How to improve your voice and speech

Summary

The speaker shares insights on enhancing voice appeal and communication skills. They emphasize studying great speakers like Prince, who speaks slowly and rhythmically from a calm place, captivating audiences. The speaker advises slowing down, speaking clearly, and using pacing to emphasize important points in storytelling. They also suggest recording oneself to improve and overcome the discomfort of hearing one's own voice. The talk concludes with tips on knowing one's subject matter, efficient communication, and maintaining good oral hygiene for close talks.

Takeaways

• 🎤 **Study Great Speakers**: Observe and learn from speakers who inspire you, noticing their speaking style and rhythm.
• 🔍 **Slow Down**: Speak slowly and clearly to ensure your message is understood and to add attractiveness to your speech.
• 📖 **Tell Stories Effectively**: Good speakers know how to tell stories well, using pacing to emphasize important points.
• ⏱️ **Control Your Pace**: Vary your speed to add emphasis and clarity; slow down for important details and speed up for less critical information.
• 🎵 **Find Your Natural Voice**: Discover your unique speaking voice by practicing and being comfortable with your natural tone and rhythm.
• 🌊 **Be Like Water**: Speak with fluidity and adaptability, flowing like water into different speaking situations.
• 🗣️ **Know Your Content**: Understand what you're speaking about to communicate more effectively and avoid rambling.
• 🎥 **Record Yourself**: Practice speaking by recording yourself to identify areas for improvement and to build confidence.
• 🌟 **Speak from the Heart**: Speak about topics you're knowledgeable about and passionate for better communication and connection.
• 😁 **Maintain Good Oral Hygiene**: Ensure good breath and oral care to enhance the overall impression of your speech.

Q & A

What is the first tip given for improving one's speaking voice?

The first tip is to slow down when speaking. It's advised to speak clearly and at a pace that allows people to understand what you're saying.

Why is it important to study great speakers according to the script?

Studying great speakers helps by observing their techniques, such as rhythm, clarity, and storytelling, which can inspire and guide one to improve their own speaking voice.

How does the speaker describe Prince's speaking style and what can be learned from it?

Prince's speaking style is described as slow, with a nice rhythm, coming from a deep and calm place. It's suggested that his deliberate pace and thoughtfulness make his speech more attractive.

What role does storytelling play in effective speaking according to the transcript?

Storytelling is crucial in effective speaking as it allows the speaker to emphasize important points by adjusting their pace and rhythm, making the narrative more engaging and easier to follow.

What is the significance of speaking slowly during a story's important parts?

Speaking slowly during important parts of a story helps to add emphasis and ensures that the listener feels the significance of the moment, thus enhancing the storytelling experience.

How does the speaker suggest one can make their speech more attractive?

The speaker suggests that one can make their speech more attractive by speaking slowly, having a good rhythm, and finishing sentences at a lower pitch for a more soothing and engaging tone.

What is the advice given for finding one's natural voice?

To find one's natural voice, the speaker advises getting relaxed, clearing the throat, hydrating it, and breathing deeply into the diaphragm before speaking.

Why is it beneficial to record oneself speaking, as mentioned in the script?

Recording oneself speaking is beneficial for practice and self-assessment, allowing one to notice and correct mistakes, stutters, and improve clarity and efficiency in communication.

What does the speaker suggest about the importance of knowing the subject of one's speech?

The speaker emphasizes the importance of knowing the subject of one's speech to become a better communicator, as it allows for efficient and clear communication without unnecessary rambling.

What final tip does the speaker give regarding oral hygiene and its impact on speaking?

The speaker humorously suggests that good oral hygiene is crucial, as no matter how well one speaks, bad breath can detract from the message, emphasizing the importance of brushing teeth.

Outlines

00:00

🗣️ Mastering Voice and Speech

The speaker shares insights on improving one's voice and speaking abilities, emphasizing the importance of studying great speakers like Prince, who spoke slowly and with a rhythm that commanded attention. The speaker advises to slow down, speak clearly, and use the right rhythm and cadence. They also stress the importance of storytelling, using Prince's way of speaking as an example, and suggest practicing by recording oneself to improve speaking efficiency and clarity.

05:02

🎶 The Flow and Tone of Speech

The speaker discusses the importance of tone and pacing in speech, suggesting that finishing sentences at a lower pitch can be more attractive. They compare speech to the flow of water, emphasizing adaptability and timing. The speaker shares a personal story about how their voice affected someone, highlighting the power of speech to evoke emotions. They also advise knowing the subject matter well to communicate effectively and to speak efficiently by avoiding unnecessary details.

10:07

🌳 Life Perspectives and Speaking Practice

The speaker encourages looking at life from different perspectives to improve various life skills, including speaking. They recommend recording oneself speaking daily as a practice method, sharing their own experience of recording videos without cuts to improve clarity and efficiency. The speaker also talks about the importance of knowing what one is speaking about to communicate effectively and to have points that are clear and efficient.

15:07

🎵 The Universal Language of Music and Speaking

The speaker connects the love for music to the art of speaking, describing music as a universal language that can evoke emotions and is deeply personal. They recount a childhood memory of being moved by a singer in church, which sparked their love for music. The speaker advises to think about what one is going to say, not to be afraid to express oneself, and to maintain good oral hygiene along with practicing speaking to become a better speaker.

Keywords

💡Slow down

The speaker emphasizes the importance of speaking slowly and clearly, allowing the listener to understand the message better. Slowing down also helps to control tone and cadence, adding emphasis when necessary. The script mentions that speaking too fast may sound smart, but it's not as attractive as a well-paced conversation, demonstrated in the speaker's storytelling.

💡Rhythm and cadence

Rhythm and cadence refer to the flow and timing of speech. The speaker suggests that great speakers maintain a rhythmic pattern in their delivery, speeding up during less important details and slowing down to highlight key points. The speaker references Prince’s calm and rhythmic way of speaking, which draws people in.

💡Storytelling

Effective storytelling is described as a key skill in becoming a better speaker. The speaker illustrates how to tell stories by adjusting speed and tone to capture attention and emphasize important moments. In the script, the speaker uses a personal story about encountering a snake to show how to engage listeners with a well-structured narrative.

💡Tone

Tone is presented as a crucial element in making speech more attractive and effective. The speaker advises lowering the pitch at the end of sentences to sound more appealing, especially in conversations. The example provided contrasts between a higher-pitched and lower-pitched greeting, showing how tone affects the perception of speech.

💡Natural voice

Finding one’s natural voice involves speaking from a relaxed, comfortable place. The speaker explains that the natural voice is discovered by clearing the throat, hydrating, and breathing from the diaphragm. The script emphasizes the importance of using one’s natural voice, as it allows for more authentic and effective communication.

💡Confidence

Confidence is highlighted as essential for effective communication. The speaker suggests that knowing what you're talking about and being familiar with the subject matter makes speech more fluid and impactful. Confidence in one's voice and message ensures clarity and reduces unnecessary fillers or rambling.

💡Practice

The speaker stresses the importance of practice in becoming a better speaker. Recording oneself daily is suggested as a method to improve clarity and self-awareness. The script highlights that through consistent practice, mistakes become less frequent, and confidence in speaking grows, as demonstrated by the speaker's own journey.

💡Breath control

Breath control is essential for maintaining a steady tone and avoiding speech that feels rushed. The speaker recommends breathing from the diaphragm, which helps in finding a natural voice and maintaining composure. Proper breath control also allows for a more resonant and attractive voice.

💡Clarity

Clarity in speech is emphasized throughout the script. Pronouncing words properly and speaking at a clear, deliberate pace ensures the audience can understand the message. The speaker notes that clarity comes from slowing down and avoiding jargon, allowing listeners to fully grasp the content.

💡Body language

Though not discussed explicitly, body language is implied as part of effective communication, especially through the speaker's description of personal experiences and how their actions (like jumping back from a snake) complemented their speech. The script suggests that combining clear speech with the appropriate non-verbal cues enhances the impact of communication.

Highlights

Study great speakers to improve your voice and speaking skills.

Prince's slow, rhythmic, and calm speaking style is highlighted as inspirational.

Speaking slowly and clearly allows for better communication and understanding.

Good speakers know how to tell stories effectively.

Slow down when speaking to emphasize important points.

Use pacing and tone to make your speech more engaging.

Speak from personal experiences to make your speech more authentic.

Record yourself speaking to identify areas for improvement.

Know your subject matter to communicate more effectively.

Speak efficiently by getting to the point and avoiding unnecessary details.

Find your natural voice and speak from it to be more persuasive.

Use personal anecdotes to connect with your audience.

Speak with confidence even if you're not an expert on the topic.

Practice speaking every day to improve your skills.

Good oral hygiene is essential for in-person speaking engagements.

Study the speaking styles of others to enrich your own.

Emphasize key points in your speech by adjusting your pace and tone.

Consistently practice and refine your speaking to become a better communicator.

Transcripts

I have received many compliments about

my voice many people want to know how to

become a better speaker or how to have a

more attractive voice and the way you

speak and I'm going to give you the

Insight that helped me achieve that so

first and foremost you want to study

great speakers study the people who

inspire you to have a better voice

notice what they do so for example um

one of my

favorite speakers of all time is Prince

also the one who inspired me most when

it comes to music um but the way he

speaks is very

slow it has a nice Rhythm to it it's

from a very deep and calm place I guess

you could say and whenever he speaks

people would just listen you never

really seen Prince get cut off in an

interview and it was always quiet like

you could hear a pin drop but what I

noticed is that he didn't rush what he

was saying he thought about everything

he was saying and it made the way he

speak more attractive to people so I

study that and I also noticed that

people who speak very well know how to

tell stories very well and I'll get into

that

so first step first tip slow down okay

slow down you don't have to talk fast

like this because it's not really

attractive maybe some people talk fast

they sound smart whatever but slow down

speak very clearly so that people can

understand what you're saying

right I was watching a YouTube video the

other day this dude was explaining

something about a car and he was like

the exhaust is so great and it's so so B

I'm like what are you saying okay so you

want to speak slowly slower than not I'm

not going to say slower than usual you

may already speak slow but speak slow in

a way that you can communicate very

clearly and pronounce your words

properly okay so you want to get that

good Rhythm you want to know when to

speed up and you want to know when to

slow down this this will these tips will

also help you tell stories better so

when you're telling a story when you're

speaking you can afford to speed up your

sentences when you are just browsing

over irrelevant details but whenever

there's something important that's when

you slow down to add emphasis to it

right so let's say I'm telling the story

because you want whoever is listening to

whatever you're speaking about to feel

it okay this is also a reason why my

videos feel like a conversation so all

right now we're talking it's like I

remember the first time I met my ex I go

into the house right for the first time

nice little Vibe so I go there and I'm

laying on the bed we listening the music

she had a pretty good playlist but all

of a sudden she starts walking to the

edge of the room and she standing in the

corner and I'm you know I'm kind of

looking over there

like what are you doing but I didn't say

nothing so I see she lifted his blanket

over this box right she lifted it up

from Over the box and she reached down

I'm wondering like my mind has no idea

what she's doing right so I'm just

sitting there

chilling I I pick up my phone look at

the time and then I see her walking

towards me out of the corner of my eyes

and when I look

up this girl was holding a

snake now

me I'm not a very scary

person but I don't do snakes me and

snakes have never been friends she

brought the snake close to me and I

swear I kid you not I jump up on a bed

and I'm up on the wall like Spider-Man

and she was like if you're going to come

around then you're going to have to be

his friend like that ain't my damn

friend I don't do snakes right so I come

calm down like look look look look this

is what's going to happen okay I'm

afraid of snakes but I'm going through a

time in my life where I am going to face

everything that I'm afraid of okay so

what I need you to do is back away okay

and I'm going to slowly warm up to this

snake day by day all right now I'm going

need you to put that up cuz I'm scared

as hell you know what I'm saying quick

little story there's an intro there's

the meat of it and we resolve it we

clean it up right it's spoken very

efficiently it was very easy to

understand I emphasize the things that

need to be emphasized by slowing down

the small little details we just skip

right over those things right so to

become a better speaker you want to slow

down you want to have a nice Rhythm and

a right a nice Cadence to the way you

speak um you don't want to speak too

high pitch like for instance I catch

myself doing it sometimes today too I

mean sometimes these days but you want

to finish the end of your sentences at a

lower and more quiet tone so what's more

attractive to you hey how are you doing

or hey how are you doing right

especially especially if you're talking

to a lady right it's like hey what's

your

name hey what's your name or hey what's

your name like it's it just don't hit

like that I you know what I'm saying you

got to think of it like you speaking

like an ocean hey what's your

name hey what's your

name hey what's your name I would love

to meet you you know what I'm saying

it's just about the flow you got to

become water my friend you put water

into a cup it becomes the

cup be water my friend it's all all

about flow it's all about timing it's

all about pacing and tone right because

because when you speed up and talk your

voice gets higher pitch when you slow

down it gets lower so if that concept

didn't really make sense to you hey how

are you doing you get what I'm saying or

hey how you doing it's going to get

higher this is my natural voice the way

you find your natural

voice just get very relaxed clear your

throat make sure that thing is

hydrated breathe down into your

diaphragm right so that mean when you

breathe in your stomach should come out

and then just

sigh you hear that you hear that you

hear that that is my natural voice mix

in a little raspiness every now and then

you know what I'm saying a nice little

Cadence a nice little rhythm da da da da

da da da da da da how are you doing it

is nice to meet you you know what I mean

it just mixes for a beautiful thing and

I Am Not Gon to lie to you I'm I'm going

to share this with y'all because it's

actually insane but I used to hate my

voice until this one girl told me that

my

voice it did something to her

um it made her feel some type of way

let's put it like that it made her

arouse cuz we was on the phone we was

laying down like yo you know and she was

like oh my God why is why is why is uh

you know my little friend getting

uh and I was like

huh she was like yeah the way you're

talking it's um secreting fluids

throughout my body and I'm

like

thanks so

um yeah that made me realize that I had

superpowers and I could make people feel

things by the way I spoke

so ever since then I just spoke more but

another point we can get on is when

you're speaking make sure you know what

you're speaking about that's how you

become a better Communicator know what

you're speaking about because only so

long you can Ramble On and Bs around the

point so know what you're speaking about

be able to communicate better by knowing

what you're speaking about and saying

what you actually want to say like I

could tell

you um I play guitar or I could say yeah

when I was little I had a guitar and

then I broke it and then I did this and

then I broke it and then I bought one

and then you know what I mean just

simply say I play guitar know when to

say things know when not to say things

you know sentences that you could I mean

paragraphs that you have in your mind

could be resolved in three sentences you

know what I mean so just know when to

talk know when not to talk only talk

about things you know a lot of people

wonder why I speak so efficiently on

these videos and that's because I don't

have to research things I don't have to

memorize a certain script or anything

because I'm speaking from the heart I'm

speaking about things that I know about

I'm speaking about experiences that I've

either analyzed or experienced so I know

what I'm talking about I'm not just up

here like yeah

want to speak better do a little this a

little that and then um you know I don't

have to do that because it's all here

you know you remember how when somebody

asks you about something you like let's

say your favorite game right your

favorite song your favorite artist your

favorite car when somebody asks you

about it it's like you tap into that

mode boom it's like hey you tell me

about that blah blah blah that you like

and you're like oh well um you know this

was designed in 2003 and then in 2010

they made a refresh and then when this

dropped over 4,000 people bought it and

it's like whoo oh buddy who are you you

know

too much right because you know what

you're speaking about you don't have to

BS you communicate very clearly your

points are efficient you have a intro

you have the meat of the the passage and

then you resolve

it I'm telling you when you look at life

from different perspectives and notice

how all these things make sense and how

all these things are connected you can

increase your skills in many

different you

know Paths of life it's just what it is

so one way you can practice this to

build up your courage to build up your

speaking especially if you stutter and

things like that is to record yourself

talking every day why do you think I

record these videos no cuts and all

these things yes I want them to be

genuine yes I speak in a in a um

efficient way to where I don't have to

research this and make a cut and

research this and make a cut because I

don't really make that many mistakes but

I am human and y'all see my mistakes

y'all see when I stutter y'all see when

I Stumble over these words but bottom

line it is practice for me to speak

better to speak more clearly to speak

more efficiently because when I do mess

up when my Southern accent does come out

and I say ask instead of ask y'all

notice so you know things like that it

just helps you see what you're uh you

know what you're doing how you

speak and you should do that so every

day few minutes um record yourself talk

about your day so let's say today I pop

up the

camera yo what's going on today I had a

pretty good day I got up this morning I

um I made my bed I made a little

breakfast I made something light I don't

really like eating too much in the

morning and I head out the house with a

bottle of water and a granola bar so I

had to go to work today I had a I only

had a 4-Hour shift today so it wasn't

too bad and then when I got home I had

to do a little bit of homework and the

only homework I had was from science and

history class and um you know I had a

little bit for music too but I actually

enjoy the music you know what I mean so

that was pretty cool and then oh my my

grandma made my favorite cake today too

so I was pretty excited about that and

tomorrow I'm excited to go hiking

uh haven't been in a while kind of been

cooped up in the

house so I'm very excited to go hiking

tomorrow actually I might go by myself I

had a few friends that wanted to go but

they kind of Cel plans and then you know

you know it is what it is but I think I

really might go by myself I think I'll

really enjoy that

and that's it for today I'm about to get

in take a shower probably get a little

snack or something to eat before I lay

down you know brush my teeth wash my

face and then lay down and go to sleep

and get ready for tomorrow so I'll see

you tomorrow every day we get better at

speaking thank

you see what I'm saying you see what I'm

saying I'm I promise you if you do that

every day if you get over the ook of

hearing your voice cuz I used to hate my

voice trust and believe I'm talking

about like I would record YouTube videos

and edit them in silent

because I hated my voice when I hear my

voice when people watch videos of mine

I'm like is that mine do I own that you

know what I mean so you just got to

practice at whatever it is in life have

a reference have something to shoot for

because if you have no target you don't

know what you're shooting for find your

natural voice find a sweet malotic and

sexy tone and speak from it you know

what I mean and um you know watch like I

said watch other speakers enrich your

mind read books watch movies and things

like that and see what little tips and

tricks you can pick up on and um never

be never be afraid of not speaking like

for instance let's say I'm I'm having a

conversation they're like Shaman so what

made you love

music what made me love

music

nine times out of 10 you probably answer

a question like you don't know that you

don't know the answer to it but you're

freaking out like what made me um you

know music um see what what I really

like about music like you don't have to

do that like I said hello Shaman so what

made you like

music what made me like

music so I remember when I when I was

younger me and my brothers and my cousin

we used to get popped in the head at

church all the time get flick behind the

ear because we used to laugh and joke

all the time for no reason on the front

row at church right just acting a

clown but I found it very very difficult

to clown to laugh when this one

particular lady was

seen it was honestly like an angel and

it was like every everything in church

at that time was synchronized perfectly

drums on point guitar If We Had It On

Point

organ Heavenly right but above all it

was this one lady that would sing these

songs and I'm telling you

that it was it would give I'm getting

chills right now thinking about it but

just just the way she sung the

conviction

she sung and the words would Pierce you

and I'm just like

man what is

that it's the language of our

souls

music and then when you think about the

philosophy of music and you feel the

relation of music that you have you

understand that music is the language in

which we all can

speak me 8-year-old kid singing a song

in fren

but I don't know French right but their

Rhythm and the way it sounds or maybe

the Opera the slow and flowy way that

Opera just pierces the

soul Italian

opera it's

just

beautiful it can make you feel good it

can make you feel sad it's all about

vibrations

but music is something that can be made

with your body

with your mouth you can speak you can

[Music]

sing it's just our speech man the speech

of the universe the language of the

universe that's why I love

music right think about what you're

going to say don't be afraid to

think you know what I mean

so my friend you're going to be all

right you're going to practice every day

you're going to become a better speaker

and one last

tip okay above all I don't care how well

you speak I don't care what you're

speaking about especially if you're

close to me right if you

speak and you have Funk coming out of

your mouth have

sewage and in

there like bad like to the point where

your teeth duck when you speak if your

breast

stinks I don't care what you're talking

about because everything sounds

like so brush your teeth that's like the

third and final right but that's you

know that's more so when people are

close I don't care if I'm 30 ft away

from your breath better not stink you

get what I'm saying so work on that haha

you know what I mean we don't want none

of that hot lava okay but to

recap watch people who speak well maybe

you're inspired by me watch my videos

and see the way I speak look at the

Cadence and pay attention to how I

emphasize certain things by slowing down

how I just skip over little details that

don't really matter blah blah blah blah

just notice the way I speaking what I'm

doing so study slow down speak clearly

pronounce your words properly okay now

you can practice speaking by recording

the videos talking to yourself get over

the the it get over the cringe of your

own voice it's okay okay grow up we're

going to be fine always know what you're

talking

about because you can only be yes for so

long make sure your breath doesn't stink

and just keep at it my friend and I

guarantee you will be a better speaker I

love you it's always nice to talk to

you I'll see you

soon boom missed