If you have ever cringed when you heard your voice on a recording, or if you worry that your voice isn’t presenting you in the best light, there is a powerful technique that will help you captivate your audience when you speak.

Most people don’t realize how their voice could be sabotaging their message or that they can change how it sounds to create greater connection with others.

This article is the second in a 3-part series based on my Empowered Voice Method.  In this method,  I address three voices you need to be successful in all communication.

• Your Spiritual Voice
• Your Physical Voice
• Your Mental Voice

Your Physical Voice is how you use your body to show up and communicate.  There are specific aspects of speaking that you can alter to create more interest.

The top vocal technique that can help you captivate and keep your audience glued to your every word is Vocal Variety.

Just like you would quickly get bored by a song that only had one note, we can tune out when someone speaks using the same patterns repeatedly.

Vocal Variety allows us to switch things up and keeps your audience interested in what you might say next.

There are 4 P’s to Vocal Variety

1. Pitch
2. Pacing
3. Punch
4. Pause

Pitch is how high or low you speak.  Just like singers have range (Sopranos are high and Basses are low), speakers have pitch in their voice.  Studies show that when we speak to children, our voices raise in pitch.   Studies have also shown that women with lower pitched voices are seen as more competent.

Pacing is how fast or slow you speak.  When I’m excited, I tend to speak much faster.  If I never slow down, it can be overwhelming to my listener.  Changing pace throughout a presentation can help set the mood and create interest.

Punch is moments of impact.  You can suddenly exclaim “Yes!”, or you can lower your voice and quietly share a secret.  Moments of impact can help start or end a section of a presentation much like punctuation in sentences.

Pause is just that…

Many times, we can forget to stop and allow the audience to take in something important.   Pauses allow your listener time to process so they are ready for what’s next.

So how do we apply this in a practical way?

Here are my two favorite ways to practice Vocal Variety.

• Read a children’s book out loud with a dramatic flair.

When we read to young children, we tend to have more variety in our voice.  We speak higher and lower.  We have moments of Punch.  We speed up and slow down.   I prefer a Dr. Seuss Book or something with easy short sentences.

• Record yourself for 30 to 60 seconds sharing about who you are and what you do.

Do you like what you hear?  Do you sound interesting, or is it flat and rehearsed?  Try adding more variety and practice it until you start to love the sound of your voice.  After all, if you don’t love it, what does that do to your message?

When you practice vocal variety, you’ll start to be able to consciously choose the style and energy you bring to your communication.

If you would like to dive deeper into how you can maximize the use of your voice for speaking, I’m gifting my 3 Secrets to a Captivating Voice Video series.

In this series, I demonstrate exercises on how to use your breath more effectively and how to adjust your resonation so you can choose how you really want to sound when you use your voice.

Stephanie Bonte-Lebair is the Found of The Empowered Voice and Empowered Business Networking. She is passionate about helping you love the sound of your voice.  She helps you know what to say and how to say it to find more prospects and close sales faster when you network and speak.