Has anyone ever said that to you? “Do you know who you remind me of?” I used to get asked that a lot, with answers ranging from Isabella Rosellini to Gloria Estefan and more. My husband gets stopped all the time, but it's always the exact same comment: “Oh my gosh, has anyone ever told you you look EXACTLY like Phil from Modern Family?!”
With 7 billion people living on our planet it's not surprising to think that you have a doppelgänger somewhere out there. Today is even National Look Alike day, which celebrates people you naturally resemble, but also reminds me of how many fashion trends in clothing, hair, and more were started because everyone wanted to look like the hottest stars of the moment. (This may explain why I got those Gloria Estefan comments back in the day!)
But beyond thinking about who you look like, a far more important question is: Who do you aspire to SOUND like?
While it's always important to be authentic and find your OWN voice, speech role models can demonstrate effective ways to inspire others and get people on board.
Think about it: whether someone at work or in your personal circle, or a celebrity like national youth poet laureate Amanda Gorman, who do you know who always has a presence that demonstrates conviction and confidence, a clarity of message and a voice you can't help but listen to, whether they are giving a presentation, selling a product, offering advice or just networking? Watch and listen closely next time you have the chance, and see if you can identify what it is that makes them so effective.
Speaking of networking, this week on the podcast, I got to speak with Dr. Ivan Misner, Founder & Chief Visionary Officer of BNI, the world’s largest business networking organization. He founded the organization in 1985 and now has over 10,000 chapters that meet weekly throughout the world!
Networking is still not a natural or comfortable skill for many people, but Ivan got right to the heart of why you can't afford to wear your discomfort on your sleeve (or in your voice): “Desperation is not referrable.”
More specifically, he referred to his equation for the relative value of any networking relationship as being measured by “the time/confidence curve.” In other words, the less time it takes the other person to feel confident about you, the more likely they are to give or refer business to you.
In the interim, if you're looking for a quick crash-course to help your natural leadership presence shine through, here's a 2-minute video we created to show you how to master the Three C's of Vocal Executive Presence so you can Command the room, Connect with the audience, and Close the deal.
Find your voice, and find your power!
Here's to your success,
Laura
PS: Did you know you can also check out the complete video version of our Speaking to Influence Podcasts interview on YouTube? Don’t forget to subscribe, give us a like and share it with your friends who just might need to hear it.
