The tone of voice that you use over the phone may be making or breaking your business.
If you’re in a business that deals with customers over the phone, you are going to need to learn an entirely new set of etiquette rules that don’t apply when you’re face-to-face or communicating through email. From the moment that you answer the phone, personal interaction is changed. There are no body language cues, so the only thing you can lean on when speaking with customers on the phone is how to control your tone of voice and your choice of words.
You’ve had the same voice for your entire life and you’ll most likely keep it, but is it causing you to lose customers? If you have noticed that there are many angry customers contacting your business, it’s probably not you, it’s your tone. We can’t change our voices, however, luckily we can change the tone of our voices to represent exactly what we need to portray at that moment. Do you want to convey joy, friendliness, authority, or confidence? Learning to control your tone of voice is a highly useful verbal communication skill that can take you very far in business. Check out some of these voice changing tips to guide you further along in your business endeavors.
Improve Your Tone
Have you ever sat down and really thought about what your tone sounds like to other people? Do you sound confident to others? Do you sound timid? Perhaps you sound like you’re constantly bored or maybe your tone sounds a bit immature? Your homework is to ask a good friend or coworker what they honestly think of your tone of voice.
What does your tone portray to them? Your tone probably changes based on each person that you’re talking to and that’s normal. You wouldn’t use the same voice on your kids that you use on your boss. That is why it is important to choose someone who you are close to that has heard your different inflections. Ask them for their opinion and for some constructive criticism. It will be immensely helpful on your journey to improving your tone of voice.
Work On Your Energy
Energy can be hard to define because it’s something that you feel. Have you ever heard of someone talk about the “energy of the room?” Energy is the vibe you give off. Do you drain people when you speak to them or do you pump them up? When you practice working on your energy, it helps to think about something that makes you happy.
Having a positive mindset will automatically make your voice sound more enthusiastic and cheerful. Try not to speak too quickly though, remember to breathe and articulate exactly what you need to say.
Practice Inflection
Speaking of articulation, don’t forget about inflection. Make sure to emphasize the correct words in your speech. Incorrect inflection can completely change the meaning of a sentence. It can also make something seem more or less exciting. Be sure to enunciate and pronounce your words correctly, too.
Form Your Sound
Listen back to your outgoing voicemail, or record yourself on a voice recorder. What do you hear when you listen back to your voice? Is it someone who is confident or shy? Are you loud? Too loud? Do you sound overbearing or bored? Repeat and re-record as necessary.
Repeat The Delivery
Practicing what you are going to say before an important phone call, speech, or product demo is necessary for an amazing delivery. Convince people that you are smart and capable by convincing yourself with plenty of practice.
If you think that your voice might need some work, set aside some time to practice and really become aware of the way you speak on a daily basis. If you believe that your voice is a huge hindrance to your rate of success, there are ways to remedy that. Hiring a voice coach or trainer is not uncommon for people in business and may just be the thing you need to send you straight to the top. It’s not difficult to understand: a firm and friendly tone can be the key to happy customers and more sales.
Related: 23 Incredible Customer Service Tips for 2020
