This week: Develop a magnetic speaking voice in 5 steps / How to build an invincible company / The best books on storytelling.
How To Develop a Magnetic Voice in 5 Steps
Your voice is an incredible instrument. It allows you to own the room, develop a powerful presence, or simply get your point across.
The good news: Your voice is a skill that you can train and develop.
For years I have searched for a system that I could remember and easily apply in my coachings, but to no avail. There is no shortage of frameworks, but at least for me they didn’t stick.
That’s why I developed the 5 Ps of elevating your voice so that you can connect, build trust and make yourself heard.
1. PACE
The speed at which you speak.
Use to: aid comprehension, build suspense, emphasize key points.
2. PITCH
The highness or lowness of your voice.
Use to: add emphasis, express excitement, signal importance.
3. POTENCY
Aka volume aka how loud you speak.
Use to: grab attention, show confidence, create a dramatic effect.
4. PAUSE
Taking a beat to make your message more impactful.
Use to: signal transitions, control pacing, aid comprehension.
5. PROSODY
Aka melody or intonation.
Use to: make your message memorable like a song; convey emotions; add emphasis.
In sum: The 5 Ps of Your Vocal Toolbox are
Pace
Pitch
Potency
Pause
Prosody
What now?
You can develop your voice by:
- Working with a voice coach
- Recording yourself and self-correct, one P at a time
- Listen to my interview with voice coach Caroline Goyder, author of “Find Your Voice”
AI makes your unique voice even more important. If you have never trained your voice, you can make significant progress in just a few hours. Why not dedicate 30 minutes this weekend to record yourself and identify one thing you want to improve?
COACHING
The best athletes have coaches. Why don't you?
If you are an ambitious founder or CEO, you may qualify for 1:1 communication coaching by me.
I have helped hundreds of business leaders and founders turn communication from a weakness into their superpower. Schedule a call to get on the waiting list for coaching with me in Q2, if you are ready to grow into the leader you are meant to be.
PODCAST
How To Be Invincible
What makes a company invincible? How do you know if a company takes innovation seriously? Alexander Osterwalder has the answers.
Alex is an entrepreneur, leading author, and in-demand speaker, and one of the world’s most influential strategy and innovation experts.
Ranked no. 4 of the top 50 management thinkers worldwide, his work has changed how established companies do business and how new ventures get started.
In this episode he explains the three elements important for innovation:
- How much time the CEO spends on innovation
- The power of the innovation department
- A company's ability to kill projects without success
His books include the international bestsellers «Business Model Generation», «Value Proposition Design», and «The Invincible Company.» Together with Yves Pigneur, he invented the Business Model Canvas and the Value Proposition Canvas – practical tools that are trusted by millions.
He explains what makes a company invincible, what companies get right and wrong about innovation, how you can create a value proposition for your business that customers love. We also discuss how storytelling helps your businesses suspend disbelief in the unfamiliar.
Enjoy this episode with one of the world’s foremost strategy and innovation thinkers!
Listen on Spotify and Apple:
BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS
8 Books on Storytelling
#1 Building a Storybrand by Donald Miller
Donald Miller teaches marketers and business owners to use the seven universal steps of powerful storytelling to dramatically improve how they connect with customers and grow their businesses.
#2 Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari
For Harari, storytelling is at the centre of human existence. He integrates history and science to examine accepted narratives, connect the past with current concerns, and examine specific events within the context of larger ideas.
#3 The Seven Basic Plots by Christopher Booker
Booker analyses why evolution has given us the need to tell stories and illustrates how storytelling has provided a uniquely revealing mirror to mankind's psychological development over the past 5000 years.
#4 Into the Woods by John Yorke
BAFTA and Golden Globe Winner John Yorke shows that there is truly a unifying shape to narrative, one that echoes the great fairytale journey into the woods that comes from deep within, and he explains why, too.
#5 Narrative Economics by Robert J. Shiller
Nobel Prize–winning economist Robert Shiller argues that narratives have a huge impact on the economy and that people and markets are clearly moved by stories, even if few economists include this truth in their models.
#6 The Science of Storytelling by Will Storr
Will Storr applies psychological research and neuroscience to our myths and archetypes to show how we can write better stories, revealing how storytellers create worlds by being attuned to moments of unexpected change.
#7 The Perfect Story by Karen Eber
In The Perfect Story, Karen Eber—leadership consultant, professional keynote storyteller, and TED speaker—shares the science of storytelling. Learn how to take any story and make it perfect.
#8 The Storyteller's Secret by Carmine Gallo
This practical book is a gateway drug for those who want to understand stories and how the art of storytelling can be applied in business.
Have an inspired weekend!
Best,
Oliver
