How your voice affects confidence, job prospects, even attractiveness – and why women have been lowering theirs for 50 years
- Hong Kong-based voice coach David Pope helps people improve their vocal impact and says judgments we make of others are often based on voice
- Changing your voice through improved posture and breathing techniques can boost others’ perceptions of you and instil confidence
David Pope has on his chatty, casual voice when we meet at a cafe in Hong Kong’s Central district. But when the conversation turns serious, so does his voice – it gets deeper, slows in pace and is more controlled.
Today, much of his voice work focuses on improving audience engagement for corporate executives and boosting the confidence of young people wanting to make a good impression at university and job interviews.
“We’re all about improving vocal impact, power and presence,” says Pope, founder of All Voice Talent, a voice coaching and voice-over agency. “In my studio I record clients, and when they hear their voice they get an idea of their vocal variety: pitch, projection, volume, pace, intonation, strength, tone, articulation, gravitas – it’s the science of the voice, a whole arsenal of what makes a great speaker.”
The way we speak is part-genetic, part-learned and 100 per cent unique, he says. “Our voice is as unique as our fingerprints.”