How to speak so that people want to listen | Julian Treasure

Intro (0s)

• The human voice is a powerful tool, capable of both starting wars and expressing love.
• People often feel they are not listened to when speaking.
• Seven habits to avoid in speech: gossip, judging, negativity, complaining, excuses, exaggeration, and dogmatism.

The 7 Deadly Sins of Speaking

• Gossip involves speaking ill of those not present and can lead to mistrust.
• Judging others makes it difficult for them to listen to the speaker.
• Negativity and complaining spread discomfort rather than positivity.
• Making excuses and not taking responsibility for actions alienates listeners.
• Embellishing the truth can escalate to lying, causing loss of credibility.
• Dogmatism confuses opinions with facts, making the speech less persuasive.

Four Cornerstones of Powerful Speaking [HAIL]

• Honesty involves being true and clear in what is said.
• Authenticity means being genuine and standing in one's truth.
• Integrity is exemplified by being consistent with one's words and actions.
• Love (non-romantic) implies wishing well for others and enables effective communication without judgment.

What you say (4m16s)

• The way you say something is as important as what you say.
• Voice is an instrument with many tools: register, timbre, prosody, pace, pitch, and volume.
• Register affects the perceived authority; a deeper voice often sounds more authoritative.
• Timbre relates to the feel of the voice; a warm, smooth voice is generally preferred.
• Prosody adds meaning through intonation and rhythm.
• Pace and silence can be used to emphasize and engage listeners.
• Volume can both demand attention and demonstrate excitement or intimacy.
• Sodcasting is inconsiderate broadcasting of one’s voice in public spaces.

Voice Warm-up [End of Summary]

• Warming up the voice is crucial for important speaking events.
• The speaker prompts the audience to stand for a voice warm-up exercise.