Workshop 2: Using your voice for greater influence in meetings, presentations, and everyday interactions
1. Overview
The human voice is a fascinating tool, providing the bridge between our inner thoughts and the outer world. Yet, we tend not to pay much attention to our own voice, or to see it as a given that we can’t change. If you want to enhance your influence as a speaker, it’s time to start consider your voice as a true communications tool. Beyond the basics of transmitting the intended words in a way that others can hear them, there is a wealth of techniques you can use to sound more engaging, assertive, and powerful.
2. Benefits of attending
In this interactive, physical, and lively workshop, we will cover two different aspects of the voice: How to get a great sound out of your “instrument” – the voice – and how to play it to make people want to listen to you. We will explore the connection between mind, body, and voice, and practice various techniques that will make you a more dynamic speaker. You will receive personal feedback and hands-on tips to use in your daily life.
During this workshop you will:
• Understand the physiological principles for projecting a strong and healthy voice.
• Identify the habits that sabotage your vocal impact and learn what to do instead.
• Practice how to infuse more energy into your voice and use a wider range of expression.
• Enhance your impact by using voice modulation.
• Strengthen your message by keeping it clean and concise.
• Apply what you’ve learned to a topic of your choice.
3. Course outline
Your voice: Identity and impact
The types of information your voice transmits to others. How our voice is part of our identity. How we develop vocal strategies and why they may need an update. Listening, reflection and discussion.
The physiological principles for a strong and healthy voice
Aligning and relaxing your body. Using your breath to power your voice. Leveraging your built-in resonance chambers. In each section, identify your own helpful and unhelpful vocal habits. Exercises and feedback.
Energizing your voice
Techniques for enhancing the loudness and bringing your voice to life. Gestures, articulation, anchoring. Calibrating your vocal energy to the situation. Exploring different voice qualities. Exercises and feedback.
Speaking assertively
Voice modulation working with volume, speed, pauses, and inflection. Keeping your language clean and concise. Avoiding weak language and filler sounds. Exercises and feedback. Application on your own topic with feedback.
4. About the trainer:
Maria Wilhelmsson is the founder of VoxImpact, a business devoted to helping professionals find their authentic voice and get their message across in a dynamic and powerful way. Through her immersive and creative training methods, she encourages people to use all of their resources – mind, body, emotion and voice – in order to enhance their influence as communicators.
Maria has a background in singing and performance combined with 15 years of senior business development in international organizations. She blends her passion and knowledge of the voice with her business experience to help individuals strengthen their personal impact.
Maria frequently trains groups and individuals from organizations like Nestlé, Merck Serono, Banque Pictet, Cargill, Philip Morris, Tetra Pak, O-I, IMD, EPFL, Oracle, and Reed Elsevier.