9/21/2023-Verbal Skills

You know when you sound like a semi-human sales bot, so be aware of how your voice sounds and practice. Get your seller voice to where you know your customers will find genuine and credible.

Your prospect stares at you strangely for such a prolonged time you think, "Gosh, what did I just say?"

Even though it’s proven non-verbal cues are essential in face-to-face communication, your words, syntax, and cadence matter greatly in how you verbally communicate.

The expectations are not that you speak like an Elizabethan Shakespeare character, but sounding like a punk fresh off the street ain’t cool either. (That was harsh; apologies to punks everywhere.)

Try not to fall into the trap of cheapening your speech just because you’re trying to come off as casual.

Use your mobile and record yourself during a meeting with a client today. (Nobody has to know but you.)

Later, when feeling really secure, find a private place and hit the play button. (Don’t choke; you’ll be fine.)

How do you sound?

Are you too formal? Or are you too casual? How’s the enthusiasm and confidence? Most importantly, do you come off the way you intend?

It’s important to find and establish your seller voice because your buyers constantly make conscious – and unconscious – decisions about whether to trust you.

It’s not just the sound of your voice but how you use it that matters. If someone were to ask you, "Where’s the drama in your voice?" would you know what that meant?

Your interpretation is correct: How you make your voice perform is as much a part of selling as is owning your value proposition.

Here are some speaking elements that you should think about when pitching, er, conversing with your customers:
+ inflection
+ energy
+ pauses
+ modulation
+ tone
+ strength
+ enunciation

Finding your voice includes reaching the natural state where everything sounds natural…and authentic. (You could even throw the word "human onto the heap.)

Finding your voice also includes getting the tone right…especially when using marketing department-created talk tracks with customers. You’ll need to translate what was created for you into jargon that sounds human to your customers.

You can hear yourself when you sound like a semi-human sales-bot*, just be aware and practice so you get to the place you know your customers will find genuine and credible.

"If you ever doubt the sound of your voice, all you have to do is practice," says voice coach Caroline Goyder.

In this 19-minute Ted Talk, Caroline shares a personal story of moving from stage paralysis to expressive self.

Accompanied by an unusual prop, Caroline encourages you to use your voice as an instrument while also offering tips on how to build confidence.

Communication skills are gold for every seller. Don’t wait for your skills to grow; study and understand what you need to do to improve.