Issue 288 - How To Play your Voice Like a Finely Tuned Instrument and Skyrocket Sales!
by Susan Berkley

A study done at UCLA found that when selling by phone 84% of the message is conveyed by the music in the voice-your vocal quality: pitch, tone and inflection.

When selling by phone, tone of voice is crucial.

Brain researchers have discovered that the brain has sensitive credibility detectors. These detectors are pre-verbal. They are activated by tone of voice and body language-not words. They give us important information about a speaker's sincerity, integrity, and emotional state.
You know your credibility detectors are active when you get a gut-level hunch about someone - good or bad. And the same goes for your customers! Whenever a salesperson calls, their credibility detectors are on "high alert."

As a sales person it's especially important to get feedback on the effect your voice has on others. If not, you might inadvertently be speaking in a way that makes clients and prospects uncomfortable or annoyed.

I know one fellow who sounds secretive and muffled. A receptionist at one of our suppliers sounds tired and depressed. And the cordial words of the lady at the bank have a distinctly hostile undertone.

Unfortunately, these people haven't a clue about the way they come across.
Because we listen to ourselves from inside our heads its impossible to hear ourselves as others hear us. To hear yourself as others hear you, you must listen to your voice on tape.

Record a few sales calls and ask a trusted friend or colleague for feedback.

Then, by practicing the techniques you are about to learn, you can consciously manipulate your tone of voice in a way that makes people feel good about you and the products and services you represent.

As a result you will sound more credible, articulate, persuasive. You'll improve rapport with clients and prospects. And become more skillful at motivating and inspiring others.

Actors in TV and radio commercials (and skilled politicians!) use voice control techniques all the time. By doing so, they are able to read a script with so much conviction people are irresistibly compelled to buy.

How To Instantly Change Your Tone of Voice

Your tone of voice mirrors your emotional state and physical well-being. If your emotional state is positive and you're feeling strong and healthy, your tone of voice will naturally sound upbeat, energetic and enthusiastic.

Problem is, the normal stresses and strains of life are easily reflected in the voice. It can be hard to sound happy and energetic when you are having a bad day. Or you may have unconsciously adopted an unpleasant tone of voice from the people around you when you learned to speak as a child.

There are six vocal components: pitch, tone, tempo, rhythm, placement and dialect. Change any one and drastically alter the way you sound.

Of these, tone is most important for conveying emotion and creating feelings of good will.
In the exercises that follow you will learn 4 simple steps to manipulate your tone of voice and make a lasting and favorable impression. I call this process VoiceShaping(r).

How to Sound Warm and Friendly on Cue

It is difficult to progress in sales without a warm and friendly demeanor. Knowing how to sound warm and friendly on cue is especially helpful when you need to make an important phone call or presentation on stressful days when nothing seems to be going right.

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Here are the four steps to follow to change your tone of voice:

Step 1. Key word.

Find a key word which represents the tone of voice you wish to create and say it 3 times slowly, with as much feeling as you can muster.

Use what ever key word is meaningful for you. My key word for a warm and friendly voice is tender. Say your key word aloud three times slowly with feeling. If it's a good key word, your voice should begin to soften.

Step 2. Mental image.

Focus on a mental image which enhances the key word.

What image does the word "tender" bring to mind for you? I imagine that I'm holding a sleeping infant in my arms. Or perhaps you might visualize whispering into the ear of a lover, stroking a pet, or even slicing into a nice, tender piece of meat.

Step 3. Body position.

Adopt a body position consistent with the tone of voice you want to convey.
The body position for a warm and friendly voice is relaxed. To help drain tension, inhale and consciously tense every muscle. Hold for a count of 5. Now exhale for a count of 10 feeling the tension drain from your body.

Step 4. Facial Expression.

The shape of your mouth and the expression on your face will shape the sound of your voice.
One of the easiest ways to sound warm and friendly is to smile. A relaxed, gentle smile will do. If you do nothing else but smile while speaking, your voice will sound 90% warmer. Until you get the hang of smiling while speaking, practice by keeping a mirror by the telephone. Glance at yourself from time to time to make sure the expression on your face is pleasant as you speak.

How to Sound Authoritative on Cue

Use an authoritative tone when you want to be taken seriously and show others you mean business. This is also useful when you need to take control of a conversation.

Step 1. Key word.

My key word for an authoritative voice is respect. Say it aloud three times now with feeling: respect, respect, respect.

Step 2. Mental image.

As you say the word respect, what image comes to mind? For me, I'm standing in front of a classroom. The students are looking at me, listening attentively. I feel good, centered and in control. If this image doesn't work for you, feel free to use your own. Focus on your authoritative mental image until it is big and bright in your mind.

Step 3. Body Position.

To assume an authoritative body position, sit or stand as straight as you can. Feel how the soles of your feet make contact with the ground. Say the word respect a few more times and gesture firmly, as if to emphasize a point.

Step 4. Facial expression.

Now, look in the mirror. For an authoritative voice, your mouth should be relaxed and neutral, but your eyes should be intense and focused. You should feel as if you are making eye contact with each person in an imaginary classroom.

These are just two of the many vocal tones you can create using the VoiceShaping(r) technique. Before making a sales call, follow the four steps to get your voice in shape, and then speak your way to success!

Susan Berkley
Phone: 800.333.8108 or 201.541.8595
Fax 201.541.8608
Copyright (c) 2006 The Great Voice Company, Inc
(formerly Berkley Productions)
110 Charlotte Place
Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632
info@greatvoice.com
http://www.greatvoice.com

Hope you found this informative, see you next time.

Until then. . .

Make it a great day and a successful week!

Ron

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