Do you cringe when you hear your voice on a recording?

You’re not alone.

Many of us hate the sound of it. Heck, even actors who perfect it can’t stand it.

Fortunately, there are proven ways to improve how we sound. Here’s what the science says.

The sound of trust

Two researchers from the University of Guelph in Canada wanted to see how voice pitch affects trust in different slices of social life (i.e. everyday chitchat, at work, when flirting).

Does the squeak or bass in your voice color make others trust you more or less?

Researchers gathered 177 heterosexual male and female participants who listened to voices altered in pitch and then rated these on trustworthiness in various contexts. Would they trust these voices with their bank account? Would they remain faithful? Here’s what the voice tells us.

• Money lending: women and men with higher-pitched voices were perceived as more likely to be entrusted with money than their low-pitched counterparts by both male and female participants. Their trust ratings were 15–20% higher!

• Social interactions: there isn’t a clear consensus across genders regarding which pitch is linked with more trustworthiness.

• Fidelity and mate poaching: results vary across genders.
  On the one hand, men found higher-pitched female voices more trustworthy possibly associating them with femininity and lower threat of committing infidelity. On the other hand, women tended to like lower-pitched male voices more viewing them as more masculine and thus more desirable as long-term partners. They were rated as more attractive by up to 10–20%. However, these low-pitch voices are also perceived as being more likely to cheat or have a lower commitment to their partners, impacting trust negatively by 10–15%.

So how do you enhance your voice to sound more trustworthy (and sexy)?

• If you’re a man: in professional settings where trust is currency slightly raise your pitch to be seen as more reliable. A deeper, lower-pitch voice will be more appealing in romantic scenarios where attractiveness is key.

• If you’re a woman: aim for a higher pitch in both professional and mating environments. It’s perceived as more feminine, and attractive, and it increases your trustworthiness.

However, don’t go inhaling helium to reach that level, just make slight modifications.

Bonus: tuning your pitch for impact

If you’re looking to enhance your charisma, look no further than Steve Jobs.

In a 2016 study from the University of Southern Denmark and the University of Gothenburg, researchers studied Job’s speech patterns with advanced computational methods to dissect his unique vocal style.

They analyzed two of Jobs’ iconic presentations: the iPhone 4 and iPad 2 unveiling. A detailed acoustic profile revealed that he was ranked exceptionally well in acoustic features like melody, tempo, loudness, and fluency when compared to typical speech patterns.

He adapted his speech to suit the audience, using different vocal strategies for customers and investors — a customized approach for each listener.

• For customers, he used a higher pitch, faster pace, and greater variability in loudness aiming to engage and excite them.

• For investors, his tone was slightly lower and less varied, possibly to convey stability and seriousness.

You can mirror Job’s legendary style and harness the power of your voice to captivate and influence different target audiences. In this case, the power of your voice will make the difference between a good and great leader.

Takeaway

We’re social beings. We need to refine our voice to help us connect, persuade, and resonate with others.

Otherwise, we’ll be isolated socially and professionally.

If we can understand the nuances of our voice, we can transform how we’re perceived and how we influence the world around us.

Make sound your ally, not your enemy.

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