Speaking influentially

"Talk properly," Bryan's mother coached the 10-year-old. "You sound so flat and monotonous."

In a training course I'd attended, I was told that the initial impact of our voice on others is very important - it accounts for 38% of the impression we make on people. How loudly or softly we speak conveys much about our confidence. The pace at which we speak sends messages too.

Years ago, as I was in the school oratory team, I'd consistently record myself on the cassette tape to hear myself. "Is that really how I sound?" I used to ask myself as I cringed.

Over the years, being in the sales trade, I learned that it is a combination of how I speak, my choice of words and the clarity with which I express myself that influences others.