COURSE OVERVIEW:

Voice is a powerful tool. Voice can make all the difference between success and failure when you’re aiming to engage your audience. The voice is also an important tool for inspiring and engaging audiences. To create an impact, to be clear, natural and expressive, the voice needs to be used well.

What you project can make or break a presentation or a training session. No matter how well-written they are, it won’t guarantee that you will be heard. To hook your audience and maintain their interest, you will also need to present it well.

That’s when your voice comes into play. Without the shadow of a doubt, its role is significant in getting your message across. Indeed, the tone you use will be instrumental in the delivery of your presentation or training as it will reflect your personality, your confidence and your passion for the subject. In other words, it will give you credibility (or not).

Confidence, presentation and communication skills are recognised weapons in most trainers’/ presenters armoury, but few would consider the voice to be their most prized asset. The trainers/ presenters voice is in constant use, but unlike other professional voice users, such as actors and singers, many receive little training in how to look after it. Trainers/presenters are expected to struggle on, accepting husky voices as an occupational hazard. But putting the voice under continual strain can lead to long-lasting damage.

When we make a presentation, deliver training or speak to a large group of people, it's important to have an authoritative and appealing tone of voice. This will come from the ability to make your voice resonate, as a resonant voice is more pleasing on the ear and can make you sound more confident. This in turn helps the audience relax and enjoy the presentation or training.

An audience will ‘pick up’ on your voice and respond favourably, potentially affording you a greater deal of respect and attention. Often, the audience won’t know or understand why this is the case, so having the ability to control and improve the way you use your voice can be a useful and powerful skill.

This course describes the core skills needed to use the voice with confidence and clarity, concentrating on the essential techniques necessary to develop an effective vocal image. It also includes many voice training exercises.

The first part of this course examines the factors affecting your voice, what makes an effective voice and how the voice complements the communication process. Then discusses the act of speech, voice production, posture and breath management. Also, explores the relationship between volume and projection.

The second part explains the importance of variety in speech and the essential elements of speech. Then explains how to sustain the vocal energy throughout a phrase, why clear speech is important, vowels and consonants in speech and provides advice for those who speak English as another language. Then discusses what a microphone will and will not do and when to use a microphone. Finally, explains how to look after and develop your voice.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

By the end of this course, you will be able to understand:

• Why vocal skills matter in business?
• How to use your voice in business communication?
• The factors affecting the voice
• What makes an effective voice?
• How the voice complements the communication process?
• The basic elements of human communication
• Why the spoken word differs from the written word?
• How your voice works?
• The production of the human voice
• How the POP principle could help you?
• Why your posture is crucial?
• How to speak from a seated position?
• How to avoid fixing or collapsing?
• Breathing for speech
• Breath management
• How to connect the breath with the voice?
• Effective voice projection in training
• How to target the voice?
• The relationship between volume and projection
• Why is variety in speech important?
• The essential elements of a voice with variety
• The pitch and the pitch range
• The most common intonation sounds
• How pitch can indicate mood?
• The importance of variety in pace
• How to slow down your pace?
• Why you should pause during training or presentations?
• How to use variety in volume during a training session or a presentation?
• What do we do when we emphasise a word?
• The importance of clarity in speech
• How to sustain vocal energy throughout a phrase?
• Why clear speech is important?
• The nature of speech
• How to achieve maximum impact with minimum effort?
• Vowels production
• Consonants types and sounds
• The main articulators in the human body used for speech
• The main points of articulation in the human body which are used for speech
• How to improve clarity?
• Over articulation or clipped speech
• How to assess your speech clarity?
• What a microphone will and will not do?
• When and how to use a microphone?
• Voice care and development
• How to look after your voice?
• How to develop your voice?
• What to consider when practising?
• How to relax the throat and neck?
• How to relax the jaw joint?
• How to sound authoritative in meetings?

COURSE DURATION:

The typical duration of this course is approximately 2-3 hours to complete. Your enrolment is Valid for 12 Months. Start anytime and study at your own pace.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

You must have access to a computer or any mobile device with Adobe Acrobat Reader (free PDF Viewer) installed, to complete this course.

COURSE DELIVERY:

Purchase and download course content.

ASSESSMENT:

A simple 10-question true or false quiz with Unlimited Submission Attempts.

CERTIFICATION:

Upon course completion, you will receive a customised digital “Certificate of Completion”.