Deeper Voices Are More Authoritative
I recently read an intriguing article: Deeper speaking voices are more authoritative. It isn’t the first time I’ve heard this type of information about deep voices. As political campaign managers have long known, a deep voice is perceived as a favorable leadership quality. People are instinctively more likely to trust a candidate with a deep voice.
Everything about you—from your resume to your body language to your wardrobe; and even to your voice—are part of a complete package. That package does make a difference in how others perceive you and ultimately affects how far you move ahead in your career.
Here’s a fascinating quote from the article regarding a 2016 paper for the Journal of Experimental Psychology titled Listen, Follow Me: “They found most people changed the pitch of their voice in the first few minutes of the exercise and that those who raised their pitch were considered more submissive with a lower social rank, while those who lowered their pitch were considered more dominant with a higher rank.”
If you don’t have a particularly deep, resonant voice, can you compensate?
You Can Deepen Your Voice
Yes. In fact, multiple studies around the world (U.S., Canada, Australia, and Sweden) found that women’s voices have deepened since entering the workforce en masse.
Here’s an exercise to lower your pitch…
Record yourself saying the following three sentences aloud, each time consciously speaking in a lower pitch:
- “This is my normal pitch.”
- “Do, Re, Me, Fa, So, La, Ti, Do.”
- “This is my normal voice.”
Can you hear a difference between the first and third sentence?
It might feel awkward at first, but if you practice this exercise several times a day for six weeks, you will have much greater control over your pitch.
By the way, when we’re stressed our pitch tends to rise, so pay special attention when you’re nervous!
Pitch is Part of Your Leadership Presence
Pitch is just one aspect of your overall Leadership Presence. Click this training link for information about how BRODY helps people develop their unique Leadership Presence.