Audio-Only Interactions

The simplest form of audio-only interaction is, of course, a telephone call. Chances are that you have been

using the phone all your life, yet did you know that some executives hire professional voice coaches to help

them increase their effectiveness in phone communication? When you stop to think about it, we use a

great many audio-only modes of communication, ranging from phone calls and voice-activated telephone

menus to radio interviews, public address systems, dictation recording systems, and computer voice

recognition technology. The importance of audio communication in the business world has increased with

the availability of conference calls, web conferences, and voice over Internet protocol (VoIP)

communications.

Your voice has qualities that cannot be communicated in written form, and you can use these qualities to

your advantage as you interact with colleagues. If you are sending a general informative message to all

employees, an e-mail may serve you well, but if you are congratulating one employee on receiving an

industry award, your voice as the channel carries your enthusiasm.

Take care to pay attention to your pronunciation of words, stating them correctly in normal ways, and

avoiding words that you are not comfortable with as you may mispronounce them. Mispronunciation can

have a negative impact on your reputation or perceived credibility. Instead of using complicated words

that may cause you to stumble, choose a simple phrase if you can or learn to pronounce the word correctly

before you use it in a formal interactive setting.