Printed Page 379

Volume refers to how loud or soft your voice is as you deliver a speech. Some speakers are not audible enough, while others are too audible. A guiding rule for volume: be loud enough so that everyone in your audience can hear you, but not so loud as to drive away the listeners positioned closest to you.

The biggest challenge for many presenters is speaking loudly enough to be heard. Since audience members don’t have the option of “turning up the volume,” you will need to provide that volume yourself when there is no microphone available. If you speak too softly and don’t project enough, your listeners may have trouble hearing you. They may even see you as timid or uncertain—which could damage your credibility.

Yet speaking too loudly presents a different set of problems. A student named Jason once gave an informative presentation in one of our classes. During his speech, many listeners in the front row began leaning back in their chairs. He was speaking so loudly that his listeners were trying to put some distance between themselves and him.

When you begin preparing your delivery, think about your volume level. How loud is your natural speaking voice? If you aren’t certain, ask some friends or relatives to give you an assessment. Then consider your audience for the speech presentation, as well as your speaking forum. How will the size of the audience or the room affect you? Finally, focus on visual cues from your audience while delivering your speech to help you determine whether your volume level is appropriate, and adjust your volume as needed.