What does your voice say about you?

#1 The voice, a “second face”

There is no one voice that resembles another. “It’s like a fingerprint,” says Agnes Augé, speech therapist and psychologist, being the reason why it gets so emotional when people once again hear the voice of a missing person close to them. “Your inflections follow your mood, as neurotransmitters directly transfer these emotions to the larynx, says Agnes Augé. In the case of strong emotion, the larynx narrows, limiting the passage of the breath. This therefore results in, for example, a “voice choked with grief.”
A tremor, an abrupt halt, a decrease in tone whilst speaking can say as much as a lengthy sentence, or expose a slip in what you are trying to say. The voice does not lie. It reflects the full range of our inner emotions, and also the way we see ourselves in relation to each other. “The voice is a second face, it is as expressive as the prima facie (first impression),” insists Christophe Haag, PhD in behavioural sciences, and teacher at EM-Lyon in France. “By observing the tiniest changes, the voice can betray emotion, appeal or irritate, injure or persuade.”

#2 The influence of others on your voice

“When we talk to others, by mirror-effect, we tend to imitate their voice, pace, turn of phrase and intonation, to reduce the social distance between ourselves and our speaking partner,” notes Christophe Haag. “There is a sort of contagion in the exchange.”

#3 The facets to decode

There are so many! The speed, intensity, power, intonation, articulation quality, clarity, modulation… “When trying to decipher a voice, trust your intuition,” advises Christophe Haag. “You will find that you able to determine within seconds if your contact is friendly, optimistic, and if they have good intentions…or not!”

#4 If you are…

– Angry: you tend to speak faster, louder, with a large variations of pitches, whilst unconsciously exaggerating the facets of your voice.

– S ad or depressed: your voice will be a little hoarse, you will speak at a lower pitch, with a lower intensity, and at a slower rate, and possibly with breaks.

#5 If you want to … 

– Seduce : the voice will be softer, warmer, more modular and friendly.

– Convince: it is necessary to find a volume that is sufficiently loud without shouting or becoming pitchy, articulated well enough for the message to be heard, and to prove your conviction and clarity. The tempo should not be too fast. “If the voice of the leader is shrill, the speaker himself appears weak and his actions fragile,” said Christophe Haag. “For 89% of 365 people I interviewed for my book (1), the charisma of an individual is tied to his voice. One third of the respondents believe that the voice makes up about 40% of the charisma of an individual. Another third affirms that voice can account for up to 60% of their natural influence. And when one is a leader, charisma is necessary.”

#6 If your voice…

– Is too high: “Three-quarters of people who have high-pitched voices tend to talk fast when they are, for example, under the effect of stress. And the faster they speak, the higher their voices rise in treble. A tip, then, for those of you out there – if your voice is high-pitched, speak more slowly (reducing your rate of speech) and softly (reducing the volume). Goodbye jingle-bell voices!”

– Is too soft:  “Ten minutes a day, read a text aloud, removing consonants. For example, the sentence “The voice is a second face” becomes “e-oi-i-a-e-e-a.” This may sound silly to you, but you know what they say – no pain, no gain. This will make you aware of the importance of consonants. They are the ones who put the vowels more clearly, and give them shape!  Reread the same text after this exercise, reintegrating consonants that you will then project with your mouth open wide. Your voice becomes much more sonorous. It allows you to gains volume without getting tired, and your audience thus understands you better as well.”

#7 Voice: the instrument of seduction

Sometimes men slow their speed and drop a few notes on purpose… According to researchers at the University of Aberdeen (Scotland), men endowed with a deep and warm voice, such as actors Benedict Cumberbatch and Sean Connery, are able to affect women much more. On the other hand, women’s voices are slightly higher during the pre-ovulation period, as a signal of fertility, according to a study published in 2008 in Evolution and Human Behavior.

#8  Why and how to use your voice

“People who do not have assertive voices may get the feeling of not getting their messages across the way they want in their daily lives” says Agnes Augé, author of Mieux vivre avec sa voix (Living better with your voice). “The lack of intensity and modulation in their voices obstructs a match between what they really think and feel, and what they eventually express. They may suffer in some situations, especially in the workplace. Speech therapy sessions will allow them to be more comfortable and be able to use their voices in a way that suits them better. It is also useful for people who use their voice as a tool for daily work, such as teachers. Over the years, as a result of constantly straining the voice, there is sometimes damage of the vocal cords.” Honestly, all you have to do is to make an appointment with a speech pathologist or speech therapist. You will then do an assessment and individual and/or group sessions with singing, situational context questions, and role-playing to depict emotions with the voice, etc. “The important thing is to retrain the voice, without transforming it completely, it must be genuine,” says Christophe Haag.

Fabienne Broucaret