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Top tips for voice confidence

Even if you know your stuff, speaking in public can be terrifying. There are, however, some simple tricks to help you make a positive impression on your audience, according to Collette Murray of The Voice Company

Most vocal problems stem from physical tension and the fact that women tend to hide themselves, physically and vocally. We do this to avoid being seen as pushy or needy. Historically, women have been required to be unassuming, 'nice' and polite. Physical confidence was not a good attribute and, sadly, the remnants of this taboo still remain.

• Preparing to present
• Managing your meeting skills
• During questions

Preparing to present

1. Centre yourself: Practise standing with your feet directly under your hips - this is the most stable position for public speaking. Women frequently have a distorted image of their hip width. This can either lead to taking a wide stance that will make you feel as though your feet are cemented in one place, or taking a narrow stance, creating an unstable base.
   To do: Your weight should be distributed 40 per cent through your heels and 60 per cent throughout the ball of your foot and your toes. Rehearse this posture in front of a mirror and you may be surprised at what you see.



2. Relax your shoulders: The muscles in your shoulders directly support the larynx, so tension here has an immediate effect on the voice.
   To do: Roll out your shoulders. Imagine warm water pouring onto them, draining tensions down your arms, into your hands and out of your fingers. Imagine lengthening the back of your neck by tipping your nose slightly downwards.



3. Warm up your voice: Treat your presentation like a performance and prepare by rehearsing.
   To do: Breathe deeply into the bottom of your lungs. You should feel an expansion in your rib cage just slightly higher than your navel. Sigh out three times. A sigh is a signal to your body that all is well and it's OK to relax. Make a siren sound, descending from a comfortably high note down to a lower one at the bottom of your range. With practise, you will soon find that your low note will connect to that place you located just above your navel. This is your natural voice pitch.

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