Speaking Clearly & Effectively Creates Self Confidence

Speaking cleary & effectively creates self confidence and at last it is fashionable to speak clearly and effectively, which in turn, as my students know for sure, creates self confidence.

For the last ten years or so, if I was recording an advert, I was frequently told, ” Speak less well, knock the corners off, speak more London, less posh please! … Blimey, stop sounding like Waitrose and be more ASDA!

Well, now our radios are filled with the voices of Cameron and Nick Clegg and the job market being what it is, suddenly it is okay to end your words, pronounce your t’s and d’s and form vowels in such a way that is universally understood!

In fact, it is even an advantage, because as companies scrabble for their share of the market, clear effective speech is highly prized.

What is so fascinating is how speaking well and clearly, not only gives one more confidence to communicate, but also hugely improves one’s confidence in other areas and it really is a delight to watch somebody blossom… smile more… laugh more and generally feel better about themselves.

I went to a very blue stocking, strict girls’ school and was partly brought up by my grandmother who had been one of the first ever scholarship girls.

When Dorothy Hiles went to the city grammar school, Hereford High School in 1917, from her country village,  she was suddenly surrounded by girls who wore silk shirts rather than cotton and most of whom were from the wealthiest families in the county.

Here she was brought face to face with the importance of speaking well, having impeccable manners and holding herself up with perfect posture.

Dorothy worked hard, went to college and by the time I arrived in this world she had retired from being the headmistress of another school!

She never, however, retired from teaching her loved ones and her endless patience with me (reminding me that pour and poor were pronounced differently and that one didn’t have a bit, but a drop of milk,  was not wasted on me and I can honestly say I have never been nervous of speaking to anyone.

Good, clear, accurate speech is a joy to listen to and enhances all our relationships… even with ourselves. I recommend listening to Radio 4 (93.5MW) to hear what I mean!