Clues in your Voice

I've written before about the little clues we leave all the time. I'm talking about the subtle clues that customers and prospects pick up without us knowing, often without knowing themselves.

Many of these things we can't control or even identify, but MANY of them are within our control. I was reminded of this as I read an article in Psychology Today about the science of voices. Among the facts that can be revealed through our voice, the November/December 2006 article suggested that people could guess a persons height, weight and age as accurately from listening to their voice as from looking at their picture. Voices can reveal intimidation or confidence. Voices (according to the study) can even reveal sexual promiscuity.

I was reminded of the study where people were asked to listen to the muffled voices of several different doctors as they spoke. They couldn't understand the words, but they could hear the voice inflection, tone, and speed of the speakers' voices. With amazing accuracy the participants in the study were able to determine which doctors had been sued for malpractice and which ones had been sued more than once.

I still shake my head when I call a performer who doesn't have an answering machine. HELLO! this is 2007, not 1987. If you STILL don't have some type of answering machine don't even bother running ads or pretending to run a business.

Just as bad is when I call a performer and hear an answering machine message that is pre-recorded at the factory in a false robotic voice. How in the world can you expect to inspire confidence in callers when they don't even know if they have the right number? You should identify your name and your business as a minimum.

I remember once calling a performer who answered the phone is what was obviously a fake accent. When I told him who I was and why I was calling him, he laughed and said "Sorry, about that. I didn't recognize your number on caller ID and thought it might be a bill collector". No wonder he has to dodge bill collectors. How can you get any work when you answer the phone like that! And since any number he doesn't recognized gets this treatment, that means every calling prospect gets the same thing. Scary.

Almost as bad is the performer who, in a very flat, almost monotone voice proceeds to read his self-written script in a dry, monotone voice as he tells you that his shows are the most fun an audience can have. But he even sounds bored talking about it! If you are fun, then it should be revealed in your voice. Not in a contrived way, but in a very natural, truthful way. If you are fun, let is show in your voice.

The fact is, your true feelings ARE revealed in your voice. This is why it is hard for some people to raise their rates. If you don't feel like your program is worth it, then you will have a hard time "faking it" when trying to sell your show.

This is NOT a suggestion to come up with some "funny" gimmick for your answering machine (although that might work for some). Rather, it is a suggestion to listen to your answering machine and try to hear it for the first time. Does your voice inspire confidence? Does it communicate your personality?

Again, I'm not talking about the WORDS you say, but your VOICE as you say them. This is hard to get, but it is worth the effort.

Just recently we got a call from an agent who wanted to represent us. But this woman's voice sounded like she was auditioning for the Saturday Night Live skit as "Wendy Whiner". The words seemed positive and upbeat, but the nasally, whiney sound, coupled with a depressed tempo caused my wife to tell her that we simply weren't interested in having her represent us.

It wasn't the voice of someone we wanted representing what we do.