Last night I wrote about Imposter Syndrome–feeling like you don’t actually belong. Here’s another issue for career women (primarily).
Now some of you are probably thinking. “Um, what was the title about?” Maybe you don’t have a ‘phone sex’ voice. I do, or at least my female boss thinks so.
In normal conversation, my voice is nothing special. I rather doubt it’d be a turn on. But when I started this AA/receptionist job, I altered it for answering the phone. It wasn’t really conscious, I was just focusing all my energy on “I want to please this person who’s calling.” And my boss told me it sounded like a phone sex line. I then realized that I was dropping my voice, making it gentler and breathier and kind of expectant.
Whoops!
My focus was on being friendly and getting what I want. I’ve managed to get around it by thinking “Bright and chipper!! Whee!!!!” when I answer the phone. Now I sound like Pollyanna (boss said that too), which I vastly prefer.
However, I still catch myself using the voice when trying to convince people on the phone to do things for me or when trying to satisfy a customer.
Is it wrong to modulate your voice pleasingly? It’s not like I’m unbuttoning my shirt or anything, just dropping to a friendlier pitch and sometimes the slightest Southern accent (I grew up in Delaware, so Southern is close). But it feels like I’m using my wiles inappropriately. At least I don’t do it on purpose. Yet.
……………………….I suppose if my other money-making schemes don’t work out, I always have a backup. No, wait………………….. 😉
[note, I partially wrote this post because it amuses me so much that I use a “phone sex voice” and don’t know it. And because it’s an interesting question for us ladies–or men with sexy voices. And partially because I just got an amusing comment on my post “how to become a more successful blogger.” If only I could work in Jude Law. Hmm. I like Gattaca. Jude Law and Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman are quite good in it. Ha! I win!]
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Now that I’m reading this, I wonder if I should have used the phrase “satisfy a customer.” You know what I meant. 😛 Still, I’m not the only one being a bit naughty today, head over to Madame X at myopenwallet.net for more hijinks. 😉
OMG I’m DYING here!!! I have the SAME voice…ROFL!!
I am soooo sorry I have not gotten pictures to you…check your email, no pics but a few other things 😉
I had to laugh too. I’m deaf, so I’m not too sure how I sound like, but my dad told me that when I talked to my dogs, my voice would get really soft and gentle. Like I had all the time in the world to put up with their antics. The advantage was that if I actually ever yelled at them, they knew I was really upset and would hunker down. 🙂
When I lived overseas, I did what all of the local women did when answering the office phone in the local language: I pitched my voice unnaturally high. This is considered polite and it’s expected in that culture. Here, I pitch my voice a little bit low in meetings, when I’m giving presentations, and on the phone. I don’t do it in a sexy way at all; my voice has a little bit of a musical quality when I do that, and I’ve noticed that people pay more attention to what I’m saying. (I’ve been told that I have a good radio voice, and in fact I did a little bit of radio some years back.)
It’s funny because I know both of your phone voices. And your non-phone voice varies between those as well, depending on who you’re talking to. I think it’s normal, though.
My family says that I go all little-girl voice on the phone: high-pitched and a lot more chipper than is normal for me. What do you think?
Yeah Christine, I think they’re right. 😀 It’s cute, though. It’s like you’re perpetually excited on the phone.
I do that, too, at work. I mean, when something get serious on the phone you drop into the deeper one that would be sexy if it didn’t sound so concerned. When reading your post, it was like I was hearing your different voices in my head, though we don’t really talk on the phone that much.
I guess I won’t be coming to Canuck-land much anymore…what with being married and all. (and not having much money for gas)
All I ask is that you come to the (eventual/probable) wedding. Save up for a tentative trip in summer 2009. Although, you know, Canuck-land and its inhabitants would be happy to see you anytime.
Idea: Why don’t you just move here and take dual citizenship? That’ll solve your health insurance problems in no time. And I can’t see any objections to the plan (except, you know, finding jobs, being far away from family, living in another country, blah de blah de blah…)
Pssh. Like *those* are reasons 😉
Oh boy, this is quite a provocative title! It’s quite funny but I sound about 8 years old on the phone. Once I called my doctor to get an appointment and she asked for my dad. I am 24 years old!! So I guess my voice would appeal to pedophiles or something. ewww
I’m 46 years old and the telemarketers always ask for my mom when I answer the phone.
It’s so funny to me 🙂
Ummmm…….yeah……
I never have this problem…lol
-R
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