Using Your Voice to Convey Confidence

by Stacey Hanke (Read about her here.)

(Listen to it here.)

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While there are few boring topics, there are plenty of boring communicators. We all possess one major delivery skill that determines whether or not our message causes listeners to yawn and nod off. It’s our greatest asset—our voice.

The sound of your voice shapes the attitude of listeners even more than the words you speak. The key to getting your message across is to convey believability and gain trust. No matter what you say, your message will not impact your listener unless you are believable. And you can achieve believability through your voice.

How many times have you heard someone say, “I don’t like the sound of my voice,” or “That doesn’t sound like me.” When you speak, you hear the sound waves resonating in your head. In contrast, listeners hear the same sound resonating through the air. These two sounds can be entirely different, which is why the majority of us don’t even recognize our own voice-mail messages.

Most individuals I coach to improve their communication skills speak more softly than they realize. To speak at a level that commands confidence, gauge the volume on a scale of  1 to 10, with 1 being inaudible and 10 overpowering. When speaking to a group of five or more, your volume needs to be at a 7 or 8. When speaking over the phone or participating in a face-to-face conversation, the level should be 4 or 5.

To guarantee that what you say is consistent with the sound of your voice, do the following:

•  Speak at an even pace so listeners hear you clearly. What’s the listener’s perception when you speak too quickly or too s-l-o-w-l-y? What’s their perception when you mumble? I’ve worked with people who mumble; they create a distraction for listeners because their messages aren’t consistent with how they sound. For example, statements such as “I’m very excited to be here today,” and “I’m confident you will understand why our product is the best value” are completely unconvincing when delivered in a lazy, mumbling tone of voice.

•  Vary your inflection by adding emphasis to certain words. You don’t want to give your listener the impression that you are anxiously waiting to conclude the conversation. Are you as excited about a new product as you say you are? Do you really feel you’re the best candidate for the project? Then show it in your voice! If your voice lacks inflection and enthusiasm when you attempt to influence people to take action, the likelihood that they will take action plummets. Why should your listeners be passionate about your message if you are not?

Steps You Can Take to Convey Confidence Through Your Voice

1. Record yourself to experience what your listeners hear when you speak. When you play back the tape, pay attention to what you hear and how it makes you feel.

2. Every night for a week, read a book aloud. Focus on producing a strong volume—between 4 and 5 on the scale described earlier, without straining.

3. Continuously ask for feedback on your volume during meetings, sales calls, face-to-face conversations and over the phone. Ask a co-worker or family member to point out times when you speak in a monotone. The more constructive feedback you receive the more quickly you’ll change old habits into new, more effective approaches to achieving good vocal quality.

4. When talking on the phone, pay attention to how your voice sounds. Add emphasis to words for excitement and impact. To add variety to your telephone voice, stand or sit in an open posture and gesture as you talk.

What’s in It for You?

You will…

• Hold your listener’s attention,

• Convey confidence and underscore the importance of your message,

• Project enthusiasm and belief in your product(s) and, most importantly,

• Influence action.

Don’t invite your listeners to drift off while you speak. Bring life and energy to your message through the power of your voice. Whether you are speaking to one person or 500, you’ll be amazed at how well you hold the attention of your audience and how positively they respond.

Be sure to visit our site, WomensMedia to get Expert Advice for Business Women.

For quick updates for Business Women you should follow NancyFClark on twitter here, or StaceyHanke here.

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Further Reading:

Or on our website, WomensMedia you should read this: Communicating With Impact and Influence

It may help to listen to this Smart Women Interrupt When They Need To
or read it here.