How to have a better phone voice, from a pro voice over artist
When you answer a phone call from a prospective client or customer, you’re immediately in a position where you’re creating a first impression. These impressions are crucial for success in business, as well as interpersonally. Once you decide to get on the phone and create that personal, human connection with someone… you need to make sure you do it the right way.
Here’s the rub: many people don’t like the way they sound on the phone. Or even worse, they get anxious whenever a phone call comes through. This anxiety or self-doubt can manifest in the quality of your voice, and actually affect the outcome of your calls. So what do we do about this?
As a professional voice actor (and previously a salesperson at a university) I have direct and applicable experience with high-value, high stakes phone calls. I know what it takes to sound confident and comfortable when someone’s on the line with me. Here are five simple tips for better phone calls that I’ve learned over the years as a voice actor and former salesperson.
tip #1 - chill out
This is honestly good advice for any situation. Just chill out. Sure, it’s easier said than done, but here are a few ways you can up your chill factor and be cool as a cucumber on the phone:
Be prepared. If you’re prepared for your call, it makes the whole thing go much more smoothly. If you’re selling something, be extremely knowledgeable about that product or service. Additionally, learn all you can about the person on the other end of the line (before the call, if possible). This familiarity will help break the ice, and ensure you feel confident to engage in fruitful conversations.
Engage in some breathing exercises. By controlling your breathing, you can work to slow down your heart rate and reduce some of those anxious feelings. There are even apps that can help you do this and guide you through a quick meditation. Calm is one app that comes to mind. Or, if you just need a super simple option, consider the 4-7-8 breathing technique. Also known as “relaxing breath,” this technique has you breathing in for 4 seconds, holding the breath for 7 seconds, and exhaling for 8 seconds. You’ll feel more relaxed after repeating this breathing technique multiple times.
Relax your vocal chords as well. Now that we’ve addressed the mental piece, it’s time to address the physical. We need to relax those vocal chords. You can do this by making yourself yawn. This actually helps open your throat and relax your vocal chords, resulting in a deeper voice. If you sound deeper, you may sound better to your listener.
tip #2 - mind your intensity
Sometimes, when we get excited or nervous, we can over emphasize the beginning of phrases as we speak. Or, we can speak at a faster than usual pace. Have you ever given a presentation in front of your peers at school, only to find that you didn’t quite fill the time that was allotted for your presentation? Assuming your material was the right length, it was very likely your frenetic rate of speech that caused this issue. So, slow down a bit, and make sure you have a nice even tone throughout your speech. You don’t have to be monotonous, and you can still use inflection to give your voice some personality, but don’t overdo it.
tip #3 - check your gear
There’s nothing worse than trying to have a phone call with bad service or a busted phone. Before you get on the line with someone to discuss something important, make sure that your gear is in working order. Also, make sure what you’re using is high enough quality. Most phones these days have microphones that are just OK. If you want to sound great, consider investing in a microphone (or headset) to improve the clarity of your voice over the phone.
For example: whenever I have calls with prospective clients, I tend to use one of my professional mics and take the call through my computer. This happens quite frequently, and the mic I choose depends on the situation. If I’m doing a live directed session with a customer, I’m usually in the vocal booth with my MKH416. Or, if I’m on a discovery call with a potential client, I might be at my editing station speaking into an SM7b. Now, as a voice actor, I do indulge in microphones that are a bit more expensive than most. You don’t have to use an MKH416 to make phone calls by any means, but a nice mic can go a long way.
tip #4 - think about your environment
It’s not just the microphone that can affect the quality of your calls. Your recording environment is, arguably, more important than the microphone. You might not realize it, but homes and offices can be incredibly noisy environments. Pets, children, printers, dishwashers, fax machines… the list goes on. There are a million different things that can create unnecessary noise in the background of phone calls. So what do we do about this?
If you’re able to do so, try and find a quiet place to take your call. Step into another room free from distractions or noisy people, appliances, etc. and create some distance between you and the noise. This will help you sound clear on the phone, and reduce the likelihood that your listener will be distracted by your background noise.
Furthermore, if your quiet place ends up being outside, make sure that it’s not too windy. When wind cuts across the microphone, it can create rumbling sounds in your audio signal. You’ll start sounding like the pilot of an aircraft before takeoff (sidebar: does anyone ever understand what they say over the speakers? lol)
tip #5 - shh. listen!
This tip is one of the oldest in the sales playbook. If you want to have a good call, you must listen to the person on the other line for the majority of the call. Give it the old 80/20 rule treatment: listen to the other person 80% of the time, and speak only 20% of the time. The idea here is to get them talking so you can learn more about them. Ask open ended questions that give them an opportunity to talk (especially about themselves) and the call will be easy, breezy, beautiful. I guarantee it.
Once you feel you’ve sufficiently explored their needs and motivations as it relates to your own offerings, you can use that knowledge to share relevant information with them. The best part? You can link specific details to their specific wants and needs, which greatly increases the likelihood that you will make your sale. And hey, if it’s not a sales call, at least you listened intently and created some meaningful dialogue with the other person. Not too shabby.
conclusion
While it may seem like a lost art, phone calls are still an incredibly powerful tool for any professional. That’s why it’s so important to have a good phone voice; it’s your opportunity to create personal connections with others, and leave a lasting impact. After implementing these five tips before your important phone calls, I think you’ll be a much better speaker over the phone (and beyond.) Once you’ve implemented them, let me know if these tips helped!
Do you need a confident and authoritative phone voice for your company? As a professional voice actor with 20+ years of experience in pro audio, sales, and voice over, I can be the voice of your IVR phone system, voicemails, on hold messages, and more. Contact me today to get a free quote for telephony voice over services.
