***If Your Voice Is a Monotone, Think Energy

Recently I was working with one of my clients, describing how to add more color to her voice. Color is the emotion, the life, the animation one expresses in speaking. Her response to me was, “You want me to speak with more energy.” While I certainly want speakers to have an energetic delivery, I had never associated the idea of the expressing of emotion when talking as speaking with more energy. For Portia, this was the answer and it may be the answer for you as well.

Those who consistently speak in a voice that is a monotone usually keep their emotions bottled up inside of them. And, it often affects those whose backgrounds involve accounting, athletics, writing, or the scientific fields, to name a few. I am most certainly generalizing here but it is something I have seen from the thousands of people with whom I have worked in my many years in business.

I explain to my clients that they must first give themselves permission to allow their emotions to be seen in their facial expression and body language and to be heard in the vocal variety of the voice. Their next step is to watch themselves in a mirror as they speak with different emotions. For example, I will tell them to say, She said yes as if they were happy, then disappointed, and finally angry. They should see a different expression on their face for each one of those emotions. I also suggest that they video record themselves if possible so that they can both listen to and see what is happening.

While these initial exercises are the most effective means of learning to be more expressive, the answer for Portia was to speak with more energy because she had been equating a monotonous voice with lack of energy or vitality.

When I researched the term speak with energy, what came in at number one on Google’s 1st page is the harnessing of nervous energy – not the topic I am discussing in this article. The following sites listed dealt with those who are speaking about our lack of energy resources, energy initiatives, alternative energy, and the like.

I certainly would like Portia to continue to work on expressing more emotion in her life, both professionally and personally, by practicing the exercises I have provided her; however, if she finds her voice losing its vitality, then a quick fix for her would be to think energy. You should try it and see how it works for you.