5 Ways to Improve Your Vocal Delivery in Interviews

A large part of the impression you make in an interview comes from vocal delivery, not what you say, but how you say it. Your vocal delivery can hugely influence your perceived confidence and competence. It is also one of your best tools to communicate your passion and excitement. Here are some tips you can use to improve your vocal delivery:

1. Open Up

Keeping an open posture (shoulders relaxed, back straight but not uncomfortable, and chest forward) not only makes you look more confident, friendly, and engaged but also promotes easy breathing. Easy breathing allows you to deliver smooth and warm-sounding speech instead of the choppy and nervous speech you get when you have to breath every two seconds.

2. Volume & Pace Imitation

Try to match your interviewers speaking volume and speaking pace during your interview. Emulating a conversational partner is one of the most effective ways to promote comfortable communication. If your interviewer is soft-spoken, try not to use a loud contrasting speaking volume. If you have an interviewer with a loud, excitable voice, try to match your interviewer’s pace and volume to reflect his/her enthusiasm.

3. Use YOUR Voice

Everyone has their optimal tone of voice, ranging from deep to high-pitched. Your optimal pitch is the tone of voice that allows you to speak with maximum vocal projection and clarity. Many people try to force their voices to a lower pitch to convey confidence. DO NOT DO THIS. If your voice is not naturally deep this will cause you to, lose clarity, speak in a weaker voice with less projection. Click here to find your optimal pitch.

4. Chunk Your Sentences

The best speakers, are the best communicators. Keep your communication easy to follow by expressing your ideas in short simple sentences and pausing briefly before moving on to your next thought.

5. Complete Every Thought

Complete every thought you begin to express. Expressing complete thoughts indicates that you have confidence in you own ideas and the ability to take an idea to conclusion. There are two common ways that people do not complete their thoughts: 1) trailing off by reducing vocal volume (“I planning on pursuing a carer in the field of health, or nutrition, you know…”), 2) turning the thought into question (“I think the best thing would be to purchase 17 shipments?”).