Acoustic Intelligence

As you find new and different spaces in which to work both inside and outside the office, it is inevitable that you spend less time meeting face to face.

Modern technology is evolving to a high state of sophistication to meet your new needs - helping you to work seamlessly, wherever you are. In this new context, the power of your voice is set to become a vital business asset.

How do you deal intelligently with new acoustic conditions? Consider the technology you use to overcome them - and how you maintain voice performance over longer periods of time, so that you can be confident that your message always gets through - with the consistency, quality and clarity that it deserves.

Speech Impact - THE Right Conversation

You are travelling less, with more meetings taking place over the phone. This means you have no ability to impart body language or read cues from others. Now it's up to you to control the meeting with your 'voice presence'. How much of an advantage can you give to your business by improving speech performance? Recent research* has shown how much time is wasted time on conference calls.

Imagine running a manufacturing operation with that level of efficiency. So how do you change this? Speech Impact - skills based training from Plantronics and Tony Crawford.

The research for face-to-face discussions shows that just 7% of a conversation's importance is attributed to the message, 38% is tone of voice with body language at 55%*. Whereas in voice-only calls 13% is attributed to the message and 87%** accounts for tone of voice. The difference is clear - get these factors right and not only does productivity increase, but customer engagement and loyalty increases as well.

There are four methods defined by Tony Crawford our Speech Impact Expert, available to you to raise your speech impact, and really stimulate people using your voice.

Power

Vary the power, or loudness of your voice. Speaking softly can add emphasis, and authority when used to give instructions. Suddenly switching to a louder voice for one or two words can grab attention. Constant variation will be a distraction for everyone, so use changes in power sparingly - soft for instructions, and one or two louder words at the beginning of sentences to ensure you have attention.

Pitch

Change the pitch, or tone of your voice for emphasis. Adding subtle variations to the pitch - such as raising the tone at the end of a sentence helps you to indicate this is a question and you are looking for an answer. If you lower the tone, then this adds a level of seriousness to your voice.

Pace

Slow down! The rule is that if you think you are speaking too slowly, then you are speaking at the right pace!

Pause

Nothing gets peoples' attention more than a break in the conversation. If they are used to hearing you speak, then the break in talking captures the attention and enables you to add emphasis to what follows. Don't, pause, after, every, word - this sounds scripted and false. Add a pause in just before you want to ensure you have attention, or just before you summarise.

Voice Intelligibility - THE Right Technology

With the significant advances made in other technologies, you would assume that overall voice quality of phone calls has gradually improved. Yet with the growth of mobile phones, VoIP and other network variables, audio quality has actually declined - to the point where it has become less reliable and less intelligible. Your voice travels on a significant journey on calls made across the wide range of networks and phones available. The result is that the sound quality of calls can vary dramatically - and in turn, can increase the potential for misunderstanding, repeat calls and poor business relationships.

The modern headset is fast becoming the communication tool of choice for business users like you, because it is a professional grade product designed to meet these new and challenging conditions, making your life easier with intelligently designed technology that delivers faithful, high quality reproduction. And that means in any conditions, or any location.

When you work in areas of high background noise - Plantronics noise-cancelling microphones enable you to be heard clearly, rather than just the airport announcements. AudioIQ2® technology adapts listening levels automatically, making sure that your customer is also heard clearly. And when you work outside, microphones with Windsmart™ help to eliminate off-putting 'wind blowing' noises.

The net result is better conversations. And better business.

Get the HD voice experience

Headsets not only help to overcome intelligibility issues with new technologies - they also help to maximise your potential. If you are working with the latest wideband IP networks, the HD voice capability built-in to the latest Plantronics headsets, takes the standard telephony bandwidth and doubles it to 6.8KHz - dramatically improving the intelligibility of the consonant sounds in your voice that would lose energy in standard telephone conversations.

Audio Ergonomics - THE Right Design

The desk phone is undoubtedly on the decline - mobility is now the driving factor for the demands of modern working. Yet the rise of the lightweight headset is no overnight sensation; it is a 50 year design evolution from the first headset specified for NASA's historic moon mission through the deployment of innovative technology.

And innovative design always develops in tandem with innovative technology. In Plantronics, ergonomic design is real and honest design for real-life interaction - and has never been more prevalent than in today's headset solutions built for everyday use. Ultra light, Plantronics headsets are built for high satisfaction and to suit your needs. From ear size measurements to sizing alignment, weight and balance - superior comfort is crucial. No two ears are alike, and as a technology innovator, Plantronics conducts the industry's most comprehensive research into the human ear to maximise comfort for all of its user base. Advanced, functional design is paramount to providing you with high satisfaction.

This leads to tangible benefits delivered back to your business through enhanced productivity benefits and a reduction in posture related ailments.

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