I had a speech coach analyze my voice and found out I'm making 4 huge mistakes by Shana Lebowitz on Oct 29, 2015, 12:40 PM  There’s something sickening about hearing a recording of your own voice, and realizing that, yes, that is what you sound like to the rest of the world.
Unfortunately, my job requires me to spend a decent chunk of my day transcribing recordings of phone interviews with sources. I’m frustrated enough to cry each time I hear the hesitant squeaks coming out of my headphones — squeaks that sound nothing like the confident, polished tones I assumed I was emitting.
Recently, my frustration hit its peak, and I decided to consult Susan Sankin, a New York City-based speech coach whom I’d interviewed for an article a few months ago, about the problem.
I sent Sankin several clips of myself speaking during phone interviews and asked her to identify the biggest mistakes, in hopes of sounding more professional both during interviews and in-person conversations. I confess, though I knew I was hardly Terry Gross, I was shocked at the amount of criticism I received. Here are the four key mistakes Sankin highlighted, as well as recordings of me making them. SEE ALSO: 6 Common Speaking Mistakes Professionals Make 1. Using filler words When I spoke with Sankin a few months ago, she told me that many people today start all their sentences with "so." Though they're generally unaware of the habit, she said, it can be highly annoying to listeners. Other experts say using filler words (e.g. "um," "yeah," "so," and "like") can hurt your career prospects because it makes you sound unprofessional and immature. Apparently, I'm one of the culprits. Sankin pointed out one particular sequence I used: "So, I thought um, that, um …" Click on the recording above to see what it sounded like.
2. Ending sentences with vocal fry Sankin said I used vocal fry (also known as glottal fry) pretty often, but particularly at the end of a phrase or a sentence. The sound is produced by fluttering your vocal cords, producing a low, creaaaaaaky noise. It's a potential problem because research suggests that women and men who use vocal fry are perceived as less competent and less hirable. Click on the recording above to see what it sounded like.
3. Not pausing at all When I originally spoke with Sankin, she told me that pausing is a way to draw listeners' attention and to give them a chance to think about what you’re saying. "A lot of people have trouble with dead air space," she said, but it's an opportunity to put your thoughts together. Unfortunately, Sankin pointed out that I barely paused at all while speaking, when I should have been "punching out words for enhanced meaning." Click on the recording above to see what it sounded like.
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