Al McBride 0:02
Welcome to the dealing with Goliath podcast. The mission of dealing with Goliath is to sharpen the psychological edge in negotiation, ethical influencing, and high impact conversations for business leaders who want to be more effective under pressure uncover hidden value, and build greater connection, all while increasing profitability. This is the short form espresso shot of insight podcast interview to boost business performance, using our five questions in around about 15 minutes format.

My guest today is Tracy Goodwin. Tracy has spent the last 30 plus years as an internationally known voice command coach, and the voice behind numerous captivating voices. She teaches celebrities, professionals, entrepreneurs and even Supreme Court justices how to unleash their greatest asset, their voice, Tracy is the owner of captivate the room, and creator of the psychology of the voice, and voice experience methodologies. She holds a BFA and MA degrees, and has done extensive research in the area of voice and how it is processed in the subconscious of the listener. Tracy, welcome to the show.

Tracy Goodwin 1:16
Thank you. I’m so excited to be here with you today.

Al McBride 1:18
Well, I’m excited to have you on because this is right up my alley. This is one of my areas of fascination. So I really got to enjoy or enjoy the conversation. So let’s dive right in. So Tracy, Who’s your ideal client on? What is the biggest challenge they tend to face?

Tracy Goodwin 1:34
You know, I think this is the always been the hardest question, because everybody has a voice. But to answer it, I’m going to go with six, seven and eight figure entrepreneurs, leaving people behind. That might mean in sales, that might mean in retention, that might mean in following that might even mean in their team is not taking the action they need them to take. So they’re leaving something behind.

Al McBride 2:04
Very interesting, and what are the common mistakes that people tend to make when they’re trying to solve that problem? Because I think there might be quite a few in the audience who are listening in a little bit closer now. And they’re wondering, oh, do they have some of these symptoms that they’re not even sure as you say, what the problem is? So what are some of those common mistakes?

Tracy Goodwin 2:24
The first and biggest common mistake is that people don’t realize the power of their voice. They are not even it’s not even on their radar. So many times that wait a minute, maybe my voice is the problem. Maybe my voice is well, it’s costing me so so people aren’t even thinking about their voice. And they certainly aren’t thinking about it from the perspective of maybe my voice is misrepresenting me.

Maybe my voice is being taken out of context. Maybe I think I’m doing one thing, but they’re receiving something different. And so what people do, is they go back to the messaging, they go back to the sales process, they go back to trying to get the words, right, they go back to the price, they go back, and all those things are a part of it. But I find that classically, the the literal thing that I determine everything about you, from what I hear in your voice, we don’t even tap into it.

Al McBride 3:24
Absolutely, absolutely. Because you’re right. It’s a bit it’s quite an under the radar one, isn’t it? Because so many people, as you said there keep tweaking the content, and they try a new approach. And they try a new approach. But they rarely stop and think, you know, it’s the classic phrase, the medium is the message, right? It’s how you say it, not just what you say. So looking into how you say, what is exactly that that conduit that wrapping, if you will, of their message that your audience or your key stakeholder or whoever it is, you’re you’re working with that prospect? What’s their experience of that message? So what might be one valuable free action that the audience can implement, that will help with that issue?

Tracy Goodwin 4:08
Well, this may sound not at all like voice what I’m about to say. Because I think a lot of times when we think about voice, we think about slow down, pause. Say it this way, and those are parts of it. But when we’re talking about psychology of the voice, we have to look inside first. And so one of the things that people can do right now is stop getting in the outcome.

One of the biggest things that affects our sound negatively, especially in sales, if I in my mind and thinking oh, he ain’t gonna buy from me. He’s not gonna, he can’t afford me. I can literally hear that on the subconscious level. And so what we do is we get all off in the future, deciding what people are thinking when we don’t know and it comes out in our voice. So it’s only was a form of self sabotage. So that’s one of the things that people can do is you only have voice power in the now. So we really have to master and I know you can appreciate this so much master being right here in the conversation, not deciding what they’re thinking or not deciding what they’re going to do.

Al McBride 5:23
Absolutely. It’s such a great point. And you’re right, you gave the exact right term that so many people in that instance, sabotage the outcome, because you’ve actually instigated the doubt in their head that there may not have been in the first place. That’s true. You planted a seed in the dam. That then they confirm that by going Oh, actually, yes, there is something off here. And it’s an interesting point to make that they probably it’s highly likely they don’t consciously realize this though, do they? It’s all as you say, subconscious, but there are signals that are picking up on

Tracy Goodwin 6:00
it is fascinating to me. And I’ve done this, all of this work has been extensive research for me. And it’s fascinating to me, that the sound a sound the size of a grain of sand, can literally in the subconscious go, nope. And we’ve got all these sounds that are coming out of us that we’re not even thinking about, that are coming from things inside.

And so we’ve got to really line up who we are, who wait, I call it perception reception, and then what we want them to receive. So we what are we think we’re doing versus what are they hearing? Versus what do we want them to hear? And we have to make that connection?

Al McBride 6:44
Absolutely. And the clarity of that there’s a difference between all have those three is absolute gold. Because as you say, a lot of people think, Oh, this is in my head, therefore they’re in their head is what is in my head. That’s there’s a direct conduit from one to the other. And there absolutely is not, there’s a lot of space for interference and noise, Miss misunderstandings and everything else. Yeah, that’s absolutely brilliant point. Brilliant point. And just just for all the listeners out there, this is one of the reasons I’m fascinated by Tracy’s work.

Because there’s the famous study that psychologist who could tell, even in other languages, he could accurately predict the chance of that couple of being divorced within three years to over 90% accuracy, just by the tone, if there was contempt in spoke to each other over a certain percentage, he could tell that they’d be divorced. All of that was just tone, as you said, All I was listening out for so and remember, we used to communicate like this for millions of years, right? Before we even had accurate language. So that’s right. This is why the subconscious are primed to pick up on these on these differences. That’s right. So what might be one valuable free resource that you could direct people to that will help with this issue?

Tracy Goodwin 8:08
Well, one of the things that I have where people could go to my website, and they could go to captivate the room.com, forward slash trust, and I have an audio of free audio that they can get where I’m going to teach you how to ensure that the first sounds I hear from your voice are not insecurities, but our know like and trust the know like and trust factor.

Al McBride 8:33
I love us. I love it. Let’s go a little bit deeper than if you if you don’t mind on the know, like and trust factor. Can you talk us through that? Because it sounds obvious. Oh, ya know, like and trust. It’s a it’s a used phrase. And people are dealing with that. But what do you mean by that?

Tracy Goodwin 8:48
So a lot of times, we’ve got all these? Well, we have what I call voice stories, which are the noise in our head, which might be well, I’ve got to prove to owl today on the show that I know what I’m talking about. So he likes me or all this noise. And we don’t realize that’s what’s coming out what we’ve already talked about. And so oftentimes, we’re not sure what we’re going to say, and this is a big thing in video. We’re not sure what we’re going to say, we’re not sure what they’re going to think we’ve got all this noise.

And so we start talking like this when we meet people. Or we might talk more boastfully when we meet people, or we’re talking with all these sounds coming out, that don’t represent who we really are. And so know like and trust their sounds. Science is actually proven that melody is where trust is built in the brain. So there are Yes, and that’s the high and low and maybe we’re cautious. And so if I meet you and I’m like hi Al. It’s I’m glad to be here today. I am not establishing Trust instantly.

I’m not necessarily leading with likability. I’m not letting you know who I am. Because I’m reading you and what you might be thinking about how I’m doing. And we get all this noise. And then we eventually get there. We eventually two minutes in or one minute and we feel comfortable, we feel settled in and, and then we can make you like me or reveal who I am. But that’s too late. Because in the first 30 seconds, people hear our voice. They they established who we are. So we want to be able to lead with, in fact, I call it three things.

What do you what do I want this experience to be for you and your listeners? Well, most of all, I want it to be authentic. And I want you to feel like you know me, and I want you to feel like I want you to like me? Of course I do. And I want you to trust me. And so we can establish that in the voice. And we can also establish who we are by leading with traits instead of let me get this right. Wow.

Al McBride 11:14
That’s powerful stuff. There is absolutely fantastic. Because I love a few things on that. Just to point out to the audience. I mean, there’s so much that I love about Apple. So few particularly strong points, I think the audience really need to zone in on that you made the word beautiful. As you said, when you’re talking the flat tone way, that’s often sounds at bare, again, people aren’t fully agreed on exactly what it means.

But we’re people tend to have a ballpark agreement. Don’t say like some people say, Oh, that sounds defensive. Other people say, Oh, it sounds closed. You know, it’s a bit more neutral. But it’s still over there. People saying, Oh, maybe they’re nervous. Other people say, Oh, maybe they’re hiding something, you know, but all the way it’s not particularly positive, is it? Right? And it’s something people are just like you said, they don’t think about their tone.

Now Yep. Can it’s everything?

You know, yeah, it is, it is how you say it is so crucial.

Tracy Goodwin 12:12
We, you know, I love to play games with words, because people will say, I gotta get these words, right, Tracy. And so I can take the exact same words, I can say, it’s nice to meet you. I’m excited to be here. Ready to go. It’s nice to meet you. I’m excited to be here. Alright, it’s nice to meet you. I’m excited to be here. Okay, that was just three totally different sets of meaning, which is the one I want?

Well, first and foremost, I want you to feel like you’ve known me your whole life. Moore’s, because that’s what I want to lead with. Because then you know me. And then I want you to feel like you can trust me. So I’m going to have that movement in my voice. And I’m going to let you in. And then I’m going to want you to know that I know what I’m talking about. So we can lead with these things. And it’s, it’s really I call it tentacles out versus tentacles in, bring the tentacles in and stand in your own power reveal who you are, instead of letting the room decide who you get to be.

Al McBride 13:13
Outstanding, because you get to set the tone.

Tracy Goodwin 13:18
That’s right, utterly, literally. Yeah.

Al McBride 13:22
That’s a lovely way to put it you’re setting the tone in the room is with your tone. As they say, you know, what can you tell from someone’s voice their entire emotional state? And as you beautifully pointed out, if you’re coming across as strong and authoritative, but friendly and open, then that’s how they’ll think of you. Yeah, I love it. Yeah. So what would be your number one insight or principle on how to negotiate build rapport, or connection? Or uncover hidden value with clients? Or press one

Tracy Goodwin 13:54
is more to the point? Yeah, well, you know, connection, as you know, is is crucial. And people are the data shows us that people are seeking connection and authenticity on a level we’ve never seen before. And so again, I’m going to go back to mind and what is the voice habit that’s coming from the thought. And a lot of times, we feel like we need to prove we feel like we need to talk we feel like we need to make sure you understand and that might mean justification or convincing but I’m always know this may ruffle some feathers.

I’ve always got the eye on the outcome. I’ve got to get you to the outcome. And I want people to start getting in the conversation. Because there is a slight thing that happens when I’m in the outcome is I am mentally there and you do not know where there is. So I’m talking at you and so on. I’m it’s harder to connect with me when I’m talking to you in a very fast way in a very loud way. It could even be a neutral way I’m not letting you in because I’ve got my eye on something other than you.

But if I put someone in my mind’s eye that I know like and trust, which are my friends, Bill and Judy, and in my minds, I’ve never met you before. But in my mind’s eye, I’m talking to Bill and, Judy, than I’m going to be right here in this conversation with you. And it creates that space for you to lean in and know who I am. And so we have to stop trying to get people somewhere, trying to make sure they know, trying to be what we think they want us to be. Because all of that creates a barrier to connection. And really, we just, it’s as simple as, let me have a conversation with you. Like I know, like and trust you to.

Al McBride 15:51
Fantastic, absolutely. Fantastic. I love that. Yeah. Because, as you said, if people are trying to create this, how do I come across as authentic? You be authentic? It’s easy.

Tracy Goodwin 16:07
Yeah, that’s it. And we try to be, and this is what gets people on video. Hi, it’s Tracy, thanks for being on the channel. Well, because nobody’s there, because we’ve trained ourselves to read the room. But if the room is in my mind’s eye, if Bill and Judy are in my mind’s eye,

then I can immediately be authentic, because I actually am talking to somebody, and it becomes Hey, it’s Tracy, I’m so glad to have you on the channel today. Got some cool stuff to talk to you about. And it’s because in my mind, I am talking to somebody I know. I’m not trying to be what I think the audience wants me to be.

Al McBride 16:47
Fantastic stuff. Fantastic. So Tracy, we could talk all day. A lot of other things I’d love to pick your brain on. But on that note, if people want to learn more about you, they can go to captivate the room.com Where else can they where else can they learn more about you? Are you very active on LinkedIn? See,

Tracy Goodwin 17:06
I’m on LinkedIn. I’m on LinkedIn, Tracy, a Goodwin is LinkedIn and then all the other social media on captivate the room. And then I have a podcast captivate the room.

Al McBride 17:18
Excellent. I was looking at some of your podcasts earlier. So they’re very interesting, a lot of solo, very interesting, insightful solo episodes and interviews so I can thoroughly recommend that. So Tracy Goodwin, captivate the room.com Thank you so much for coming on the show.

Tracy Goodwin 17:33
Thank you for having me.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai