Have you ever been told you’re smarter than you look? It’s kind of a backhanded compliment, really. On the one hand, you’re being called smart, but on the flip side, you’re being told you don’t look like the sharpest knife in the drawer.
In a study from the University of Chicago, students were filmed on camera explaining why they should be hired for a certain position. It came down to their voice, not their looks, that showcased competence and intelligence.
3 Tips For Smarter Voices:
- Faster Speech: While speed talking that doesn’t make sense is a bad thing, listeners do perceive speakers that are quicker in their speech as more confident than slower speakers. In mastering the art of quick, comprehensible speech, read aloud to give yourself a better sense of enunciation.
- Avoid Filler Words: “Um yeah, well ah, you know” – this sort of thing. Stop, take a breath and think about what you want to say before you open your mouth. Record yourself and listen to how you actually sound.
- Lower Tone: Using a deeper voice and lower tone appears more confident, whereas higher tones appear childish and nervous. Keep the sentence inflection consistent to the end, and don’t go up at the end in a higher pitch.
