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As a voice coach, the first thing I teach my clients is how to breathe with the support of the diaphragm. The reason is because you cannot discover your ‘real’ voice until you learn this simple technique.

When I discuss your ‘real’ voice, I am not talking about using different words or thoughts to make some psychological change to how you speak. I am talking about finding your ‘real’ sound. And, that ‘real’ sound comes from your chest cavity (the largest of your 5 vocal resonators) to produce a voice that is deeper in pitch, fuller in body, and mature in quality. The voice you are currently using is being produced by your other 4 resonators which include the cavities of your voice box, throat, mouth and nose.

Because most people breathe by means of the upper portion of the chest cavity – known as shallow or lazy breathing – and not the lower half, they are unable to make use of that large cavity as their primary sounding board.
All voices that have depth, resonance and a rich quality are being powered by the chest cavity. And those voices are reminiscent of James Earl Jones, Kathleen Turner, Kate Beckinsale, and George Clooney. The only difference between their voice and yours is in the placement of their sound. In fact, you may have a fantastic speaking voice; however, you will never know just how great it is until you learn to breathe with support and power your voice by means your chest resonator.

Another tremendous benefit of breathing with the support of your diaphragm is in the control of your nervousness in public speaking. There is nothing better that you can do physically than to allow your breathing to take control of your nervous jitters and put them to good use.

Nervousness can be either a nightmare or a blessing. When you allow it to work for you and not against you, you will benefit from the ‘fight’ response of nervousness in which your level of awareness will intensify, your sight will become sharper, and your perception of pain will be diminished. And this is exactly what you need if you want to be at your best when addressing an audience.

While breathing with the support of your diaphragm can have a tremendous effect on your speaking (and singing) voice as well as your presentation skills, it can also change your life in other respects because it is the most important thing you can do to eliminate stress in your life. Imagine something as simple as a diaphragmatic breath improving your life, both professionally and personally.

I have always given talks, some casual, some formal. But I surprised myself last week when I submitted conference proposals to several organizations. Was I suffering from winter boredom? Did I understand the work and money involved? My subconscious answered these questions and, despite the work and money, I submitted the proposals.

Filling out the forms reminded me of the benefits of giving conference presentations. Travel expenses and last-minute glitches do not negate these benefits. In fact, I leave with a sense of renewal. If you are a book author and looking for marketing opportunities, you may wish to submit some conference proposals. These are the benefits I gained.

1. Completing the form makes you consider themes. Each conference has a theme and your book or books may have themes as well. Ever since I lost four family members in 2007 I have been writing about grief reconciliation and recovery. I have two main themes, one, that grief recovery is possible, and two, that mourners can be happy again. I write about these themes because I lived them.

2. Conference talks are thinking exercises. Usually the form asks you to cite the purpose of your talk and main points. To do this, you must think of your talk as a whole, its title, its purpose, main points, and sub-points. This mental exercise may be beneficial later. I submitted an electronic proposal to one organization and as soon as I hit send I thought to myself, “Wow, that could be a book.”

3. Attending a conference is an inspiring experience. Last summer I participated in a conference for people who have lost a child. Though attendees were in various stages of grief, grief is the experience that united us. I was inspired by the stories I heard and the courage of the people I met. You may be similarly inspired.

4. Each conference is a learning experience. Just being at a conference can get your creative juices flowing. You also have a chance to pick up on trends. At the conference for bereaved parents I discovered that many bereaved people write, or want to write, books about their experiences. In short, I had lots of competition. But I also learned my work is unique because I write about multiple losses and as someone who is raising grandchildren

5. Speaking is a book marketing opportunity. However, you can’t over-do it. One proposal form said I could mention my book or books at the beginning of my talk, and leave it at that. The conference organizers don’t want presenters to turn their talks into television commercials and I agree with this view. There is a big difference between offering help and a hard sell.

Conference organizers may ask if they can film you while you are speaking. You may also be asked to autograph books in the conference book store, another opportunity to get to know existing and future readers. Yes, giving conference talks is lots of work, but I think the benefits are worth it.