Voice tips for presenting – aim for the Goldilocks formula
- Theresa Miller
- Aug 14, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: Aug 15, 2025
Your voice conveys so many messages beyond the actual words you use. You want your delivery to be well paced so you're engaging while making it easy for your audience to follow your logic.
If you speak too fast, you'll sound flustered or nervous and people might miss what you're saying.
Then again, when you speak too slowly, you'll bore people to tears.
Aim for the 'Goldilocks and the Three Bears' formula – not too fast, not too slow, but just right.
The same principle applies to volume. Avoid shouting at everybody.
That's terrifying and off-putting, like a red-faced soccer coach screaming at the under-12s team.
Conversely, you don't want to speak too softly, either, because then you'll sound uncertain and lacking in authority. However, when we intentionally lower our voice at key points, we invite people to listen intently, as if we're sharing a juicy secret they don't want to miss.
Don't put the em-pha-sis on the wrong syll-able.
Emphasis on key words is vital to the meaning of your message. Here's a quick exercise. Say this sentence out loud – six times. Each time you say it, emphasise the italicised word. Go on, ham it up:
I didn't say he stole the money.
I didn't say he stole the money.
I didn't say he stole the money.
I didn't say he stole the money.
I didn't say he stole the money.
I didn't say he stole the money.
Depending on which word you stress, you change the story's meaning. Be deliberate about which words, statistics or phrases you highlight. It can be useful to emphasise statistics, because they're harder for most people to grasp the first time they hear them.
What about your tone and intonation?
Are you speaking enthusiastically and positively? Or are you speaking in a serious, sombre tone? Of course, it will depend on the subject. You won't be speaking in a happy voice if there's been a terrible accident.
There also needs to be variety in your pace, volume, emphasis, tone and intonation. If you speak in a monotone, you'll sound like a train rumbling rhythmically over the tracks, over and over, rocking your audience to sleep.
Your tone and intonation are also connected to your vocal register.
Most adults limit themselves to a narrow band of their potential vocal range. We've lost the impressive wail we had as babies – thank goodness – although sometimes it comes out when we're cheering for our football team or singing karaoke.
You probably have a far greater range than you normally use.
Most leaders tend to command with deeper, warmer voices. But beware. Don’t try to make your voice too low or you may end up with vocal fry and damage your vocal cords.
Some young women deliberately use vocal fry because they believe a husky voice sounds cool and sexy. If you’re a trained singer, a dash of fry can add a certain desirable timbre to your song, but using it all the time, in your day-to-day speaking voice, is like sunbaking your vocal cords.
Instead, speak louder and use your full breath to vibrate your vocal cords freely.
(This is an excerpt from my upcoming book – Speaking Up – due out in February 2026 published by NewSouth Books.)
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