When I was young, in the early 1970s, I spent a few years working in some pretty disreputable bars. One was the kind of joint where people arrived at 6am to start drinking their disability checks, and the other was a biker bar in San Francisco’s “Tenderloin” (red light) district.
The main thing I learned from these sojourns—besides how to pour “7 & 7’s” (Seagram’s 7 + 7-Up) and drink stingers for breakfast (green creme de menthe, brandy and cream)—was how to convince people that I meant what I was saying.
This was an essential skill for an (at that time) small-ish girl whose job included breaking up fights between bigger and stronger men. And—surprise!—it turns out that “sounding like you mean it” doesn’t have much to do with volume; it has to do with intention and aim.
You’ve already learned how to breathe deeply, to give your words power.
And now, this 25 second exercise will help you aim that power right at your listeners!