SUPERTALK"He's popular with the clients, and that's half the battle, but the
other half is doing the job, and unfortunately that's where there's
something missing. The man has no business sense!"
I didn't understand what Ed meant until I met Mark, and then
it became clear. I liked him instantly. He was tall, well built,
with a youthful face and stylish gray sideburns, and he had an
easy and comfortable style. And his voice! It was deep and resonant.
Its low register signaled strength, determination, and serenity.
You couldn't help but trust a man like Mark.
"What you have," I told Ed later, "is a contradiction between
Mark's subtext and his abilities. You say he can't do the job,
but my God, he comes on strong. That voice is reassuring, sincere,
a definite asset."
"And the clients love him. What can I do?"
I thought about it for a moment, then shrugged. "Use him where
he's strongest. Make him part of a team where the other man or
woman can do the job but doesn't impress the client. Maybe by
working with a competent partner he'll realize what's expected."
"In other words, I pay two people to do one job."
"Is it worth it?"
"I'll have to think it over," Ed told me, but a few weeks later
he confessed that he had let Mark go. "If only he knew the score—
but I'm sure he'll have no trouble getting another job and holding
it until the boss catches on. You know, he's taught me a lesson.
Looks and charm work for a while, but they can't compare with
doing the job right!"
RESONANCE, REGISTER, AND PITCH
Our voices and how we use them send out very strong subtextual
Messages. By manipulating the resonance and register of his voice,