6 Important Tips to Improving Your Telephone Voice

culled from:http://vocalcoach.hubpages.com

" Would you repeat that please?" "I'm sorry I can't understand you." "What?" "What did you say?" "I can't hear you." What do these phrases all have in common? They all refer to the inability to understand what the caller is saying. This is the #1 frustration when talking on the phone. It has become the biggest of all complaints.
I'm not referring to those from other countries, trying to learn the english language. I am talking about you and I. We all need to concentrate on speaking more clearly. It isn't all that difficult. It just takes a little practice.
Now, I don't want to offend anyone and sometimes there are physical or mental reasons for poor diction. If this is the case, you may be excused. For the rest of you - here are 6 tips to help you begin speaking more clearly and confidently:

1. Pronounciation - The words we speak are shaped by the mouth - particularly the lips. The vowels must "carry" and the consonants clearly articulated. The lips and tongue have a specific job to do. When they fail to do this job, our speech becomes "mushy" or "mumbled" and words are unclear. Poor articulation can hurt your credibility when communicating.

An exercise in diction awareness:
" Blind Exercise" - Pretending that you are speaking to someone who is blind, say the phrase, "I'm glad to meet you". Break each word down, concentrating on the following:
I'm ( drop the jaw when attacking the "I" for a more open sound ) and be sure to close the lips on "m".
glad (finish the "d" by putting your hand up to your mouth to feel for the quick spurt of air following the "d")
to ( the "o" is given the sound of "oo" and the lips should be pursed as if sucking through a straw ).
meet ( hum the "m" and the mouth is in a smiling position for the "ee".) Be sure to articulate the "t".
you - ( the "y" is a diphthong, meaning that 2 vowels are used to form this letter. Begin with a very quick "ee", followed by "oo".) - ee-oo.
Practice this exercise until your speed and sound is natural. Write out other common phrases you might use while on the phone and practice as outlined above.

Recording your voice will help

2. Don't speak with a high tone if you are a woman. It's annoying and even irritating to some. The speaking voice is more pleasant to listen to when there is warmth in it. Women are not taught how to use the "chest " voice, therefore many women carry the "child" voice with them through life.
3. Watch your speed. Talking to fast can be a detriment to good communication. And speaking too slow will put others to sleep.
4. Never eat or chew gum while on the phone. Is anything more annoying? And if you are on "speaker" phone with the sound magnified - well, you get the picture.
5. Be a good listener. Try not to interrupt or cut the other party off. This is a habit that can and should be broken.
6. Record your voice. It's amazing what we learn about our voice when we record it. I warn you that the first time you hear your voice you may be shocked, or go into denile. After a lifetime as a public speaker, I still dislike the sound of my speaking voice. One reason for this is because we spend years only hearing our sound as it resonates between our head and face surfaces. Others hear our voice as something very different.