Ep #12 Effective Vocal Practices that Positively Affect Your Leadership Skills [Video]

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Hello and welcome back to Find Your Voice and Rock Your Confidence. I am your host, Sloane Reali. Today we are going to be discussing effective vocal practices that positively affect your leadership skills. And when I say leadership skills, that is everything from as a parent. Leading our kids, teachers with students, coaches with athletes, women business owners, male business owners singers working with management companies.

So leadership shows up in multitudes of ways and. [00:01:00] There are people on the planet that want to be leaders that really aren't, those are those people that are, they're the hammer. They're trying to push and they're trying to force and they're trying to, listen to me, follow me.

I know what I'm doing. People. And then there are the silent, quiet type. My husband is one of those that Not necessarily that, that he doesn't wanna lead, but there are people who are natural leaders who don't see themself maybe as leaders, and it's not what they say as much as it is what they do.

So with that, I'm having so much fun bringing quotes. I'm trying to tie them into whatever the topic is for each podcast. But today, I love this, a life spent making mistakes. Is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing. And that is by George Bernard [00:02:00] Shaw. So today, That's what we're gonna talk about.

How can we use very specific vocal practices is a little bit of a different twist. This does work for singers, but this is really geared more towards people in business running your business, working. And somebody else's business, but really how we communicate with other individuals, our peers, our colleagues, our clients, and I, I have some fun stuff here.

I hope that you will find valuable. So the first thing on my list is unleashing your inner superstar. Whatever that is for. And it really picture this for a second. You're standing in front of a room full of potential clients or people that you're leading and you're getting ready to deliver your ground bake breaking idea.

You [00:03:00] got this wonderful thing, you're excited to share it. You're so excited. Maybe that as you go, To start to share your idea that your throat gets really tight and there's a pit in your stomach. Maybe your palms are sweating and maybe you've even forgotten what you were going to share on this. This is the power of our nerves.

This is the power of going into something with. Out having some game plan, some way to trigger or get that grounded response and you go to open your mouth and either nothing comes out or your voice does something really wacky. Maybe it hits the vocal bra. The vocal break is what I referred to as that Tarzan plays you, you speak from right in that throat space.

Okay. Anybody, anybody relate? This is a podcast, so I can't see, but if you can relate, that is why the power. Of [00:04:00] having a warmup is so critical. Warming up your voice somehow, some way, connecting that mental brain to the physical body through breath. And I've just completed a couple of weeks. All on breath.

That's all I did was teach on breath in the Facebook group. Find your voice, rock your confidence. It's a ladies group. Sorry guys. That one's for the girls. But the other thing, Is just having some some way to get yourself into state. And so I do a number of things in addition to warming up the voice properly.

And there's tons of that, it's on the YouTube channel. I've got stuff on the website. I don't wanna spend too much time on the podcast here, but I do wanna speak to the power of getting yourself into a mental and physical state before you open your mouth to speak a single word. So, Before you deliver anything.

Now, I, I have [00:05:00] a number of things some really silly, weird things. There's something I call a full range vocal swoop that I use often, and it literally is a visual of imagining that you're drawing air and energy from the planet. Up through the bottoms of your feet, bringing that all the way up through your legs, your solar plexus, your lungs out the top of your head, and then back down to the floor.

And what it does is it, it opens up any energy centers in your body that might be blocked. So it's a way to move that energy, using breath, using air. It also gets you out of your head space and into your. Physical body and it's a real simple thing and I'm just gonna do that with you here. So you, you have an example of it, but if you would imagine, we're gonna draw the breath.

We're like a giant human straw or hose, and you're drawing that breath. It's very silly. It's okay to laugh. You're gonna just have fun with this. If you're in an office space right now surrounded by other people, it might [00:06:00] not be most appropriate time. But try this. You start with that breath. Oh,

ah. So very simple, very silly. You're literally imagining visualizing, physically drawing air and energy up through the bottoms of your feet, drawing it all the way up through your body, out the top of your head, and coming right back down and landing on the planet again. That's one silly thing you can do.

I've heard like Anthony Robbins, he'll run around on the stage and, and do pushups and situps and. This is, this is what I did with some of my touring artists getting ready to go on tour. This was a way to get them in their bodies, get them fired up. So anything that gets you in your body, I.

Centered grounded, it's, it's what I call shaking your cellies out. It's a great thing to do. Find something that works for you. There's a ton of things. I do a ton [00:07:00] of things, but it's really important that you find that space before you go in to deliver what it is you're going to present. It helps you relax.

It gets those silly out. The second thing, Is really speaking with passion and conviction. So, we, coming back to the energy thing, right? We are all energy, we are channels of energy. So, letting your presentation flow through the word choices that you make speaking as if you're sharing using animation and gauging full of life.

We've all been in that lecture hall or that presentation where the speaker is standing behind the podium talking at a monotone voice, using the slides and using the clicker and not, and you're falling asleep, right? We've all been there. You don't want to be that person. All right, so the more animated [00:08:00] engaged and storytelling using storytelling.

Storytelling is huge. There are so many people teaching all different ways. I, myself have been in a number of different classes and teachers and mentors, but storytelling, Is people love stories. First of all, it's a universal language. It captures our attention. It sparks emotion. A simple way to use storytelling I have found is to tell stories about my clients.

So if you have actual client testimonials that you can use, Where the client was or the customer or the athlete, if you're a coach, where they were before they began their journey with you. A little bit about that journey and where they are now. I will use myself as a testimony for today when I began my vocal coaching practice.

Over 20 years ago, [00:09:00] two over two decades now. It really was just about me teaching people how to sing and that that was it. I never imagined in a million years that it would end up to this, a podcast. I didn't even know what a podcast was back then. Did we even have podcasts 20 years ago? This thing has completely evolved based on.

The needs that I saw, I had people showing up with all kinds of interesting vocal chord physical issues that were happening. I began to receive referrals from doctors, speech therapists. Ear, nose, throat doctors started referring patients to me for vocal coaching, for things that they had already explored all their, their options and, and there they still weren't getting the results that they were looking for.

I, at that time, years ago, it was just about teaching really hobby singers, brand new, beginning baby level singers. [00:10:00] I never imagined that I would start working with actual. Recording artists and touring emerging artists on big tours. So, so many things have evolved just by me. I think one being okay that if I didn't necessarily know if it would work, I was willing and, and took the risk to see if what I'd been doing with voi the voice.

Woodwork. And, and that would be the caveat. I, I had some very interesting things come in, physical stuff that I wasn't sure. I mean, cancer survivors people, vocal cords that have been snipped in either affected, rubbed up against anesthesiologists tubes, anesthesiology tubes all kinds of things that I, I saw and, and the caveat was always, I've never seen this before, but let's try what I've been doing and see if it works.

I, I, I do guarantee my work. I'm not always sure if [00:11:00] it's going to work, and I'm so pleased to say that. 100% effective. And there've been times where it took me a little while. I might would see something I wasn't used to or I wasn't sure, and we might have to tweak it a little bit to, to have it work.

So I'm not being super specific there. But there's a lot of things that I've, I've seen. Thousands of clients that I've helped that have become my stories. So testimonials are a real easy way to do that. Mastering the art of persuasion. So where I have found really helpful when it comes to. Persuasion neuro programming, L n l P, the power of the words that we use, the picture that we paint, the five senses sight, taste, touch, smell, sound are a great way to engage the brain the elements, [00:12:00] earth, air, fire, water, and metal.

Some examples of those are, for example, Instead of saying our product or service is great, something you could do instead is imagine a world where our product or service solves all your problems and makes your life easier than ever before. Right. That feels very different if you are in a management position.

And I've, I've, I've worked with this before, so. Female leaders management aerospace. Law, higher education where the women didn't have a lot of weight. They spoke more up here, right in this, this tone, this sound of voice. More of a, a questioning, not really sure, kind of a softer tone, not a lot of weight, not trusting.

[00:13:00] Their authority as a leader. A simple, something as simple as adding more earth, more weight, slowing things down, slowing the tempo down. These sort of things can make a huge difference in the tonal quality and effectiveness or persuasiveness of what you're trying to communicate. To your audience you wouldn't want to, if you're trying to motivate a group of people into creating something together, everyone's voice has to matter and.

You have a lot of air or too much water, which is very soothing and calming. A lot of nurturing in a water tone. Again, if you're trying to motivate people, you're going to wanna throw some fire in there with that water. Maybe even more fire than water. Fire is, [00:14:00] can be. Passion persuasion, excitement, enthusiasm.

Now, fire can also go the opposite direction, where it's more of a. Fire hose of dictatorship type. We, we know those, we've seen that. We are not going to to go into politics here because you've got a whole circus happening around the, the politics right now. So being really clear about first.

Who are you speaking or singing to? If you're here as a singer listening to this by chance, and what is the goal of what you're presenting? Are you trying to motivate them to make a decision? Are you trying to incorporate or engage collaboration and creativity in a group? Are you wanting your.

People in your group, some of those people to step up as leaders. So [00:15:00] being really clear who you're speaking to, what is the purpose the word choice that you have, the tonal quality and engaging that imagination is a great tool. Irresistible hooks. Grabbing attention with something that really leverages the power of curiosity.

So a great way to do that are with questions, not just any question but thought-provoking questions. Share a mind-blowing fact. Something that your audience had, could have no idea about teasing your audience with a promise or a way that will make. Their life. Easier, faster, more efficient. It should be so captivating that your audience is right there with you.

And I spoke in the previous podcast, really that audience engagement is so huge, right? And, and it really, all of this. Comes back [00:16:00] to the relationships, right? Building relationships I'm, I'm building my relationship with you, the listener here. Now I can't see you but I have an idea of, who you might be and the fact that you keep tuning in and listening and watching videos and reading my emails.

We may not be in the same room together, but. We are definitely my goal, my intention is to build a relationship with you that at some point should you decide that you wanna meet with me in person. We've already done a little groundwork there. Something about me, something about my background, something about the clients that I've served and the results that I'm able to get with those clients.

So, your relationship building, whether you, you are eye to eye in the room with the person or not. It's still possible to do that even on platforms through podcasts, social media, YouTube. That's all happening[00:17:00] when we're, we're intentional about that. Next, let's talk about influence. I spoke a little bit about that here, but really building that rapport, coming back to, connecting with your audience on a deeper level.

You're not just speaking. We're not just the, the talking head there, we're we're, you're also leading. You're engaging your body language if you're in person or you're on video, your body language says a lot. Eye contact when we are on video, something I've learned from my media coaches. Shout out Carrie Murphy.

Inspired living team. I always learn, looking right into that lens, not speaking to the many, but rather to that one person, the lens speaking to the one is gonna have a lot more impact than speaking to multiples or with your face all over this. The [00:18:00] place. So, finding where that lens is sometimes is tricky, depending if you're on a computer or you're on your phone and what, what orientation the phone is.

So, take a minute to find those places. If you are working digitally in person, it's obviously. Easier to make that eye contact and making sure that you're making consistent, intentional eye contact. If you're speaking to a group in person, that's where working your audience or working the room, making sure that you are taking a second to look into each person's eyes.

If it's a huge room or event maybe it's a theater type stage setting. You're looking at sections of the room. This is how I teach my singers or stage presenters, is to take a section so it's not just front and center all the time. You're also taking a look over to all those people.

Over on the left side. You're taking a people who. Look at the people over on the right side. Sometimes you're gonna have a theater that has people up in the bleachers and the blood. You don't want to [00:19:00] ignore those people that are up in the, the the higher elevated seats. You wanna make sure that they are part of whatever you're presenting, your show, your presentation.

Whatever that is. And then of course, you've got those people right at the foot of the stage. If you're a musician doing a performance, you've got those people that are just in awe at your feet. Don't overlook those people that are right there at your feet coming back to taking action and amplifying your success.

So, really these are, I've just glossed over these very quickly, but it is an excellent way to supercharge your, your leadership skills. Some extra tools that are worth mentioning here for preparing for anything with your voice. Again, whether you're a singer or you're a manager or you're presenting information, or you're gonna be doing a pitch to investors or venture capitalists.

Your awesome tools are. Voice memos on the phone. So [00:20:00] there are all kinds of, of great apps free stuff. You don't have to go pay for anything but recording yourself, your presentation, your delivery, your song, your performance, recording that, and then not just getting back and, and running it and practicing it, but actually listening to it, listening to the tonal quality of your voice, listening to if there are any filler words in there listening to.

It, is it animated? Is it filled with different emotion, or do you find that you are speaking at the same tone constantly? Where is the volume of your voice? Are you speaking quietly like this into the device or are you a booming box of sound? So finding, melody in there and what you present another great.

Tool it is definitely underused. The mirror getting in front of a mirror, practicing whatever you're going to be [00:21:00] delivering in front of a mirror. This is where you're gonna catch all of those things that are unconscious. You're gonna catch the twiddling of the hair, you're gonna catch the jiggling of what, whatever is in your pocket.

I caught myself, this was back in the corporate singing days for years. I like percussion. I have a tambourine I used to play. I still play when I can and noticed. Not until I saw it in a video, my wild chicken wing flapping out to the side. Not a pretty sight. Once I saw that never happened again. I play that tambourine with the utmost grace and ease and it's actually pretty now.

So the mirror is an excellent tool. Video record yourself on video. You get both the audio and the video when you're using video. So you're getting the audio and the visual practicing in front of a live audience. Family, friends, a beta group peers or colleagues at work can all be helpful.

[00:22:00] Now, the, the downside of that is that your friends and family could also. No, that's great. You sound awesome. That's wonderful. And there's no real constructive feedback for you to go and run with and work on. So, be selective in who you invite to give you some feedback. But these are just a few.

Tips for you today on more specific on upleveling leadership skills around your voice in review. One of them is make sure that you use some sort of a vocal warmup before you do anything. Whether it's doing some vocal swoops, whether it is oh, which by the way, that is my gift today, please. Super simple.

I think it's nine minutes long. Head over show notes. There's a link there for you that will take you right over to my free stuff. Go grab some more free stuff off of the website. It is called the vocal tutorial, and it is a wonderful vocal warmup that you can download. You can get it today and start using that.

[00:23:00] So, coming back to in review. Go grab that warmup. Speaking with passion and conviction, the art of storytelling testimonials are one of the quickest, easiest way to incorporate that, the art of persuasion. Incorporating the five senses, the five elements, earth, air, fire, water, metal, actually using those things to create a scene, helping your.

Audience or your listener to be able to visualize what you're talking about. Very powerful. Grabbing attention with irresistible hooks, right? Throwing out a question, facts a promise, a piece of information that they might not otherwise be aware of related to your talk, your presentation, your performance, becoming a master of influence, right?

This is that, that building relationship. Building relationship connecting, building rapport maintaining clarity en announcing your [00:24:00] words. But really building relationship with your listener even if you can't see them. I can't see you who are listening here, but I know that you're listening and I know that you're gonna go and look at other things that are available.

That's relationship building with my goal. My intention being someday we actually get to meet in person would be awesome. Taking action and amplifying your success using tools such as voice memos the mirror videotaping and getting feedback from people who you trust to give you feedback. So on that note, Pun always intended, go pick up that vocal tutorial.

It's free. The link will be in the show notes here for you and as well as the link to my calendar to book a complimentary discovery call. It's a 30 minute call. It's just a conversation for me to get to know you a little better. If you are not sure vocal coaching is for you, if you're just curious.[00:25:00] Maybe you wanna learn how to sing a few songs.

I have, oh gosh. This is the season where people are coming in now. They wanna learn a song for their anniversary to surprise their spouse. Or I have one couple he's gonna play the saxophone. She's gonna sing at his brother's wedding. The brother has no idea about this. So all kinds of fun things going on.

It's not rocket science. It doesn't take a lifetime to learn these skills. Over two decades experience, I invite you, this is an open invitation to book a call, see if it's a right fit, and and then we go from there. So, with that, thanks so much for tuning in. Please, if you found any value in this go subscribe, leave me a review and share it with somebody else that you care about that you think could benefit.