Be the real thing!

A long, long time ago, (but not quite when dinosaurs were roaming the Earth, as my youngest daughter cheekily says!), I remember an advertising campaign that had a very catchy slogan…. it wasn’t, “Go to work on an egg”, although that one is also embedded in my brain! It was, “It’s the real thing ——– is, it’s the way it should be”. I can hear the song playing in my head now! Why do I bring this up? Well, we are all constantly being told to:

if you want to connect positively with people in business and work settings.

The advice is good, people buy from people, we like to work with people we like and respect, people can smell a fake a mile off.

but…

• What does that actually mean? What does it sound like, look like, how does it feel?
• We are told to relax and just “be yourself”. Easier said than done when you are feeling nervous and not quite sure of what might happen or who is listening out there – even if you have done your research on your audience offline or online, you can never completely know who you are talking to deep down inside.
• Who is your authentic self anyway – we behave differently in different circumstances. When talking to a prospective client, in an interview with senior management, chatting and chewing the cud with a mate; we are the same person… but different.

Here’s the thing…

1. your voice is created though your own physiology
2. your behaviour is not as who you are all the time but in that moment
3. we take how we feel and think into the room or on to the screen with us

Your voice comes from deep inside you. It is created literally by the action of the breath moving through the vocal cords, causing them to vibrate and then the sound is acted on by our resonators and comes out through our mouth, articulated by your tongue and tip. Understanding how your voice is produced and developing it so that it is healthy and strong is the key to being, let alone sounding, authentic.

It is as Jeanette Nelson, Voice Coach at the National Theatre says in her highly recommended book, The Voice Exercise Book: “Your voice is unique, coming from your body and your personality, and being influenced, like the rest of you, by your personal experiences.”

Taking some time to really get to know your physical voice, learning how to use it healthily (so that you don’t lose it), vibrantly and so that it truly reaches out and inspires others, is time well spent and you will have the benefits throughout your life. Layering on top knowing how you can control your thoughts and your emotional responses, so that:

• they are the most appropriate and productive at the time
• you aren’t taking unhelpful thoughts and feelings into the room or onto the screen with you

You will then be in control of your voice and using it well.

Add to that, being in the same room as your audience – are you in the pub, are you in the board room? What would be helpful behaviour and what language to use in those circumstances to make a good connection? If you decide to focus on what your audience needs to hear, rather than only what you want to tell them, well, then you really will:

BE REAL, BE AUTHENTIC and be truly SPEAKING FROM THE HEART.

If you would like to find out more about Locus Coaching and how I can help you to gain confidence (and actually enjoy) speaking, contact Fiona Whytehead at fiona@locuscoaching.com or visit the website at www.locuscoaching.com.

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