In today’s fast-paced business world, we tend to focus on digital marketing, networking, and brand image but overlook one crucial asset: our voice. For business owners, especially those who frequently engage with clients, lead teams, or speak in public, how you use your voice can directly influence how others perceive you and your business as your voice is one of the first things people notice.
Studies have shown that people make snap judgments based on vocal tone, speed, and clarity. A well-trained voice can project confidence, authority, and warmth, helping you make a lasting positive impression, setting you apart from the competition.
• If you sound rough, weak, strained or breathy you’ll more likely be perceived as negative, weak, passive or tense.
• People who sound “normal” (ie no obvious sounds of vocal distress) are generally seen as successful, sexy, sociable and smart.
• Speaking with vocal irritants such as ‘uptalk’ (pronouncing statements as if they were questions) and ‘vocal fry (ending words or sentences with a raspy growl) makes our listeners think we’re uncomfortable or in pain.
• Annoyed listeners often assume nothing can be done to change an irritating sounding voice.
• Speakers are often unaware of any problem.
• In most cases, people’s voices can be strengthened or improved through therapy, coaching or feedback.
Investing in voice training, especially voice function training, is a perfect place to start building a more impactful voice. Have you ever edited a photo because it was lacking detail and saturation? Our voice is no different – voice function training is the number one “editing tool” to bring more impact. Common areas most people struggle to change or improve include sounding weak, nasal, high pitched, as well as feeling a lack of strength or stamina.
So What is Voice Function Training?
Essentially voice function training involves influencing the mechanics of how our voice works through sound, breathing and posture, resulting in greater ease, power, dynamic expression and stamina. Benefits include:
• Increases the power of first impressions – the sound of your voice is the first thing people notice about you
• Enhances clarity – when your audience can easily understand you, your ideas have a much better chance of resonating
• Builds credibility and trust – the steady, calm tone that results from training conveys a sense of reliability and professionalism, making clients and colleagues more likely to trust you and your business
• Reduces strain and fatigue – gets to the heart of what’s happening in your voice, beyond generic advice, helping you to build true strength
• Adapt to different communication scenarios – a savvy business owner knows how to adjust their tone based on the audience and setting
• Empowers your brand image – voice training empowers you to match your vocal style with your brand identity, reinforcing the message you want your business to send to the world
• Builds confidence in public speaking – by developing control over your vocal tone, pitch, and volume, you can approach public speaking with confidence and authority
Plus, the business world is always evolving:
“In addition to listing your technical prowess on your résumé, you should include soft skills, such as critical thinking, problem-solving, public speaking, professional writing, teamwork and collaboration, professionalism, work ethic, intercultural fluency, adaptability, leadership, time management, creativity and emotional intelligence … have become increasingly important in hiring decisions, as they can often be the deciding factor between two equally qualified candidates.”
Jack Kelly, senior contributor to Forbes magazine
According to Speech Pathology Australia, around 1.24 million Australian adults will develop voice issues, up to 60% of occupational voice users will experience a voice problem at least once during their career, and women are more likely to develop voice issues than men. These statistics suggest a great need, but where to start? Firstly you need to establish your voice type, and how out of shape your voice is. Interestingly, we all have something to work on.
There are 3 main Voice Types, with various sub-categories, but fundamentally you will fall into one of these:
Light – you tend to speak softly and find it hard to raise your volume without feeling strained or forced. You’re often asked to ‘speak up’. You feel either breathy or wobbly, or thin, crackly or irritated.
Heavy – you don’t tend to struggle to increase your volume most of the time, but you can feel strained, hoarse or lack of stamina if speaking for a long time. You may associate strength with the feeling of tension.
Finished – you’re essentially a Vocal Athlete – you have undergone training and have access to a wide range of dynamic expression without losing comfort or stamina. Your voice sounds full and resonant, and people like listening to you speak.
Knowing your voice type helps to inform which areas of your voice you need to work on the most – your breath, your vocal cords, or your resonance (the way you shape vowels). All three areas are equally essential, but none of us use them perfectly, and we all differ in how we engage them – which is why telling someone to ‘speak up’ when their actual voice, or vocal cords, aren’t strong enough can be very harmful – much like lifting heavy weights before your muscles have developed enough strength. Or suggesting they need to ‘speak from their diaphragm’ or ‘use more power’ can induce even more strain to an already overloaded voice.
These things take time to develop, like anything physical. If you knew something wasn’t functioning as it should be in your body, eg your back, you would mostly likely see a physiotherapist or chiropractor, right? Same goes for your voice! Where to begin needs to be assessed and determined by a trained ear.
However the common denominator between all of us is that we are human beings – we all have the same moving parts, and there are some fundamental coordination’s that we can all benefit from:
• Learn to breathe low and slow – avoid filling your chest cavity to help your voice stay smooth
• Get humming! – humming is a great way to engage your vocal cords and warm up your voice
• Speak in your Optimal Speaking Pitch Range (OSPR) – for most people this sits a little higher than normal – speaking here helps your voice operate better, helping you sound more resonant and speak with more ease
• Speak through a straw – if your voice is feeling rough and tired speak an ‘ooh’ through a straw and slide up and down your range for a few minutes – research shows this is a great way to take the load off your voice and helps to ‘reset’ it again
• Stay hydrated! – systemic hydration (drinking water regularly) is beneficial for your body, your skin, and your voice!
Incorporating voice training into your professional development can transform how others perceive you and enhance your overall impact as a leader. A strong, authentic voice is not only an asset in communication but a powerful tool for building connections, gaining trust, and leaving a lasting impression.
So, if you’re looking to elevate your business presence, investing in voice training might just be the best step forward!
Ready to begin? Book in a complimentary chat and I’ll get you started:
https://calendly.com/rachelpietsch/chat-with-rachel-pietsch