Speakers, Be Aware of Your Tone—Listeners Can Hear Your Mood.

When giving presentations, speakers assume they convey their emotions through their facial expressions. But, this is only partly true. Studies show that we use our hearing to detect mood even more than we use our sight. 

In our virtual world, it is easy to feel disconnected from those hearing our words. The screens distance us, and we may fall into a robotic or monotonous way of speaking. When we realize this, we often address it by focusing on our facial expressions. What we should be doing is thinking about the tone of our voices.

My top tip is to become laser-focused on identifying the emotion you wish to convey. Research demonstrates that when we talk, we listen to our voice to glean how we feel. If you hear you are sounding irritated, you are more likely to feel irritated.

Next time you speak to a group, don’t only concentrate on the words—think about how you feel. Poor team performance? Maybe you are disappointed or frustrated. A big win for the business? You are probably elated and proud. 

When you are speaking, pay attention to your tone, and if it doesn’t match how you feel, work on adjusting it.