Words on a page can convey meaning. But words that are spoken can move hearts. Your voice belongs to both your body and your mind and it is shaped by your internal experiences. It is influenced by your emotions and feelings. Your voice was formed based on your own childhood experiences as well as the social norms of the tribe you grew up with. Your voice reveals not only your deepest sense of who you are, but also who you wish you were not! Every speaker I have ever worked with wishes that their voice didn’t reveal the nervousness they feel when speaking in front of an audience. When I hear the voice of my lover, I hear love. People are often terrified that their speaking voice will reveal that perhaps they are bluffing, that they don’t really know enough about their topic. How many people are terrified of sounding boring because secretly inside themselves, they fear that they actually are boring?

Your voice reveals who you are and who you wish you were not. It’s all there. Open to the savvy listener, either consciously or unconsciously. Your voice can invite intimacy or warn people away. It can repel or attract. It is a guide to fear, power, stress, anxiety, vitality and even authenticity. But society is largely indifferent to voice. It focuses most on words. The moment you open your mouth, you leak out information. Your voice instantly provides clues that can reveal your gender, your physical body size, your biological structure, race, age and even sexual orientation. It can tell us about your overall physical condition, whether you have illnesses, if you are tired, and as mentioned earlier, it even works as a breathalyser.

The clues are there. The question is whether or not you choose to listen to them.Your voice is an amazing stethoscope.

If you want to learn more about how to use your voice more effectively when you pitch or present, then join me for a Free and Live Webinar. Register here: www.GetVoiceable.com/webinar

— Rick Salmon