While the speaking voice is considered to be a verbal aspect of communication, the voice tone is totally non verbal communication. Staff, management and leadership, are totally unaware of the impact, their speaking voice is having on the staff performance and engagement.
Research is showing us that a staggering 87% of employees worldwide are not engaged. Many companies are experiencing a crisis of engagement and aren't aware of it. Companies with highly engaged workforces outperform their peers by 147%. in earnings per share. Click for Research HERE
When we speak we have the opportunity to not only convey a message but to also connect and develop relationships. Enjoying work relationships, both with peers and customers, increases staff satisfaction, moral and this has a direct impact on lifting performance standards in the workplace.
Research is telling us that emotions impact voice tone and it has the much stronger impact, even more than the words alone. We must become more aware, carefully choose the emotion and motivation we use when speaking. Staff and customers will feel rather than hear the words and be directly effected by a voice tone that is filled with emotion, for better or worst. Click for the research HERE
Your voice tone can be friendly, inspire or simply intimidate others in action. A leader knows how important it is to effortlessly engage and influence staff, but sometimes this is not the case and the opposite happens, where staff are just avoiding conversations, meetings and any other interaction. I believe that if communication is suffering and compromised in-house then it s likely to also be happening with our customer relationships. Click here for exercises you can do to change and enhance your voice tone.
I was recently asked two questions how a voice tone workshop can directly help improve overall workplace performance and customer engagement.
1. Customer Centricity:
Question :
How do you understand your customer and improve all interactions to be habitually customer focused?
My answer:
Be aware of how you speak and what voice tone you are choosing.
When you can use your voice with variety and energy, you will effortlessly engage and influence customers habitually, because you don’t have to think about it. Staff are usually unaware of their voice tonality and how it is mismatching their message when speaking.
When you are speaking face to face, you can also use your body language to communicate. Many are unaware of how to use their body expression when speaking and lack energy. With coaching you can learn how activate your face, eyes and body to convey your message.
When speaking on the telephone, voice tone is the most important aspect of delivering content. There is no facial or body expression that can help with the communication. If you have the wrong tone the message fails to be heard well and it can mean something totally different.
Eg: I didn’t mean to say that” or not being able to respond and connect to the customer with the same tonality the customer is using, eg: energy, pace and intonation.
This impacts on the quality of interaction, impacting on building any relationship with your client or customer and the end result is failure of direct focus on your customer.
2. Future Workforce:
Question;
How do you create an engaging, high-performance environment which supports and empowers highly capable staff?
My Answer: Provide education and awareness on good speaking voice technique and increase flexibility and voice tone choice.
When you invest in the wellbeing of your staff, that is their working voice, then staff can be high performing and less fatigued, helping them to be overall more highly capable to deliver. They will take less days off and will not avoid taking phone calls or having meetings and conversations.
Voice is a muscle and it needs to be use with pitch variety and right breathing. Without awareness of voice technique for speaking staff will force their voice, become husky, tired and breathless.
Voice issues, effect the body and can become a repetitive strain issue (RSI), increasing absenteeism. Research is currently showing that 20% of people are suffering from voice problems in call centres.
When staff feel tired or unable to speak with energy and strength they will struggle to be convincing and engaging. Tonal quality such as a variety of pitch and expression is limited and this impacts on the performing quality and capability. No one enjoys speaking to a lifeless voice lacking certainty, expression and energy, we are all attracted to a good speaking voice because it tells us even more than the words themselves.
“When we love, we always strive to become better than we are. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.”
-Paulo Coelho
Thank you for reading this post.
Want to find out more about how you can change your voice tone, create more meaning in you message or be confident when stepping on a platform or holding a microphone, Click here to purchase my book. Download two free chapters and find out more.
To arrange a voice coaching sessions or to arrange a workplace workshop that will help you have a stronger speaking voice please contact me on www.mariapellicano.com
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I look forward to any feedback on this blog.