April 24, 2025
Ever wonder why some people sound instantly confident—even when they’re saying the exact same words as everyone else? It often comes down to how they say it, not what they say.
Most of us speak with a baseline volume around a three out of ten—and we don’t even realize it.
The good news? You don’t need to shout or fake it. Just a few small tweaks can make a big difference. Here are three simple strategies to help you speak louder, sound more confident, and still feel like you.
Every single day, you have dozens of encounters with strangers—chatting with that cashier, asking for directions, saying hi to a new client. Those are the perfect moments to practice raising your baseline volume.
Yes, it will feel weird at first. It will feel unnatural. But you’ll be shocked how much more confident you’ll appear just by changing how loud you speak.
But you’re probably wondering, hey, do I have to do this with strangers? Can I just try this out with family and friends?
Technically, yes—but I wouldn’t recommend it. I tried it back in the days with my mom, and seconds in she interrupted me and said,
“Phillip, you sound so weird. What’s wrong with you?”
Your family is the toughest crowd. The moment that they see just a tiny change, they’ll tell you that this is weird, that this is not you.
So what I would recommend is start to practice with strangers, and once that starts to feel a little bit more natural, move to your family and closest friends.
Take any book—ideally one that is interesting but not too complicated—and read it out loud for 10 minutes. For example, this one – start reading it at a baseline volume of five to six:
“Generosity reveals our deeper existential concerns. What does it look like to make others and myself happy? What do boundaries look like as an act of love? What does it mean to be my authentic self while accommodating others?”
This time, push yourself to speak at maybe a seven, eight, or even nine.
Yes, much louder than it feels comfortable.
Now why should you do that? Because going all this way, you’ll start raising your level of comfort. And once you do that for a few weeks, you’ll actually start to feel much more comfortable and settle at that baseline level of five or six.
But what if you’ve got this big presentation coming up soon and you want to make sure that you’re speaking loud enough?
That’s when we go to strategy three.
A few years ago, I shared a story at this storytelling open mic night here in Amsterdam. Beautiful story—I thought it was—it was just wow.
But after my story, the organizer came up to me and said,
“Hey, um, great story… well, the parts I could actually hear.”
It turned out that half of the room didn’t understand my story because I was speaking too low.
So I asked my coach,
“How can I fix that the next time?”
And he said,
“Philip, I’ve got something for you—but it’s a little bit awkward.”
Intrigued, I asked him,
“So what is it?”
And he said,
“I want you to go to a park, find a big tree, stand 10 meters away from that tree, and speak to that tree as if it was your actual audience.”
A few days later, I tried it out. Yes, it was awkward. People looked at me like I was crazy.
But the next time I was on stage, I could instantly feel the difference. My voice was louder, clearer, and sounded much more confident.
Confidence isn’t about being the loudest person in the room—it’s about being heard, understood, and felt. And the best part? It’s a skill you can build, one small step at a time.
Whether you’re saying hello to a cashier, reading aloud in your living room, or practicing with a tree in the park, each moment is a chance to strengthen your voice and presence.
So don’t wait for the “perfect” opportunity. Start today. Speak up—just a little louder. You might be surprised by how powerful you already are.
Give these tips a try and see how they feel in real conversations.
And if you’re ready to take things up a notch, don’t miss this next article where I reveal the “CAR” that will bring your story listeners on an unforgettable ride.
Enjoy.
P.S. Want to become a stronger communicator?
Here are two ways I can support you:
👉 Want to tell more engaging stories? Join our next Storytelling Workshop.
👉 Want to speak with confidence and clarity? Check out our Communication Skills Training.
Both are fun, practical, and designed to help you grow fast.
Are you ready to transform your storytelling skills?
Discover how your storytelling skills score and uncover useful insights to help you become a charismatic storyteller:
