Project Your Voice to Create Calm and assurance

For many readers this is the time of year when minds turn to holidays several of which will involve air travel. If you are lucky enough to be boarding a plane headed for far off (or near) climes, may I encourage you to really listen to how the pilot speaks to you and your fellow passengers before take-off.

International Air Transport Association estimates the number of one-way passenger journeys by plane at approximately 4.4 billion in 2023. Meanwhile, various surveys suggest that as many as 40% of passengers experience some level of anxiety about flying. The pilot’s voice has a huge impact on this sense of unease.

We often assume that a powerful, assertive voice is what cuts through. However, in a highly charged situation, where the fight or flight reflex is bubbling close to the surface, it’s not this voice which achieves the goal of gaining trust. As the pilot, the animal whisperer and the experienced barrister will tell you, the reassuring voice of calm is a far more effective tool to use for this.

Scientific and psychological insights highlight the impact of vocal tone on human perception and emotional response and we can relate to personal experiences when we have seen the power for ourselves. Some of our earliest memories revolve around ‘traumatic’ incidents involving bruises and cuts where the soothing tones of an adult brought reassurance and trust in the fact that ‘it will be alright’.

Psycholinguists will tell you how prosody – the rhythm, stress, and intonation of speech – conveys information that works far beyond the actual words being spoken. A calm, measured tone will trigger a more positive physiological response in the listener, promoting a sense of trust and safety.

The work of the psychologist Stephen Porges suggests that our autonomic nervous system is constantly assessing cues in our environment for safety or threat. Therefore, a calm (prosodic) voice serves as a ‘cue’ for social engagement, signalling to the listener’s nervous system that they are in a safe presence, thus bringing a state of relaxation and openness.

According to his Polyvagal theory, this activates the ventral vagal complex (a component of the nervous system) which engages the listener and develops a sense of trust. In other words, that reassuring calm in the voice is the opposite to the use of harsh, rushed and erratic tones which cue danger and anxiety (hence stimulating the ‘flight’ reflex), something that politicians deliberately deploy in order to stimulate a fear of their opponents.

A voice in a business environment or a legal setting that emanates calm and composure communicates competence, reliability, and empathy. As such business clients are reassured and juries can be reached by cutting through all the grandiose legal language and official noise of the court room.

So, if speaking with a sense of calm and reassurance is something you need to do more of, here are some practical tips which can help you channel that inner clam.

Talk slower…. And pause! This is a tip I’ve shared before in the interests of raising gravitas. However, if we take the example of the pilot, it stands to reason that if he or she talks at a slower pace and takes a deliberate pause before adding crucial bits of information, that information is conveyed with extra gravitas (hence more reassurance).

Lower the pitch! A generally lower pitch is often associated with a tone of authority and trustworthiness. However, it shouldn’t be confused with ‘bore’ mode – you’re not trying to lull them to sleep, just refrain from evoking unwanted excitement. By the same token, lower pitch doesn’t mean mumbling.

Don’t forget to breathe! Breathing is good for you as it is a tonic to your own nervous system (as my own – informal – scientific experiment illustrates!). An easy and simple preparation to get you into the right zone to outwardly project is: breathe in for 4, breathe out for 8 and repeat as needed. Instant results will be lowered pitch, a more regulated pace of talking and a sense of composure in your voice.

Using the voice to achieve desired results is a skill which is often overlooked. I very much recommend taking a more in-depth investigation of how you use your voice – a good start is to record yourself talking. With a little more awareness, some understanding of the psychology behind using the voice to create trust and a bit of practice the added value is significant.