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Phonetic - The Sound Makes the Music
Beyond Science
- Other
- Off the Bench
- Exploring Life
Even if we choose our words carefully when we speak, the way in which we say them plays a much more prominent role: phonetician Oliver Niebuhr talks about the charisma in our voices – and how it influences the way we are perceived by others.
BRIEF PORTRAIT
Oliver Niebuhr is a professor at the University of Southern Denmark, where he leads the acoustics laboratory at the Centre for Industrial Electronics. Niebuhr has been studying the voice for more than 20 years, and he is considered a specialist of the forms and functions of speech melody and intonation overall, with a focus on acoustic charisma. An example: he rates former US President Barack Obama to be an exceptionally charismatic speaker.
It can strengthen the arguments we bring up in discussion, it can betray us, and it may allow our fellow humans to sense how we are feeling. It can make us appear small and insecure but also confident and dominant. We are talking about our voice, or rather, our vocal quality, which is determined, among other things, by our mood. We are also looking at prosody – also known as speech melody, or intonation. It is characterized by the volume and pitch, as well as the speed of our speech, and whether we pause throughout. How we employ speech melody plays a crucial role: “It is still the prevailing opinion that one must, above all, choose one’s words carefully and that tone is of secondary importance, but in fact, the opposite is true”, explains Oliver Niebuhr, who holds a PhD in phonetics and conducts research at the University of Southern Denmark. After all, the voice is among our first means of communication.
The power of the charismatic voice
It is clear that our voice is capable of transmitting more than just information. The level of competence, self-confidence and passion that it radiates during speech will determine its charisma. Competence, in particular, instills trust. “I believe this person is capable of keeping their promises”, explains Niebuhr. When speakers radiate self-confidence through their voices, they motivate their conversation partner. “You will feel that now you are capable of doing something”, elaborates the researcher. Passion, on the other hand, has a predominantly mesmerizing effect. “It can “infect” others – it will affect them on a predominantly emotional level.”
That being said, according to Niebuhr, even people who present themselves in a manner that is extremely competent, passionate through and through, and entirely confident, will experience one limitation: “The charisma of our voice is only effective if the person speaking and the person listening share similar values. Even a charismatic politician will not be able to convince their audience if the audience adheres to different values.”
How can one make the most competent impression while speaking? The most important tips: include pauses, aim for a pleasant rate of speech, and pay attention to clear pronunciation. According to Niebuhr, the latter is especially important when it comes to transmitting confidence. The pillar of passion, however, is mostly based on the strength of intonation, the vocal range and the register of a person. Perhaps contrary to expectations, it should be high rather than low: “Dominant speech intended to project authority is aided by a low register. In contrast, charisma is less about pushing something on people and more about engaging them”, explains Niebuhr. Very effective: the “deep drop”. “It is important to lower the voice deep enough at the end of a sentence. In its absence, one may come across as weak. Statistically speaking, this problem is affecting mostly women”, remarks Niebuhr.
Society’s mirror
This is not the only gender-specific difference when it comes to the charisma of the voice. Due to societal stereotypes, women typically need to overcompensate with respect to charisma. This means that women must transmit a higher degree of competence through their voice than men in order to be perceived as equally competent. This difference, however, is shrinking, observes Niebuhr: “The voice is always also a mirror of a changing society. Especially in Western cultures, the voice register of women has shifted along with women’s altered role in society.” Over the past decades, women’s voices have become deeper – a development which illustrates the growing gender equality.
The art of speaking
In his acoustics laboratory, Oliver Niebuhr teaches people to increase the charisma in their voices – after all, charisma is something that can be learned. Over the years, Niebuhr has collected, and analyzed via artificial intelligence, several thousand speech samples. “There wasn’t a single person who performed badly in all three categories of charisma”, he recounts. “Everyone has certain strengths and then has to learn how to develop other aspects.” Above all, it is important to be aware that elements including pitch and pauses have a strong influence on the effect of the voice, and that it is possible to consciously control these factors.
Niebuhr’s training courses were developed predominantly for the founders of companies who had to raise private investor capital through pitches. A study was able to show that more charismatic sales conversations resulted in a higher probability of financial investment. At times, a pleasant tone can help the till.
The power of the charismatic voice
It is clear that our voice is capable of transmitting more than just information. The level of competence, self-confidence and passion that it radiates during speech will determine its charisma. Competence, in particular, instills trust. “I believe this person is capable of keeping their promises”, explains Niebuhr. When speakers radiate self-confidence through their voices, they motivate their conversation partner. “You will feel that now you are capable of doing something”, elaborates the researcher. Passion, on the other hand, has a predominantly mesmerizing effect. “It can “infect” others – it will affect them on a predominantly emotional level.”
That being said, according to Niebuhr, even people who present themselves in a manner that is extremely competent, passionate through and through, and entirely confident, will experience one limitation: “The charisma of our voice is only effective if the person speaking and the person listening share similar values. Even a charismatic politician will not be able to convince their audience if the audience adheres to different values.”
How can one make the most competent impression while speaking? The most important tips: include pauses, aim for a pleasant rate of speech, and pay attention to clear pronunciation. According to Niebuhr, the latter is especially important when it comes to transmitting confidence. The pillar of passion, however, is mostly based on the strength of intonation, the vocal range and the register of a person. Perhaps contrary to expectations, it should be high rather than low: “Dominant speech intended to project authority is aided by a low register. In contrast, charisma is less about pushing something on people and more about engaging them”, explains Niebuhr. Very effective: the “deep drop”. “It is important to lower the voice deep enough at the end of a sentence. In its absence, one may come across as weak. Statistically speaking, this problem is affecting mostly women”, remarks Niebuhr.
Society’s mirror
This is not the only gender-specific difference when it comes to the charisma of the voice. Due to societal stereotypes, women typically need to overcompensate with respect to charisma. This means that women must transmit a higher degree of competence through their voice than men in order to be perceived as equally competent. This difference, however, is shrinking, observes Niebuhr: “The voice is always also a mirror of a changing society. Especially in Western cultures, the voice register of women has shifted along with women’s altered role in society.” Over the past decades, women’s voices have become deeper – a development which illustrates the growing gender equality.
The art of speaking
In his acoustics laboratory, Oliver Niebuhr teaches people to increase the charisma in their voices – after all, charisma is something that can be learned. Over the years, Niebuhr has collected, and analyzed via artificial intelligence, several thousand speech samples. “There wasn’t a single person who performed badly in all three categories of charisma”, he recounts. “Everyone has certain strengths and then has to learn how to develop other aspects.” Above all, it is important to be aware that elements including pitch and pauses have a strong influence on the effect of the voice, and that it is possible to consciously control these factors.
Niebuhr’s training courses were developed predominantly for the founders of companies who had to raise private investor capital through pitches. A study was able to show that more charismatic sales conversations resulted in a higher probability of financial investment. At times, a pleasant tone can help the till.
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