In order to develop you own distinctive voice you first need to relax into it!

If you are tense your voice will be too. If your breathing is shallow your voice will not project or sound confident. Your vocal cords are muscles and can be greatly enhanced, as singers are aware. No singer would perform without first doing vocal exercises – so speakers should do the same to exercise the most important tool – the vocal cords!
If you breathe correctly from the diaphragm this will get rid of the jitters and the wobbly feelings. This kind of breathing counteracts the panic you feel and allows the body to relax. You can train yourself to respond to fear, not with tension but with relaxation. Use humming as a warm up exercise as this clears the pathways.

Above all be yourself. You are unique and have your own views and opinions. You have great stories to tell and people will be interested to hear them. Think back over your life and find the humour, the tragic, the sad and the eventful. Read newspapers and magazines to stimulate ideas.

If you need to speak on a particular topic, gather all the necessary background information. Weave human interest into the facts as much as possible. Even boring topics can come alive with real life stories and anecdotes.

Connect with your audience by involving them as much as you can. Create rapport by asking hypothetical questions and by smiling and using gestures.

Above all enjoy yourself and your audience will too.