You probably have attended a presentation where the speaker was quite difficult to listen to, but you couldn’t put your finger on why.  Another time you were enthralled by a wonderful speaker who truly pleased you. Again, you didn’t know why.  What’s the difference here?  Very likely, it’s the speaker’s voice.
    Some speaking voices require conscious mental effort to be understood and to be listened to for longer periods of time. Extreme effort must be expended to grasp the words, and overall, the voice is not pleasing to the ear.  It’s much like going to a concert and finding that while all the notes are being played “correctly,” something is still wrong.
    Conversely, some speaking voices are straight from heaven.  They seem almost musical, with the ability to vary the pitch, tone, volume, accent, energy and power at will.  These are the virtuoso voices we could listen to all day.
    For most speakers, voice usage is one of the last areas of improvement. Fortunately, though, there is help.  The first step: become aware of what is.  Then you’ll have the power to create change. This is a list of the 23 most common mistakes public speakers make with their vocal delivery.  Audiences complain about these incessantly.

• Squeaky and high pitched voice
• Speaking too fast
• Speaking too slow
• Using jargon and unfamiliar terms
• Accent that can’t be understood without great effort
• Poor word choices and poor grammar
• No natural flow of thoughts, or poor logical order
• Not enough white space (pauses), regardless of speaking speed
• Too much white space, stopping the flow
• Thinking out loud, using a stop start style
• Using run-on sentences that never seem to end
• Ending sentences with the voice going upward, as if asking a question
• Mumbling and imprecise diction
• Volume too low
• Volume too high
• Little or no variation in vocal delivery
• Pressured speech, where words come out in a torrent
• Breathy, airy and soft tone
• Nasal tone in voice
• Tripping over certain words
• Using words not suited to the ear of listeners (Speech writing is for the ear, not the eye, as in reading)
• Flat and monotonic pitch
• Low energy and lifeless, with no enthusiasm

    It is not a requirement that a speaker lose a regional or international accent.  They don’t need to adopt the “TV anchor” style of accent-neutrality we hear on the airwaves. I have enjoyed listening to speakers with quite “heavy” accents, but they have modified their speaking so everything they said was easily understandable. The important basic key is to make the speaking voice “irritation free” so listeners can readily enjoy themselves.  This is a minimum requirement.  To next raise your voice performance to a higher level, you would then begin to use your voice musically to create certain experiences for the audience. These would be:

• Suspense and drama
• Quieter, softer moments
• Rousing and exciting times
• Humorous episodes

    Your first step in improving your speaking voice is to be aware of these lists.  Then record yourself when you speak.  Ask friends and a speech coach for their opinions.  Practice modifying your voice usage and quality and eventually you will create the speaking voice that is not only pleasing to audiences, but is an effective tool for getting your message across with power, dramatic effect and credibility.  Audiences will eagerly respond to your message more positively and with greater appreciation.

Bill Cole, MS, MA, a leading authority on peak performance and coaching, is founder and CEO of Procoach Systems, a consulting firm that helps organizations and professionals achieve more success in life, sports and business. For a free, extensive article archive, or for questions and comments visit him at www.MentalGameCoach.com