The Importance Of Tone In Sales
The “7-38-55” rule, originally researched by UCLA professor Albert Mehrabian in the 1960s, suggests that communication consists of the following:
- 7% words
- 38% tone of voice
- 55% body language
The actual numbers are up for debate, but the principle remains true: in communication, the literal words being spoken are only a fraction of what is being understood by the listener.
In some cases, non-verbal messages (tone and body language) can communicate a completely different meaning than what is being said verbally.
For example, if a salesperson says to their prospect:
“Trust me, Bob, this is a really great product.”
But the salesperson has slumped shoulders, they’re avoiding eye contact, and their tone of voice is high-pitched.
Then Bob might cue in to the salesperson’s body language and tone, instead of listening to what the salesperson is saying.
As a result, instead of trusting the salesperson and believing that the product is great, Bob might get the sense that the salesperson is lying or that they don’t really believe what they are saying.
Body language is especially important in outside sales where you might be going door-to-door or traveling to vendor locations to pitch your product in-person.
But for inside sales (over the phone), body language is a non-factor. Because the salesperson and the prospect can’t see each other.
Therefore, tone (the sound of your voice) becomes that much more important.
This includes the tempo of your words (fast or slow), the pitch of your voice (high or low), the volume at which you speak (loud or soft), and the pauses between words—all of which, together, comprise the non-verbal part of your communication on a phone call.