38% of our
communication is conveyed through the sound of our voice and on the phone our
voice accounts for 84% of our message. That’s why having a voice that conveys
confidence and enthusiasm is so important.
People form an
opinion about us within 2 seconds of meeting us. Most of those opinions or
impressions are formed in a primitive part of our brain; the same part of the
brain animals get their “animal instinct” from.
Like animals, we listen for tones in the voice that tell us whether the
person we’ve just met is trustworthy, confident, honest, intelligent,
enthusiastic, positive and safe to be with.
Because we
instinctively evaluate and judge the sound
of the communication before we
evaluate the actual words being said, women, with higher pitched voices are
often at a disadvantage. I believe there are two reasons that higher pitched
voices are not taken as seriously. First of all, since all children start off
with adorable high pitched voices, a high pitched voice makes us seem young and
inexperienced. And second, in the animal kingdom, higher pitched sounds are
often used to give off warnings of danger or to express fear, anxiety and
disapproval. So a woman who does not work to modulate the pitch of her voice
either comes off as childlike and insecure or shrill and anxious – not particularly
effective qualities in the workplace.
