Voice Power: Using Your Voice to Captivate, Persuade, and Command Attention [Paperback]

Renee Grant-Williams (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 23, 2002

Ever wonder what makes us buy from a certain salesperson or prefer one TV news announcer over another? In each case, a human voice is subtly captivating our ear and commanding our attention. Now celebrity voice coach Renee Grant-Williams reveals the trade secrets behind those persuasive voices and shows readers how to apply positive vocal techniques to business and personal situations. Much more than a guide to proper breathing or voice projection, this is a life-altering ""owner's manual"" to unleashing and directing the powers of communication within one's speaking voice. By exploring the rich connections between singing and speaking, Grant-Williams helps readers: * Evaluate their ""VoicePower"" quotients * Literally breathe new life into their voices * Tap the amazing power of consonants--and silence * Deliver sales pitches virtually guaranteed to sell * Turn a voice mail message (incoming or outgoing) into a personal calling card * Become more confident, persuasive presenters and public speakers

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

For those who are constantly interrupted or asked to repeat themselves, the problem may not be what they're saying, but how they're saying it. Voice coach Renee Grant-Williams, who works with singers and politicians like Linda Ronstadt and John Ashcroft, shows how to make one's speech resonate impressively in Voice Power: Using Your Voice to Captivate, Persuade, and Command Attention. She reveals how to enunciate consonants for dramatic effect, use breathing techniques to make the voice richer, deploy strategic silence, cope with stage fright and leave authoritative voice-mail messages. There's also a chapter on maintaining a healthy voice.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review

"It's a good read, smart, funny and insightful all at once." -- Pro Sound News, New York NY, David McGee, January 2003

This book should help even the most reluctant speakers become more confident, persuasive presenters and communicators. -- Business Woman Magazine, Spring 2002

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 17 and up
  
• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: AMACOM; 1st edition (April 23, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0814471056
• ISBN-13: 978-0814471050
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #468,161 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally a chance to strengthen my voice, August 27, 2002

By 

susan d. rodiek (Bryan, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Voice Power: Using Your Voice to Captivate, Persuade, and Command Attention (Paperback)

I was amazed at how much deeper and stronger my voice sounded, after trying this approach for only a few minutes! I have always had a soft voice, and often had trouble projecting over the background noise in the architecture studios I teach. In spite of wishing for a more effective speaking voice, I don't have time to spend on laborious exercises. The approach presented in this book is easy to understand, and can be done in spare moments, in the shower, etc. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants their voice to sound more professional and confident.

54 of 58 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best books I've ever read, March 26, 2005

By 

Joseph Dewey (Orem, UT USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Voice Power: Using Your Voice to Captivate, Persuade, and Command Attention (Paperback)

I took about two years to read this book. I read the first 50 pages about two pages at a time, and I read the last 3/4 of this book in the last week.

The first 50 pages are amazing. If you take the time and do all of the exercises that she recommends, it will take a while to fully practice all of the stuff that she says, but it is well worth it.

I've heard a lot about diaphragm breathing, but Renee did a better job than anyone else on talking about the subject.

I also really liked her exercise of recording your voice, and listing out three positives and three negatives about your voice. This is a very cool exercise, because it forces you to be objective about your voice.

What she says about the power of consonants is revolutionary, and has really changed the way that I speak. So much on speaking and music is vowel-centric, and she explains that, too.

I also really liked how she explained the musical undertone of everyday speech. I've heard of the concept before, but she explained it better than anyone else.

The last 150 pages are good, too, but they don't have practice exercises like the first 50, so you can read through them very fast.

And, as a final note, I think that Renee Grant-Williams is the James Bond of our day. Have you ever noticed that James Bond does everything and knows everything? When did he get the time to learn Afrikaans I sometimes wonder?

The same thing with Renee Grant-Williams-she has done everything. She's an accomplished musician, she does voice training, she's toured with different bands, she did sales for recording companies, she's an amateur homeopath, she's a pet adoption advocate, and I'm sure she's also battled an evil henchman called "Jaws" on a moon base.

Anyway, thanks Renee for a great, life-changing book.

57 of 65 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Good ideas buried in self promotion, March 16, 2005

By 

mhnstr (Christchurch, New Zealand) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Voice Power: Using Your Voice to Captivate, Persuade, and Command Attention (Paperback)

I purchased this book after having read a story in the Boston Globe about speech and how important it is when giving presentations or job interviews. I hoped that this book would give me better speaking skills. To this end, there are some good points in this book, but they are buried between the name dropping and self promoting that the author does will annoying frequency.

For example, the skill that seems to be the cornerstone of the techniques presented in this book is a method of breathing. The author explains that not everyone gets this method at first and describes how one famous client (yet another name drop) required five one hour sessions before she got the hang of it. Yet, the author expects the reader to be able to learn the breathing method from the one paragraph that she dedicates to explaining the method.

In summary, I believe that it is possible to learn some skills from this book, but I wish that the author spent more time explaining the skills and less on self promotion. You may want to consider another book.