Did you know: Varying your vocal range will captivate and engage your listeners
Your voice pitch is as vital as your business pitch when it comes to your success.
There’s lots of varying research on how vocal pitch affects us. A good rule of thumb is to follow two rules:
- Vary your voice pitch to keep people engaged.
- Use a lower pitch more often.
Varying your vocal pitch
This means being more conscious of using more of your voice range. We all have a range of high, mid and lower notes in our voices but often we have got used to only using a small range. The pitch of your voice impacts listeners at an emotional level. Higher notes will create more excitement while lower notes have more authority, strength, certainty and dominance. Playing with more range allows you to take an audience on a journey – helping them feel secure at times and motivated at others. And remember your vocal range is a clear way to differentiate your unique human qualities from an AI bot!
Use a lower pitch more often
As a leader you want to anchor your voice in the lower range. A lower voice will communicate solidity, authority and status. This isn’t only an impression – we know that the human brain processes different vocal pitches in different ways. Lower pitch voices create a stronger sense of safety and leadership. This is particularly important to note for female voices or higher pitched voices. By simply lowering your pitch by a few notes, you create a stronger, more authoritative impact on individuals and their brains!
Did you know
Margaret Thatcher, famously employed actor Laurence Olivier in the 1970’s, to help her significantly lower the pitch of her voice in order to sound more powerful, and ultimately be elected as Britain’s first female prime minister.
“We often refuse to accept an idea merely because the tone of voice in which it has been expressed is unsympathetic to us.”
Friedrich Nietzsche
Tip
To find your full vocal range read a few lines from a newspaper and see how low and how high you can speak over one sentence. Practice speaking in your lower range for your next meeting. A good tip is to imagine your belly or feet are doing the talking to help you lower your voice.
Check out our training programmes on Confidence and Impact, Leadership Development, Executive Coaching and also our 4D OnDemand Impact Series, to make sure you make an impact today.
Subscribe to our newsletter to be the first to hear about our tips on Pitch and Precision – to make sure you deliver the gravitas and impact of your voice with intention.