Sunday, July 14, 2013

Your Authoritative Voice

Once, very senior fellow professional called me. He was going to recommend me as the guest of honour and key note speaker for the convocation ceremony at prestigious business school at Pune. His tone is always authoritative with blank expression on the face. But sometimes, next person may be offended by his tone. I was little-bit taken back by his tone. I thought, is this person giving me the order of being the guest at that school?
During our childhood, our parents if angry with us would use the authority voice. Our teachers while scolding us would use different voice tone. We would understand that something was serious.  
However whenever we hear this voice, it sounds parental, deferent and submissive.  The voice of authority also affects animals. Although dog doesn’t understand the language of human being, it does understand the voice of authority. It knows when we are pleased with it or when we are angry with it.

Mr. Modi once mentioned during interview that he had
taken a formal training on how to use the voice.
This authority voice is required to influence and impress people. Off course, use of the authoritative voice is situation base unlike my fellow professional. You can recognize such voice by listening them. Sometimes, it is direct and sometimes, it is indirect. There are many magical ways to express yourselves with your voice.  I was listening Mr. Narendra Modi’s interview. He mentioned that he took the training on use of voice and speech. Now he is the best orator and communicator. Authority voice is one of the ways when we want to command others, without making them offended.  

In normal speech, our voice naturally rises, when we ask a question and it drops when we make a statement. You can practice using the questioning voice with statement when you want to make them more acceptable and the statement voice with questions, to make them more acceptable and the statement voice with questions, to make them more like statements of facts. Listen carefully to how others speak, in real life, in films and on the TV. You will see many examples of using the voice in this way. Many effective communications depend on how something is said, although normally we are unaware of it.  

The authority voice is a pattern that automatically puts us in an obedient submissive state. We can understand these by listening and making the practice. You can even avoid being influenced irrationally by others who use these patterns.  
Great leaders, CEOs, receive training on how to make the influence by voice. It includes use of pitch of the voice, voice modulation and stress on the words. On TV you must have seen anchors and newsreaders. They are trained how to speak using the authority voice. Is something is said in one voice, then we tend to believe it, but, when same thing is said in another voice, we tend to doubt it.
We need to practice on the same. Under stress, our voice tone normally rises and makes is sound childish and weak. If you practice, you can make your voice sound powerful, even when you are nervous. Listen carefully and improve on it.
Watch and listen actors, newsreaders, anchors, leaders, CEOs, professionals and practice by listening them. Note their tone, changes they make and an impression they create.   
When you use the Authority Voice you will automatically become more powerful and influential.

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