Thanks to one broadcasting school instructor, I started sounding more positive on the air and on the phone. He'd heard several of my audition tapes and pointed out that I was ending a lot of my sentences on a downward inflection. After listening to the tapes again, I heard what he meant. I had second thoughts about using one air check that I thought was especially smooth for auditions. I ended the break with the station's slogan, "your station for quality music and news in mid-Missouri." Listening to it a second time, I realized I'd said, "in mid-Missouri," with a downward inflection, making me sound depressed, even though I wasn't. From then on, when speaking on the air and on the phone, I did my best to put more of a smile into my voice and end sentences on an upward inflection. When you're on the air, it makes more of a positive impression on listeners. When you're on the phone, it wraps up a call on an upbeat note.
Although it sounds contradictory, you can be a jaded cynic but still sound positive. It just takes a smile in your voice and an upbeat inflection.
