If you want to communicate well and influence your audience positively, you must pay special attention to your voice. An effective voice is necessary for public speaking. A good, controlled voice is an asset in every contact with others .One of your goals as a speaker should be to develop a voice that is:

Pleasant, conveying a sense of warmth;

Natural, reflecting your true personality and sincerity;

Dynamic, giving the impression of force and strength - even when it is not especially loud;

Expressive, portraying various shades of meaning and never sounding monotonous or without emotion;

Easily heard thanks to proper volume and clear articulation.

Vocal variety is important for delivering your speech in an interesting manner. A good speaking voice should balance between extremes of volume, pitch, rate and quality. Volume level depends on the size and shape of the room, the size of the audience and whether or not you use a microphone. Variations in volume can be used to add emphasis or convey emotions. Vary your pitch also – droning on in a monotonous voice will put listeners to sleep. Play your voice like a musical instrument. Tune it if necessary. The most effective speaking rate is 125 – 160 words a minute. You should aim to speak fast enough to hold the audience’s attention but slow enough so they can digest what you are saying.

Pay attention to your voice – it is the vehicle for your message. Your best voice can help bring out the best in yourself.

“If you want to be seen, stand up: If you want to be heard, speak up.”