In partnership with
You can have the perfect script and still lose the deal.
Why? Because buyers don’t just evaluate what you say — they react to how you say it. Research analyzing thousands of sales calls shows that tone, pace, and rhythm can literally predict whether a deal closes.
In other words, your voice might be doing more selling than your script.
Here are three vocal adjustments, backed by data, that you can use on your very next call.
SPONSORED BY ROKU
How Jennifer Anniston’s LolaVie brand grew sales 40% with CTV ads
For its first CTV campaign, Jennifer Aniston’s DTC haircare brand LolaVie had a few non-negotiables. The campaign had to be simple. It had to demonstrate measurable impact. And it had to be full-funnel.
LolaVie used Roku Ads Manager to test and optimize creatives — reaching millions of potential customers at all stages of their purchase journeys. Roku Ads Manager helped the brand convey LolaVie’s playful voice while helping drive omnichannel sales across both ecommerce and retail touchpoints.
The campaign included an Action Ad overlay that let viewers shop directly from their TVs by clicking OK on their Roku remote. This guided them to the website to buy LolaVie products.
Discover how Roku Ads Manager helped LolaVie drive big sales and customer growth with self-serve TV ads.
The DTC beauty category is crowded. To break through, Jennifer Anniston’s brand LolaVie, worked with Roku Ads Manager to easily set up, test, and optimize CTV ad creatives. The campaign helped drive a big lift in sales and customer growth, helping LolaVie break through in the crowded beauty category.
SALES
Your Script Isn’t the Problem. Your Voice Is
You could read a McDonald's menu on a cold call and still book a meeting if your voice sounds right.
Okay, maybe that is a stretch. But the science is closer to that than you would think.
A study published in the Journal of Marketing analyzed more than 8,000 sales calls and found that a rep's vocal tone could predict whether they closed the deal.
Separate data from Gong backs this up. The pace and rhythm of your voice have a measurable impact on whether deals move forward.
Here are three vocal adjustments backed by real data that you can use on your next call.
Use Two Different Voices (New Prospect vs Existing Customer)
The Journal of Marketing study found that high vocal energy works best when you are selling to someone new.
A brighter tone and slightly more volume create excitement and urgency. That energy helps first-time buyers pay attention and engage.
But when you are calling an existing customer, that same energy can backfire.
Returning customers respond better to a lower, calmer tone with steady volume. It signals understanding and reliability, which is exactly what someone who already bought from you wants to hear.
Think about it like this.
When you are prospecting, your voice should communicate:
"This is exciting and you should listen to me."
When you are working on a renewal or an upsell, your voice should communicate:
"I've got this handled."
Slow Down When It Gets Hard
Gong analyzed thousands of B2B sales calls and found that the average rep speaks at about 173 words per minute.
That is fine.
The problem shows up when a prospect pushes back.
Average reps speed up to around 188 words per minute during objections. Top performers stay close to 176 words per minute.
That small difference changes how confident you sound.
When you speed up, the prospect hears nervousness.
When you hold your pace, they hear control.
Former FBI hostage negotiator Chris Voss teaches something similar called the "late-night FM DJ voice." Deep, soft, slow, with a slight downward tone at the end of sentences.
It is the voice you use when you want someone to feel like everything is under control.
Voss says skilled negotiators use it about 10 to 20 percent of the time, especially during tense moments, because it triggers mirror neurons in the listener's brain and can literally slow their thinking down.
So next time you face a tough objection, resist the urge to speak faster.
Lower your pitch slightly.
Slow your pace.
Let your voice calm the situation.
Master the Pause
Most sales reps, and most people in general, are uncomfortable with silence.
Someone stops talking and we immediately jump in to fill the gap.
But silence is one of the most powerful tools on a sales call.
Research shows the average person can only handle about four seconds of silence before they feel the need to speak.
And when a prospect breaks that silence, they usually reveal something important.
An objection they were holding back.
A concern they had not mentioned.
The real reason they are hesitating.
Try this on your next call.
After you state your price, or after you ask a closing question, stop talking.
Complete silence.
The urge to break the silence will be strong. Let it pass.
Give the prospect space, and they will often talk themselves closer to a yes.
Great reps don’t just manage words. They manage energy.
Adjust your tone for the moment. Slow down under pressure. Use silence on purpose.
Because sometimes the difference between “no” and “let’s do it” isn’t the pitch — it’s the pause.
HEADLINES
Hot picks from the web
→ Where to start with AI: A practical guide for GTM teams
SOFTWARE
Tool of the day
✅ Drippi: Twitter/X infra for top 1% outbound agencies. Enrich your existing cold email and LinkedIn leads with Twitter/X handles and run DM campaigns that route positive replies straight to your team. Get 25% off your first 2 months!
That’s all for today.
Until next time,
Team B2B Whales
P.S. If you’re serious about scaling, join our Whales Club - our premium B2B community with weekly expert sessions, deal feedback, and the resources we actually use to close. Membership starts at $100/month only - cancel anytime.