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woman in black shirt sitting at the table using macbook — Photo by TheStandingDesk on Unsplash

Try this tip today

Stand up for some of your phone calls or Zoom meetings.

Most salespeople have learned this technique, sometimes the hard way when their sales are faltering. Standing up while you are speaking on the phone increases your confidence, energy levels, and vocal range.

The person on the other side of the call can tell.

Unfortunately, many job seekers have not been trained for phone interviews. They take calls sitting down, using a low-quality headset (or no headset), and in a loud environment with too much background noise.

As a hiring manager or recruiter, those calls are a frustrating experience. Let me ask you a question: As a job seeker, do you want your first contact to frustrate the hiring manager and create a poor initial impression? Probably not.

So, here are some tips for sounding better during your next phone interview:

Find a quiet place to take the call. In a pinch, your parked car works surprisingly well. Many modern vehicles are soundproofed to eliminate road noise.
Use a high-quality wired or Bluetooth headset that filters out background noise and makes your voice sound natural. Test it with a friend to find out how your voice really sounds to someone else.
Stand up! Standing up allows your lungs to expand fully so that you can breathe from your diaphragm (i.e., your belly will move in and out), and your voice will sound more resonant. Many people take shallow breaths in their upper chest, which makes their voices sound weaker.
Standing up increases your confidence when speaking on the phone. You may have already noticed this when you talk in meetings or present on stage.
Stand in a space where you can pace a little. Don’t move around so much that it is distracting, and you sound out of breath. However, some movement increases the dynamism of your voice and your energy levels, which will be noticed by the other party.

Don’t be shy about making facial expressions and smiling when you are speaking. Research has found that people can hear you smile in the tone of your voice. Some people can even hear different types of smiles!
Here’s a surprising final tip (no pun intended): While you are speaking, tip your chin down for more vocal power and better sound! Most people tilt their chin up when they try to talk — or sing — more forcefully. But this actually strains your voice.

Test your voice now. Stand up and breathe in deeply from your diaphragm. Sing an “Ah” sound in a medium tone. While you are holding that tone, tilt your chin up and then tilt it down. Notice that your voice sounds strained, higher, thinner, and more nasal when you tilt your chin up, while your voice deepens and resonates more when you tilt your chin down.

Try these tips the next time you have a phone call. Let me know how it goes!

Larry Cornett is a Personal Coach who can help you optimize your career, life, and business. If you’re interested in starting a business or side hustle someday (or accelerating an existing one), check out his “Employee to Solopreneur” course (launching later this year).

Larry lives in Northern California near Lake Tahoe with his wife and children, and a gigantic Great Dane. He does his best to share advice to help others take complete control of their work and life. He’s also on Twitter @cornett.

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Invincible Tip - Stand Up