Voice Tips

Have you ever made a recording of your voice and played it back and been surprised at how you sound?

Many of us don’t like the sound of our voice when we hear it on a recording, but why is that?

For the last 30 years, I’ve recorded thousands of clients’ voices at my studio, to help them really understand exactly how they sound to other people. I use the highest quality microphones to make sure the sound is perfect. I will also show them the audio track so they can ‘see’ their voice too and notice things like volume, pausing and pacing. By hearing and ‘seeing’ their voice I help them to fully understand the impact it will have, when delivering a pitch, speech or presentation.

But why do so many people say they don’t like the sound of their voice on a recording?

Did you know that the voice we hear while we’re speaking is not the voice that other people hear? This is because our voices are sound waves, or vibrations and when other people speak, the sound comes through the air into our ears. But when we speak, we not only hear the sound through our ears, we also feel the sound vibration inside our head. So we think our voices are deeper than they really are. And when we hear ourselves on a recording we sometimes get a surprise, our voice isn’t as deep as we thought.

My clients in the recording studio will often be quite surprised. They will tell me they think their voice sounds a bit ‘weak’ or ‘boring’. They sometimes say there’s no energy in their voice, or that they can’t hear any passion or authority when they speak.

So, how can you get to fully understand how you sound to other people? Here’s what I suggest. When you’re preparing for your next speaking event, record yourself on your phone then play it back. Ask yourself these five questions:

• Do I sound engaging?
• How fast am I speaking?
• What’s the pitch of my voice like?
• Am I stressing the important words?
• Is my voice too loud or too quiet?

Everyone can improve the way that they sound, but it takes practice. The more comfortable you become listening to your voice, the more confidence you will develop as a speaker.

If you want to fully understand how you look and sound to other people, through extensive self-recording and video assignments, check out my popular video course Projecting Leadership: Transform Your Voice And Presence With Gravitas.  This 6-module training program will give you the instant skills to present with power, impact and authority.

Find out more here – Projecting Leadership: Transform Your Voice And Presence With Gravitas