As noted previously, every spoken message has a vocal element. What we hear is greatly influenced by the speaker’s tone of voice, vocal clarity, and verbal expressiveness. On the telephone, voice quality is even more important because the other person cannot see your facial expressions, hand gestures, and other body movements. You cannot trade in your current voice for a new one. However, you can make your voice more pleasing to others and use it to add value to your relationships. How?

Consider these suggestions:

1. Do not talk too fast or too slowly. Rapid speech often causes customers to become defensive. It raises psychological barriers because a “rapid-fire monologue” is associated with high-pressure sales methods. Many salespeople could improve their verbal presentation by talking more slowly. The slower presentation allows others to follow, and it allows the speaker time to think ahead—to consider the situation and make judgments. Another good tip is to vary the speed of your speech, leaving spaces between thoughts. Crowding too many thoughts together may confuse the listener.33

2. Avoid a speech pattern that is dull and colorless. The worst kind of voice has no color and no feeling. Enthusiasm is a critical element of an effective sales presentation. It also is contagious. Your enthusiasm for the product is transmitted to the customer.

3. Avoid bad speech habits. Kristy Pinand, a youthful-looking 23-year-old, routinely used “teen speak.” For example, she described a recent promotion as “so cool.” Her supervisor felt she not only looked young, but she also sounded very young, and this image could potentially hurt her ability to win the respect of clients. She urged Ms. Pinand to select her words more carefully. Ms. Pinand heeded the constructive advice and now rehearses her remarks aloud before she calls a client.34

Some speech habits can make us sound poorly educated and inarticulate. At age 22, Mike White learned that his east Tennessee accent and colorful backwoods speech patterns created problems at work. He recognized that his southern drawl was a “turnoff” to some of the image-conscious people he worked with. One day, his sales manager asked him if he had his racquetball equipment with him, and White replied, “Yeah, I brung it.” Fortunately, White’s supervisor was willing to tactfully correct his grammatical problems and help him communicate with greater clarity. Today, Mike White is CEO of a successful company and a frequent speaker at trade shows.35