The accents on how you speak not how you look

Recent research reveals that your accent reveals more about you as a person, than what you wear. An article on the research is below.

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/218604/The-accent-s-on-how-you-speak-not-how-you-look

We are all aware that the way we speak on the telephone has an impact on the success of our conversations on the phone; the other person can't see us so we have to project our personality in other ways. However, this research is a revelation, since the voice: the way we sound and our accents, has a greater influence on how we project our personality than has been revealed before. Whilst experts have always identified the way we speak within a first encounter as being one characteristic people notice, experts (and in particular image consultants) have always focused on personal appearance being the most important characteristic to concentrate on when wishing to make a good impression.

I was always taught to maintain eye contact; shake hands and say "How do you do." From the research it seems that this is good advice, because you are immediately engaging with the other person. Focusing entirely on appearance is not a two way exchange. It is certainly something to bear in mind.

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Squeaky voices: do they influence and impress?

One of the key vocal characteristics we mention to clients is that of a high pitched, squeaky voice. When we are tense, the pitch in our voices goes higher. Women in particular find that when they raise their voices, the pitch increases, making it more difficult to be heard.

George Osborne has a great tendency to have a high pitched voice when put under pressure: George if you want to work on this, do give me a call. Also, on occasions, David Cameron's voice becomes high pitched and whiny when under stress. The following article is rather interesting.

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/216598/Don-t-judge-politicians-by-their-squeakiness

Unfortunately we do judge people on their voices; the impact is even more profound when we're on the telephone, so here are my tips for maintaining a less squeaky, high pitched voice

• When you project your voice or shout, consciously think of pitching the sound 'low'
• When you begin to feel tense, check your posture and how you sit to relax
• If you are in a stressful situation; take a deep breath and speak more slowly
• If you are put on the spot with a difficult question, repeat the question to give yourself time to relax and respond.

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