Special thanks to VoiceCoach subscriber Mike Elias for this month's question. Mike did a little "shirt sleeve research" and noticed that he and his colleagues experience better cold calls speaking in a more "laid back" manner with a lower energy level. Fascinating!
Mike says: "I seemed to notice that the more energetic I was, the more the prospect got scared and put walls up. I guess the message they were getting was 'Here comes a salesman.' But when I was more low-key, they were much more receptive. It seems like most people want to increase their energy level and talk faster. I want to do the exact opposite! Any quick tips?"
Sure ! Here's a few to get you started:
HOW TO TAME A HYPER-ACTIVE SPEAKING STYLE
1. KEEP BODY LANGUAGE TO A MINIMUM
Cut back on gestures. Remain seated. If you normally wear a headset, try restricting physical movement by working without it.
2. MAKE SURE YOU ARE PHYSICALLY RELAXED BEFORE MAKING THE CALL
Imagine that you just got out of bed. Take a deep breath and center yourself before speaking. Learn some stretching exercises and do them once an hour to keep the kinks out of your body.
3. SURROUND YOUR DESK WITH SOOTHING IMAGES
Try beach scenes (no bikini clad women or buff looking men!), mountains, flowing water, etc... Look at the predominant colors in your office decor. Neutrals and blues are soothing, red will pump you up.
4. IF YOU CAN STAND IT, CUT BACK ON THE CAFFEINE
The more caffeine in your bloodstream, the faster you will tend to speak.
5. PAUSE MORE. AFTER EACH THOUGHT, COUNT TO 3 BEFORE YOU CONTINUE
Ask lots of questions and listen for the answer. Most salespeople talk too much. You should be listening 3 times more than you speak. A pause can feel like an eternity internally, but a listener will scarcely notice that you stopped speaking and will appreciate that you gave them a chance to digest your message.
6. RECORD YOURSELF
The biggest challenge in voice improvement is that most of us do not hear ourselves as others hear us. A digital recorder and feedback from a supportive friend can help. Record yourself doing your sales pitch at your normal speed and then at a slower rate. Email the recording to a friend and see if they notice a difference between the two. If you are still too fast, visualize elongating and extending the space between your words. Pause for a beat or two after each thought. If you use a script, make marks to remind you to pause at appropriate places.
Susan Berkley's
