How to Influence Anyone, Anywhere, Every Time

CHAPTER 14AUDITORY

‘The human voice is the most beautiful instrument of all, but it is the most difficult to play.’

Richard Strauss

For those of us who use our voices, it is fundamental to how we communicate. Our voices carry the language we use (see figure 14.1).

Figure 14.1 The auditory framework

Voice

The moment you hear someone's voice, you are making a bunch of assumptions and judgements. After you've spoken even one sentence, your audience has tracked some of the following, including your:

• emotional state (are you anxious, nervous, calm, confident?)
• background (culture, socioeconomic status)
• educational standard
• engagement (impressive, neutral, weak)
• intelligence
• sincerity
• authenticity
• trustworthiness
• conviction
• credibility
• likeability.

And that's just a few of the attributes.

Sadly, there are still hardwired prejudices linked to what you sound like, which can have implications for your life. It's not fair. It's not right. It just is. This is called linguistic profiling.

While accent modification is something people will choose to explore, in our work, we focus on making the best use of your natural voice. We call this linguistic adaptability. This is a skill that can be beneficial in all communication contexts. Adjusting your speech for clarity or mutual understanding without compromising your identity is a critical communication and influence strategy.

Have ...