Low and Slow: The 2-word trick that can transform your job interviews

I bombed an interview for a senior role at Google years ago.

The feedback I got was:

“Jenny doesn’t have executive presence.”

I was crushed. What does that even mean?

Turns out, it meant I talked too fast and my voice was too high-pitched.

I sounded anxious. Junior. Like I was trying too hard to prove myself.

Which, to be fair, I absolutely was.

Last week, a CNBC reporter told me the best interview advice she ever got: “Low and slow.”

Lower your voice. Slow down your pace.

That’s it. Two words that would’ve saved me that promotion.

The Problem

When you’re nervous, your voice does two things automatically:

It goes up in pitch. It speeds up.

This happens in job interviews. Presentations to leadership. Meetings with your boss’s boss.

You sound like this: “Oh my gosh I have so many ideas about this project and I think we should definitely consider doing X and also Y and maybe Z too and—”

High. Fast. Breathless.

Even if your ideas are brilliant, you sound inexperienced. Like you’re not in control.

Here’s what I learned the hard way:

People judge your competence based on how you sound, not just what you say.

I know this all too well.

My mother-in-law is constantly telling me to slow down when I talk.

And recently, I was on the phone with my childhood best friend when her 9-year-old son Drew piped up from the backseat: “Mom, is she talking at 1.5x speed?”

I’ve probably lost deals — maybe even jobs — because I talk high and fast when I’m excited or nervous.

The Big Small Thing

Before any high-stakes conversation, remind yourself:

“Low and slow.”

• Lower your voice.

Drop your pitch slightly. Think about how senior executives speak. They don’t use that cheerful, upward inflection at the end of sentences. (The official name for this is Upseak or HRT: High Rising Terminal.)

• Slow down your pace.

Take pauses between thoughts. Breathe. Let your words land before rushing to the next sentence.

When you slow down, you signal: I’m confident enough in what I’m saying that I don’t need to rush through it.

5 ways to use low and slow:

1. Job interviews.

You’re already nervous. Your natural instinct is to speed up. Fight it. Take a breath before answering each question.

2. Presentations to senior leadership.

High and fast makes you sound like you’re not sure they’ll listen. Low and slow makes you sound like what you’re saying matters.

3. Meetings with your boss’s boss.

This is where executive presence shows up. Slow down. Lower your pitch. Sound like you belong in the room.

4. Difficult conversations.

When stakes are high, people rush. Don’t. The slower and lower you go, the more gravitas you have.

5. When you’re about to send a voice memo.

Honestly, low and slow would probably save you from having to re-record it three times. (Not that I know anything about that.)

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How This Helps You Get What You Want

I still talk high and fast all the time. Especially when I’m excited.

But I’m aware of it now.

And in moments that matter — client calls, keynote speeches, negotiations — I consciously drop my voice and slow my pace.

It works. People listen differently. They take me more seriously.

Two words. Massive impact.

Low and slow.