Watch Your Tone - How You Say It Effects What You Say
If you where anything like I was when I was a kid, then you’ve heard your mother say to you on more than one occasion “I don’t like your tone”.
How you say something can have a dramatic effect on what you say. Let’s see how that’s true by examining how you can use the pace, the pitch, and
the power of your voice to add impact and meaning to what you say.
Pace
The pace or rate of delivery of the spoken word can be used to emphasize the emotion behind what’s being said. Speak slowly while emphasizing every
word, and you can convey firm conviction, even anger. On the other hand, increasing the pace of what you’re saying will tell your listener that
you are excited about the information you’re sharing.
Pitch
No one likes listening to someone speaking in a monotone. Varying the tone of your voice by using a higher pitch for emphasis, or a lower pitch
to convey gravity and so on will make your conversation much more interesting to your conversation partners, as well as give it more meaning.
Power
Nothing really makes our words stand out more than saying something with power. Of course yelling at people might not have the desired effect, but
projecting your voice with power will make anything you say have an impact on your listener. Varying the power of your voice will give your conversations
some punch.
Negative Tone of Voice
Of course the tone of voice my Mother was complaining about had nothing to do with pace, pitch or power. A sarcastic, mocking or condescending tone
of voice is a manner of speaking that a master in the art of conversation wants to avoid. Using negative tones of voice will have a negative effect on your conversations.
So remember to watch your tone of voice. Use plenty of pace, pitch and power to make your conversation style sound like music to your listener’s ears.
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