Volume

● Many people talk too softly when giving a speech. They seem to tone things down for the audience, when in reality they should be ratcheting things up a notch. You want to be sure the last row can hear you. If your voice is naturally soft, use a microphone.

● If you use a microphone, check it out ahead of time and adjust the volume to the proper level. I’ll talk more about using a microphone in another section.

● Get a friend to help you. Have them stand in the back of the room and motion to you when your volume is too faint.

● To get your audience's attention start out especially loud in the beginning.

● Loudness and softness can be used for dramatic effect. You want a range of volume – sometimes loud, sometimes soft.

Inflection

Inflection or pitch refers to how high or low your voice sounds. It can be used to show disgust, love, surprise etc. A very high pitch should be avoided because it indicates immaturity and nervousness.

Avoid being monotone. Talking at one level for your entire speech is very boring for the audience. You don't want to put them to sleep. People speak in a monotone because they are afraid to let go and allow that emotional side show.

Pace

Because of nervousness, people often speak at a much faster rate during a speech. This faster pace sometimes causes your audience to lose your train of thought. Sometimes you may tell a joke so quickly that the audience doesn't have time to laugh. On the other hand, most audiences prefer a slightly faster pace when listening to a speaker. A more rapid pace indicates enthusiasm and energy. Speeding up and slowing down during your speech keeps the interest of the audience.

Other Vocal Qualities

● Pause
People become so used to hearing a speaker’s voice that when there is silence, they look up and listen. A long pause is an excellent way to start a talk. Plan for pauses in your speech. You can even write the word PAUSE, highlighted in yellow, on your note cards. If you have to, silently count to three to force yourself to slow down.

● Emphasis
By putting the emphasis on different words, you come up with totally different meanings. Try saying the same sentence with different emphasis.

● Timing
Listen to professional speakers and comedians to learn timing. Listen to one of their stories and then try to tell it yourself with the same timing.
Practice, practice, practice.

● Articulation/Pronunciation
Avoid mispronunciation of words. When in doubt look it up in the dictionary. Pay particular attention to words ending in "ing." Frequently, "going" becomes "gonna.” While “gonna” may be okay for everyday usage, it should be eliminated from most speeches.

Your audience judges your performance by your grammar and pronunciation. If you have trouble in this area, write out your speech word for word and then read it out loud, pronouncing each word clearly. You may also use your computer’s “grammar checker” to look for potential problems.

● Enthusiasm and Excitement
You and your voice need to be energized and excited to give a dynamic speech. Enthusiasm will win over nervousness. If you’re not enthusiastic about what you have to say, then why say it?