Can you have a voice that sounds authoritative yet calm & pleasant?
A lot of my clients often ask me this question, “Can I have a voice that sounds authoritative yet calm & pleasant?” Do you have the same question? Is it even possible to achieve such a seemingly contradicting result?
Hi, this is Cynthia, your voice coach. You’ll find out the answer in this video.
Most people have 2 misconceptions about an authoritative voice:
1. An authoritative voice must be loud. But when you speak loudly, you push people away. It is not pleasant.
2. An authoritative voice must be a strong voice. But when you speak in this strong voice, it is intimidating. You don’t sound calm. You sound angry.
An authoritative voice means,
You are sure about what you say. You are the person people trust and turn to.
Authority is not shown by speaking loudly or itimidating ppl. It is conveyed through the certainty in your voice and through your respect to others.
How does an authoritative voice sound like? One of the best examples I can give you is actor Morgan Freeman. His voice is authoritative, yet calm and pleasant. You can have that voice, too.
Of course many studies have shown that people tend to deem a deep voice as authoritative. So you’ve probably heard some people purposely lower their voice to sound authoritative. The problem is that voice can not last long.
The key is not to have a deep voice, but a full voice, a voice that engages your whole body to project, not just your throat. When you have a full voice, not only your voice will sound deep, but also calm & pleasant. It is a natural process. You don’t need to purposely lower your voice.
To develop your full voice, it is through the 3 steps we mentioned in our previous video, i.e.
1. Relax to release your tension,
2. Breathe with the support of your diaphragm,
3. Develop your full resonance.
If you would like to develop your full voice that sounds authoritative yet calm and pleasant, feel free to contact me. I’d be happy to work with you.
