Margit’s Note: Voice Lessons

By Margit Detweiler

“It’s amazing how much you can get if you quietly, clearly and authoritatively demand it”

That’s a great Meryl Streep quote I’ve had sticky-noted to my bulletin board for a while. At the time she said it (her Golden Globe acceptance speech for The Devil Wears Prada), she was talking about demanding more movie theaters to screen indie films… with an above-the-glasses, Miranda Priestly intonation. But she was also talking about “voice” — that the way we say something can substantially impact our desired outcome. 
 
If I say this quietly, you might have to lean in and listen….
 
Our voices can also reflect our mood: When I’m pissed, passionate or trying to make a point, I tend to get loud and booming; when I’m nervous or scared my voice scrunches up into a crackly squeak, or doesn’t work at all.  Taking a tip from this week’s collection of public speaking advice, I’m now going to strike the power pose any time I have to say something substantial or feel a-feared.
 
Hands on hips. Here’s what we have to say:
 
Cheryl Botchick wonders if she’s too loud.
Jody Jones likes to swear.
Susan Linney interviews our friend, the voiceover artist.
Nora York prepares to sing.
Amy Barr wonders if she really has a writer’s voice.
And, hey, what’s your favorite public speaking tip? Here are a few bits of advice from pundits, talking heads and CEO’s….
 
 
Stay vocal,

Margit