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To be a good communicator, you need to be a good listener. To be a good listener, you need to be objective and you need to want to hear what others have to say. Listening is essential to all communication. It supports the sharing of ideas and the expression of points of view. Good conversation involves listening to others, and in personal expression, you need to listen to yourself.

For those of us interested in voice, there is even more reason to develop great listening skills: You cannot produce a sound you cannot hear. Therefore, here are some ways to apply listening skills to develop better personal expression, better interpersonal communication AND a better voice:
• Sing often, even if you don’t feel that you have a good voice. The act of singing will strengthen your vocal muscles.
• Give talks. Join a public speaking class or club. Volunteer to be an advocate for your business or church.
• Respond to what you hear. Express your thoughts when there is an opportunity. Jump in when you have the opportunity to share your perspective.
• Practice saying hello to people in different ways. Try “Good morning,” “Hi, there,” “Hello. How are you today?” Pay attention to the different responses you get from others.
• Practice a talk you are preparing using many different inflections and pitch variations in your delivery. Listen to yourself as you do this and then try something else. And for the tone deaf, here are three ways to find vocal variety when you can’t find the pitch.
• Listen to yourself as you speak and analyze what you are doing. Record yourself talking to someone else or while speaking extemporaneously on a topic. Then listen to the recording and analyze how it sounds and what impression the delivery gives you.
• Listen to the voices of others to compare your voice with theirs. Do you speak higher or lower? What expressions do others use that you don’t?

Ear-voice coordination is as important to a speaker or singer as eye-hand coordination is to a tennis player. To learn more about the way the ear and voice work together, be sure to explore the fascinating work of the late Alfred Tomatis.

Related posts

• Fine Tune Your Vocal Image Through Ear Training
• Lisa Braithwaite writes How are your observational skills?
• Listening is of the Essence from Presentation Pointers
• This post was excerpted from my book Can You Hear Me Now?

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