How many times have you fantasized the face behind a voice that you hear on the radio or television? Almost all of us have. Sometimes, we picture the speaker as honest and trustworthy, like Walter Cronkite, the news broadcaster. When he died, reporters described him as the voice America trusted. Sometimes, because of the person’s tone of voice, listeners envision the person as friendly or a straight shooter. They like the person, even though they don’t personally know him or her. One’s voice is a “door opener” if it leaves the right impression.
Many of us as business people spend the majority of our day talking on the phone. We may be part of a global team and do not typically interact with our colleagues face to face. Some of us may service and support customers who call with issues or needs. Since our voice is the only thing listeners have to assess knowledge and credibility, warmth or friendliness, it is important to assess the quality of your tone of voice and work at improving it if necessary.
Taping oneself on a call or playing back voicemails before sending them are good ways to do some self-coaching. Asking others, particularly our managers, for feedback on our tone is another way. If there have ever been any complaints about your voice, take them seriously; then do what a professional would do- work at getting better on a day in and day out basis.
People whose voices exude all the right things have learned to pause and take a breath at appropriate points. Sometimes, they pause for a second at the end of their thought or statement. Sometimes, it is longer if they really want to emphasize a point. They break long sentences into digestible “sound bites.” Every time they pause and breathe, they bring richness, clarity, and emotion into their voice.
People who are broadcasters or seasoned politicians, of course, are masters at pausing and breathing. It is in their muscle mind so they don’t even think about it. All they focus on is getting their message across to their listeners. For those of us seeking improvement, we must work at this until it feels comfortable. We can rehearse our presentations to our team, read written marketing pieces, or even tell bedtime stories to our children, all the while taping ourselves. We must do these types of things until improvement is noticeable. Hall of Famer, Michael Jordon, says he consciously strove to get better by practicing his skills and never becoming complacent. Your voice says a lot about who you are. Make sure it presents you in the best light by having an impressive tone of voice. It’s a “door opener.”
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Impact Communications, Inc. consults with individuals and businesses to improve their presentation and telephone communication skills. It is not what you know but how you communicate it that makes a difference. When you have to have impact, phone (847) 438-4480 or visit our website, www.ImpactCommunicationsInc.com.
Impact Communications, Inc. was established in 1998. It is a national presentation communication skills and telephone communication skills training company that excels at defining and developing the core elements of effective business communication. With presentation communication skills training, telephone communications skills training, every encounter can be an efficient and lucid transmission of information.
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