Deep voice and success – are they linked together? We’ve all heard the deep sound of Barry White’s voice, and while his voice may be exceptional, can it truly lead to success – outside of the music world?
New research shows that having a deep voice can lead to success.
How a Deep Voice Leads to Success
A new study conducted by a student at Duke University led to a surprising find: deeper voices lead to higher levels of success. The study focused on the pitch level of some of the world’s most prominent CEOs – many of which you know. The study showed that a mere 1% decrease in pitch led to the CEO’s company having $30 million more in assets. And the CEO with the deeper voice had a salary that was, on average, $19,000 higher than their peers.
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But these are just averages, and not the maximums.
When you look at the latter end of the spectrum, you’ll find that these figures change even more drastically. Not only were these CEOs able to retain their positions for longer, but they ran companies that had assets of $440 million more than their peers. And the CEOs with the deepest voices demanded a salary that was $187,000 higher as a result.
There are many reasons why a deeper voice leads to a higher level of career success. When a person has a deep voice, they demand attention. Everyone has experienced this in their professional career. But having a deep voice does not mean that the person has to be yelling to get the attention of his or her underlings. Instead, their voice transmits as a leader’s voice that is distinguishable from the rest.
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A deeper voice also leads to credibility. People with deep voices will sound stern, commanding and confident naturally.
Average Pitch Levels
The study showed that the average CEO has a pitch of 125.5 Hz – about average for an adult male. If you’ve ever watched Star Wars, Darth Vader, played by none other than James Earl Jones, has a pitch of 85 Hz. If you’re an adult male, you may need to make slight changes to your pitch to be able to demand the respect that these individuals achieve.
The study did not go into detail about other important factors that are associated with deep voices. Men that have a deep voice are viewed as more attractive by women, and these same men father more children. Socially and physically, these men are more dominant than their peers.
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The business world relies on these strong social aspects for success. Leaders need to be listened to and demand respect. Deeper voices allow for this level of respect that would otherwise be more difficult for someone without a deep voice. Concise, clear and deep voices are best in the business world.
Voice Therapy
If you’re a woman, it will be difficult to find a way to change your voice to be as deep as your male peers. Even if you could achieve a deep, demanding voice, you likely wouldn’t want to do this for personal reasons.
But there are a few things that men and women can do when speaking.
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- Talk slow
- Talk clearly
- Formulate your words
People have a tendency to speak fast and without properly formulating their words. If you slow down your speech and speak clearly, this will have a major impact on how you’re viewed in the business world.
Speech or voice therapy can help you reach a different octal range when speaking, and learn to deepen your voice. It’s not an easy process, and it will take months or years to be able to deepen your voice permanently. A good therapist will help you work on proven methods to lower the pitch of your voice.
Many singers have been trained to alter their voice. Even the ultra-talented Justin Timberlake took voice lessons to learn how to deepen his voice.
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A deep voice can be a benefit to your career. If you’re a CEO with a deep voice, you’ll be able to command more money and have a longer career than your peers.
