When Dillon slowed down his speech, he had a rich and resonant tone of voice. When the first interview is over the telephone, 80% of the communication is transmitted by the tone of voice, diction, projection, speech melody, volume and rate of speech and 20% are the words that are actually said.

First he needs to be prepared with his content, therefore I advised him to write out 14 questions and answers that he is going to be asked and then rehearse saying them clearly and at a good rate of speech. He must have his answers prepared so he can paraphrase them spontaneously at any moment. This gives him more control over his words and thoughts so he has the time to concentrate on connecting with his interviewer. And it also helps him to avoid the filler words of “ah”, “um”, etc.

The deal breaker is how he is heard and as a result, how he is perceived. For Dillon, speaking fast could give the interviewer any of the following impressions: 1. that he has anxiety, 2. that he has a lack of confidence, or 3. that he just wants to get through the interview as quickly as possible for some reason. Most likely the interviewer will assume that he does not want the job or that he doesn’t fit into the organization.

Now we know that none of these assumptions are true, however the interviewer most often will react either consciously or unconsciously first to Dillon’s speaking voice first and then to the words he is saying.

Let’s take an example from the animal world. When two animals of the same species meet for the first time, energy is transferred through sound and body language. One of the animals feels less confident and so sends that message and backs off. Dillon’s speed talking and the resulting mispronounced words and the running of words together sends a nonverbal message which can be perceived as being too casual, unconfident, unsure of himself.

The interviewer is in the position of deciding whether Dillon should be brought back for a second interview. If Dillon’s resume and qualifications are superb, the deciding factor comes down to whether the interviewer believes in Dillon’s potential to do the job and to be a productive part of the organization.

For a moment imagine that the interviewer is looking at Dillon’s resume and listening to him talk at the same time. It is absolutely necessary that the sound of Dillon’s voice engage and affect the interviewer’s feelings in a way that compels him to give Dillon the second interview.

There are so many young, qualified and highly skilled people in the Occupy Wall Street movements across the US, who may not be able to break through the first telephone interview in today’s highly competitive and very tight job market. If you wish to make a permanent improvement in your voice all it takes is awareness and practice. Voice Power Studios offers a free voice analysis and free tips to build your vocal awareness.

If you would like to learn more and discover how you can improve your speaking voice. I offer you a 20-minute Voice Power Studios Accent Reduction & Speaking Skills Consultation, http://www.voicepowerstudios.com/analysis.html or call 877-783-2455?