Vielleicht kennst du das. Du sollst vor einer größeren Gruppe sprechen und weißt schon im voraus, dass Deine Stimme nicht laut genug sein wird, um den Raum auszufüllen und die Zuhörer in den hinteren Reihen zu erreichen. Mit diesem Gefühl trittst Du dann vor Deine Gäste und sagst zu Dir selbst leise: “Ich kann einfach nicht so laut sprechen. Ich bin halt einfach eher introvertiert und leise. Und ich will meine Persönlichkeit auch nicht verbiegen, nur um lauter zu sprechen!”

Do you still remember "Sister Act", the wonderful film with Whoopi Goldberg from 1992? The scene when Whoopi motivates her shy colleague in the nun's choir to free her voice is legendary. And elicits sounds from the reserved girl that echo sonorously throughout the nave.

I want to take up this image today and make you understand the speaking technique behind it. And at the same time, show how you can appear sonorously and vocally convincing with echo-oriented speaking without denying your personality.

As a sensitive person, can you speak loudly and fill the room?

Echo-oriented speech is a technique used by professional speakers that is used to Voice full , louder and more convincing. You make the vowels of your words sound a little longer by waiting for the reverberation of your voice while you speak. This technique is especially helpful if you count yourself among the more introverted people and sometimes have the impression that your voice is too quiet .

Room-filling or echo-oriented speaking is the stylistic device that many of the most famous studio speakers use to give their voice that very special timbre.

With the reverberation orientation of your voice, you can do it:

  • to reach even the backmost listeners of your presentation effortlessly, without to speak loudly
  • Give your voice a full, warm and sonorous sound
  • Give the topics of your presentations even more impact

Is it perhaps better to be extroverted?

Oftmals scheint es, dass der Lauteste die Aufmerksamkeit bekommt. Wenn Du als eher introvertierte Person jedoch dennoch Gehör finden willst, solltest Du nicht versuchen, den Extrovertierten nachzueifern. Vielleicht hast Du ohnehin bereits erlebt, dass der Versuch, absichtlich “laut” zu sprechen, schnell die Voice and even more so leads to a flat or monotonous speech.

Use your own strengths

So let's use the special strength of introversion: your sensitivity. With this special speaking technique, you use your ability to listen and your feeling for nuances. You'll use all of this to make your voice resonate with the environment and create a powerful sound that transmits. And it will help you maintain a melodious voice instead of straining to be loud.

Erst einmal angewandt, wird Dir das echoorientierte Sprechen erlauben, auch in größeren Räume mühelos ohne Verstärkung zu sprechen. Du vermittelst dadurch Deine Anliegen und Themen mühelos und klangvoll, ohne Kraft aufzuwenden. Du vermeidest dabei den negativen Effekt, den die Bemühung “laut” zu sprechen besonders für eher introvertierte Menschen mit sich bringt. Anstatt zu schreien oder Deine Stimme zu strapazieren, kannst du deine Botschaft auf angenehme und natürliche Weise vermitteln.

First steps to experience the spatial sound of your voice

To learn the technique of echo-oriented speaking, you should first practice in an empty room with good acoustics. This can be a long corridor in the apartment, a large empty hall, a stairwell or even your bathroom.

So, if you're in a place with a high-volume reverberation, start with a single vowel:

  • Sende mit geführtem Atem ein langgezogenes “e” in den Raum und lausche währenddessen dem Nachhall Deiner Stimme
  • Reduziere nun deutlich die Lautstärke. Stelle Dir vor, Dein hauchzartes “eee” tönte gerade so leise oder laut, dass es eine feine Klangkugel um Deinen Kopf herum bilden kann
  • Vergrößere nun mit geschlossenen Augen und gespitzten Ohren beim nächsten langgezogenen “eee” diesen klingenden “E”-Raum.
  • Repeat the exercise gently until you hear the sound of your voice returning to your ears from the different directions of the room.

Experience how your voice gains volume, carrying power and clarity.

How can this be done a pleasant, full tone?

To understand why the sound of your voice changes when you listen and listen while speaking, let's first look at the role of hearing in speaking.

You are probably aware that both your ears are listening when you speak. As soon as your voice sounds, the sound lands on your eardrums after barely fifteen centimeters. The sound, the so-called Primary sound , so it doesn't have to be loud to be caught by ourselves.

Wherever you are when you speak, the sound reaches your environment and is reflected back to your ears more or less clearly. This Reverberation is significantly attenuated compared to primary sound.

If you are now one of the more introverted contemporaries, your hearing has become accustomed to being satisfied with the quiet primary sound of your voice over the course of your life. A habit has developed – and you think your voice is just too quiet.

Learning from extroverts without imitating them

Maybe you're asking yourself now: What actually makes the extros sound louder? Is it just the more active body language, the more expressive gestures, or is there something else?

It is their clearer desire to receive confirmation from the room and from the bystanders. They therefore speak clearly Space-oriented .

  • Their ears, one could say, wait with the release of the next vocal sound until the reverberation of the previous one has returned to the ear.
  • The sounding sounds of the language, especially the vowels, take a little longer as a result. The Vocal Space is stretched, as it is called in technical jargon.

The body has to use a little more energy. And already the sound volume of the voice grows, the voice vibrates in the room.

Echo-Oriented Speech: Starting with the Litany

Back to Whoopie Goldberg and the film scene in the long and high nave. Because now it's time to apply the newly acquired technique not only to individual vowels as above, but to speaking.

Anyone who has ever spoken in a similarly large and reverberant room knows the effect that arises when you stretch the individual vowels of a word for a long time. It sounds like an exaggerated litany.

Meinen Kunden empfehle ich, für den folgenden Trainingsschritt die Zählworte “einundzwanzig, zweiundzwanzig” etc. zu verwenden:

  • dehne jeden einzelnen Vokal dieser Worte lange aus, bevor Du zum nächsten Laut wechselst. Das wird dann so klingen: “aaaaiiiinuuuundzwaaaanziiiich, zwaaaaiiiiuuundzwaaaanziiiich” usw.
  • The exercise is particularly effective if you close your eyes while speaking to give your hearing full attention.
  • Pay close attention to the reverberation of your voice and imagine that you are surrounded by these sounds.

Now speak a few sentences with the same slowness and intensity and observe exactly how the sound, power and clarity of your voice spreads throughout the room.

With a sonorous voice for more effect

Echo-oriented speech is an ideal technique for people who present themselves on stage as a introverted or insecure and want to avoid tiring the listeners and straining their own voice by speaking loudly through strained loud speech.

If you're ready to take your speaking skills to the next level, echo-oriented speaking is an invaluable technique that will help you master your speech skills with a little practice. Voice full and powerful without effort with a pleasant resonance. Your audience will appreciate your confident attitude and listen to you enthusiastically with open ears.

Have fun and success testing and applying these suggestions and tips!

Let me know how you like this post! Write your feedback and thoughts in the comments!

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Your Arno Fischbacher

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The author:

Arno Fischbacher is a business voice coach and rhetoric expert, speaker and author. He prepares executives and employees of the top companies in Germany and Austria for negotiations, presentations and media appearances. Fischbacher is the author of several books, past president of the German Speakers Association (GSA) Austria, chairman of the European Network of Voice Experts, stimme.at.

If you would like to learn more about specific training opportunities with Arno Fischbacher, make an appointment here free information talk.

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