As a sales coach, I think of tonality every single day.

Think about it. A simple phrase like “I’m fine” (think of Ross from Friends!) can carry a completely different meaning when said in a monotone voice versus a cheerful, upbeat tone.

Words Matter in Sales and in Life

Have you ever noticed how the same words can have different meanings depending on how they are spoken?

Welcome to the life changing (and career saving) world of tonality.

As any sales coach: the pitch, rhythm, emphasis, and intonation in our speech is key. It’s not just about the words we say, but also about how we say them.

Here are a few tonality tips to consider that I recommend as a sales coach:

1. Be mindful of your tone: Pay attention to how you are speaking. Are you using a warm and inviting tone, or does your voice sound indifferent or harsh? Consciously adjust your tone to match the message you want to convey.
   Why does this work? Your tonality sets the stage for the entire conversation. A friendly and welcoming tone immediately establishes rapport and trust, making your client more receptive to what you have to say. It conveys a message of empathy and understanding, enhancing the overall customer experience and increasing the likelihood of a successful sale.
2. Pause to Emphasize key points: Use variations in pitch and volume to highlight important details or emotions. This can help draw attention to the most significant aspects of your message (this is huge in my role as a sales coach!).
   Why does this technique work? Well, using variations in pitch and volume to emphasize key points helps create a dynamic and engaging conversation. It allows you to highlight the most important aspects of your message, conveying emotion and importance. In sales, this can make a world of difference in getting your prospect’s attention and driving your message home effectively.
3. Gauge the listener’s response: Observe how others react to your tonality. Are they engaged, confused, or disinterested? This feedback can help you fine-tune your tonal approach for better communication.
   Why does this technique work wonders? When I act as a sales coach, I tell my clients to always pay attention to your listener’s response because this gives you firsthand insight into how they perceive your tonality. Are they hooked, puzzled, or uninterested? Receiving this feedback helps you to tweak and recalibrate your tonal approach, making your communication more impactful and persuasive.
4. Practice active listening: Just as tonality affects how we convey our own messages, it also influences how we interpret others’ words. By actively listening to the tonality of others, we can better understand their true intentions and feelings.
   Why does this matter as a sales coach or as a sales professional? Well, just as tonality shapes our own messages, it also acts as a key to unlock the true meanings embedded within others’ words. When we actively listen to the tonality of others, we gain invaluable insights into their unspoken intentions and feelings, providing us with a deeper understanding of their perspectives and needs.

Let Me Speak as a Sales Coach

Let me be a sales coach and offer an invitation for you for the next three days. Tap into the power of tonality to speak with purpose and authenticity as you speak with others over the next few days. Listen to your tone as you go out on your date tonight, speak with your boss, check-out at the grocery store, or as you interact with your loved ones. Listen to your tone. Taste your words. You’ll become better at business and better in your relationships the more you become aware of your tone.

1. “Empathy begins with understanding life from another person’s perspective. Nobody has an objective experience of reality. It’s all through our own individual prisms.” – Sterling K. Brown
2. “Listening is about being present, not just about being quiet.” – Krista Tippett
3. “The biggest communication problem is we do not listen to understand. We listen to reply.” – Stephen R. Covey