Mastering the English language and improving vocabulary is usually far from sufficient when it comes to making an impression by way of superior inter personal skills. In order to enhance communication skills, the concept of listening to and responding appropriately, by using voice modulation and other soft skills, is far more important. For this reason, voice and accent training is an essential facet of the BPO industry.

Overall, the vital role played by the right voice and accent to ensure customer delight cannot be emphasized enough. Try this brief activity to test this yourself:

Step 1: Record your own voice on a voice recorder saying “Hello” with a straight face.
Step 2: Next, record the same again, this time, but with a little difference – say it with a smile.
Step 3: Share the two recordings to a trusted friend or acquaintance.
Step 4: Ask the person to guess which one sounded pleasant.
Step 5: Compare results and see whether the listener is able to match the voice with the mood.

Prepare to be surprised at the other person’s ability to correctly predict the one with the smile.
It is true – it is indeed possible to ‘Hear A Smile’!

All the focus on voice and accent, and sounding pleasant while answering a telephone call may be highly underrated, and hence the need to answer the telephone with a smile, every single time, in order to make a lasting, positive impression, even when the caller is unable to ‘see’ you in person.

Statistics reveal that only 7% of the words you utter is truly heard. Of the remaining, 38 % is the tone used or how you say it and the largest chunk – 55% depends on the gestures that accompany the speech, more commonly known as body language. The pressure on the communicator to send the right signals is all the more important if the interaction is in person, since any lack of conviction is instantly seen, by way of contradictory body language! On the flip side, during a telephonic conversation, one has to put in that much additional effort in the absence of body language to help you convey your point of view. It is no surprise therefore, that English language training and Voice and Accent training is a vital part of the business soft skills training across industry.

Irrespective of the role or industry you are a part of, corporate soft skills training can make the difference between success and failure, thanks to the pivotal role it plays. The good thing is, there are plenty of programs available to help participants with improving their spoken skills. These training programs are designed for participants to improve upon their voice and accent, a very important aspect of soft skills training. Aimed at helping participants to neutralise elements of their speech, overcome any traces of Mother Tongue Influence (also known as MTI), and speak confidently with a more global accent, this is surely a worthy investment to make!