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Friday, July 13th, 2007
 Susan Berkley's
VOICE-COACH
WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
"Your Source for Success in Public Speaking"
Friday, July 13th, 2007 |
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Q & A with Susan Berkley
A VO Coach subscriber writes:
"While watching Super Model Tyra Banks on TV the other night, I couldn't help but notice how professional sounding her voice is. I think it really contributes to her success. When I speak I think I sound like a little girl. How can I tell if my voice is really too high for my age? How can I find my optimal pitch?"
First of all, good for you for observing that a beautiful voice is part of a successful professional image. In business and in life, merely looking good is not enough. Even a beautiful fashion model and successful business woman like Tyra Banks knows that her spoken image is part of the total package.
Now here's the key distinction: Many people think a problematic voice is something they are born with, that it's the luck of the genetic draw. Often, however, the problem is not that we weren't blessed with a good voice. It's that we abuse the voice we were given. Here are some of the ways we do this:
Tension
Your voice cannot sound its best unless your throat and jaw are relaxed. Many people clench their jaw and grind their teeth because of unresolved stress. The throat also becomes tense when we block our self expression.
Forcing the voice to go where it shouldn't
Some teenagers intentionally try to make their voice sound hoarse and raspy because they think it sounds cool. The resulting sound is like a stick being dragged across the spokes of a bicycle wheel: the vocal equivalent of ripped jeans. Adults do this too, pushing the voice down into the throat in an attempt to sound deeper and more mature.
Smoking
The latest research on why its so hard to break the nicotine habit show that people who smoke unconsciously take pleasure out of harming their health and well being. They unconsciously feel they get some benefit out of doing so. And of course there is a lot of marketing pressure to continue smoking as tobacco companies always try to link smoking to being cool, being free and other desirable things. But make no mistake about it-smoking will destroy your voice and your health.
Habitual throat clearing
Everyone needs to clear their throat from time to time. But when it becomes habitual, it could be because there is something bubbling up from the unconscious we don't want to see, or something we need to say but won't. If you must clear your throat, try to swallow or take a sip of water instead. You can also try to make a silent HA sound and then swallowing. This will knock excess phlegm off the vocal folds without irritating them.
Want to find YOUR Million Dollar Voice?
Visit us on the web and take a glance at our Magnetic Speaking Power Products.
Go to: http://www.greatvoice.com/magnetic/index.html
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GOT A PET PEEVE?
Thanks to our Voice Coach Subscriber, Andrew Walkins who writes:
"I actually saw someone read word for word from index cards. I'm still stunned! I think everyone should know by now that this is a definite 'no,no'. Not only did he look ridiculous, but he also sounded like a humanoid."
If you have a pet peeve that you simply have to get off your chest, then tell us about it at customerservice@greatvoice.com,
Subject: Voice Coach Pet Peeve
and check out next week's tip for your comments!
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT
"There's no such things as coulda, shoulda, or woulda. If you shoulda and coulda, you woulda done it."
-Pat Riley
Head Coach and
Team President
of the Miami Heat
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Susan Recommends 
If you're a lifetime learner like me, you're going to love this Podcast by my friend Rich Jones. It's called "Thinking with Somebody Else's Head" and you'll find it easily by name in iTunes. Rich and his special guests will give you a refreshing new perspective on the "head stuff" that holds us back and keeps us from enjoying life to the fullest. This is some cutting edge material based on over 30 years of clinical research done by psychoanalyst Dr. Norberto Keppe and his colleagues in Brazil. It's free and you don't need an iPod to listen. You can hear it at www.itunes.com on any computer.
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"The Secret" to Speaking Success...
Recognize this guy with Susan?
It's David Schirmer, one of the success experts featured in "The Secret". They were attending the recent "Money Making Super Conference" in Chicago, with their marketing gurus Bill Glazer and Dan Kennedy. Both Susan and David are members of the Glazer-Kennedy Inner Circle.
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Magnetic Speaking Power
"Persuasive Speaking Secrets of the World's Most Confident and Successful People"
Discover how you can eliminate speech fright, improve your speaking voice and become a more confident speaker, practically overnight!
Your voice has a profound impact on how successfully you influence and persuade others. It determines how seriously you are taken, how respected you are, the results you get with clients, co-workers or vendors in business, and in your personal life.
In fact, consider that whenever you present your opportunity or make an important phone call, even though you've honed your message to perfection, the quality of your voice (pitch, tone, inflection) counts for a whopping 84% of the message. Your voice has amazing powers to attract and also to repel.
Learn the secrets to finding your million dollar voice.
Give us a call at 1-800-333-8108 for more information on products and programs right for you! |
Susan Berkley
The Great Voice Company
1-800-333-8108 |
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