Greetings,
Whenever I give a presentation on voice I always ask my audience if they like hearing themselves on their answering machine. While one or two people may raise their hands, generally no one does. In fact there is usually silence in the room upon hearing that question.
I wrote an article last week entitled, Think Voice Training is Just for Hollywood? Think again! and had a line in there that has been 'resonating' within me for the last few days which I wanted to share with you. If you don't like the sound of your speaking voice on your voicemail, do you think anyone else does? That is really an interesting question.
Assuming you don't like hearing yourself on your voicemail, why would anyone else? And, assuming you don't like that voice, why would you not do something about it? Because if you don't like it, is it fair to subject others to it?
Most people hear themselves, hate it, and then promptly forget it because it is not what they recognize when they speak throughout the day. We all hear a voice that is vibrating in the solid and liquid of the brain -- distorted sound. What everyone else hears is your voice traveling through air. True sound.
It's a real kicker when you realize that your voice inside your head sounds pretty good -- it's your voice outside of your head that doesn't So the next time you want to change your voicemail message or you are playing back messages and you are reminded of that voice which you find embarrassing, rest assured, that 'hated' sound is how you are recognized by everyone else. Don't turn off the machine and forget it. Listen to it again and make the decision to change it. Once you find your 'real', you are guaranteed to love that sound both inside your head and out!
No, voice training is not just for the Hollywood elite! |