Voice and Speaking Skills For Dummies

Book excerpt: Find your voice, and communicate with confidence Ever wondered why nobody hears you in meetings, or wished people would take you more seriously? Or maybe you're unhappy with your accent, or you feel insecure about your high-pitched or monotonous voice? Voice and Speaking Skills For Dummies will help you to discover the power of your voice, understand how it works, and use your voice like a professional whether in meetings, addressing an audience, or standing in front of a classroom. Take a deep breath, relax those vocal cords, and make your speech sparkle! We're not all planning to become politicians, or likely to address large audiences on a regular basis, but we all need to be able to communicate well to achieve success. Certain professions require a high level of vocal confidence, notably teachers and business leaders. As well as using body language effectively, we also rely on our voice to convey passion, exude enthusiasm, and command attention--and that's before we've considered the content of our words! A clear understanding of how your voice works, how to maximize its effectiveness, and ways to overcome voice 'gremlins' such as speaking too fast, stuttering, or sounding childish, is pivotal to enabling you to succeed, whatever the situation. Highlights the importance of your voice, explains how to use it effectively Gives you confidence in public speaking Helps you use your voice to make a great first impression in all aspects of your life Includes a CD with vocal exercises to help you communicate with confidence. Whether you're looking to improve your speaking skills for work or personal gain--or both--Voice and Speaking Skills For Dummies gives you everything you need to find your voice and communicate with confidence. Note: CD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of the e-book file, but are available for download after purchase.