“You had me at hello!” is a line made famous through the popular movie Jerry Maguire. It reiterates that there is no true measure of character as sure as the voice. A voice can tell you a lot about a person – whether he or she is angry, elated, surprised, irritable or just plain bored! The line encapsulates beautifully the power of the Voice!

We tend to underestimate the potential our voices offer in an increasingly competitive world where it gets more difficult to stand out. Yeah! Yeah! We’ve all heard the cliché a million times over – “You’re Unique!” But it’s hard to be noticed as that special ONE IN A MILLION because we’re now competing with 7.5 BILLION other human inhabitants on this fine planet Earth! But as staggering as that might seem – Cliché’s attain their cliché status because they’re relatable and more often than not, true! WE ARE UNIQUE! There are DNA’s, thumbprints, retina scans to prove this and then there’s our hidden instrument to success – Our VOICE!

So what are the top 5 things we can do to tap into its inherent strength so we can make it work for us?

1. Playing to our unique strengths - Categorizing and understanding our voice and its unique texture and resonance better equips us to know where it fits in best. We all have unique voices because of our genes – we inherit our features - vocal cords, our cheekbones, the air pockets in between, our tongues, nasal passage, throats and larynx all together create a different sound, texture and richness when we speak. It’s like having our very own instrument and we all know that instruments need to be tuned to make harmonious music! Having a good voice is not good enough! We need to recognize its uniqueness, understand whom it appeals to and use it to our advantage. For instance, a husky tone could make you sound more sexy, intriguing or mystical whereas a high-pitched tone could help you land a Voice Acting role, playing some of your favourite cartoon characters.

2. Honing our communication skills – We can actually get better at all things voice – projection, articulation, modulation, inflection, volume, pitch and as we gain more control over these aspects we’re able to tap into the power our voice has to project our unique personalities to the world we interact with. After all life is like a movie and we’re all playing a role at some point or the other. Using our Voice to emote and enact appropriately in a given circumstance or situation can help us to share our knowledge, contribute to society, or inspire people with our message. A good orator and communicator is one who has mastered the power and potential of his voice by honing this craft.

3. Breathing right – Breath is the essence of life itself! We often forget how important it is to breathe right though. We tend to slouch when we sit, sleep awkwardly or live in areas with higher pollution, smog and congestion. Keeping the spine upright, inhaling deeply into the lungs and exhaling out all those toxins is crucial to our overall well-being as it oxygenates every cell in our bodies. It’s revitalizing and is most important to voice projection. That’s why singers who practice breath control and do breathing exercises daily benefit from this discipline with more powerful vocal ability, resonance and are able to hold a note longer.

4. Hydrating and eating the right foods – 60-65% of our bodies is made out of water. We need it to thrive. Drinking sufficient water throughout the day keeps our mouths, nasal passage and throat hydrated and moist which in turn keeps the voice box in good working order helping us to sound our best too! Be careful to avoid drinking very cold water as this leads to the possibility of bacteria formations and the occurrence of the common cold or coughs that inhibit the voice. Apples, Celery and Carrots are great to cleanse the mouth of built up mucous or slimy saliva. Oily and overly spicy foods can cause irritation to the throat and are best avoided.

5. Exposure and education – If we get the right exposure to media, movies, performing arts, culture, language and courses at the right time we’re more likely to inculcate, imbibe, put to memory and utilize this life learning and/or specialized education to make it work for us in the long run. Soft skills like politeness, diplomacy, inter-personal skills and empathy, which are best expressed with the nuances and intonations of our voice are subtleties we internalize over the course of every day life interacting with family, community and society at large and are equally important parameters for success.

So there you have it! 5 important tips to keep in mind to tap into the power and potential of your instrument to success – your VOICE! There are many creative careers you can choose from, that revolve around the voice. Pick one that best suits you, your lifestyle and your talent.

I have friends who are corporate or self-help coaches, motivational speakers, YouTubers with their own channels, teachers, professors or singers. I chose Voice Over, Voice Acting and Jingles. I get paid to have fun enjoying what I do and look forward to Monday mornings. The flexibility you get being your own boss is the best part of this job.

No wonder Voice Over Artist was voted one of the top 20 dream jobs in a recent survey shared by Business Insider. In fact, another survey conducted by the University of Chicago Booth School of Business titled 'The Sound of Intellect’ found that “In addition to communicating the contents of one's mind, like specific thoughts and beliefs, a person's speech and voice conveys their fundamental capacity to think - the capacity for reasoning, thoughtfulness and intellect” said professor Epley who conducted the survey, thus increasing a job candidate's appeal and making them more hirable. The study was published in an issue of The Journal of Psychological Science, the highest ranked empirical journal in the field of psychology.

So if you’re looking for creative expression and freedom from the incessant rung climbing you’ve been doing on a corporate ladder – Then do consider taking the plunge to do what you love so you love what you do.

This is a guest post written by:

Noella Menon
Founder – Voice4ads
Facilitator - Wonders of the Voice
Check out their LGW Profile

Noella is an established, internationally acclaimed Voice Over & Jingle Artist with brands like BBC, CNN, Pampers, Ponds, Vogue Eyewear and Malaysia Truly Asia to her credits. She runs Wonders of the Voice – master classes for aspiring artists in Singapore looking to go pro in the Voice Over Industry. She is also a published author.

For more information on her classes or to sign up visit her Lessons Go Where upcoming session listing slated for 23^rd of April – Beginners Guide and 21^st May – Advanced Guide. https://lessonsgowhere.com.sg/vocal-classes/wonders-of-the-voice-beginners-guide-workshop-1#.WPSYjyN94y4