SUPERTALKcan be objective about his or her own voice. You must distance
yourself from your voice, and the best way to do this is by using
a tape recording with excellent fidelity. It is worth the investment
of buying or renting equipment.
Set up imaginary situations, such as buying, selling, talking
to the boss, talking to subordinates—then tape yourself in these
situations. Let a week or so go by between taping and listening
to the tape. Then listen analytically. Is your voice too high? Too
low? Is the pitch right? The resonance? The register? The speed?
The pausing? Do you use too many fillers like "uh" or "I mean"
or "you know" or the current favorite, "basically"?
I was once a guest on a radio talk show, and tacked to the
wall of the studio a large sign warned that "I mean," "uh," and
"you know" could take up more than 50 percent of precious air
time. Fillers like these can waste time in any tight situation, not
to mention sending out a subtext of indecision and uncertainty.
Clear thinkers—at least those who want others to perceive them
as clear thinkers—speak clearly.
Most important, does your voice reflect what you want to say?
Is your subtext in tune with your text? Is there any quality in
your voice that will turn people off?
Once you've picked up what's wrong with your voice, decide
what changes you want. Experiment with your voice on tape and
keep playing it back until it pleases you.