Voice actor explains how to ‘get what you want in life’ by using 3 vocal techniques

It’s amazing how much our voices can convey, and not just in words. Tawny Platis draws on years of experience as a voice actor to show how even the tiniest shift in inflection, tone, or pace can change how a person is perceived. In a clip shared to her social media accounts, Platis dons professional headphones and stares straight into the camera. “So I’m a full-time voice actor, and my job is to literally make people feel things with my voice. Whether that’s trust, excitement, urgency, comfort, power, or literally anything else you can think of,” she says. She shares how to apply this in everyday life. “What kind of voice you have actually matters zero percent,” she says. “It’s what you do with your voice that makes a message effective. Your tone, pace, and even the pitch of your voice triggers psychological responses. We’re wired to respond emotionally, even before we process the words.” How to be taken more seriously For the first scenario, she explains, “So we’re gonna start with what to do if you want to be taken seriously.” She shares, “People perceive lower voices as more confident and trustworthy because we associate a lower pitch with authority. So if you want to be taken seriously, like in a negotiation or conflict, drop your pitch just slightly and speak from your diaphragm.” With each scenario, she gives two examples: one that reads like voiceover copy, and another that could be used in everyday conversation. She lowers her voice ever so slightly, punctuating each word deliberately and calmly, with her pitch just below her normal speaking voice. How to sound ‘in control’ In this example, it’s more about pace than pitch. Platis shares, “If you want to sound like you’re in control, speak at a slower pace. Fast talkers sound nervous. Slow your speech by just 10–15%, and you’ll come across as more thoughtful, more powerful, and way more in control.” Again, she gives two examples: one as a hypothetical voiceover script and the other as a role-play where she tries to calm a situation during conflict. Asking for a favor or de-escalating tension If someone needs to ask for a favor or bring the temperature down (so to speak), she suggests that “warmth and a vocal smile actually matter more than confidence.” She instructs, “Add just a touch of softness and upward inflection.” After giving her professional and personal copy examples, she explains, “You don’t have to be a pro voice actor to do this. You just have to be intentional. And if you’re already doing this naturally, you’re actually using performance psychology!” Dominating the setting In a piece written for Psychology Today, Nick Morgan, Ph.D., notes, “It turns out, according to recent research, that people speak in higher-pitched voices when talking to higher status people, or if we’re intimidated. So if you don’t want to signal either of these two impressions, lower your voice.” He adds, “Another study found that men lower their voices in order to try to dominate in certain settings. In short, we signal dominance with lower-pitched voices. And still another study found that people who spoke with lowered voices were perceived as both more prestigious and more admirable.” Let your voice do its job Gary Genard, a voice trainer who specializes in “performance-based public speaking,” gives specific tips for making the voice sound friendlier and more pleasant. These include diaphragmatic breathing and relaxing your vocal cords. He advises, “You can easily test this: Tighten your vocal cords when you speak and listen to the sound that emerges. Harsh, isn’t it? Now relax them completely, using a soft, breathy, ‘loose’ way of speaking. Your voice took on a warm, buttery sound, didn’t it? You can overdo it, of course. But try making a relaxed voice more of a habit. You’ll sound more empathetic and caring.” Genard agrees with slowing the pace down as well. “When you rush through your talk, your voice can’t do its job. That includes coloring what you’re saying through emphasis and de-emphasis, pauses that create anticipation, well-paced speech that lets key items be heard, and all the other vocal effects that bring intelligence and sensibility to your game.”