Inspired by a recent trip to the Big Apple, and a great conversation with Billy – actor and native New Yorker – this month’s voice tips are about confidence. New Yorkers are raised on confidence.
Native New Yorkers are loud, direct and assertive. Their body language is open, upright and exudes waves of confidence. In the streets, a busy commuter may pass a friend going in the other direction and without pausing you will hear, “Hi-how-are-yeh!” No time for a reply, all words strung together like one long word, for succinctness.
Time is precious here. Commuters walk from A to B. They don’t look up, they don’t smile, their goal is to get to their destination as quickly as possible. Their language and body language sums it up completely. They don’t waste time.
Basic positive qualities of a New York speaker:
- They are DIRECT
- they cut out unnecessary words & questions
- straight talking
- conveys a busy, thinking person.
- They are LOUD
- easy to hear
- commanding presence
- conveys high self esteem.
- They are ASSERTIVE
- upright body language
- high status
- conveys self belief.
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