Welcome to Part 2 in The Power of the Human Voice Series.

When silent films became “talkies”, the world changed forever. Hearing a speaking character in a film brought credibility and texture to the tale. We wanted the hero to be confident and have a strong voice without sounding like a bully. The power of hearing the character was why radio was wildly successful. It used the power of the human voice.

Subconsciously, we use cues from someone and relate to aspects of the human voice to create a definition of the speaker—Translation: Is this a safe connection? For our own comfort we notice the following:

Pace
Tone (confident, condescending, prissy, scared)
Volume

When we mirror these qualities, we give ourselves permission to engage with the other person.

Public speakers can provide pointers on key techniques. They know the value of pause, enthusiasm, and non-verbal cues as they express emotion through their bodies. A speaker can stir emotion by the choice of words, establish empathy through storytelling that is believable, and lead us to what they want as a conclusion (like merchandise at a conference). For example, check how dating advisors use this same information. For example, upon meeting a desirable prospect, the speaker attempts to mimic the body language (non-verbal cues), tone, and makes eye contact with the listener. By doing so, comfort and safety, the hallmarks of emotional intelligence, are established. Now the listeners will follow your voice because it resembles their own.

So, why do we believe them? They are exercising emotional intelligence. They establish credibility with the listener is golden. This is why listening to all touch points in your business can make or break a connection with your prospect. It is about impressions that must flow through all marketing materials audio or not.

Now it’s your turn . . . really!

Make use of this information, stop and call into your 800 number, voice message, and customer care lines. Listen to the voices of the people responding to the call. How do you feel when they ask if you can hold before even speaking to you yet? Do they sound intelligent, pleasant, mature or 12 years old? Do you believe what they’re saying? If not, you have work to do

Attention is perceived over a phone call even when the listener cannot see the speaker. So, do not commit the mixed-message “sin” of multitasking while you are on a call; the listener perceives your split attention. It translates into, “You’re not that important.”

Now, let’s circle back to the power of the voice. How does all this information affect your career when people do not listen to what you have to say? When you give a presentation, how will you assess the impact of what you are bringing to the meeting? Are your listeners riveted to your message or playing with their cell phones and answering email!

Here’s the good news—One antidote you can manage is practice. Listen to your own voice and the effect when you close your eyes of the image that you portray. Get feedback when people listen to your voice.

Consider the high squeaky voice or the mumbling of people who appear to lack confidence enough to project their ideas rather than swallow their words. (At this time, you may be thinking of a few examples in your workosphere™.)

Here’s an example: National Public Radio (NPR) interviewed a woman who did a study on women’s voices because she wanted to see if there was a correlation between promotions and the perceived power of the female person. Here is the link: http://n.pr/1CIjGdD

Remember, the entry-level people assigned to telephone work are often the first point of contact with the prospect. I recommend that quality of voice be considered when hiring for this position.

Want more attention, power, and creditability? Put It All Together

Here are a few tips to get you started on refining your speaking voice:

• Stand when you are recording a sample of your voice or answering a phone call.

• Read a short article into a microphone. When playing it back, listen for tone, pace, and sincerity in your voice.

• Start imagining how old the person is, what emotional connection do you have with this person ((do they sound like a relative?) Would you trust this person to watch your dog?

• What image do you perceive of the company based on the sound of the voice you hear?

• Are your words crisp and clear or mumbled and swallowed? These qualities are important f because it demonstrates you have nothing to hide when you speak clearly.

• Is your voice halting, are there many pauses, or is your cadence flowing and smooth? Again, there is a subliminal judgment by the listener to hesitation and credibility if you sound like you’re making it up on the fly, that reduces the power of your message.

• How does your word selection support the intention of your message? Do you sound pompous, or are you using Plain English or your native language you speak to your audience so that they get the best understanding of what you’re saying.

• For now, go back and listen to your recording again and adjust your tonality. Now let’s review your first reading according to these tips.

The show phenomenon called The Voice auditions people without being seen. Why do you suppose that is so powerful? Please leave a comment on this post or email to mcubas@positivepotentials.com.

mcubas@positivepotentials.com • www.positivepotentials.com

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by Coachcubas

Action plan, career, coaching, Creative, entrepreneurs, Marketing, Strategic Planning, Visionary, Wisdom

Is entrepreneurism a gene or skill?

January 29, 2015

So, what if you aren’t born with the entrepreneurial qualities?

Recent findings and emphasis on personal development show that people can learn an entrepreneur’s (E’s) progressive traits and can borrow on E’s native talents.

There are several entrepreneur types that bring different strengths and experience while they learn new skills. This is a list of Positive Potentials LLC’s² observations from serving E’s across two decades of business coaching:

1. The Widget Maker—This type is often mistaken as a classic entrepreneur. These proud, diligent people are adept at doing one thing well—making widgets—Widgets are products and methods that can range from baking cookies to custom car production. The outcome is something they have perfected and want to take to market—They want to reproduce it and sell it. Although they may have no real business sense or experience, they forge ahead, often without a business plan, and launch their idea until they run out of money or personal energy.

Another E in this category is the Episodic E, who may be, for example, a car mechanic. S/He sees an opportunity to work on windmill turbines and opens a “green” shop or a former shoe sales person starts a boutique. They work on what they know within a comfort zone. Sometimes, they have little awareness of the moving parts of a business because they only focused on their part in it. These E’s must add business skills and hire talent especially if migrating from a non-business field like a mechanical environment.

They are comfortable and adept with their skills, limited by what they know, but may not take time or fear advanced training so they move from one episode to another as part of a long learning curve. Their shops can be chaotic and may waste resources, because they do not have a plan or marketing skills. For example, lawyers and doctors are historically inexperienced business people.

2. The Innovator—This E likes to tinker. These are not people who want to open a storefront; they want to “build a better mousetrap.” Often, they will consider selling their idea to Wal-Mart, but do not know how to protect and secure their idea with registered patents or how to attract investors.

They are focused on continuous improvement often coming from a manufacturing or systems background. They believe “necessity-is-the-mother-of-invention,” and use their creativity to solve problems. They are creative people because they see and love how things work.

3. You’re Fired —This is the reluctant E. Today’s uncertain economic and job climate can create this type of entrepreneur, because they may not have chosen to leave but they were downsized. They gather severance, savings and gumption in an attempt to duplicate the job they just lost.

Their perspective is limited because they only see a tiny part of the working business. This E requires support people to draft a written business map to keep the E on course and add talent to fill in the gaps.

4. The Last Hurrah—”If not now, then when” logic? Often a mid-life crisis triggers this E, who is restless and sees a last shot at a long-held dream. For example, in the 1990’s, while the economy was stable, “40-Somethings” saw an opportunity to use their 401k’s to start a business if they resigned. For example, independent coffee houses and bookstores popped up nationwide from these E’s efforts. They may have had access to other resources through their professional networks, too. The Boomers are classical examples of this type. After the economic downturn, many Boomers found themselves unable to retire, so they are back in the job market and ready to pour their energy into a new enterprise.

5. Buy A Job/Be Your Own boss—This E is slow to action and can be motivated by fear or external pressure, and a “I’d-better-do-something” attitude. These are ideal franchise prospects or owners. They like a template business model. It appeals to those who want order for security, not creativity. They want the illusion of being their own boss, but, in reality, they are bound by the franchisers rules with little flexibility to improvise.

They may hire people to organize offices and billing issues so they do not get bogged down with the details. The good news for them is they can better manage their process adopting E traits. Learning offers them a better degree of competence to check the work of others they hired without being an entrepreneur.

These visionary E’s hold and share a strong mental picture that s/he translates into the support of followers. Their persuasive communication style serves them to sell the dream born out of their passion. An example of this “charismatic selling” is the rise of multi-level marketing companies since 1990 that hype success with images of wealth, fancy cars and exotic travel as payoffs. One must ask what they are really selling.

Importantly, people serving entrepreneurs are wise to understand them and can benefit by teaching them how to marketing, deliver services and hire a lawyer. Service providers who help their E’s achieve their visions, have no loyalty issues, especially when times are tough.

Tip—Identify where the gaps are in your process to start a business. Find support to complete the gaps and write out your plan. The magic begins when you can visualize the outcome and know what resources you need to get started.

A positive first step is to seek out the free programs like at Glendale Public Library for more information www.GlendaleAZ.com/library. Good luck. -MC

Resources

http://www.evancarmichael.com/Business-Coach/2695/Business-Literacy-Stimulates-Entrepreneurial-and-Personal-Mastery-Part-1.html

www.ResourcesForAmericans.Com

· Kauffman Foundation www. KauffmanFoundation.com

· Malcolm Baldrige Quality Principles— http://www.nist.gov/index.html

· Entrepreneurship.org, The Policy Dialogue on Entrepreneurship (PDE)

· The Phoenix Business Journal, www.bizjournals.com

· Coaching Programs EMBA (Entrepreneurial Mastery of Business Assets)

· ASU Technopolis

· Positive Potentials’ EMBA Certification Program™

· Fast Track Stealthmode Partners

¹ Michael Gerber, The E Myth Revisited, (New York, 1995), pp.19-33.

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by Coachcubas

Uncategorized

The Power of the Human Voice—Part 1

January 19, 2015

As a gestating child develops, the mother’s voice is heard reverberating through the amniotic fluid. It is magical to the fetus. Voice is a human’s first powerful connector.

Not enough time and attention is shone on voice training and how your voice is perceived by others. Here is a study I learned about on NPR, “Can Changing How You Sound Help You Find Your Voice?” The premise was targeting female voices and if their credibility as leaders was affected by the sound of the voice. See if you agree. We can have a “Google Gaggle (group)” around this is you like or use the S.O.S. Group on Linked In. The audio link is below.

As a stage performer, I know the power of voice and tone. It is the coloration that can turn a compliment into a sarcastic comment or an emotional appeal from the quiver in the throat.

So, please record your voice and play it back as if you were answering a phone call. What do you hear? Is there sincerity, attentiveness, or nasally twang? How old do you sound to your ear? After doing this, you may want to consider re-recording your inbound message to reflect who you want to project.

The sound of a voice can inspire confidence. Sometimes, practice is required to achieve your goal. Like the old joke, “Would you buy a used car from this person?”, the tone of your voice can make or break a sales opportunity.

Company senior managers need to call into the toll-free number or a help line to hear what the customer is hearing—the results will be showstopping! If a receptionist at a medical professionals office sounds like 12 years old, it’s time to change that voice or person because subliminally they do not inspire confidence in the professional being contacted.

My personal favorite is the “panel” that sits in front of a sardine-packed waiting room. If you are onsite, you can experience the impatience and eye-rolling first hand. Considering the demographics of the audience, some impatient tones are rude, waving arms, and discourteous comments, especially to an aging population who may be a bit hard of hearing!

The results of this experiment transcend just wanting to look good. Credentials are on the line, and with fierce competition in every industry, a simple edge can be found in ability to engage and invite people to hear your message.

Technology aside, people want to be heard about what is important to them. You can improve the chances that you will be heard and taken seriously when your tone fits the situation.

As a coach, I find many clients undermine their career promotions and status with poor speech patterns and lowly vocabulary. Consider a time when you were swept up in a situation when the speaker had a magnificent voice. It almost didn’t matter they were saying as much as the lyrical essence of the tones.

I will publish more on some antidotes and ways to stand apart by using your speech. As always, your feedback is enjoyed and welcome. MC

PS—If you would like to listen to the NPR segment, do so here. Enjoy. mc

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by Coachcubas

The Power of the Human Voice—Part 2

Is entrepreneurism a gene or skill?

Recent findings and emphasis on personal development show that people can learn an entrepreneur’s (E’s) progressive traits and can borrow on E’s native talents.

There are several entrepreneur types that bring different strengths and experience while they learn new skills. This is a list of Positive Potentials LLC’s² observations from serving E’s across two decades of business coaching:

Resources

The Power of the Human Voice—Part 1

Enjoy our past posts!

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Blog

The Power of the Human Voice—Part 2

Is entrepreneurism a gene or skill?

Recent findings and emphasis on personal development show that people can learn an entrepreneur’s (E’s) progressive traits and can borrow on E’s native talents.

There are several entrepreneur types that bring different strengths and experience while they learn new skills. This is a list of Positive Potentials LLC’s2 observations from serving E’s across two decades of business coaching:

Resources

The Power of the Human Voice—Part 1

Enjoy our past posts!

Contact me -

About -

Menu

There are several entrepreneur types that bring different strengths and experience while they learn new skills. This is a list of Positive Potentials LLC’s² observations from serving E’s across two decades of business coaching: