Thanks so much for tuning in! You’re listening to the Unstoppable Success Podcast series Episode number 12 – Your Business Voice.
The sound of the human voice has always fascinated and intrigued me. Think about the power it has to excite, soothe, encourage, sell, and get people to like you or hate you. As a marketer, I see a person’s voice as their way to make money, get noticed, and stand out from the crowd. I just wish more business professionals realized this.
As small business owners, entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, department heads, supervisors, and senior level executives, you can count on the fact that at some point, you will be called upon to speak. If you want your message to be heard, let me offer you a few tips to keep in mind and practice for when that big days comes for you to make that important sales presentation, deliver that keynote address or present your department’s annual report to the board of directors of your company.
Right or wrong, people judge whether or not they want to listen to you based on the first few minutes as you begin to speak. For example, listening to someone who is too soft spoken can be frustrating for those who have hearing impairments. Listening to someone who has a whiny nasal quality to their voice can be like nails on a chalk board for people who are highly auditory.
What you want to project with your voice, as a business instrument for success, is that you are confident, accessible, likable, capable, and ready to do business. If you have been passed over for promotion the last few times, if you are struggling to get a job, if you are wondering why you haven’t been able to close any sales – consider your voice and ask yourself if the quality of it may be the reason why you are not moving ahead the way you’d like to be.
So here are some ideas for you to consider as you think about the quality of your voice and whether or not it’s been contributing to or detracting from your success.
- Stay hydrated throughout the day. Drinking those 8 glasses of water a day that health professionals recommend is so good for so many things including keeping your vocal cords lubricated.
- Don’t scream or yell. This puts a strain on your vocal cords and will eventually cause your voice to deepen and sound hoarse or husky.
- Rest your voice. Give your voice a break one day a week where you speak as infrequently as possible or not at all. This is especially important after a day of teaching, presenting, or any day where you have done a lot of talking.
- Get a voice coach. A professional in this area will provide you with breathing exercises to help you project your voice and they will give you exercises to help you warm up before a big presentation and to get rid of distracting regional accents.
Begin to think about your voice as one of the tools you have at your disposal to achieve greater success. Your voice can be your ticket to getting more out of life especially if you want more sales, greater respect from your staff, that promotion, getting that dream job you’ve always wanted, or coming across to others as being more confident. Your voice can help you realize these goals.