Using a strong, projected voice is one of the most fundamental ways to create a lively, exciting presentation. A robust voice also creates an image of knowledge, credibility, and authority. Still, in my work as a speech coach at colleges and corporate settings, I have found most people must be cajoled to speak louder. Let’s look at the reasons for this reticence and also why projecting your voice is a vital part of a powerful presentation.

Why don’t we project our voices?

• While children are seldom scolded for soft voices, they are often scolded for being too boisterous. For adults, “raising one’s voice” can have the negative connotations of anger or conflict. In my classes, women are especially prone to very soft voices. Are we still teaching young girls that it is “more feminine” to speak quietly?

• Since we don’t practice projecting our voice, when we do try to speak with more volume we can feel especially self-conscious. Even when my students are speaking with a moderate intensity, they fear they are “screaming.” Because we hear ourselves “from the inside,” our new volume may feel overdone. And if we raise our voices without care –while screaming at a football game or concert– we may end up with very sore vocal cords and hoarseness. We may conclude that we don’t have the ability to project our voices safely.

• I’ve also found that too many of us dislike our voices in the same ways that we dislike our appearance. If a speaker fears that her voice is too high, too nasal-sounding or too raspy, she will probably be reluctant (at least unconsciously) to be louder.

• Finally, on a deep level, we must be willing to let our ideas and feelings be heard by others. Latent fears of ridicule or rejection can keep us from projecting our voice.

Why should we project?

• When lecturing to a class I demonstrate what good projection can accomplish. First, I talk to the group at a conversational level. My audience can hear me but the energy of the room feels low and the group has to really focus, lean in and “work” to concentrate. When I raise my voice to a “presentational level,” they can relax. I’m delivering my voice to them, full of vitality and vigor. They don’t have to meet my voice halfway– my speech goes to them. And, if I put energy into my voice it will also come out in animated eyes, facial expressions, and gestures. I won’t need to artificially impose fake movements; the energy I’m using to project my voice will pour naturally into these non-verbal enhancements of my message. These gestures and facial expressions, combined with a strong volume (and other paralanguage dimensions such as variations in pitch and tempo) create a liveliness that separates good speakers from great ones.

• Ultimately projection equals energy. In this age of microphones, the primary reason to project your voice is to radiate energy and excitement about your message. In a large room it may be necessary to use amplification, but we should still project our voice. Human Resource professionals advise candidates to stand and smile even when talking in phone interviews. Why? Because human beings are so sensitive to nuance that we can sense enthusiasm and energy through the subtleties in a voice. It is easier to project those positive attributes when standing and smiling. And projecting.

How should we project?

• The interplay of breath, diaphragm, and vocal cords can be complicated–singers and actors may study vocal projection for decades. For our purposes we can simplify projection into two major concerns: keeping the throat open and using breath to project the voice. While singers and actors are taught to approach these areas through exercises and technical understanding, it is also possible to approach vocal production through its psychological dimension.

• Have you ever been in a dire situation and your voice poured forth naturally? I noticed this for the first time when I yelled for my puppy to come back from a busy street. Because of the danger, my need to be heard by Sophie trumped any self-consciousness. It is our reticence, our internal conflict about how much we really want to be heard, that creates tightness in our throat. This tension prevents the vocal cords from working freely. The first step, therefore, is to free our mind. We have to desire to be heard.

• Once we are willing to be heard we need to breathe deeply. Our voices are formed by breath traveling past our vocal cords–more breath means that the voice can travel farther. Looser clothing will allow us to bring a deep breath down into our chest and then to our belly. All of this may feel very foreign and “wrong” but with practice, deep breathing and a strong voice will become a new habit that feels “natural.”

We all have different vocal capacities. You’ll need to find what your own voice can do. Experiment with producing more sound beyond your current comfort zone. If you have a partner who can give you honest feedback, it can be easier since you won’t have to depend on your own “inner ear” for guidance. An outside source can reassure you that your voice sounds terrific and it isn’t “too much.” Audio and videotapes can also be used for guidance—if you can avoid being too critical of how you sound and look

While some speakers are naturally blessed with more resonant tones, anyone can learn to use their voice with more authority and power. Just as a confident attitude helps to create a winning appearance, any voice can be made more appealing if it is projected with conviction. And just as an “imperfect” feature can be alluring, an “imperfect” voice can captivate—remember Janis Joplin?

Laura Lewis-Barr is a writer, speaker, and trainer. She has taught and consulted at colleges in California and Illinois since 1991. Need help with a presentation? Contact info for Laura can be found at www.elgin.edu/corporatetraining.