We all know how important it is to speak to people with the right tone of voice. So often it is that tone which communicates your feelings more than the actual words you use.

Here's a little game I learned from Zig Ziglar in his book, Secrets of Closing the Sale which demonstrates how the way you say something can dramatically alter what you mean to say.  In this exercise, I want you to accentuate the one word in the sentences below, which appears in CAPS. Just put extra emphasis on that one word as you read out loud. Each sentence is exactly the same, but watch what happens when you place emphasis on the different words. My comments are in parenthesis.

"I" didn't say she stole the money. (Someone else said it)

I DIDN'T say she stole the money. (I flatly deny saying it)

I didn't SAY she stole the money. (I implied it, though)

I didn't say SHE stole the money. (Someone else, not her)

I didn't say she STOLE the money. (Embezzled it possibly, but definitely did not steal it)

I didn't say she stole the MONEY. (May have "lifted" a few other items however)

Aren't the differences interesting? All because you merely accentuated a different word in the exact same sentence!

By noticing our voice inflection and intonation, we can work magic with words, and improve our positive communication skills in dramatic ways. For the next week, practice noticing "how" you say things to people even more than "what" you say to people. And I HOPE you are ecstatic with the results. (Actually, I hope YOU are ecstatic with the results). (Come to think of it, I hope you are ECSTATIC with the results).

Bob Burg