1. **Honesty**: Be truthful and clear in what you say.

2. **Authenticity**: Be yourself, standing in your own truth.

3. **Integrity**: Do what you say; be reliable and trustworthy.

4. **Love**: Wish people well. Genuine goodwill makes it hard to judge or deceive.

Now, let's delve into how we say things, utilizing the incredible toolbox that is the human voice. Here are a few tools to enhance your speaking:

- **Register**: The depth of your voice. Speaking from the chest adds weight and authority.

- **Timbre**: The texture of your voice. We prefer voices that are rich and warm, like hot chocolate. Training with a voice coach can enhance your timbre.

- **Prosody**: The rhythm and melody of speech. Avoid monotonous speech and embrace the musicality of language to convey meaning.

- **Pace**: Varying the speed of your speech can convey excitement or emphasize important points.

- **Silence**: Strategic pauses can be powerful, giving weight to your words.

- **Pitch**: Adjusting pitch can change the emotional impact of your message.

- **Volume**: Use loudness to convey excitement and softness to draw attention.

Before any important speech, warm up your voice. Here are six exercises:

1. **Sigh out** with arms raised.

2. **Lip buzz**: Ba, ba, ba.

3. **Lip trills**: Brrrrr.

4. **Tongue exercises**: La, la, la.

5. **Roll an R**: Rrrrrr.

6. **Siren sounds**: Weeeaawww.

Consider the broader impact of our speaking practices. Currently, we speak poorly in noisy environments, leading to miscommunication. Imagine a world where we speak powerfully to attentive listeners in well-designed acoustic spaces. A world of conscious sound creation and consumption would be beautiful, fostering better understanding—a goal worth striving for.

Thank you.