What are some things I can do to sound more professional on the phone?
August 20, 2019 9:19 PM   Subscribe

I've been told that when I speak on the phone, I tend to sound much younger than I actually am. I think that it could be because I sometimes say "like" a lot. But, I wonder if there are other things I could be doing to sound better on the phone. What are some things I can do to sound more professional on the phone?
posted by NoneOfTheAbove to Grab Bag (16 answers total) 5 users marked this as a favorite
 
Are you a woman? My voice gets higher on the phone, which makes me sound younger. It's something I have to be very conscious of. Also, talk slowly (well, not quickly).
posted by brainmouse at 9:24 PM on August 20, 2019


Response by poster: I'm a guy actually, in my mid-30's. I should probably have included that in my original post.
posted by NoneOfTheAbove at 9:34 PM on August 20, 2019


Talk slowly and deepen your voice slightly if you think you can maintain it through the entire conversation. And yes, if you can work on removing the ‘like’ verbal tic, that would help. But I should add, there will come a time when being perceived as younger than you are in the workplace is actually beneficial so I wouldn’t be too quick to get rid of it! Ageism is a real thing.
posted by Jubey at 9:54 PM on August 20, 2019 [4 favorites]


I agree with talking slower and maybe developing some kind of script. That helps me be more sure of what I am going to say. Also, remind yourself not to ramble and stick to the point. Be friendly but purposeful on the phone.
posted by ichomp at 10:02 PM on August 20, 2019 [2 favorites]


This is probably best addressed with a call to a friend whose professional demeanor you respect.

But as long as we're all throwing out wild guesses here:

Try listening to the characters on "Clueless" or "Buffy." Those actors are successfully giving an impression of youth.

Some of it is the choice of words, including (as you mention) fillers like "like" and placeholders like "thingie."

Some of it is also the rhythm of their speech, which is more uneven. Alternating between bursts of rapid speech and sudden pauses gives the impression of letting words tumble unfiltered out of your mouth. A more even delivery gives the impression that you know where you're going.

In general, slowing down often gives an impression of gravitas. Your words are worth the wait. Remember that famous line from "Dirty Harry"? "You've got to ask yourself one question...'Do I feel lucky?'...Well, do ya, punk?" It would not have had the same impact without those little pauses.

Some of it is also the variation in pitch. Don't over-correct yourself into a monotone, but something about excessive variation gives an impression of flightiness or instability. Imagine a little kid saying, "This is the BEST thing EVER! Oh NO, it BROKE!"
posted by meaty shoe puppet at 10:03 PM on August 20, 2019 [2 favorites]


To echo what the others are saying - what you want is a measured pace. Simply being slower isn't necessariiy what you're looking for (but that helps). It's the deliberate nature in which one speaks that can read as "professional." Measured and deliberate comes across like you've considered your words carefully and are not just trying to fill space which is part of the reason filler words such as "like" and "um" sound so unprofessional. You do not need to fear silence. Consider them as opportunities for your listener to fully process what you're saying.
posted by acidnova at 10:28 PM on August 20, 2019


If you're interested, me mail me and I can send you some audio clips I transcribed. Most were fairly unremarkable until I came across an interview with two 20 or 30 something women - one a lawyer - who sounded young. They were also very difficult to transcribe; lots of "likes", but also rarely full sentences, always qualifying what they just said. It was fascinating. Not just listening, but trying to write it out was really illuminating. Giving it a go yourself might be really interesting.
posted by jrobin276 at 3:06 AM on August 21, 2019 [2 favorites]


If you tend to end your sentences with an upward tone, like they’re all questions - “And so we’re going to try a new training method? It’s one that the Institute recommended?” - that may contribute to sounding young.
posted by lakeroon at 3:44 AM on August 21, 2019 [3 favorites]


Record yourself talking for a couple minutes. It doesn’t have to be work-related and it doesn’t have to be to anyone; set a timer and try to describe the plot of Star Wars or how to bake a cake or something else you can easily describe - the more you know about the subject, the easier it will be to get into your natural flow. When you hear the recording of yourself, your verbal habits will be easier to notice -inflections, fillers and placeholders, etc. “Like” and “um” are the most noticeable ones, but pay attention to transition words (starting a sentence with “okay” or “so” or “well”) and intensifiers (“really,” “definitely,” “basically”). These are all fine to use in moderation, but a lot of us unconsciously overuse a couple of them.

Toastmasters is good for developing a more fluent and professional speaking voice, but practicing by yourself and listening to recordings can go a long way.
posted by Metroid Baby at 5:01 AM on August 21, 2019 [3 favorites]


I do a lot of phone work at my job. One of the best pieces of advice I had gotten was to consciously drop my voice to a lower octave and speak more slowly. I have learned to be more mindful of precise speech. I edit out useless phrases within the conversation. If I'm nervous, I prepare by writing out a script or an outline.
posted by IndigoOnTheGo at 5:06 AM on August 21, 2019 [1 favorite]


Seconding Toastmasters. If you go this route, try a few different meetings - no two clubs are alike, but there's usually someone who counts filler words (um, like, ah, you know) throughout the meeting. This is also a role that you can probably volunteer for as a newish member (depends on the club). For me, paying attention to other people's speech helps my own. Even without joining TM you can perhaps count filler words in your work meetings.
posted by bunderful at 5:42 AM on August 21, 2019


Some of it is the choice of words, including (as you mention) fillers like "like" and placeholders like "thingie."

Seconding this. Practice removing filler words from your speech, and practice feeling comfortable pausing to think before speaking without feeling the need to fill the silence (with “um” or “like”).
posted by sallybrown at 7:21 AM on August 21, 2019 [1 favorite]


Do you upspeak/uptalk?

How about vocal fry?

I find both of these maddeningly common in many people under the age of 25, more in women but definitely plenty of men too. These two annoying tics will make you sound immature and unprofessional to many people. Speaking in a slightly lower register and using vocal cadence that is appropriate for sentences that aren't actual questions makes you sound authoritative and polished. I'm often surprised that when I point these verbal abominations out to my graduate students (gently, and with love, in preparation for public speaking) they are completely unaware of the phenomenon until I play them some videos and force them to think consciously about it.
posted by SinAesthetic at 1:11 PM on August 21, 2019


I work in a highly professional environment and have noticed that those who sound less professional (aside from uptalking and overusing ‘like’) tend to use too many superlatives. Everything is ‘perfect’, ‘awesome’, ‘excellent’. If you use those words too much it may make you sound younger and be seen as less professional.
posted by fso at 3:41 PM on August 21, 2019 [1 favorite]


There was a recent post on Mefi about Laurie Anderson reciting Tibetan mythology.
She has a slow reassuring voice. You could listen to her, and maybe try out her style somewhat.
posted by ovvl at 6:19 PM on August 21, 2019


Don't use the word 'guys', as in, "How are you guys doing today?"
Better to leave off entirely. "How are you doing today?"
posted by mcbeth at 1:49 PM on August 22, 2019


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