Lately I’ve been talking about non-verbals and how your face and your eyes really send powerful messages with regard to how much you really believe in your product and price.
The same can be said of your voice.
Voice is a unique trait, and I think we all will admit that there are voices that we like and voices that grate on us. Truth is that many negative voice characteristics can be improved.
For example, if you talk too fast — and it’s difficult for people to follow what you are saying — you can learn to slow down. If you mumble or talk too softly, you can learn to project your voice and enunciate your words. If you talk too loudly, you can learn to bring the volume down.
(If someone’s speaking volume is too loud or too soft, it can be an indication of hearing problems. If people have ever told you to “not talk so loud” or to “speak up,” you may look into having your hearing checked.)
In the world of sales, your voice is a vital tool! I realize you probably already know this, but have you really paid close attention to your voice?
Of course, an easy way to do this is to record yourself. One way you could do it is to simply place a digital recorder on your desk when you are on the phone. Only your side of the conversation will be recorded, obviously. This can give you at least an initial indication of what your voice sounds like to the customer.
You could also ask a colleague to go on a sales call with you and to pay close attention to your voice. The colleague could then later share with you some of the voice qualities he or she noticed that were positive, as well as the ones that were negative and need improvement.
So much is reflected in voice, including whether you are passionate and confident in what you are selling. Tone, inflection and pitch are all voice characteristics that convey various things — excitement, fear, confusion, kindness, boredom and so forth. In the same regard, if you are passionate but your voice comes across too overbearing, this could be a distraction as well.
If you have voice characteristics or mannerisms that are a hindrance to your professional relationships and customer interactions, you may even want to invest in a voice coach. The coach can give you specific exercises to train your voice in a way that minimizes or eliminates the negative attributes in your voice.
Here’s to great selling and to doing all we can to help our customers and prospects have a positive experience when they interact with us!
Copyright 2012, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter.” Sales Motivation Blog.
