Tone and Accent

Flat, monotone sound can be improved by adding the three E’s energy, enthusiasm and expression. Monotone sound is often the result of a stifled, introverted personality who, from a young age, was rewarded for not getting overexcited. Business people often develop flat voices from a misconceived notion that the more controlled they sound and behave the more professional they will appear. Year of practice in keeping one’s three E’s buttoned – up takes commitment to release.

To add energy:

· Vary the pace. Monotone flat sounds can appear less so if you work at speeding up, slowing down, adding pauses.

· Get fit. Honestly, the fitter you are the more energy you can generate without getting yourself all worked up physically.

· Check your breathing. Of course you are breathing, but is the sound nasal because you speak through your nose? A monotone voice is often weak because it uses less wind power (hence, the benefit of being fit).

· Have a lung capacity test. To see how much of your lungs are actually being used. Standard with many fitness or health screenings, you blow as hard as you can into a valve, which monitors your lung power.

Many of us only use 50 percent capacity or even less, which attributes both monotones, weedy, or ‘breathy’ sounds. If your lungs aren’t being used to capacity incorporate deep breathing into your life.

To add enthusiasm:

· Believe that you are worth listening to and convey that belief to others.

· Tune into WIFM (what’s in it for me) to put your message over in a way that is interesting to others, not just to yourself. How can you rephrase things or use words that engage them? When you see you have them hooked, you too will be more enthusiastic.

· Add variety however you can – physically moving, changing the pace – it all helps to break up the monotony of a static speaker.

To add expression:

· Be expressive! Move your facial muscles. Sure, your lips might move when you speak but many a monotone speaker could easily pass for a ventriloquist simply because they hardly move a facial muscle. Practice in front of the mirror. Of course you will feel like a jerk but you will capture listeners for longer if you are expressive.