While we’re definitely moving into the digital age with emails, texts and messages, the value of being an effective conversationalist is still incredibly important in the world of real estate. A productive door knocking could lead you to your next listing while a persuasive conversation could be what convinces a client to invest the funds to renovating an unkempt backyard. While sales techniques can be taught and practised, there are easy, surprising ways to make an impact that simply involves paying attention to how you speak. Here are some tips to improve your conversational interactions.

Slow down

Speaking quickly is a common trait for many of us, whether it’s done as a nervous habit or out of excitement. But slowing down your pace of speech gives the other individual more time to listen and understand what you’re saying. This is especially important when communicating with clients who don’t speak English as a first language. To test your pace of speech, open up a document in a word processor and set a timer for one minute. Read through the document out loud and see how much text you get through – anything greater than 150 words per minute could be an indication of speaking too quickly.

Pitch perfect

We all have a natural range of speaking but it’s shown that lower pitched voices are perceived as being more confident and credible. In contrast, high-pitched voices could signal immaturity or a lower status. Explore your range at home by reading some text at your usual pitch then lowering your pitch slightly while repeating the text. Aim for a natural pitch that still feels comfortable then practise your lower pitch in casual conversation with friends or family.

Improve your tone

When speaking over the phone, listeners don’t have the benefit of viewing facial expressions along with hearing words, which puts even more emphasis on the speaker’s tone of voice for interpreting mood and attitude. Think about conveying energy and positivity with your tone. Smiling or standing up while talking over the phone can help with this. You can even try looking into a mirror while speaking to help maintain that positive facial expression.