IMPORTANCE OF VOICE

IMPORTANCE OF VOICE 

The critical role of voice in oral communication cannot be over-emphasized. Following findings of a study are both interesting and revealing:

What you say - 07 % (mostly hearing)
How you say - 38 % (hearing and seeing)
Body language - 55 % (seeing)

From the above it is evident that „what is said‟ in not as important as „how it is said‟. And „how‟ is greatly influenced by the reproduction of sound waves, their transmission and reception by the listeners.
The quality, tone and texture of your voice and the manner and speed of its delivery have a major role in influencing the audience. Combined with other etiquettes / mannerism, „how it is said‟ is over five time more effective than „what is said‟.

 TYPES OF VOICES

Several notable types of voices are:

 Baby voices
 Pleasing voices
 Firm voices
 Unattractive voice

(1) Baby voices
The moment a baby is borne, it starts communicating. A newly born baby expresses itself through „gurgling sounds‟. Mothers can make it out soon. Experienced mothers can guess very accurately from the sounds a baby makes, whether it is hungry or has wetted the bed or is just missing the presence of someone.
Equally, even babies, at very early stage, are able to distinguish between tones of its parents - whether it is endearing, playful or unpleasant.
Pet dogs respond to the tones of their masters very faithfully – they go by the way some thing is said rather than understand the verbal command. It is surprising how accurate they are in their interpretation of their masters‟ commands. For example:
 Pet animals obey promptly the „stern voice‟ of their masters
 Pet dogs start wagging their tails to a „loving voice‟
 Pet dogs can start jumping to a playful tone of their masters‟ voice
At other times, they start licking the master.

(2) Pleasing voice
A pleasing voice is the first requirement of a „charming speech‟. The future managers and leaders must cultivate it assiduously.

(3) Firm voice
A firm but quiet voice is an asset to a speaker. Cultivating a firm but quiet voice is an art. You have to practise hard to achieve a certain level of expertise. It pays rich dividends to the possessor of such a voice. It makes ones‟ utterances very persuasive. Speakers with this voice quality command greater attention as people like listening to them.

(4) Unattractive voice
Unattractive voice can drive people away from them. Shrill voice gets on people‟s nerves. Swan is beautiful to look at and has a graceful body but it possesses a shrill voice. A loud woman sounds very derogatory – audience would not like her speech either. The unattractive voice can be further classified as below:
(i) Harsh voice
It may arise from the tension in the throat muscles. Practise deep breathing and other exercises to relax throat muscles. Try and practise speaking at a low pitch. Speakers should open mouth just enough for throwing the voice to the audience.
(ii) Shrill voice
If the voice is shrill, it is difficult to overcome the deficiency without the help of a speech therapist.
(iii) Nasal voice
A nasal twang can spoil ones‟ voice and make it unpleasant to listen to. The persons with nasal voice should pay attention to improve quality of their voice. In no case should one become self-conscious. Please remember that a natural flow and smoothness of words is the best.