How to Use Your Public Speaking Voice With Power and Presence

You’ve done the work, you understand your audience and have crafted the conversation you want to have, know your story inside out, and you’ve pictured what success looks like.

Now comes the part many presenters overlook: how you use your voice.

Effective communication is both verbal and nonverbal. The words you choose matter enormously, but how you say them matters just as much.

The Misunderstood Research Everyone Quotes Wrong

I’m often disturbed by how frequently Professor Albert Mehrabian’s research is misquoted. You’ve probably heard the claim:

“Communication is 7% verbal, 38% vocal, 55% body language.”

That’s not what he said. Mehrabian’s study did not conclude that 93% of communication is nonverbal, and he did not say that words don’t matter.

What he actually found was, when we express feelings and our words and nonverbal cues conflict, people tend to believe the nonverbal cues. In other words, it’s all about congruence.

If your tone, expression, and body language contradict your message, people won’t trust what you say.

This is why sincerity, belief, and alignment are essential in public speaking.

Words Still Matter — More Than Ever

I recently attended a high-profile digital technology conference.

The speakers were passionate, energetic, colourful, and animated; everything you’d expect from global brand executives, but the message was meaningless.

The content was weak, ill-considered, and self-indulgent. Their delivery was brilliant, but their words offered nothing of value.

It’s a common mistake.

A great public speaking voice is not enough. Your content must offer something that improves your audience’s professional or personal lives.

Once your content is rich, relevant, and rewarding, then you can turn your attention to your voice.

Your Voice Is One of Your Greatest Tools

Every presenter has a powerful instrument, their voice, yet many are unaware of the influence it carries.

We’ve all sat through presentations delivered in a monotone manner and felt our energy drain as the speaker drones on.

Your voice has the power to:

– Enthuse

– Excite

– Inspire

– Motivate

It can also:

– Concern

– Anger

– Assert

– Depress

Your audience will judge your sincerity, passion, and credibility by the sound of your voice alone, so we need to use it mindfully.

How to Use Your Public Speaking Voice Effectively

The mindful presenter pays close attention to how they want their audience to feel, and uses their voice to create that feeling.

Here’s how.

Volume

Your first responsibility is to be heard, but volume isn’t just about loudness; it’s about variation.

If your volume never changes, your audience will drift into a hypnotic trance.

Use volume to:

– Emphasise key points

– Signal a shift in idea or theme

– Draw your audience closer

– Build towards a moment

Raising or lowering your voice with intention creates texture and interest.

Tone

Tone communicates emotion. Try expressing passion with a flat, sombre tone; it won’t land.
Try sounding authoritative while speaking with desperation; it won’t work.

The key is congruence.

Whatever you want your audience to feel, you must feel it first. If you’re telling a story, don’t just narrate it, re-live it.

Great speakers use tone to highlight meaning and connect emotionally.

Pace

Vary your pace by slowing down for emphasis and speeding up to convey energy and excitement.

If you tend to speak too fast, which is a common habit, build in meaningful pauses.

Practice reading aloud at different speeds and volumes. Find the rhythm that feels natural and keeps your audience engaged.

Pause

A well-placed pause is the jewel in the crown of your public speaking voice.

It can:

– Build curiosity

– Create impact

– Give your audience time to absorb your message

– Give you time to breathe and stay present

Pauses add gravitas, create drama, and give significance to your words.

Pitch

Imagine listening to music with no variation in pitch, rhythm, or melody; you wouldn’t listen for long. The same is true for speaking.

Varying the highs and lows of your vocal range, your pitch can helps you to sound like a:

– Commander

– Motivator

– Facilitator

– Analyst

Every presenter has this range; most simply don’t use it. Take our free style quiz to get some insight into how you may come across.

Record Your Voice

Most speakers have never heard themselves properly.

Record your voice from time to time and listen back with curiosity, not judgment.

Ask yourself:

– Could I listen to myself?

– How do I make myself feel?

– Does my voice help or hinder the emotional experience I want to create?

Awareness is the first step to mastery.

Your Voice Shapes the Entire Experience

Your public speaking voice is not just a tool; it’s an emotional instrument. It shapes how your audience feels, how they interpret your message, and how they remember you. Use it with intention, awareness and congruence.

If you need a little help developing your public speaking voice:

– Book yourself onto a powerful public speaking course.

– Invest in some really good one to one public speaking coaching.

– Get yourself some excellent presentation training

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