Have you run into situations where you're talking but nobody seems to care? Over time, maybe you've even noticed that people just don't like listening to you for some reason. And I'm not just talking about scenarios of public speaking.

This 10-minute talk by Julian Treasure explains why that might be the case and what you can do to make yourself more pleasant to the ears of others:

If you don't have the time to listen to the whole thing, here's a quick summary of his points. I do recommend listening to the whole thing though. He has some helpful nuggets of wisdom in there.

First, the Seven Deadly Sins of Speaking.

• Gossip: Speaking ill of someone who isn't present.
• Judging: Looking down on other's choices.
• Negativity: Pessimism and cynicism.
• Complaining: Spreading misery around.
• Excuses: Always throwing the blame elsewhere.
• Exaggeration: Overstating the degree of something.
• Dogmatism: Presenting opinions as facts.

Then, the Four Cornerstones of Speech.

• Honesty: Being true, straight, and clear.
• Authenticity: Being yourself.
• Integrity: Doing what you say you will.
• Love: Wishing others well.

All of the above is about what you choose to say, but here are the actual tips for how to speak your words.

• Register: Speaking from the chest instead of the nose or the throat.
• Timbre: Developing the richness of your voice.
• Prosody: Speaking with inflection and rhythm instead of being monotone.
• Pace: Changing the speed of your words to emphasize excitement or importance.
• Pitch: Delivering words at different intensities to convey emotion.
• Volume: Speaking loudly or softly for emphasis.

With these tips and a good amount of practice, you'll be able to speak in a way that commands attention. Got any other tips for speaking well? Share with us below!

Image Credit: Microphone via Shutterstock