Your voice is working for you or against you every time you speak — and most people have no idea which. In this episode, you'll learn from broadcast voice coach Susan Murphy exactly how your voice affects whether audiences trust you, stay with you, and act on what you say. You'll discover why authenticity has replaced polish as the most important vocal quality, and what you can start doing today to unlock a stronger, more connected voice.
You'll come away with a simple breathing practice you can build into your day in under a minute, an understanding of why your shoulders hold the key to vocal confidence, and a new standard for how to listen to yourself — so you can make the adjustments that actually move audiences.
Welcome to Public Speaking with Peter George. Do you want to be calm, confident, and credible every time you speak in public? Then stay tuned as we discuss public speaking tips, techniques, and tactics that help you increase your impact, influence, and income.
Susan Murphy's career has spanned more than 40 years across broadcasting, education, and coaching. She has been a radio news director, TV news reporter, radio talk show host and producer, public television producer and on-air personality, a college dean and instructor, a voiceover artist, and now a broadcast voice coach. Today she helps speakers, executives, and broadcasters find and strengthen their authentic voice through her company, VOSAT — Better Broadcast Voices. Here's my conversation with Susan Murphy.
Why Voice Gets Overlooked
Susan: Voice is no longer stressed in broadcast journalism programs. Radio used to be the training ground — the place where people learned to use their voice before they ever got in front of a camera. Now students are required to shoot, edit, write long and short stories, and maintain a web presence. Voice got shuffled to the back. But I firmly believe voice is more important than the picture. If your voice is annoying, doesn't match the tone of the story, or is simply boring, I'm not sticking around — no matter how good the visuals are.
The Listening Problem
Susan: Even podcasting suffers from this. The content might be amazing, but after a few minutes of a grating voice — an echo in the room, a pace that never changes — listeners tap out. And here's something that surprised me: I heard two professional speakers say they listen to podcasts at one-and-a-half to two times speed. If you're doing that, you're not really listening. The pause matters. That's when people digest what you've said — when they internalize it and connect it to their own lives. Cut the pause, and you've cut the value.
Write it like a fifth grader. Deliver it like a college professor.
The Authentic Voice
Susan: What TV news directors want now — and what audiences have always needed — is authenticity. It's not about a big radio voice or perfect diction. It's about connection. You could have the most beautiful voice in the world, but if you're not connected to the words, you're going to lose your listener. I learned that through auditioning for commercials: it's not the lilt or the melody. It's connection to the words.
The Voice Challenges Women Face
Susan: Women face a specific disadvantage in voice work — physiologically and culturally. Biologically, women's vocal cords are smaller, which creates a different starting point. But beyond that, many women develop voices in childhood and adolescence that got them what they needed — quiet, breathy, small — and those voices follow them into professional settings where they no longer serve. My work is to help them give themselves permission to let go of those voices and step into one that is truly theirs. When that happens, it's not just a vocal change. Confidence grows from that authentic voice.
Breath Work and the Post-It Note Practice
Susan: The first thing I teach is breath work, starting with posture. The most important thing to relax is your shoulders. If your shoulders are relaxed, the muscles through your neck, jaw, and face follow. Tension in the shoulder area constricts your pitch. Lower the shoulders, breathe into the belly, and a fuller, more resonant sound rises naturally.
To build that habit, here's a practice I love: write four post-it notes — "steering wheel," "medicine cabinet," "refrigerator," and "computer." Every time you pass one, stop and breathe from the belly with lowered shoulders. Breathe in for four counts, out for six. Do it for a minute — about six breaths. Do that for three weeks and it becomes second nature.
How to Find Your Authentic Voice
Susan: Listen for it. We're so busy doing other things that we don't pay attention to how we sound. Start noticing yourself in everyday situations — a meeting, a conversation with your spouse, talking to your kids. Is the breath coming from the diaphragm or caught in your chest? Is the pitch rising? That awareness is the beginning. The more you practice being with yourself — shoulders down, belly breathing, listening as you speak — the more your authentic voice emerges.
Peter: Susan, where can listeners learn more about you?
Susan: Find me on LinkedIn as Susan Murphy Voice Coach, or visit my website at susanmurphyvosat.com. VOSAT is broadcast shorthand for "voiceover, sound on tape." That's home base.
Thank you for listening to this episode of Public Speaking with Peter George. Are you ready to be calm, confident, and credible every time you speak in public? Then visit petergeorgepublicspeaking.com and let's make it happen. I'll see you next time.
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