The keys to a winning voice for Singapore salespeople

In Singapore, one of the least developed tools for salespeople is their voice. They have invested a lot in sales skills training and even personal grooming, yet few have done anything about their voice and few have realized it could be the moment when they open their mouth to speak that pushes the prospects away.

Not everyone is born with a winning voice.

However, with proper training and practices, you, too, can have a voice that engages your clients, wins their trust and builds up your authority.

Engage your client with a clear voice.

One of the most common problems many sales people share is that they speak way too fast. Some salespeople even cut off their clients so that they can move on to the next sentence.

Talking fast and cutting off your clients is definitely a client-engaging killer as it creates difficulty for your clients processing information from you, leaving them feel being unheard, let alone showing interest in your product or service. To slow down your speaking rate, you need to raise your awareness and learn proper breathing techniques.

Swallowing syllables is another common problem for many salespeople. As a result, the words seem to get stuck in their mouth and never come out distinctly.

Although swallowing syllables might be a common mistake most Singaporeans make, if you can pronounce all the syllables and articulate your words clearly, you’ll sound more polished and professional and set yourself apart from your competitors.

To have a better diction, learn to relax your muscles in your jaw area to reduce tension and improve diction.

Develop trust with a confident voice

Confidence is not shown in what you say, but how you say it. Does your voice fade away as you approach the end of a sentence? You may be doing it while you don’t even know.

Record your sales presentations and listen back. Fading away at the end of sentences makes you sound unsure of yourself. Finish every sentence with the same energy level as you begin with.

If necessary, pause and take another breath to maintain a consistently powerful voice.

Is your voice too soft to be heard? It may be the way you’ve been speaking, but speaking softly is often linked with lack of confidence and incompetency.

Speaking softly, although there are psychological reasons, can be overcome by supporting your voice with more air as a soft voice is the result of insufficient air in your breathing.

Learn to breathe with the support of your diaphragm so that you’ll fill up the full capacity in your lungs and speak with an audible and a stronger voice.

Build authority with an assuring voice

Filler words, such as uh, ah, you know, right, etc. are so common in sales presentations that it may seem unnecessary to eliminate them since almost everyone is using them.

Those filler words make you come across as unsure or not knowing your product or service well enough. This is especially true when you are trying to answer a question.

Make a conscious effort to eliminate your filler words. Record your sales talks as often as possible and substitute filler words with pauses.

When you are making a statement, does it sound like you are asking a question? Most salespeople’s tone goes up at the end of a statement, making them sound doubtful about themselves. That’s not the impression you want to give to your clients.

What your clients are looking for is a recommendation or a possible solution from you. They see you as a consultant and an expert. If you sound unsure and uncertain, you’ll project no authority and eventually lose your influence on your clients.

Your voice is your powerful sales tool. It can make or break your sales.