Adele's vocal problems have resulted in her cancelling her upcoming tour. The BBC article has explained the problems Adele has been experiencing and sadly, she has revealed that she first suffered problems when recording her first album. Although I am sure she has some vocal advice, I'm surprised she did not have frequent training: i.e. at least twice a week, to develop a secure technique.

It is tough being a singer: as the article says, opera singers are the Olympians of singers, HAVING to know how to use their voices correctly. However, they do not perform every day, for this very reason BUT they have trained for years to ensure they don't damage their vocal cords. The BBC article does say that opera singers don't perform for 280 days of the year - but then they perform without microphones and over an orchestra which is FAR more physically tiring than singing (or miming) over a backing track with a microphone.

For young singers who have the pressure of a management or record company wanting them to promote themselves all the time, it can lead to pressure to perform when they are tired or when the voice is slightly damaged. 

Footballers and athletes do not perform when they have an injury yet singers are performing and being interviewed when clearly their voices are tired. (Listen to singers being interviewed: often their speaking voices are husky - a bad sign).

In the case of Adele, whilst she has listened to advice, has had vocal training and is careful, I'm afraid there is a fundamental problem in her vocal technique: she is not using enough 'head voice' and putting pressure on her larynx as a result - leading to vocal damage. When you listen to her latest single, she drives the sound in the middle of her voice and then the melody goes higher: this is straining the voice. This will affect her speaking and singing voice.

She has been very brave - and sensible - to cancel the tour. I have no doubt she had a lot of pressure to go ahead. She now needs to rest the voice and then do some serious training and I wish her well.

As to what we can all learn from this: singing, like speaking is something natural. We can all do it. But if we have to speak or sing regularly we need to ensure we have a good technique and are relaxed to ensure we maintain healthy and fresh vocal cords.

Straining or overusing the voice; warnings

http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/story/connie-fisher-no-longer-has-vocal-range-for-sound-of-music_1238831

I read a sad story of a music theatre singer who has over used her voice - using it when she had an infection, resulting in what appears to be some vocal damage. The link is above. I often highlight the plight of teachers who have an occupational hazard of vocal strain. This also is a problem for performers: singers, actors and music theatre specialists. Within their training, they should learn all of the techniques for sustaining a long, career, free of vocal problems. This is why, in particular, opera singers train for as long as Surgeons, to acquire their skills. However, outside factors, such as fumes, pollen and even hormones do have an effect on vocal usage so you need to know when there is a potential problem and have the technique to modify your vocal usage.

In the case of the singer involved, I believe she didn't have the necessary advise given to her, or possibly she didn't listen to advice. She had been given a 'dream' opportunity to star in a West End production. Normally a role as long as this would not be taken by one person, but a 'lead' person and another who would do at least two performances a week. However, she took all of the performances; exhausting for a very experienced performer but for one that was inexperienced, this was a danger. She didn't yet know how to pace herself and change her lifestyle to cope with the physical and mental demands of such a role. When she was ill, she came back from sick leave too early and then developed some damage to the vocal cords - resulting in the reduced vocal range.

My advise to anyone using their voice frequently: whether they be a performer, teacher or telesales worker: make sure you are aware of any vocal strain. If your voice is tired or strained, don't use it and seek medical advice. Don't be fobbed off with "Well it's part of the dangers of being a singer/teacher" but insist on expert advice.

Executive Voice: directness works at times of trouble

Like everyone else, I have been appalled by the riots; the greed of the looters; the callousness of the thugs. I have been disappointed by some people that have half heartedly spoken to the public; Nick Clegg seemed out of his depth when he met with the local community in Clapham today, and some community speakers used the knee jerk reaction of "It's the police" or "It's because of the cuts".
I am not denying that there might be outside influences causing these actions, however, this does not help the situation or calm many angry, frightened residents and people that are watching on TV.
I was therefore reassured by the new temporary Chief Constable of the Met, who said it as it was; "Call your children; tell them to go home; stop standing in the streets; go home; let the police get on with their job". Brave, sensible talk. Not pussy footing around or trying to find excuses, it was practical stuff.
Today, there was another highlight: the MP for Battersea saying that if your child has new trainers, phone or other equipment, "Ask those difficult questions; where have they come from." She also told parents to march their children to the nearest police station if they have been looting.
This is not the time for excuses; that will come later. In the meantime, our leaders and clear voices need to tell people what to do, to avoid this escalating and also to send the message that this behaviour - excuses or not - is illegal.

Executive Voice: the power of podcasts

I read an interesting article on the BBC website about podcasts:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/click_online/9545533.stm

With social media being the buzz word du jour, it appears that podcasts are no longer in vogue. It appears that everyone is tweeting; on facebook, or for work on Linkedin. However, the BBC has discovered that podcasts are being downloaded and listened to more.

As a communication tool, podcasts are very useful in that they have a human contact element to them. We engaged with the human voice in a way that Twitter -which of course has it's own uses, does not. Listening to tips on setting up a business; training for the marathon or even deciding what to cook for supper tonight engage many people that prefer audio communication to the written word. Using podcasts transmits information to more people than written word only.

I currently use audioboo for my podcasts (although I am just about to change). My channel is www.audioboo.fm/executivevoice

Tweeting is only one way of engaging clients

I have a number of acquaintances I have met through business, who rave about Twitter. They have had seriously good results from Twitter: linking up with a number of people; getting business this way; having thousands of followers to their tweets. This is brilliant and I am really pleased for them. In this world, success stories are uplifting!

However, I have also met people, that I have engaged with; subsequently worked with, and who now appear to have moved onto the next 100 people to engage with and be followed by. These particular people rave about Social Media as if it is the ONLY business tool to use, yet they've unfortunately disengaged me! Emma Freud mentioned that at a party, her sister ignored her because she wanted to speak to her new 'Twitter' friends that were there. 

And last week I was at a select business meeting where I started a conversation with another business owner. On trying to find out more about her business she said 'Do you go on Twitter; if you follow me, then you'll know what I'm doing!" Yet I was in the room with her; face to face engagement is invaluable for starting a business relationship!

There is no doubt that Twitter and other Social Media packages are an invaluable business tool for engaging with other businesses and to establish a rapport. From tweeting I have gone on to arrange face to face meetings and to develop the business relationship further, and postings are a great way to keep people up to date with what you are doing.

But relationships are more than collecting as many followers as possible; and there is a process from initially connecting with a person via Linkedin, Twitter, Facebook etc, to picking up a phone and interacting as human beings - rather than via a computer. Once the human interaction takes place, the business relationship moves forward far faster. Face to face meetings also play a major impact in this; the number of times I have gone out of my way to pop into a new contact - which has led to business is significant, yet I'd been emailing for some time before that!

However, even after telephone or face to face meetings, you STILL need to maintain the relationship, and tweeting alone isn't enough. You almost need to be more personal; more hard working with these relationships once you've reached this level.

The social media expert Eileen Brown, says that you need to monitor how long you spend each week on Social Media; measure the results and effectiveness of your activities and don't spend more than 5 hours a week. She is an expert and I believe her advice is valid: it is easy to get sucked into building up a large following which takes up time, and does not lead to significant business or to developing long term business relationships.

In the end it is about balance, and the realisation that people buy from people. Let's not forget the power of ourselves - our physical presence and voices, in selling our services.

Glaswegian accents affect success of winning jobs

 I read the following press release yesterday: this was describing the results of a survey on accents and employability.
http://www.responsesource.com/releases/rel_display.php?relid=6525

As we all know, discussing accents is an emotive subject for many people. An accent does identify where the speaker is from and class - which for many British people is key. But certain accents provoke prejudice, which I believe could be the cause of the results. My views on accents and where I rank them are different to these results, as I am sure readers would also agree. If I'm analysing the results, I might suggest that there was regional (southern) bias in the research: I doubt if anyone from the north would consider an Essex accent the most preferable accent to have.

 However, the whole issue of accents is interesting when considering 'employability'. In fact a number of well known presenters have said that their middle class accents was a disadvantage when working at the BBC where regional accents are now favoured. To a certain extent, it is 'horses for courses'; a Public School accent for a business with many people of that background would be an advantage, but wouldn't work so well, if they were targeting Liverpool clients. Yet the lovely Ashley in Michel Roux's "Service" demonstrated that he didn't need to speak RP to engage some very posh guests at a country hotel: his warm, endearing personality was a winning formula.

When I first taught in London, the headmistress of the prep school I was working at was incredibly posh. However, upon meeting her family, it transpired that they didn't present themselves in that way, and she had consciously 'lost' her scouse accent between Liverpool and Euston station, to advance her career. Another headmistress I have met: a dynamic, successful primary head, was told to 'get rid of her brummie accent if she wanted to get on' - and this was in Essex.

In the end, it is about being understood; speaking clearly, effectively and appropriately. A thick accent whether it be Public School posh; Glaswegian or Scouse is more difficult to understand than a voice with 'a little' accent, which still provides interest and individuality. However, poor grammar - of the Louise Rednapp/Alesha Dixon "You was great" variety, does not give a good impression; rather it shows the person is lazy and poorly educated. Would I employ them - or even buy from them: no. Would I employ or buy from someone who has a Glaswegian accent - yes, if they spoke clearly, with good grammar!

Calm down dear: just listen

Oh dear: the swarve Vincent had his red card (or the finger) on Wednesday and his downfall wasn't his ability to engage with people (well Jim) but his inability to engage with female team members. How many times did he dismiss his female team mates' suggestions - or even physically remove telephones from their hands to complete a call?
Engagement isn't just about speaking, but it is also listening. Engagement is a two way process: one that  involves NOT JUST speaking, but listening. A good leader has the ability to do this, and something that I hope Vincent goes away with and contemplates.
I was concerned that he seemed to dismiss the women's contributions to the team efforts. Despite Natalie's good advert, this was not acknowledged - and I can only consider that this was due to a blind spot with women. Misogyny has no place in business, and through misjudging the contribution of a section of a team, it weakens your position.

So Vincent: next time you select a team, or work with an existing team, judge individuals' talents based on their ability not their gender.

Where did you get that hat?

The Apprentice on BBC1, continued to entertain last night with another jaw dropping edition. Of course we have to acknowledge the editors in picking the most amusing scenes from many hours of film. However, from a communication perspective, there are a number of priceless scenes!

• A contestant cold calling a rival hotel's procurement (The Ritz) to ask for a copy of their suppliers' list. Karren's face was a picture. The contestant had no idea about building up a business relationship based on trust: let's face it a cold call: asking for The Ritz's invaluable resource that they'd built up over a number of years. Dur!
• The cloche saga; they didn't even know how to pronounce it, let alone know what it was. Yes: there are cloches that are used for gardening, but surely they could work out that a hotel wouldn't need 'garden' cloches.
• The upward negotiation gag; one contestant started with a low price: each time she negotiated with the vendor, she quoted a higher price. I thought negotiation involved trying to get the lowest price: not the highest!
• The lurking presence of a moustached man, whenever a female was on the phone; he barked orders, so she was having two conversations: with the company and him. He even grabbed the phone, mid-conversation, to complete a call. What a negative advert for anyone that was considering working with him.
• The total lack of time spent assessing the nature of the business; those posh, Mayfair shops are quite intimidating at the best of time: unless you are a young successful business person apparently. They just marched into these shops, expecting to negotiate a 'deal' with a huge sense of entitlement. 'They wouldn't even knock 1p off the price" said one contestant. Why do they have to? The King of Tonga pays full price: if the BBC broadcast a company giving even 1p off, their client base would all be on the phone asking for a refund! I presume no prices were displayed; don't they know the saying that if you need to know the price, you can't afford it?
• The hilarious "I have a very important client" comment by Susan, topped by the vendor's "What's that to me". The apprentices made the mistake of believing that they could get anything for the price they wanted. They had a total sense of entitlement and a disregard for the vendor's costs and overheads. 
• The genuine shock and horror faces, when prices were quoted. OMG was said more than once. My husband told me that you try not to give anything away with your body language and what you say, because it weakens your position with negotiating. Has anyone told Susan that?
• Listening; it appeared that they weren't listening to the vendors but just waiting to quote another price. How not to create rapport in one easy lesson.

If we contrast with the wonderful Irish charmer with the sad eyes. He engaged the vendors, and developed a fast rapport. In the butchers, he managed to get another £10 off and a hug from another vendor. His manner was open, friendly and not arrogant.

I am sure they are very tired (they always get up really early and people have told me they are exhausted), BUT why are these basic mistakes made by, well, some of the most successful young business people in the country. Ha! 

The Apprentice Braggers

I am a great fan of The Apprentice, and certainly I will be blogging and podcasting about this entertaining show in the next few weeks. Yes; I say entertaining, because with good editing and casting, the BBC are able to create a show rather than a basic business programme.

I am always astonished by the 'bragging': the mission statements and straplines some of the contestants utter. I know they will have been interviewed for hours and the producer cleverly picks one off the cuff remark. Perhaps I was brought up to be modest, and this is, of course, in a contest, a problem, but some of the statements from contestants is...well....

One of the most memorable comments is from a female who has been 'taught' by The Dalai Lama and Al Gore and has worked on projects with 12 Nobel Peace Prize winners. And how old is she? I'd love to know which school she went to. Perhaps the truth is slightly embroidered; reading books 'teaches' you about a person's values and thoughts. The trouble is that over inflated boasts often put you into a weak position, since others start to joke about you. It is the case of the shepherd boy who cries 'Wolf' one too many times: no one takes you seriously so when you are truthful, you've already lost their trust.

I know we all have to blow our trumpet, and for individuals that are quieter and more modest by nature, this is more of a challenge, but their needs to be a reality check and a balance. My challenge to you, is to start boasting, and when a trusted colleague or friend starts squealing, or accuses you of arrogance, you will know how far is acceptable!!

Humour at a time of tragedy

We appear to be going through a time of tragedy; particularly with the dreadful devastation in Japan. The following article on the BBC website, argues about jokes after a tragedy.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-12775389

As someone that has been a singer at the Association of Funeral Directors' dinner, I can confirm that their humour is 'black'. No doubt this is a coping mechanism for their industry. Likewise I understand that people during the darkest moments of the Second World War used black humour to 'lighten' a situation.

However, we now live in a world where what we say, and more importantly, what others say, is broadcast quickly through the internet. What we might think of as 'black humour' might be deeply offensive and hurtful to someone suffering - and reading a 'tweet' or status update on Facebook. Since you are not in front of that person; they can't hear the nuance of your voice or see your body language, they only have the words to read.

We also live in a world where certain 'comedians' (I use that term very loosely), will say anything and argue that it is 'ironic' or 'challenging contemporary thought' - when in fact it is NOT funny, and audiences are laughing in horror and embarrassment. The trouble with these comedians is that what they say is picked up by the media, making the statement more exposed to everyone - causing more offense. It also raises the profile of the 'comedian' concerned.

So here are my tips for using humour at a time of tragedy:

1. Know your audience; if you are going to use a current topic as a source of humour, check who your audience will be. If it is a family member or close friend and you know their humour, that could be okay. If, you decide to joke about Japan and it is a Japanese audience, it really is not going to be funny. If in doubt, don't say it.
2. Decide on a reasonable time after the tragic event before you make the joke or comment. Immediately after a tragedy, when people are in shock, is not a good time.
3. If you have children who are repeating jokes heard in the playground, try to explain to them about the tragedy (without scaring them) but also to be aware who it is appropriate to repeat those jokes to.
4. If you are a social media fan: Facebook and Twitter, be aware that your humour can be re-tweeted and transmitted throughout the world. Not everyone might have the same humour as you; some might find it offensive and will label you. Using humour on a company account or yours - if it is for personal branding, is dangerous, so use with care.
5. Decide whether or not the joke is actually funny; as I mentioned before, some statements aren't. Repeating them wins no brownie points but labels you as being an idiot.
6. If in any doubt, don't repeat the joke.

The Strength of Speech in the face of disaster

With  the dreadful news from Japan over the last few weeks, it came as no surprise to me that the Emperor of Japan decided to address his subjects.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/8385868/Japan-earthquake-Emperor-Akihitos-exceptional-speech.html

Emperor Akihitos, as is tradition, never addresses his subjects and as a result, Japanese people had never heard his voice until this address. When we consider how interested everyone was in Kate Middleton's voice when she spoke at her engagement interview, one can only imagine what a positive impact this had on the Japanese people's morale. Hearing a human voice; particularly that of a leader, is a very powerful emotional experience. The emperor was able to connect on a very personal level with his subjects.

So, do you have a voice that connects with others? Does your voice make an impact when you address others in meetings; on the telephone; or presentations? How might your voice make a difference to those around you. These are questions we all need to consider, just as Emperor Akihitos did.

HR Connections Workshop 19th March

Executive Voice are delighted to be involved in this exciting workshop.


http://hosted.vresp.com/679300/474b7f0b31/285247203/a9542e3475/

Aimed at HR professionals, it will give individuals the opportunity to discuss important and challenging issues within the HR work environment. Executive Voice is delivering a short workshop on developing confident and effective communication skills at meetings.

For more details please see the workshop information:

http://hosted.vresp.com/679300/474b7f0b31/285247203/a9542e3475/

If you wish to discuss anything with us, call us on 0844 576 3015 or email susan@executivevoice.co.uk

The most irritating radio voice

I love listening to voices; they reveal so much about a person - age, where they come from etc. We all have personal preferences for the type of voice we love listening to, and George Bernard Shaw was correct in saying (I've simplified this) that as soon as an Englishman opens his mouth, he will always find someone that dislikes him. This is somewhat harsh but people are prejudiced about certain accents; voice types- or even gender. I saw the following article about the voices on radio that listeners particularly disliked.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/celebritynews/8304155/Who-has-the-most-irritating-radio-voice.html

As you can see from the article, certain voices provoke a strong emotional response - with some people being quite rude about individuals, who are essentially strangers.

Having a 'unique' sounding voice CAN be useful - think Janet Street Porter or Brian Sewell; their voices and speaking styles are part of their persona. However particular voices could be detrimental to an individual - for building their personal brand or for creating a negative emotional response when they speak.

It is difficult to receive feedback from people you know well about your voice, but asking for constructive feedback on this area from your boss at your annual review is a good way to be self aware. Also courses Executive Voice offer opportunities to discover how effective your voice is in different situations without provoking negative emotional responses.

If you wish to be an effective speaker, here are a few pointers to ensure your voice is working for you.

• Speak with clear diction. Make it easy for people to listen to you.
• If you have a strong accent - whether it be a regional accent, Toff's, speaking English as a second language, speak slowly and clearly to make it easy for people to listen to you.
• Watch your pitch; if you speak with a high pitched voice it is more difficult for a number of people - particularly men - to listen to you.
• Be aware of your listeners' ears; they might be used to listening to a southern accent and will need to 'tune in' to another accent. Speak slower and be aware of not using regional slang.
• Make your voice interesting to listen to; a monotone drone will send people to sleep!
• The voice isn't just about the sound of the voice but also the way you deliver your speech; be engaging with your body language - inviting people to listen to what you have to say.
• Record yourself speaking. Be honest with yourself; do you have a nasal or unpleasant tone in your voice? Would it annoy others? If so, do something about it.
• Always smile when you speak; it lifts up the voice making it more engaging for others to listen to.

Speak to executive Voice if you would like some individual training to make your voice interesting to other people. Visit our website or call us on 0844 576 3015 for more information.

Are you less employable if you have a strong accent?

At the weekend I read an article about a gentleman that was not employed for a particular job. On asking for feedback from his interviewers, they revealed that his accent was one reason why he wasn't selected.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1353606/Shemi-Leira-turned-job-African-accent-rich-customers.html

This area is always of interest to me. Accents provoke emotion in everyone; certain accents make you feel negative about them, others positive. It could be based on expectation or whether or not you can understand them easily.

On two separate occasions Executive Voice have provided training for individuals and teams, where one of the issues was 'accents'. In the first, a highly qualified and valued professional received training due to his accent resulting in more work for the support staff. Part of his job required him to dictate information via a telephone line and his secretarial team were not able to understand what he was saying. This resulted in errors; more time being spent on his documents and unhappy clients. Clients also had difficulty communicating with him by telephone. The company valued him very highly and were aware that this had become a major issue and was affecting the business. Through training the gentleman learnt how to dictate more effectively; slowing down his speech and being more precise with his diction. He maintained his accent, but was able to modify it for workcase situations.

In the other instance, we worked with an inspirational team of estate agents based in the North East. Their warm, friendly approach to clients - many of whom were based in the South East or who were foreign, was seen as over familiar for a client/supplier relationship. Clients also found it quite difficult to understand the team on the phone and often there were 'unprofessional' conversations in the office that were clearly audible in the background when clients were on the phone or in the office. Whilst not wishing to dampen the natural positive characteristics of the team, we made them aware of professional and private behaviour, relationships and conversations. We also focused on how to modify the voice with clearer diction on the telephone, so that clients were able to understand more easily. Again, there was a marked increase in sales once the training was implemented.

If we regard Michel Roux's Service, all of the trainees had accents: yes, RP is an accent. They all modified how they spoke; what they said; their behaviour and body language to work in a Five Star environment. Their accents weren't an issue as it was the overall package that counted.

So here are the top tips for ensuring you are employable, whatever your accent is:

• Speak clearly and if necessary slow down your speech to ensure people understand you.
• On the telephone, take special care to listen and speak very clearly.
• Develop rapport with good eye contact and positive, open body language.
• Check the environment you are going to work in; is it an environment you are familiar with or wish to work in? If not, look for another opportunity.

http://www.executivevoice.co.uk

The 'Fine Dining' experience - apply it to your business

I'm bowled over by the excellent Michel Roux's Service on BBC 2. Michel has picked a group of young people wishing to go into the hospitality industry, and train them up to become excellent employees - and the offer of scholarships to two participants, to enable them to study further.

The first point that struck me was that the young people had little experience of receiving good service; how could they anticipate how to provide good service. As Mary Portas is exploring, High Streets don't offer a good customer service, and a number of food chains also don't focus on this side of the business.

I have experienced working with one of Michel's teams recently, in my capacity as an entertainment provider. I was struck by how hard everyone worked; how they anticipated what was required by the clients BEFORE the event as well as during, and how they welcomed us into the team: giving us positive feedback throughout the evening. We all felt very privileged to be part of the team! I will be blogging on this programme again!

So what does this programme offer business owners that aren't in the Hospitality industry? A smile; what you say (for example Good morning, not hiya!!) and an engaging body language are all ways of making a huge impact; a 'Magical Moment' for the client. Executive Voice offers individual and team training in using the voice and body language; to engage your employees with clients.
Call us on 0844 576 3015 for more details

Voicebox Transplant - which voice would you choose?

I read an incredible article today about a woman in California, who has had a voicebox (larynx) transplant.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12253257

A previous article on the BBC website described how this surgery is able to transform people's lives that previously were not able to speak after particular surgery.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7912621.stm The interesting point about this is that with a transplanted larynx, the patient has a 'new' voice. Before, the patient might have had a high pitched voice, but after surgery, it could be lower, or with a different timbre.

For fun, I have created a survey asking for your favourite voices and if you had the choice of changing voice, what would you request! Answer online below.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/7TNYB9W

For more details of Executive Voice go to our website

Smile, Speak, Serve

Last night I watched the wonderful Mary Portas in her new crusade to improve customer service within the Retail Industry. Everyone has experienced poor customer service when shopping, and it is very frustrating at times. I have stopped shopping at certain shops due to the shop assistants' attitude.

However, poor customer service is not exclusively found within the retail industry and it is something we ALL need to be aware of, since the majority of use work within the service industry, or if we are selling a product, there are still customers that require service for delivery of the products. Mary is quite right in saying that good customer service elevates a business to a new level.

I like Mary's somewhat cheesy take on customer care: "Smile, Speak, Serve", but it can be applied to any business situation.

Smile: When you smile you become more approachable; you voice alters becoming less tense. This is something that can be applied on the telephone as well as face to face.

Speak: Engage the customer; acknowledge they are there; welcome them. Answering the telephone the first thing one says could be "Good morning" - you'd be amazed at how many businesses don't answer the phone like this.

Serve: "How can I help you?" is the easiest thing to say, whether you are face to face or on the phone.

The programme didn't touch body language or intentions. Unfortunately some people are trained to say particular things (scripted cold calls for example, rarely sound authentic), and they can sound insincere or their body language is saying something else.

It is a very interesting programme and certainly I'm hooked! I look forward to the next programme which I will be blogging about.

For more information on how to speak on the phone, buy our CD "Make an Impact on the Telephone"

Remedies for coughs

Coughs are potentially a disaster when you are wishing to speak in all areas of business. It is awful if you are on the phone and have a coughing fit; presentations and public speaking engagements could be embarrassing if you start coughing, and as for meetings: you cause a disturbance in the meeting and aren't able to listen effectively. We have also heard radio and TV presenters suffer with coughing fits that result in an awkward pause.

Coughs are mainly a protective reflex to remove foreign ­bodies, mucus or irritants such as dust from the respiratory tract, explains Alyn Morice, professor of respiratory ­medicine at the University of Hull, and one of the country’s leading experts. ‘But persistent coughs can also be caused by viruses and ­infections,’ he says. He recommends that if you have a persistent cough for eight weeks or more, you should visit your GP.

This blog doesn't cover symptoms of coughs; coughs that almost become a nervous reaction or medical remedies. However, it is important to consider the physical outcomes that could affect your effectiveness to speak. These include:

• Having a husky voice.
• Having a sore throat
• Tiredness due to not sleeping
• Having a voice that becomes very quiet
• Other symptoms such as achy abdominal muscles due to coughing.
• Generally feeling poorly with other flu like symptoms

When we cough, we put a lot of pressure on our larynx and over time this swells up - causing a husky voice. If we have an infection in our larynx, it can swell up and mucus can surround this area. These all result in the voice becoming more husky, and even difficulty speaking.

It is really important to take care of your voice when you have a cough; Paul O'Grady mentioned on his radio programme last weekend that he had 'Panto Voice'. He had suffered 'flu during the run and returned to work whilst he was still ill: he didn't want to let down his fans. As a result, he had a cough, sore throat and very husky voice. There are plenty of casualties in the theatre and opera world where individuals have returned to performing when they are still suffering from coughs - resulting in long term damage.

Obviously most areas of business work do not require such usage - unless you are training or doing extensive speaking, but it is important to take care of your voice if you have a cough.

• Try to avoid dry environments, dusty environments and those that irritate your throat so that you cough.
• Remember to drink a lot of fluids (not alcohol), since it is easy to become dehydrated.
• Gargle with a salt water solution 3 times a day, to cleanse your throat and manage any infection.
• Go to a pharmacist who will recommend the correct cough mixture for your cough.
• We recommend you take a night cough mixture at night, which will allow you to sleep better.
• At night, use 2 or more pillows to keep your head up higher. We have found this helps with night coughs.
• Steam your throat with a bowl of very hot water with eucalyptus oil in (take care); breathe this in with a tea towel over your head. Repeat twice a day.
• Avoid using your voice where possible; text, use emails and letters and write notes!
• If the cough symptoms persist for 8 weeks or more, go to your GP.

For more information on Executive Voice go to http://www.executivevoice.co.uk

Be prepared in the cold period

I don't wish to sound like a Government health warning, but this time of year with the common cold, flu like symptoms and in the worst cases, Swine Flu, could play havoc for your voice and communication effectiveness. When you feel unwell it is always a challenge to speak clearly and with charisma - or energy. Sneezing, coughing, having a sore throat and having catarrh also make it more difficult to speak confidently.

With these symptoms, it is easy for the body to get dehydrated, which can potentially cause harm or even damage to the vocal folds - and your voice. It is especially important at this time of year to drink plenty of water throughout the day. Central heating is on which dehydrates the body, and this, with cold/flu symptoms is potentially very harmful to the voice.

In the next few days I will focus on different cold symptoms, and how best to cope with these when working.

If you have any questions, or would like to bring up a specific issue, call me on 0844 576 3015 or contact me

The accents on how you speak not how you look

Recent research reveals that your accent reveals more about you as a person, than what you wear. An article on the research is below.

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/218604/The-accent-s-on-how-you-speak-not-how-you-look

We are all aware that the way we speak on the telephone has an impact on the success of our conversations on the phone; the other person can't see us so we have to project our personality in other ways. However, this research is a revelation, since the voice: the way we sound and our accents, has a greater influence on how we project our personality than has been revealed before. Whilst experts have always identified the way we speak within a first encounter as being one characteristic people notice, experts (and in particular image consultants) have always focused on personal appearance being the most important characteristic to concentrate on when wishing to make a good impression.

I was always taught to maintain eye contact; shake hands and say "How do you do." From the research it seems that this is good advice, because you are immediately engaging with the other person. Focusing entirely on appearance is not a two way exchange. It is certainly something to bear in mind.

Our Training CD course 'Make an Impact with your voice' is available from our online shop.