5 Easy Ways to Build Trust Through Your Speech, Language, and Voice Skills
“Trust is a powerful force that builds loyalty, increases credibility and supports effective communications. It gives you the benefit of the doubt in situations where you want to be heard, understood and believed.” From How Leaders Can Communicate to Build Trust, Ivey Business Journal
Let’s face it….likeable people are trustworthy. No one will buy into your ideas, products or initiatives if you aren’t likeable. Of course, you can’t force anyone to like you and you don’t want to sound insincere. Here are some ways to enhance the” Like-ability Factor” so that you are instantly more trustworthy through your speech, language, and voice skills.
1. Use Pitch Variation—a monotone voice is not very easy to listen to because it isn’t compelling or interesting. Use your vocal range to sound colorful and passionate about whatever you are talking about.
2. Find a well-pitched voice—did you know that male CEOs with lower voices make more money? (What Does a Successful CEO Sound Like?) Not everyone has a low-pitched voice and it isn’t advisable to try to lower your pitch unless you know what you are doing. You may actually do damage to your vocal cords. But just a few notes can make a big difference in sounding more confident, strong and likeable.
3. Talk slowly. When you talk slowly (and by that I mean at the lower end of the normal ran
ge of 140-160 words per minute), you sound calm and relaxed. Being calm is a lot more trustworthy than rapid fire speech that appears “out-of-control,” “tense,” and “in a hurry-too busy for me.”
4. Speak Standard English. By using American Pronunciation and Grammar you will be more trustworthy because non-standard English has the perception of being less educated and not very competent.
5. Smile more—people who smile are likeable, attractive and trustworthy. Research shows that an honest, genuine smile is predictors of trustworthiness and cooperation. Looking sour and unfriendly repels people away from you. If you aren’t a big smiler, I have some good news… Tony Robbins, a motivational speaker, talks extensively about persuasive communication and how to enhance relationships. He believes that we can change our physiology to control our state. In other words, you can smile first before you are happy because a smile triggers a mind state and causes your brain to be happy.
If being trustworthy is high on your list of values you wish to communicate to your staff, direct reports, senior management, and others then make sure you are using these simple speech, language and voice techniques to build trust and likeability.
Tags: benefits of smiling, clearly speaking, communication skills, credibility, effective communication, executive leaders speaking, intonation, likeable, persuasive communication, pitch variation, Standard english, talk slowly, tony robbins, trustworthy, well-pitched voice