ARE YOU IN GOOD VOICE?

Old Trunks knows that voice quality makes a difference. I didn't spend time as a receptionist learning to talk into the phone like I was in love with the person on the other end by accident. I was told my the man who owned the company that I sounded scared on the phone and needed to slow down and let them hear my voice so they felt comfortable. In order to do this, I hung the name of the company on the desk with music notes and hearts around it. He would call in often, imagine how happy was when I passed the test.

What I remember most about phones is when mother would have a tyrant. If the phone rang, she answered it like she had just had a spa treatment and all the world was roses. As soon as she was finished with her phone conversation, she was back to bloody, yet holy, hell.

We all know that different parts of the country talk differently. We know we can generally tell where people are from by the sound of their speaking voice. A loving man named Arden made a business out of listening to voices while he was in the service in WWII. He asked me if I was from Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, or Kansas. He knew my partner at the time was definitely from Minnesota. He could hear a few patterns from the north in my voice, but did not think I was born there.

I suppose when we moved to Kansas and people just liked to listen to the northern brogue, I made a note of learned the language of the area. I worked with people from Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri and it became my voice, as well. That meant, among other things, to slow down. We know that people in Minnesota talk in gusts up to 350 words a minute so the words don't freeze while in their mouth.

Let's talk about the styles of speech:

High pitched
Considered in secure
Inexperienced
Not confident
Hire a speech coach

Slow talker
Calm
Confident
Soothing
Very levels to keep from being boring

Nasal
Demanding
Calculating
Open your mouth more, get the sound to come out of your mouth, not your nose

Gravelly
Illusion of experience
Reverence
Aphrodisiac to the ears, according to singers

Fast Talker
Gives others the idea you are sloppy
Appear nervous
Take a deep breath before you speak

Low Talker
Sign of high testosterone
Commands attention if used properly
Regardless of how you sound, if people can't hear you all is lost.

Old Trunks went to the market when she moved here in '98. I asked the stock boy where the molasses was. He only heard part of it and took me to the glasses. I figured I better shorten the words and try to get an ear for the speech here. It wasn't until I met Janis who has a thick brogue, that I picked up on the clip of the speech. Yes, now I am stuck somewhere in the middle.

My sign off story about speech is between Rachel and her cousin, Lisa. Both the girls were old enough to have good command of the language. Lisa from Minnesota and Rachel from Kansas, obviously had a different delivery. Rachel cried because she couldn't understand a thing Lisa said. Lisa said she liked Rachel's voice but didn't know what she was saying.

Wishing you good voice and much cheer.