Here are three of Ann's unbeatable tips for improving your delivery.

TIP #1:

Breathing is the most important aspect of a broadcast voice because breathing is the energy for speech. If there’s anything wrong with your energy source, you know that everything will suffer. Imagine trying to make a call on your cell phone when the battery is dead. No way, right? Well, the same is true for speech. Without the energy of the breath, nothing performs as it should.

Proper breathing should begin low in the torso around your waist. You should feel your stomach expand as you inhale and contract as you exhale. One way to feel this breathing is by lying on the floor on your back with a book on your stomach. If you breathe comfortably, you will see the book rise as you inhale and fall as you exhale.

Once you have the feeling of proper abdominal-diaphragmatic breathing, try it standing. Place your right hand on your chest and your left hand at your waistline. Breathe so that you feel your left hand moving while your right hand remains still. This breathing will give you the best breath support and will reduce tension in your throat.

TIP #2:

The most important thing to remember in broadcast delivery is that you are always talking with one person as others eavesdrop. Your on-air delivery should sound like a conversation with a good friend. I call it "enlarged conversation" because you should be a bit more careful with your articulation, but the general feeling should be one of conversation.

Begin the process by imagining a person. This person should not be a vague, nebulous image. Pick a real person with whom you are comfortable talking and can imagine very vividly--a sister, friend, cousin, etc. The listener is always the most important person in a broadcasting encounter. Vividly creating this person in your mind promotes a sense of comfortable communication.

TIP #3:

You must take care of your throat during the winter months. A
common cold can keep you off the air for days. If you get a cold and must go on air, your first thought may be to take everything in the medicine cabinet. But do your voice a favor and don't do that. This shotgun approach may set you up for more vocal damage than the cold.

A cold virus produces symptoms in a sequential manner. Typically, first you get a sore throat, and then you might get congestion in your nose. Treat each of these symptoms with a single symptom over-the-counter medication as they occur. Avoid multi-action pills and liquids because they contain medications you don't need, like a cough medicine before you're coughing. They also don't contain enough of any one medication to be really helpful. Stay away from antihistamines unless a doctor has prescribed them for allergies. They have a drying effect on your vocal tract and do more harm than good when you have a cold.

Remember, too, that viruses cause colds and the flu, and antibiotics only
help with bacterial infections. Let your doctor make that diagnosis.
And whether you have a cold or not, drink lots of liquids. Stick with
decaffeinated fluids and think of them as the best protection you can provide for your throat. Aim for consuming at least half your body weight in ounces of water every day.

For more tips on vocal delivery, check Ann's Web site at www.avoicedoc.com or her Broadcast Voice Handbook