YOU SELL WITH YOUR VOICE By E. C. BUEHLER PROFESSOR OF SPEECH AND DRAMATIC ART, UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS MARTIN MALONEY ASSISTANT IN SPEECH, NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY THE RONALD PRESS COMPANY NEW YORK PREFACE In the field of salesmanship, one element of great prac tical importance to success has apparently been overlooked the salesmans voice. The voice is one of the salesmans indispensable tools. Customers are sold as much through their ears as through their eyes. Yet so far as the authors know there has been no book on the voice factor in sales manship. The authors make no claim to any new discoveries, nor do they expect this little book to remake or reshape any large portions of this world of salesmanship, but they feel there is much to be said for turning the spotlight at this time upon the voice in its relation to the salesman. As a nation we are surely growing more voice conscious. We are moving toward better speech. The popularity of the radio and talking pictures, the widespread use of the telephone, are making us acutely aware of the importance of a good voice. A bad voice in the movies or on the radio has no chance today. And a progressive, efficient salesman meet ing the general public as he does every day cannot avoid making some impression on the discriminating ears of his customers. To keep in step with the best methods of mod ern salesmanship, he cannot ignore the place of the voice in selling. Nature gives some of us better voices than others, but no one has a perfect voice. The problem is not one of remak ing the voice nature has given you. The question is not so much what kind of a voice you have, but how you iii iv PREFACE use it and what are its possibilities in terms ofselling power. Our aim is to develop its hidden virtues so you may register the highest level of effective oral expression in sales work. Every voice has its faults and virtues. It is possible, and most profitable for salesmen, to build up the good voice qualities and suppress the bad ones. The ac complishments in voice improvement are often amazing. At a little cost and trouble this improvement will make you a more successful salesman. E. C. B. M. M. July, 1939. CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 PAGE YOUR VOICE AND THE PERSONA TOUCH .... 3 Voice an essential tool of salesman Selling through the voice Look to your voice and speech, Mr. Salesman CHAPTER 2 THERES MAGIC IN YOUR VOICE 9 We are sensitive to sound Look at the record in religion in politics A department store choir Selling magic in your voice The ear every mans weak point CHAPTER 3 YOUR VOICE AND You 18 Customers opinion formed by your voice You can change your speech Get a line on your voice CHAPTER 4 THE SURE-FOOTED VOICE . 26 Do you have enough voice What are you saying How friendly are you Have you an interesting voice Is your speech fluent How about your personality CHAPTER 5 YOUR TELEPHONE VOICE 43 Know your instrument Use good business etiquette vi CONTENTS PAGE Make yourself understood 1. Lip exercises 2. Tongue exercises 3. Jaw exercises Have a voice with a smile Keep your sales sense Put your personality into your voice Telephone Score Card CHAPTER 6 YOUE VOICE AND THE SALES GAME 57 Getting on the blind side Use the standard brand of speech This business of ego-scratching Vocal smothering Watch your tempo The whining tone That psychological moment Relax That confidential tone That awkward pause Grating on the nerves The gooey voiceSell by listening Keep your personality in your voice CHAPTER 7 How You CAN IMPROVE YOUR VOICE 71 Getting proper relaxation 1. Relaxing throat 2. Yawning 3. Outward applications Proper breathing and motorization 1. Deep breathing 2. Hissing 3. Explosive breathing Work for a vital dynamic tone 1. ABC marathon 2. Whispering exercise 3. Military commands 4. Train-calling exercise CONTENTS vii PAGE Resonance and tone placement 1. Huinniing and singing exercises 2. Spring-board exercise Flexibility and color 1. Colloquial expressions 2...