All three techniques make the speaker seem more confident, without undermining their sincerity.
Speaking louder is linked to more persuasive communication, research finds.
Varying the volume and pausing also help to persuade the listener.
The study shows that tone of voice, beyond what is actually said, is important in influencing other people.
All three techniques — speaking louder, varying voice pitch and pausing — make the speaker seem more confident, without undermining their sincerity.
The conclusions come from four experiments in which people made hypothetical pitches.
The results showed that the most persuasive speakers were those that appeared to have genuine opinions and were most confident.
The study’s authors write:
“…speakers’ confident vocal demeanor persuades others by serving as a signal that they more strongly endorse the stance they take in their message.”
Critically, it did not matter that people could tell there was an influence attempt in progress.
It is normal for people to react against what is being said to them.
For example, they start to mentally disagree with points being made.
However, they do not appear to react against paralinguistic persuasion attempts.
Paralinguistic refers to voice pitch, volume and any other aspects of language apart from the words used.
The study’s authors explain:
“Similar to prior work demonstrating that people cooperate with those they perceive to be helpful, our findings suggest that having one’s persuasive intentions detected does not necessarily undermine the pitch.
What is more critical is that persuasion attempts are executed in a manner that appears to reflect a sincere desire to help.
Paralinguistic attempts are one way to accomplish this goal.”
Dr Alex Van Zant, the study’s first author, said:
“When you’re really trying to persuade someone, it’s important that they can hear your voice.”
→ Discover more: Persuasion Techniques: The Psychology of Influence
The study was published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (Van Zant & Berger, 2019).
