Every time you speak to anyone, the impression which you make depends directly upon your voice and the manner in which you use it. We are judged quite as much by the way in which we speak as by what we have to say. To a very great extent the success or failure of our relationships with others is determined by our skill or lack of skill in speaking. If you speak effectively, you can immediately gain and hold the attention of your listeners. If you use your voice well, you can create precisely the desired impression. Your voice is the instrument by means of which you can convey to your audience the importance, authority, and sincerity of your utterances and can indicate to them as well the breadth of your experience.
To take an everyday illustration, let us assume that you answer the telephone and are greeted by a strange voice. With almost the first words you find yourself instinctively forming an impression of the unseen stranger. Your first reaction may be friendly interest and absorbed attention, or it may be bored indifference or even unreasonable antagonism. And yet the emotion which you feel may in no way have been aroused by what was said. It was chiefly the quality of voice and the manner of speech to which you reacted.
An accomplished orator may be barren of ideas and have no message whatsoever, but by his delivery, his bearing, his manner of speech, he may hold us spellbound. Recognizing this fact, we can readily see that effectiveness in delivery, bearing, and manner is indispensable to us if our goal is mastery of speech. It goes without saying that the best speaker is one who has both skill of manner and something worthwhile to say.
When we are called upon to speak in public we are very much aware of the importance of speaking effectively. In our everyday contacts, on the other hand, if we speak easily, we do not give much thought to the manner in which we speak.
For public speaking it is appropriate to make careful preparation in order to insure the best presentation of what we want to say; in ordinary speech we are concerned merely with being understood. Effectiveness in speaking is desirable at all times, whether we are addressing a large audience in a hall or talking with a few intimate friends at home.
There is a real sense of pleasure in speaking well, just as there is in doing anything well. Furthermore, if you speak clearly your listeners will not have to ask you to repeat what you have just said; if you speak forcefully, those who listen will follow you more readily; if you express yourself well, people will be interested in what you have to say. But, a desire to speak well and an understanding of correct use of the voice.
The advantages of effective speech will not automatically make you an effective speaker. In addition you will need to have at your command the skills which lead to effective speaking and the ability to apply these skills to a variety of occasions.
