Warming Up

I don't care if you're auditioning for a Broadway show or needing to call the Dean? at your school. You need to sound good when you speak! Whether you’re a performer or briefcase-toting business person, you need to gently warm up your voice every day before conducting meetings whether by phone or in person. Here are some tips performers rely on to release their star-power mojo:

1) Humming up and down the musical scale. Not loud, but gently, quietly warming up the muscles of the larynx (voicebox).
2) Making the BRRRRR sound – if you can't do it there's tension. This loosens up your mouth for easy articulation. The same goes for making a motorboat sound or trilling like a cat – just with the tongue. You want to loosen your mouth to communicate well.
3) Say “Tip of the tongue the teeth the lips” three times quickly and really accentuate the words. This helps your facial muscles. If you find you’re being sloppy articulating the words, start over.
4) Yawn. This relaxes the throat and the face. Drop your jaw and let your tongue hang out and soon you will begin to yawn (Just don't do this during the meeting or audition. Please.)
5) Here's a great tip for speaking in a noisy venue, like a crowded restaurant. Speak through your nose. Your voice will carry and it will not hurt your vocal cords and no one will detect that you are speaking with a nasal tone. This is a lifesaver for singers and public speakers.

Also, you want to keep your body relaxed physically. Before you have your meeting, do jumping jacks, run in place, anything to get the blood flowing – even doing pushups against the wall in the lavatory!

Get more exciting communication tips in Your Self-Sabotage Survival Guide by Karen Berg. Read more here: tinyurl.com/y786t4ax