First, it is under the control of his will. It is loud or soft, as he wills it to be - it never runs away from him. If the person to whom he is talking raises his voice to a strident pitch, our individual does not follow suit. On the contrary he puts a little more force into his tone, but keeps the pitch the same, and before long, by his will, in his evenly pitched tone, he will actually force down the pitch of the other to a normal degree. I have seen many instances of this fact, and have noticed that the temper of the other person is toned down in accord with his decreasing pitch of voice. A calm, even positive tone, in which the will is apparent in self-control and in forceful effect, will master the tones of others pitched in a fiercer key; and in the mastery of the voice of the other you will often effect a mastery of his will. By making captive the outer expression you often capture the inner man.

There are two very good reasons for one studying the voice of the dynamic individual, as follows: (1) Because it is by his voice that he manages to make some of the most powerful suggestions upon others; and (2) because by the expression in his voice, or rather the inner impulse causing the vocal expression, he causes to flow out strong mentative currents which affect and influence the other person. So in its inner, and outer, aspects the cultivation of the voice is quite desirable.

You will find that the dynamic individual particularly if he is engaged in an occupation necessitating his giving orders, and directions, or advice, to others, has developed a voice resembling in many details the "suggestive voice" habitual to the practitioner of mental suggestive therapeutics. The reason is plain. Both the man of business affairs and force, and the suggestionist, have accustomed themselves to speaking in a forceful, firm, positive maner, and thus fairly "driving home" their ideas expressed in words. The man of affairs does not know just why he does this, but his tone is the outward expression of his forceful mental state. And this is likewise true of the suggestionist, althought he may have deliberately cultivated the suggestive tone at the beginning of his practice.

It is somewhat difficult to correctly define and explain the suggestive tone, although if one once hears it he will never forget it. But I will try my best to make it plain to you here. In the first place, the suggestive tone is fairly charged with the mental idea back of the words. Each word has an inner meaning, and the suggestive tone carries this idea with it, so that the hearer gets the full mentative benefit and influence of it. Do not imagine that this tone is theatrical, or tragic, or unnatural. It is none of these. It is a forceful, natural tone. Its expression is that of "being in earnest" and meaning just what you are saying. You know how you would speak if you were earnestly telling some one to do some important thing, upon which much depended. Well, that's the tone, modified of course by the particular circumstances and necessities of each case. It must be in earnest - must be more or less "intense" - must have focused in it the "feeling" behind it, in such a way as to awaken in the mind of the hearer the feeling back of the words.

The voice of the dynamic individual is flexible, and adaptable to any mood or phase of feeling that he wishes to induce in his hearers. It may be positive and masterful, along the lines of suggestion by direct command, or authority. Or it may be subtle and insinuating, along the lines of suggestion by association or imitation. Or it may assume a teacherlike tone, along the lines of suggestion by repetition, in which the statement is made in a quiet, convincing way, as a teacher makes his statements to his class, the repetition of which brings conviction to the mind of the hearer. Or it may take on that peculiar caressing tone which is noticed in magnetic men of a certain type, who allure, charm, fascinate and draw to them other people by reason of their subtle power of "charming." This power, which finds its expression largely in the voice always reminds me of a female leopard or tiger, for the feline is mingled with the feminine in a peculiar way. This tone of the voice can be best described as "caressing" - when it is exhibited by one well versed in its use every word seems to be a soft caress, and has a peculiar soothing effect upon the hearer, lulling his will to sleep and opening his emotive mentality to the suggestions and mentative currents of the speaker.

In short, the dynamic individual, in his use of the voice, has acquired to a certain degree the art of the actor and orator. He is able to express "feeling," real or assumed, by his voice, so that a corresponding mental state is set up in the minds of his hearers. And one may acquire this art. By practice a vibrant, resonant, expressive voice may be cultivated, and used, too, with the greatest effect in personal magnetism. As an instance of this let me cite you the ease of Nathan Sheppard, the well-known lecturer and authority on public speaking. Mr. Sheppard relates that when he first made up his mind to devote himself to public speaking he was told by his tutors that he would be a perfect failure in such a profession, because, as he says "My articulation was feeble; my organs of speech were inadequate; if I would screw up my little mouth it could be put into my mother's thimble." These facts were enough to discourage any man, but Sheppard rose above them, and determined to apply his will to the task of conquering these disadvantages, and mastering the subject of public speaking. And he succeeded marvelously. By pure will-power he, as he says, "increased my voice tenfold; doubled my chest, and brought my unoratorical organs somewhat in subjection to my will." He became one of the best public speakers of his time. So there is hope for all of you, if you will but manifest persistency and earnestness in your application of the will.

The third suggestive channel is "the suggestive word." I may be able to explain this more clearly when I call your attention to the fact that each word is a crystallized thought. In every word there is an imprisoned thought. And when you lodge a word in the mind of another person, the crystal covering is dissolved, and the released thought manifests itself. And, this being so, it becomes important for one to carefully choose the crystallized thoughts, or words, which he wishes to implant in the mind of another. You should study words until you are able to distinguish between those which carry a live, active, feeling thought, and those less strong.

Take the word "strong" for instance. Does it not make you feel strength when you hear it forcibly and feelingly pronounced? Take the word "kind," and see what feelings it arouses in you. Pronounce the words "lion" and "lamb," and see the different feelings you experience from the differing sounds. Take the word "crash," and see how it suggests the crashing, crunching, tearing, startling thing for which it stands. Compare the sound of the words "rough" and "smooth" - and you will see what I mean. The only way that I can point out to you to acquire the use of suggestive words is to study words themselves. Listen to the words used by others, and note their effect on you. Take a small dictionary and run over its pages, and you will soon have a collection of good, strong, effective terms for handy use when occasion demands. A man does not have to be "highly educated" in the usual sense of that term, in order to use strong, suggestive words. Some instinctively choose vital words, charged with feeling, and such make their words felt. Think over this matter.

In the use or ail the three suggestive instruments, or channels, remember that the object is to make others feel the mental state you are expressing. This Is the whole thing in a nutshell.