A good vocal delivery is the target of any one presenting on radio. You want to sound right, and professional. You want your listeners to fall in love with your voice and always tune into your station. But this can’t just happen overnight. Developing a strong radio voice is something to be worked at intentionally and consistently. In this post, we’ve put together ten valuable tips that can help you develop a strong radio voice.

1. Be Original.
   As much as you want to sound like a pro, pretense is a no, no. Don’t make your voice come out like someone’s else. You shouldn’t copy someone’s else’s mannerisms and tone of voice. And don’t be tempted to imitate broadcasters you admire.
   When you do, listeners can point that out quickly and label you a fake. Be yourself when presenting, and speak naturally. Be comfortable being you and make use of your own unique natural voice.
2. Be Conversational.
   You shouldn’t sound too formal when broadcasting on radio. Speaking into the microphone as if you’re speaking to your friend is the right thing to do.
   You need to bring pictures to life with your words and don’t trail off when speaking. Also, ensure you don’t up all the air in your lungs when speaking, as this will cause you to break suddenly when you’re out of breath.
   It’s necessary to take a pause especially when you have a long sentence in mind.
   You should speak as easily as you would when having a conversation, and not sound too rehearsed or scripted.
3. Smile often.
   A smile can often be heard in a voice.
   Amy Drahota, a research fellow in the School of Health Sciences and Social Work at the University of Portsmouth said that ‘When we listen to people speaking we may be picking up on all sorts of cues, even unconsciously, which help us to interpret the speaker.’
   Smiling while speaking into the microphone can even boost your mood and make your tone of voice sound more friendly. Smiling is a simple but effective action to help you sound your best on radio. And to top it up, you might just get your listeners smiling too because smiling can be infectious.
4. Right body posture.
   Good posture when broadcasting goes a long way to determine how your voice sounds. You might think it’s okay to sit anyhow since it’s radio broadcasting and no one can see you. But it isn’t. You shouldn’t lie down on a cozy couch or slouch when speaking into the microphone. Your voice comes out great when you sit up when talking.
   Relax your jaws, facial muscles and shoulders, but don’t stoop.
5. Be confident.
   Confidence is key if you want your voice to come out right on radio. When you’re nervous, you tend to make several mistakes and your voice projects your fear and sound funny to the ears. Take a deep breath and calm those jittery nerves. Microphones don’t bite. Plus you’re not physically standing in front of a crowd and there’s no one staring at you. So, be confident and be at your best.
6. Work on your spoken English and practice word pronunciation.
   Running a program on radio, especially online radio means there’s the potential of being heard by half the world. And this means you have to work on how you pronounce words.
   If you’re presenting in the English language, you shouldn’t let your words be overshadowed by your mother tongue. This is because it can distort your words and make it difficult for those who don’t speak your mother tongue to understand you.
   Now, this is not to say that it isn’t right to broadcast in your mother tongue or let your natural accent come out. The thing is you have to be conscious of who your listeners are and speak the language they understand.
   Also, you can practice pronouncing words clearly using a slow then faster pace. You can also practice saying tongue-twisters at a rapid pace.
7. Practice and listen to yourself.
   Get your friends and family to listen to you and comment on how you sound. Take a sound recording of your voice and listen to it over and over again. With that, you’ll be able to detect mistakes, mis pronounced words and other things that need correcting.
8. Constantly exercise your vocal chords.
   You may be thinking this is unnecessary since you’re probably not a singer. But then, it is important to constantly exercise your vocal chords. Talking takes a lot of stamina and energy and you need to strengthen your vocal chords through exercise.
   Vocal warm ups you can practice includes humming, yawning and sighing, breath control exercise, lip buzz, etc.
9. Practice the right diet.
   Do you know that milk and diary   products encourages mucus production? And that while they are good sources of protein and nutrients to your body, they shouldn’t be taken before a live broadcast?
   Also you’ll want to avoid taking too hot or cold drinks.Too hot drinks can hurt your vocal chords and too cold drinks like iced tea isn’t right for a broadcasting voice.
   Taking a cup of warm water or tea helps is ideal.
   As much as possible, you should avoid taking too much caffeine as this can make your voice sound dry.
   You should also eat fruits rich in pectin, such as green apples as this fights off phlegm. Eat well and avoid taking foods that can clog up your voice box.
10. Don’t dwell on your mistakes when broadcasting.
    Finally, don’t be discouraged if you make a mistake once in a while while broadcasting on radio.
    Correct it if and when necessary and move on. Don’t let it affect your emotions or kill your vibe. Dwelling too much on your mistake will draw the attention of your listeners to it. Don’t beat yourself too hard. Be strong, keep going, and don’t stop after a mistake.

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