Is Uptalk Undermining Your Presentation? (or is it a non-issue because everyone talks that way now?)

Uptalk, also called upspeak, is when a statement is made with an upward-drifting inflection that makes it sound like a question. For example, a declaration of fact such as “I have a new car” sounds like “I have a new car?” — in contrast to a falling pitch that traditionally signals an assertion.

If like me, you’re over 45, it’s likely that you don’t use uptalk, or at least not much, and you associate it exclusively with younger generations. If you’re under 45, you might not have known what uptalk was before you read the last paragraph; it’s become so ingrained as to be unnoticed. Like social media, it’s now a cultural norm.

I have no issue with the use of uptalk in conversations. Like a Scottish brogue or a Louisiana drawl, I can unconsciously pick it up myself after spending only a few minutes with those who speak with it. But, like too much perfume or cologne, uptalk is a serious distraction in business presentations when overused or applied at the wrong moments. More on that later.

First, a little history.

Socio-Linguists differ on where and when uptalk started, though some have tracked its domestic origins to the early 1980s, with the influence of young women in California’s San Fernando Valley, whose distinctive speaking styles Frank Zappa parodied in his 1982 hit song “Valley Girl.” When 20-somethings of that era (men, too) brought their rising inflection into business presentations it conveyed only two things to their elders and superiors — youthful uncertainty and deference, qualities that immediately made the presenter, and therefore his or her message, unpersuasive.

For years, the tentative-sounding lilt of uptalk was considered a serious credibility killer in business, a weed to be yanked — as invasive and annoying as “ahhh” and “ummm.” That is until it crept into the speech of business leaders. Today, nobody bats an eye when a CEO tells the ranks “We are moving forward” with an inflection that only a few years ago would’ve been mistaken for a question. Though uptalk is ubiquitous, I often hear it as a major missed opportunity to make a far more powerful impact.

In my presentation coaching, I help people bring their strengths forward while reducing vocal and physical behaviors that weaken their message. I don’t consider uptalk a problem unless one of these three conditions is present:

• Preference: the speaker specifically requests help in eliminating uptalk
• Monotony: his or her use of uptalk in presentations is chronic
• Weakness: the uptalk undermines the power of a specific statement

The first bullet speaks for itself, so let’s look at the other two, monotony and weakness.

Monotony. In public speaking, it’s important to vary the vocal inflection to hold the attention of the audience. If a presenter is stuck in uptalk, the predictability can be lulling to listeners and make it easy to tune him or her out; the same holds true for an unchanging rate of speech or a lifeless monotone. The most effective presenters use their voices for expressiveness, to convey feeling, emphasis and nuance, not just as a vehicle for speech.

Weakness. Persuasion is not the goal of every presentation; a quick report on third-quarter earnings might not require the audience to take action. But when a presenter must emphasize a major point, brag, issue a challenge, or deliver a commanding call to action, uptalk won’t cut it — only an unmistakable tone of conviction will do. And that requires ending those crucial, let-me-be-clear messages with a downward, gravity-compliant inflection.

On youtube, you can hear that decisiveness in keynotes by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and General Motors chairman and CEO Mary T. Barra, respectively, and in an interview with Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh. Their declarative inflections convey authority. Each speaker makes it clear they are not seeking approval. They are not exploring ideas. They are leveling with their listeners. The context of their messages calls for periods, not question marks. And the speakers deliver.

So far I’ve focused on the downside of uptalk. I’ll now remove my jacket and tie to chat about the upside …

Because uptalk is so common in daily discourse, its use in presentations can make a speaker sound casual and conversational — evident in the first 15 seconds of an interview with the affable Scott Smith, CEO of Central Coast Surfboards. It can make an intimidating presenter seem friendlier and an older speaker more youthful (though let’s hope we never hear U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg fall into it).

The rising inflection gives a presentation an inclusive ring that seems to ask the listener “Are you with me? You know what I’m saying, right? Can you relate?” Uptalk can, therefore, sound engaging or even solicitous. There’s no whiff of the autocratic (unless, of course, an autocrat uses it).

An upward lift might even soften bad news or criticism, as in “Before I talk about our goals, I want to discuss your performance?” The message might be serious but the inviting intonation could suggest a possible stay of execution.

Uptalk maximizes understatement. Putting a question mark at the end of a sentence such as “We need to be more profitable” states the obvious with a subtle tone of condescension, as if daring the dullards to disagree.

Provided it’s not monotonous or used in moments that demand a declarative tone, presenter uptalk is not a virus in need of curing. However … (jacket and tie back on now) its tentative quality is magnified to a self-defeating degree when used in combination with the near-epidemic use of qualifiers that severely undermine speakers’ authority and persuasiveness. I’ll cover those power-robbing presentation habits in an upcoming blog.

This piece was first published on the blog See The Potential.