A positive vocal image is the secret of successful business, corporate & political leaders, and media personalities. The inflections, modulation, projection, energy & quality of your voice, and clarity of speech comprise your vocal image. During verbal communication, your vocal image sends signals about who you are and helps your listeners decide whether they will continue to listen to your ideas & words and act on them. And all this happens in a few seconds at a subconscious level. It is well known that our appearance and how we present ourselves has an instant impact on the people we meet. What we are not aware of is that once the initial impact of our appearance has worn off, what stays with people is our vocal image.
Your vocal image is the instant impression that listeners form of you, based on the sound of your voice and it is an impression that stays with them. Your vocal image decides how your listeners perceive you and respond to you. Within 6-12 seconds of listening to your voice, your audience has assessed you and made up their mind about what kind of a person you are, and what they think & feel about you. They have already formed an impression about your personality, character and intellectual ability, and decided whether they will continue listening to you or mentally switch off.
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Your vocal image defines your personal and professional image. It has the potential to make or break your career, since your listeners often draw conclusions about your ability and personality, based on the way you speak. In situations like job & promotion interviews, presentations & public speaking, client briefs, business & professional interactions, videoconferencing & telephonic communication, speaking as an expert on television or radio, your voice image helps you create a lasting first impression on your listeners in a short time. Studies have shown that people with an effective vocal image were considered more intelligent and attractive as compared to those who looked good but had a negative vocal image.
What is your vocal image saying about you?
We automatically associate voices with personalities. Following are a few examples of a negative vocal image and the personality traits attributed to the speaker, based on their vocal image:
• High pitched, squeaky voice - Nervous, high strung, irritating, immature
• Hard hitting voice - Aggressive
• Nasal, whiny voice - Complainer
• Curt staccato tone- Rude, unfriendly
• Soft inaudible voice, mumbling - Introvert, shy, diffident
• Overtly loud voice - Dominating, arrogant
• Monotonous - Boring, uninteresting, dull
• Upward inflections at the end of sentences - Indecisive, unsure
• Shrill, piercing tone of voice - Irritating, pushy
• Sing-song rhythm of speaking- Immature, childish
• Fast pace of speaking - Anxious
• Slow pace of speaking with long pauses - Boring
• Dropping sounds at the end of words & sentences – Careless, lazy
Is it possible to transform your vocal image?
It is possible to cultivate an effective voice image and convey the professional and personal image you desire. Almost 45-50% of professionals in urban India are dissatisfied with the sound of their voice. Most of them accept it as their natural voice, as they have always sounded like this, from as far back as they remember. This is not true.
You are born with a free, vibrant, clear and expressive voice, which is your authentic voice. Your physical vocal instrument involves various systems including your body, breathing, throat, mouth, vocal folds [vocal cords] and speech organs. We often develop negative vocal habits, patterns & tensions at each stage in the process of voice production, without being aware of it. If you want to transform your vocal image, you must work on your vocal instrument to unleash the free, vibrant, clear and expressive voice that you were born with- your authentic voice. If you want to project a personal and professional image of confidence, credibility & authority, you need to unlearn all the vocal & physical habits and patterns, that restrict & limit your authentic voice. Voice science & medicine have made great progress in the last 20 years and we have a much better understanding of how the voice works and effective approaches to enhance your vocal image.
Most of us spend a lifetime, acquiring the necessary knowledge and expertise in our area of work. We also need to learn how to convey our personality & expertise through the right vocal image. Whether you are on stage or on camera, in the boardroom or at a client brief, it is a positive vocal image that helps you sound authoritative & credible, command attention, and connect with your listener.
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