The voice does it
Municipal Council meeting in a North German town. The first item on the agenda is the extension of a road that runs along a residential area. The building committee has examined the project and made its recommendation. The vote seems pure formality. Until Irene has a say, a 32-year-old primary school teacher and newcomer in local politics. In a loud, urgent voice, she railed against the expansion of the street, describing the dangers to young children, appealing to the environmental conscience of the other council representatives. Suddenly the mood changes. After only a few minutes, the atmosphere is charged, applause from the spectators in the meeting room. What seemed to have a secure majority, is postponed for the time being. First, an expert report should determine the actual need.
How did Irene do it? Sure, the rhetoric was brilliant, captivating her argument. But only the warm and resonant sound of her voice provided the necessary confidence in her person.
"Many people are not aware of this effect," says communications coach Margit Hertlein. It makes a big difference whether someone speaks shrilly or in the deep chest of the conviction whether the voice sounds thin or powerful. The saleswoman who praises a dress enthusiastically, we buy the expensive piece immediately. The bored rasping car dealer, however, remains sitting on his body. Experts believe that our impact on others is only 7 percent dependent on the word content, 40 percent on the sound and the way of speaking.
You can hear feelings
"The voice is the most important personality trait, because it provides information about the current emotional state," says communications scientist Walter Sendlmeier from the TU Berlin. For example, those who are bored talk slower and tend to swallow syllables. With anxiety the voice suddenly becomes much higher. This strains the vocal cords, narrows the throat space. The voice sounds thin and pressed, the sentence melody becomes more monotone. In a matter of seconds our interlocutors register whether we are angry, anxious, sad or happy. "This is where ancient communication patterns come from," says Walter Sendlmeier. A deep voice, for example, signals authority, seriousness and leadership. "I've got things under control, you're safe with me," is the emotional message. Those who speak highly, on the other hand, seem uncertain and can hardly represent their concerns convincingly. A positive trend: The female voice, Walter Sendlmeier knows, has dropped significantly in the last 40 years. The tall little girl sound has gone out of fashion. In politics and business are in demand therefore women with the sonorous old of ex "Tagesschau" spokeswoman Dagmar Berghoff or ZDF news woman Gundula Gause.
It is best to fully exploit the natural potential: "The voice is not a fate, but it is controllable," says Margit Hertlein.
So use the power of your voice
With a little care and regular training, everyone can learn to hit the right note. The following exercises will show you what is important; You'll also learn what else to consider.
Breathe skillfully
When inhaled properly, the diaphragm lowers, the abdomen bulges. As air flows into the lungs, the chest and back expand, increasing the resonance space. When you exhale, the sound-producing vocal folds (vocal cords) are set in motion.
- Practice this diaphragmatic breathing several times a day. Use it for short breaks, such as in the car in front of the traffic light or in the supermarket, if you wait at the cash register.
Clearly articulate
There are numerous muscle parts in the face involved in voice formation. Open your mouth while speaking and shape the vowels with your lips. This increases the resonance space, your voice gains in sound, the pronunciation becomes clearer. With "o" and "u" the lips emphasize round. Open wide at "a" or "egg". - For a better articulation this exercise provides: Lay the tip of the tongue behind the upper incisors and speak several times slowly the following sentence: "Exercise I really enjoy."
Just hold
A crooked back and sunken shoulders hinder breathing and lead to tension. This is how we close our resonance chambers and impair the vibration of the air. The voice loses volume. In contrast, an upright posture, but also openness to sensual stimuli helps. - As often as possible, breathe in the scent of a flower or a good meal. Enjoy the exhale with a loud "Mmm" or "Ah".
Talk low
The situation of indifference, in which one speaks objectively and calmly, can be found in the so-called "counting in". - Walk down a corridor or through the woods and count to ten with each step. Then start all over again and get slower and slower.Those who practice regularly, even in stress situations remembers his lower voice and can easily retrieve them, for example during a lecture.
Correctly emphasize
A common mistake when speaking: start loud and then get quieter. Emphasize individual words. This makes every speech more lively and enhances the effect. At the end of a sentence necessarily lower the sound. If you raise your voice instead, the audience will feel that not everything has been said yet.
Make effective phone calls
Smile when you pick up the phone. That makes the voice softer. Sit upright, or better yet, stand up. This increases the resonance space in the body, the voice sounds fuller. If you are under time pressure, it is better to call back. Otherwise you sound hectic or even annoyed. And always concentrate on the phone call. If you're surfing the internet at the same time, you are inattentive.
Accept professional help
Trained breathing, speech and voice teachers find out with a voice analysis, which acoustic potential is in one. In a weekly speech training, you can correct a wrong breathing and speech technique in six months. The fees are at least 66 euros per hour. Those who rely heavily on the job to vote can deduct the money as income-related expenses or, for the self-employed, as business expenses. In the event of a pathological voice or speech disorder, such as constant hoarseness, irritable coughing or articulation errors, the health insurance costs are borne by the health insurance companies.
Further information:
German Federation of Respiratory, Speech and Voice Teachers, Holstenwall 12, 20355 Hamburg, Tel. 040/35713800, Fax 040/35713803,
book tips: - Margit Hertlein, "Women speak differently, confident and successful in job-talk" (Rowohlt, 7,50 Euro)
- Jochen Waibel: "I Vote - The Vocal House Concept for the Balance of Voice and Personality" (EHP, 19 Euro)
