Voice fit for important moments

I was really amazed when I saw how my Swiss colleague Jörg Eugster last Thursday in Graz. Like me, he was on the list of speakers at the "Long Night of Inspiration", a wonderful event conceived by Magda Bleckmann . Ten speakers, each with ten-minute keynote speeches, were to inspire the audience.

The good-humoured guests were already sitting curiously on their chairs. I saw Jörg walking along the narrow corridor towards the stage, he quickly adjusted the headset microphone – and then it happened. Without even batting an eyelid, he began his "Voice fit!" program with cheeks and make strange sounds. These, however, were swallowed up by the babble of voices of the audience. All in all, a divine sight (in the video I show you what he did concretely).

Voice fit? Professionals warm up their voices. Before all important appearances, before all decisive conversations and phone calls. How little time this takes and how easy it is, I show you in the current video "Voice fit for your performance? (3 exercises)".

This is how you get your voice fit!

You probably know this, as soon as you speak in front of an audience, this certain tension arises, despite all the good preparation. How do you still manage to speak with a full, rich and deep voice?

With my colleague Jörg, I heartily talked about this short "Voice fit!" moment. Jörg had attended a seminar with me some time ago as part of Club 55 and then decided to do certain warm-up exercises before each performance. And in Graz, he didn't even let the audience stop him. As he was, already "wired", the headset around his ears, I saw him go towards the performance with this wonderful warm-up exercise:

"Voice fit!" No. 1: Shake out cheeks with pleasure

Are you aware of where the emerging tension is most strongly reflected? In addition to your shoulders and neck, it is above all your facial expressions and your chewing muscles. This limits your charisma and the way you speak. This simple warm-up exercise will release these tensions in no time and get your voice fit:

They stand upright, make themselves great inside
Consciously let all the muscles in your face become heavy. Since this is not quite so simple, use a simple imagination, I call it "mental alcohol". Maybe you already guess what it's all about. Imagine that you have already had several shots of schnapps and now notice with horror how your face slowly derails (by the way, it also works if you don't touch a drop of alcohol in real life!)
Now quickly swing your face from left to right and back until you notice how your cheeks and lips "flutter" freely

"Be fit!" No. 2: Chew an air ball

Warming up his muzzle and loosening his cheeks and especially his chewing muscles was the last thing Jörg Eugster had done before his performance. Following my recommendation, he also starts with a very inconspicuous and yet indispensable "Voice fit!" -Warm-up exercise:

You hum and imagine you have a big, soft ball of air in your mouth, which you are now chewing on with relish.
You puff up your cheeks as much as possible and leave your closed lips as loose as possible.
Now pay attention to how the space in your mouth and throat slowly expands.

The most important effect of this exercise is that it not only loosens the muscles in the mouth and throat. The larynx and vocal folds let go – which makes your voice sound deeper, fuller and more relaxed in the moment. At the same time, warm up your articulation.

Three tips for a deep and powerful voice

"Voice fit!" No. 3: Motorcycling

As you will surely notice, these warm-up exercises are done very quickly. They last a few seconds, and this also applies to the third exercise, "motorcycling". Again, it's about letting go in the larynx and warming up your articulation muscles.

You imagine you have a shiny chrome, heavy motorcycle under your buttocks.
The engine would have already started, and now you step on the gas and drive off! "Bruumm, bruummm!"

Personal recommendation: If you want to listen to these "Stimme fit!" exercises do not use your gestures, you only use a small part of the effect. So let your imagination run wild and pull up the engine and immediately afterwards drive only at idle speed: "Hum, boom, boom!"

Professionals never start off cold

Do it like the pros in sports. Use these three simple, short "Voice fit!" -Warm-ups, whenever you're about to give a presentation, whenever you're preparing for a performance, or whenever you have a crucially important conversation in front of you. Never miss the opportunity to warm up vocally beforehand.

Full voice as a logical benefit

Do you want to convince your conversation partners with your content? Always remember, your voice and way of speaking open the ears of your listeners – or close them. The tone makes the music. Take responsibility for your good sound. Your reward will be a convincing performance and the smiling faces of your listeners.

I wish you every success in all your conversations, in all your presentations. You probably already know:

Her voice works. Voice sells!

Blaue handschriftliche Unterschrift auf transparentem Hintergrund, die Bände spricht und mit Raffinesse verkauft. Yours sincerely,