That's No Way to Talk in an Interview!

Some time ago a recruiter was interviewing me for a job; but he told me I didn’t sound very up beat on the phone. I didn’t have a clue about what he was telling me to do differently. How am I supposed to sound positive on the phone?

It apparently wasn’t the words being used; it was to inflection and tone. I needed to change the way my voice sounded.

Sam Chwat, the famous dialect coach to celebrities (who sadly passed away this March) was honored by NPR who replayed an interview he did in 1999 for their Fresh Air news program. During the interview he speaks about being able to tell the speakers state of mind over the radio by the inflection in their voice. Many people have a monotone sound that is reflective of very little facial movement. He explained that science has demonstrated the part of the brain that controls vocal emotion is influenced by the brain cells that control facial expression. These centers are located deep in the brain next to each other. Smile and you sound happy or up beat on the phone.
Chwat went on to say that a phony smile gives your voice a sarcastic sound.
The trick when interviewing is to make it believable. Don’t just paste on a smile and think its done. Before you take that telephone interview call you truly have to be in an upbeat mood.

To achieve this, make certain you are fully prepared the day before your interview. Have the setting, the research and the notes all taken care of the night before. Then plan something fun and upbeat for the morning. It’s too late to practice, so don’t dwell on your notes. Find something that pumps you up. I have an ipod play list marked happy with songs like the Charley Brown Theme and Babara Streisand singing “Don’t Rain on My Parade.” Read a list of things that make you happy. Think about telling your loved ones you got the job and we won’t have to sell the house instead of "if you don’t get the job" we’ll have to sell the house. Dance with your spouse. Do anything that will make you feel and thus sound upbeat.

It’s happy dance time! You got an interview and its now an opportunity to tell your story.