Projecting your voice to reach the entire room can be difficult. Use these four tips to use the power of your voice more effectively:
- Do a test. Have a friend sit in the back of a large room or auditorium. Project your voice as you would during a speech. Write down your perceived volume, using a scale of 1 to 10. Ask the friend to do the same, and compare. You may be surprised to find that your friend found you far quieter than you assumed. Use that as a benchmark for increasing your volume.
- Breathe. It’s easy to take short, shallow breaths when your nerves get the best of you. That causes your throat muscles to tense, making your voice less powerful. Breathe deeply while you’re speaking to give your voice more carrying power.
- Articulate carefully. Speak clearly and crisply. Your voice will naturally lift up and project further.
- Focus in on the audience. When you speak directly to someone, you naturally speak so that they can hear. Don’t let your gaze just brush over the crowd. Zero in on the people you want to reach, and your voice will become stronger.
— Adapted from “How to Project Your Voice,” Lisa Marshall, www.quickanddirtytips.com.