1. Rise and try to shine.
After getting out of bed, head to the bathroom for some warm-ups. Look at yourself in the mirror and take deep breaths. Are your shoulders rising as you inhale? Don't let them. Stand straight, relax and let your breath come in down low. It should feel like it's entering your body around your waist, not being pulled down your throat.
2. Keep it up.
Not only does slouching look like you couldn't care less, but it also prevents your lungs from filling up. Full lungs keep your voice from cracking, make you sound more powerful and keep you from running out of air. When you realize you're hunched over while on the phone, sit back and straighten your spine to allow more energy to come across.
3. Support can be beautiful.
Some people are blessed with resonant voices like James Earl Jones or Lauren Bacall. Most of us aren't. But rather than throwing in the towel, try wrapping it around your waist. Breathe in low and gently expand your abs and obliques. Relax, let go and pretend the towel is like the waistline of your sweatpants. You can feel it grow a little wider.
Then open up and say "Ah." Now repeat. This time, use your abs to expand your waist. You'll also feel the downward push of your lower abs. Say "Ah" once more, and as you expand, you'll hear the sound get stronger. Use this technique for more volume and a stronger sound.
4. Open up.
When you get nervous, your voice gets squeaky and high. Not the confident image you want to project. And the more you try and control it by force, the more you start to lose it altogether. The cure: breathing low, gently using your lower abs to push down and relax. And always let your throat be open and free of tension. An open throat protects your voice and produces a richer sound.
5. Variety is key.
Want to control your whole audience? Speak in a monotone voice, and you can send a group of 2,000 people off to dreamland. Especially when working by phone, that dead air may not be your client pondering. Try listening for snoring. To prevent this, remember the "four P's" of vocal variety:
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