The 5 Ps of Vocal Impact

Skills Development
Printed Portal
Printed Portal

You can use your voice to make an impact. Just remember the 5 Ps:

  • Pace
  • Power
  • Pitch
  • Pause
  • emPhasis.

When communicating, your voice is an important tool at your disposal. You can use it to make an impact and make people listen to what you have to say – whether you are delivering a presentation, or having a workplace conversation these 5 Ps can help you maximise your vocal impact.

Pace

Pace is all about the speed at which you speak. Most people talk too fast when they are nervous, or when they want to get things over and done with. So it is important to think consciously about how you speak and adjust your pace accordingly. Variation is the key to success and can create an impact.

Power

For women, practising a powerful voice can really make them have an impact. Especially, if they are being compared to male colleagues or speakers.

It is important to remember, that both too loud and too quiet can be bad. Too loud can be annoying and too quiet can make you come across as lacking confidence (as well as meaning the people can hear what you say).

Additionally, some additional volume can help make a point and add emphasis.

Pitch

When we talk about pitch we mean the rising and falling of your voice. The variation and emphasis of your voice so that you come across as interesting and interested.

An easy way to do this is to inject energy and enthusiasm into your voice to help convey your message more effectively and put different emphasis on different words to create more of an impact.

We are all born with 8 pitches, but by adulthood we only have one. Therefore it can take a lot of conscious effort to change and develop the pitch of your voice completely. The key thing is to avoid being monotonal and boring.

Pause

Pausing is another tool that can be used to emphasise key points. Pausing doesn’t have to be awkward a well-timed pause can create an impact, underline a point and giving you breathing space.

Pauses are commonly three seconds, but anything up to 7 seconds is considered acceptable. Additionally, in some cultures (for example Japan) an even longer pause may be appropriate.

emPhasis

Finally emPhasis. Using all of these vocal tools can help you create an impact in front of your audience (whoever they may be) and putting a different emphasis on what you are saying can help you to ensure that your are communicating powerfully, with impact and making yourself understood.