Brisbane voice coach Sally Prosser shares her journey from TV journalist to running her own business – all while becoming a viral sensation on social media platformTikTok.
Most people will tell you they hate their voice when they hear it on a recording. Cue Brisbane voice coach, Sally Prosser.
After meeting Sally, you are immediately captured by her voice, and for good reason. A former TV news reporter, she has worked with many top TV journalists, radio presenters and commentators to help them develop their voice and presentation.
Sally has a certain confidence and presence that can’t be faked, which is probably why her TikTok account has more than 330,000 fans and millions of views.
We sat down with Business News Australia’s 2020 Young Entrepreneur of the Year (PR & Media) to find out what makes her tick, and to get her tips for finding your voice – both on social media and in person.
Leveraging social media: Learn, love, laugh
Leveraging social media for her business has become second nature to Sally.
“I’m on every social media platform and I post prolifically,” she says. “My social media motto is learn, love, laugh. I’m always putting something out where people learn something, where they’re inspired to love themselves or their voice or have a laugh.
“I find that when people slide into my DMs or go to my website, they feel like they already know me. Social media does most of the heavy lifting for me, in terms of lead generation.”
Sally has found that when it comes to reaching a new and engaged audience, TikTok has an edge over other platforms.
“Tiktok has this thing called the For You Page (FYP), and the beauty of FYP is that your content is constantly being put in front of a new audience,” she says. “The algorithm is so good – it’s not just a new audience, it’s people who are actually likely to be interested in your content.
“The content rolls for ages. My first viral video was in February 2020, and I went from 45 followers to more than 10,000 in a week. That video is still getting views this morning. It’s almost at two million views.”
Don’t be shy
For businesses looking to build up their social media presence, Sally says there’s simply no substitute for getting in front of the camera.
“You need to get your face and voice in front of the camera and not care what people think,” she says.
“You have to keep showing up, even if it flops at first. Keep trying, keep experimenting and you never know when you might strike gold. The TikToks that have gone viral are the ones I never expected to, so you just never know.”
While the potential reach and impact of a platform like TikTok is huge, taking advantage of it requires the ability to capture attention immediately.
“Attention spans are getting so short, so think about how you can hook your audience in five seconds,” Sally says.
“I’d encourage every business owner to get in front of the camera. All you have to do is get out your phone and share the benefit of your offer or service and upload it. You can reach thousands of potential customers within half an hour.”
Work on your ‘Golden Triangle’
While most of Sally’s business is done online, she still stresses the importance of having the confidence to reach out and make meaningful face-to face connections.
“Connections are so important in business,” she says. “I often tell my young journalism students, it’s not what you know, but it’s the relationships you build.
“I believe business is about relationships. I try to build my relationships across the board but my podcast – That Voice Podcast – is very helpful for that. I might see somebody on social media and think, ‘I really like what they’re about’, and inviting them onto the podcast gives me a good reason to reach out. You get to know them, and you really strengthen that relationship.”
If you don’t think you have the confidence to reach out and make connections, Sally recommends focusing on what she calls ‘The Golden Triangle’.
“I believe if you connect with your voice, you’ll connect with others,” she says.
“So much of the work I do is around ‘The Golden Triangle’, which is mind, body and breath. Be aware of what’s running through your mind, because negative thoughts can sabotage us before we even start speaking.
“Then dropping down to the body, how are you feeling? How can you move that nervous energy through you?
“Then, of course, breathing. Oxygen fuels our voice, so if you can get that air in and air out, then you’ve got your voice.”
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