The power of your vocal image.

Your vocal image is the impression that listeners form of you based on the sound of your voice. In a dental office, where the initial patient contact usually occurs over the phone, your vocal image is vitally important. According to social psychologists, people begin to make relatively durable first impressions within six to 12 seconds of perceiving a sensory cue. This means that patients begin to form their impressions of a telephone speaker almost immediately. Based on the qualities of the speaker's voice and how it is used, they'll form impressions related to everything from the speaker's physical and personality characteristics to his or her intellectual ability, and eventually even generalize their impressions to include the office that the speaker represents. If you want to improve your vocal image, you must first be aware of exactly what that image is. There are two factors that combine to create a vocal impression--the speaker's physical vocal tools and the sound that is created by them. The five physical tools involved are the lungs, vocal cords, throat, mouth and ears. At each stage in the sound production process, we can easily fall into negative habits and lazy patterns if we're not careful. Although we can't do much about our physical voice mechanism, we can certainly exercise a great deal of control over how our voice is used. A strong, confident voice is an essential part of effective interpersonal communication. If you want to project an image of confidence and professionalism, don't overlook the subtle benefits of effective vocal power.