How You Sound Is Who You Are - True or False?

The answer is maybe. As an example, let's say that you are soft-spoken. If you are asked to repeat yourself a lot, others may think you lack confidence. This is just one description which comes to mind when I hear someone who doesn't speak at a normal volume level in conversation. However, I have met many soft-spoken people who are confident.

• The real question is what impression do others have of you because of how you sound?

Some years ago, I was working with a man named Bob who had a wimpy voice over the phone. My initial impression of this man was that he was weak or timid. Upon meeting him face-to-face, however, my opinion changed when he firmly shook my hand and proceeded to look me directly in the eye as he introduced himself. The reason he wanted voice training was because he wanted to sound as confident as he felt. Barbara, a woman who worked in a call center, discovered that her new or 'real' voice could be quite alluring. When she answered the phone and asked how she could help, the caller responded that he could think of many ways she could help! Barbara then realized that as fabulous as her new voice was, her tone was sending the wrong impression. Did she change her voice? No. She changed her tone to one geared towards sounding efficient, helpful, and friendly instead of sensual. And of course, all those women who sound like teenagers or even younger? Women in the workforce today are competing with men on the highest levels. How competitive can you be if your voice is reminiscent of a 14-year-old? Sounding like a teenager or younger still does not instill trust or confidence. If you want a voice which sounds confident, you will need to find your 'real' one. There is no way around that statement because you must change how you produce your voice in order to: 1. sound more assured; 2. speak within a normal volume level; and, 3. sound more mature - not too old and not too young - ageless. You will be amazed at how others perceive you when your voice is no longer a negative but indeed a positive part of the image you project. Yes, you will sound more confident but you will also feel and look more confident in the process. And that's an image worth projecting.