TALKING LIKE A HYPNOTIST
“it's not your tone. it's word choice and variation.”
The Lesson
When you hear someone talking like a hypnotist, you assume it's the calm tone. It's not. One of the best hypnotists ever had a terrible voice. What matters: (1) Word choice. Specific words have power, regardless of delivery. (2) Variation. Sameness puts people to sleep, but varying your pace (fast then suddenly slow) creates surprise and attention. (3) Punching random words. Broadcasters emphasize certain words to keep things interesting. The 'hypnotist voice' is really about managing attention through variation, not creating a mood through tone.
Real-World Example
A founder practicing their investor pitch. Wrong focus: speak calmly and smoothly throughout. Right focus: vary the pace dramatically. Speed through the market context, then slow way down on the key insight. Punch the numbers. 'We have FIFTY thousand users.' The variation keeps investors engaged. Monotone pitches, even calm, confident ones, lose attention.
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