Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

The first half of this book is great -- how to fully use your air when speaking, how to bang out those consonants. There is only one example/ of a speech/ where she provides/ pause breaks. The book needed lots more of this advice -- where should you pause// anyway? The back of the book is useless -- drink 6 glasses of water a day. Thanks Renee.

Don't tell some of my voice coaching clients how good this book is, or I may be out of a job! Renee's easy to understand explanations and sound techniques are bound to benefit any speaker. There's always more to learn, and after 25-plus years of studying and teaching singing and speaking technique, I still found some of Renee's explanations and approaches to be refreshingly unique and effective. Without hesitation I recommend this book to anyone who wants to improve their speaking voice and their presentation skills.

Ever wonder why, with the perfect resume and polished appearance, you're passed over for the promotion or don't get the job? This book is a real eye-opener - your voice has so much to do with how people perceive you and how they react to you, yet rarely do we consider how we sound. Renee's style is easy-to-read, like an interesting conversation, full of entertaining anecdotes, useful info and helpful exercises. She makes you realize that delivery is as important as content (ask any comedian!) and gets you on the right track to first, being aware of and then, controlling this powerful tool and perpetually using it to your advantage.

Before you take your voice to the road read this book. Be prepared to sing/talk with more poise and consistecy in every environment encountered. Feel knowledgable enough to apply and protect the voice mechanism, damage can cost gig's and career's. Bottom line, been in the music business for over 20 years and have never come across a book that allowed me to understand my voice as an instrument more than this one.........thanks!!

I thoroughly enjoyed Voice Power by Grant-Williams. It's informative, entertaining, and well-written. I enjoyed the personal anecdotes, and have found the information and exercises extremely useful. I'm more aware of my sentence structure, intonation and inflection, and it has also helped my listening skills.

A good addition to your collection of self-improvement and how-to books, and a great reference tool. I keep it right next to Dale Carnegie's "How to Win Friends and Influence People."

There were some great tips and perspectives in this book. The first third of the book, in particular, was very helpful. The perspectives on breathing, foundation, silence, and consonants were fabulous.

As a professional who does a great deal of speaking, I expect what I learned will improve my delivery and my impact on audiences. I'd recommend this book to anyone whose success is dependent on their ability to 'connect' with people--particularly for 'presenters'.

It's an entertaining read and well-written. I learned four really valuable tips (really fast) and it cost me 15 bucks. You do the math...what's not to like?

Bill Wiersma, Author, The Big AHA!

Renee GrantWilliams' Voice Power tells how to apply positive vocal techniques to both business and personal situations. From using silence as an exclamation and delivering persuasive sales pitches to understanding which speeches make folks listen, this is packed with insights.