Ann MacTyrell demystifies elocution lessons and shares her top vocal suggestions to having a confident talking voice. I think the times of “how now brown cow” repeated at revulsion are a thing of the past. The term “elocution” developed a sullied reputation of being stiff, uninteresting and drill-like in approach, perhaps rightly so ; but voice training or elocution lessons have undergone major changes. They’re now simpler, well implemented and on occasions systematic in their approach to a confident vocal delivery. So, to provide proof for it this voice coach wants to share with you one or two tips to having a great talking voice. Slow Down What’s The Rush? A good pace always takes away from your vocal presence, and it’s the most terrible mistake people make. Therefore there isn’t any rush, don’t confuse energy with talking fast. The Drama of Pause Don’t be terrified of the silence. Never undervalue the power of the pause! It shows you aren’t terrified of silence. These spaces between your thoughts can be as strong as the thoughts themselves. You’ll hold a listener’s attention by making strong silences. Pausing always adds larger significance to your message, and as a result adds to your vocal delivery. Are you Breathing? A listener always relates to a relaxed composed communicator. To realize a quiet and composed talking style you want to think about your breathing and Yes I know… I know.. You understand how to breathe! But did you ever really think about how your breathing can influence your vocal delivery? To have a  strong, resonant voice it is very important to understand correct breathing. You may need assistance from a voice coach initially, so here’s some help : Think about breathing efficiently in the body ( a deep breath isn’t how much air we take into our body but how deep in the body it is going ). As you inhale target the centre of your body expanding. As you breathe out or talk, the center of the body minify. Think about the message you would like to convey. A voice coach will always ask you “what do you want my listener to think and feel about your message? Decide on this and the emotion in your voice will follow. Think Power Words….Think Vocal Contrast. The most significant words in a sentence are referred to as “key power words” These words break the sentence down to its basic meaning. These words need to stand out in some way but how?