Does Your Handshake Match Your Speaking Voice?

What does your handshake say about you? Confident, diffident, overbearing, wimpy? Does the sound of your speaking voice match the grip of your handshake?

In teaching voice improvement, I have found through the years that those whose speaking voices are weak or wimpy very often follow through with an equally limp handshake.

And, those whose voices express timidity often do not get the coveted job or the promotion because the image they project is not one of confidence. To have a speaking voice that exudes confidence and authority is a tremendous asset. To have a speaking voice that sounds rich, warm and resonant is a fantastic tool: people want to listen when you speak. When Vin Diesel opens his mouth, we want to listen to him; when James Earl Jones talks, we are drawn to him; when Kathleen Turner speaks, we are enamored.

Recently I had the opportunity of working with Rob, a man who came to me because of his very soft, timid speaking voice. His handshake, however, belied his unassertive voice. Firm, confident and strong, this man’s grip told me so much about him that his voice was unable to convey.

Because the majority of the population is unaware that they can improve their voice, they often speak with a sound that is incompatible with the rest of their image. There are so many wonderful resonant speaking voices that we’re not hearing because most people don’t know of the ‘hidden treasure’ they have inside.

After showing Rob how to tap into his ‘hidden treasure,’ I heard a voice that matched his confident handshake. Was his voice assertive? Without a doubt – however, as much as he sounded authoritative and confident, his voice was not overbearing or loud.

I don’t like loud. Loud hurts your listener’s ears and in time it can not hurt your throat and those delicate vocal cords. When I work with a client I show them how to increase their volume properly without shouting or yelling. The result is a larger voice, a bigger voice, but not a loud voice.

Today, competition in the work force is greater than it has ever been. If your voice can project a dynamic image, then you are one step ahead of your competition.

Incidentally, within two hours of showing Rob how to place his voice properly, I was thrilled with the results. This man came into my studio sounding insecure and diffident; he left with a voice that matched his handshake – confident, assured, assertive, and able.

What does your handshake say about you?

What does your voice say about you?