Pictured in this photo are MidValley Chamber CEO, Marie Marshall, Marketing Director, Shahar Boyayan, Beth Lawrence and Nashlah Boyayan, VP Membership at the monthly Chamber meeting in Midvale.
Your Voice Speaks Volumes About You!
That was my topic for the day, and as usual, I just love talking about the psychology of voice, sound, and the power of authentic presentation. In the corporate world, a lot of time and money are spent on professional training, business cards, marketing tools and equipment. How much time is spent in personal development? Generally, not much. And yet, you are your best business card!
Business owners, trainers, reps and salespeople would be well served to understand the power of their VOICE. It is as individual as a fingerprint; each voice is unique, and is our means to express in the world. Subliminally, we are judged on the quality of our voice; whether our delivery is relaxed, clear and confident; whether our tone is pleasing or strident.
If a speaker's voice is breathy or difficult to hear, where is your focus? It's on trying to hear the person's message, not on the message! If the voice is scratchy or abrasive, you'll want to get away from that person rather than be attentive to the product information. I've heard professional speakers who were so energized that they overwhelmed me with that energy. I was exhausted by the end of their talk! It seemed that they tried to pack so much content into their presentation, that they never took a breath. YOU'VE GOT TO BREATHE! If you're a presenter, and you take short, high breaths, your audience will mirror that behavior; give them a chance to relax and breathe!
Most of our communication is preverbal, so it makes sense that we respond to the sound and tone of a person's voice. Every sound is made up of a combination of vibrations that hit our ear mechanism. If the voice is not soothing, or is too soft or too loud, we tune it out, tuning out the message with it.
Learn to breathe consciously when you speak. Do some vocal warm ups before you start your workday. Be aware of the pitch of your voice, and consciously relax and lower the pitch if you find your voice pitched in a high or 'pinchy' range. You want your listener to relax and enjoy what you're talking about, not be distracted by an unappealing voice.
Remember that your voice is a crucial component in your 'total' package. If you're spending more time developing your professional wardrobe than developing your professional voice, you should reconsider your priorities, and begin to think about the impact of your voice on potential clients. Your voice should represent the confident, commanding, expert presence that is your ideal self; that ideal self that needs to be revealed through your strong, clear, resonant voice! Your voice speaks volumes about you.
