The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.~ Shaw
We chatted about the power of our body language to create clear communications on Monday. Today, let’s chat about our voices.
38% of communication is based on the tonality and inflections of our voices. We all know this power. Think back to when you were a kid. You knew when your mom was angry with you, didn’t you? How? The tone of her voice.
Our voices carry a rich array of communications capabilities. For example:
- When we raise our voices at the end of a sentence – we infer a question.
- When we keep our voices flat through the sentence – we infer a statement.
- When we drop our voices at the end of a sentence – we infer a command.
Simple changes in our voice will create clarity of communication and rapport with our listeners.
Your Voice Speaks Volumes
We can use our voices to increase our communications effectiveness. As with our body language, when we match our listeners vocal patterns, we increase rapport and icrease communications effectiveness.
Using our voices to create rapport is a powerful tool for anyone who communicates with others, but especially for telesales, telemarketing and anyone who drives business over the phone.
Here are 4 tips to match your voice with your listeners to fuel rapport.
Tone
Your vocal tone is the pitch where you speak. Some of us speak in a high tone, others low. When you’re listening to someone on the other side of a communication – first match their tone. One bit of advice, match it in your tonal range. So if you’re a gal speaking to a guy with a low tone, use a low tone in your natural range, not some low false tone that sounds fake on a gal.
Tempo
The speed of your voice and speech also has communication qualities. So match the speed of the person on the other side of the communication. Fast, slow, medium – go the same speed as your listener. Also listen for the cadence of their speech pattern, how many words they speak before a pause for example. Match their cadence too.
Timbre
The quality of your voice can range from rough and gruff to sweet and sugary – and everything in between. Matchning the voice quality of the person you’re speaking to also increases rapport.
Volume
Some folks speak loudly, some almost whisper. By matching your volume with the other party, you will establish further rapport and increase the power of your communication.
The Bottom Line
We all have our own unique voice patterns. If we want to create outstanding communication, one key is to release our own patterns and match those of our listeners.
I’ve been using the above techniques as I’ve chatted with clients and prospects on the phone. The results have been immediate and significant. Try these techniques for a bit and then let me know what you experience, won’t you?
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If our body language and tone control over 90% of communication – what does that say about social media communications, based solely on the written word? We’ll chat about that on Friday.
