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Many people think that to project your voice, you just need to turn the dial up to a Level 10.

But when you increase your vocal volume without changing your delivery, 9 times out of 10 you’re going to came across as angry, arrogant or just a W⚓.

The Volume Trap

When we try to project our voice, we often tighten up. We push the air out harder, our faces get serious, and our tone becomes flat and aggressive.

This is especially difficult in the workplace and often made harder for women due to a common double standard;

• When a man projects forcefully, people say: “Look at him taking control.”
• When a woman uses that same force, people say: “She’s being a bit difficult.”

It’s a tough line to walk. But whether you are a man or a woman, the secret to how to project your voice without yelling comes down to one missing ingredient.

The Secret Ingredient: Melody

If you want to increase your volume without sounding angry, you must add melody to your voice.

Think about it:

If I walked onto stage at one of my in person events and barked, “ARE YOU READY TO START?” with zero inflection, I would sound like a drill sergeant. I sound like a W⚓.

But if I say, “Hey! Are you ready to start?” with a bit of a lift and musicality, the anger disappears.

High Volume + Flat Tone = Angry/Aggressive

High Volume + Melody = Engaging/Authoritative

How to Talk Louder Without Sounding Angry

Here is the simple 3-step formula to fix your projection:

1. Add Vocal Melody – Don’t let your voice stay on one flat note. When you project, imagine you are singing the words slightly more than usual. This softens the blow of the high volume while keeping the energy high.

2. Watch Your Face – A slight smile or even just relaxed facial muscles helps the audience perceive your volume as passion rather than anger.

3. The Authority Finish (End on a Low Pitch) – This is the most important part for your credibility. While you want melody in the middle of your sentences, you must end on a low pitch.

Many people make the mistake of “upspeaking” (ending a sentence like it’s a question). When you do this at a high volume, you lose all authority. People think you’re seeking approval.

Instead:

• Start with melody.
• Project from your core.
• Drop your pitch at the very end of the sentence.

Final Thought

The next time you need to command a room, just remember:

Add vocal melody, keep your face engaged, and land your sentences on a low, firm note. 👊

Ever find yourself halfway through a sentence only to realise you have no idea where it’s going?

The panic sets in as you become painfully aware that you’re rambling so your brain tries to buy time by resorting to saying “umm”, “ahh” and other filler words.

Most people think their inability to communicate concisely is a “speaking” problem which can only be fixed via expanding their vocabulary.

However, the reality is:

If your speech isn’t coherent, fluent, or concise, it’s because your thinking isn’t coherent, fluent, or concise. 🤯

You are essentially trying to build a house while you’re still drawing the blueprints. Of course it’s going to look and sound messy!

We often try to speak before we have actually refined the thought. We serve up the “raw ingredients” of our ideas instead of the finished meal.

The “Immediate Answer” Trap

I used to be a victim of this too. I thought that to be a great communicator, I had to be fast.

I believed that if someone asked me a question, I had to fire back an answer within 0.5 seconds or I’d look like I didn’t know what I was talking about.

But trying to talk before you’ve thought usually leads to:

• Coming across as less fluent.
• Losing your train of thought mid-sentence.
• Using a lot of unnecessary “filler” words.
• Looking less confident than you actually are.

When we rush to speak, we sacrifice clarity for speed. And in the world of communication, clarity is king. 👑

The Secret To Speaking Concisely: The Strategic Pause

If you want to know how to speak more concisely, you have to learn to embrace the one thing most people are terrified of: The Pause. 🤫

Instead of feeling the pressure to fill the silence immediately, try this instead: 👇

• Receive the question.
• Take a moment to breathe.
• Refine the thought in your head.
• Collect your thoughts.
• Share your answer.

By taking that extra second or two to pause, you allow your brain to filter out the noise and find the most direct path to the point.

Why This Works

When you give yourself permission to think before you speak, something incredible happens.

You don’t just sound better; you appear more in control.

Taking a moment to pause tells the other person:

“I am giving your question the thought it deserves.” ✅

It changes the perception of your answer from “impulse” to “insight.”

So the next time you’re in a meeting or a conversation and you feel that urge to start talking immediately; Stop, take a breath and refine the thought.

Once you’ve given it the thought it needs, say it. You’ll find that when your thinking is concise, your speaking follows suit. 👊

If you struggle with social anxiety, I’ve taken thousands of students through this 5 step process, and I can tell you:

It works.

I believe anxiety comes simply from unfamiliarity. 

Think of it like a peanut allergy: scientists have found that a lack of exposure to peanuts early on creates the allergy. 

Today, we are so addicted to screens 📱 that we have essentially created a “peanut allergy” for social interaction.

So, how do you overcome social anxiety in a world where face-to-face interactions are becoming few and far between?  

Dan, (who is part of my team and also happens to be a qualified psychologist) taught me the answer: Exposure Therapy. 

Overcoming social anxiety by exposing yourself to social interactions isn’t about jumping into the deep end; it is about slow, gradual, (and honestly sometimes boring) progression.

But if you stick with it, I promise it will change your life. ❤️

5 Simple Ideas to Expose Yourself to Social Interactions & Overcome Your Anxiety

Level 1: The Voice Message Stop texting. Start small by sending a voice message to a friend once a day. Play with your vocal foundations while you do it – the idea here is to get comfortable with communicating with your voice rather than your fingers. 

Level 2: The Video Message Take it up a step & send a video. You might think, “Oh Vinh, that is so weird.” It is only weird because you think it is weird. As Confucius says (with my addition):

If you think you’re weird, well then you’re weird.

Send a video just sharing a thought you had about them.

Level 3: The Grocery Store Clerk Stop using the self-checkout! Go to an actual human being and while they are scanning your goods, talk to them, ask them how their day is going. 

• When they reciprocate, don’t just say “Good.” Tell them the most exciting thing that happened to you that day.
• Then, ask them: “What is the most exciting thing that happened to you today?”.
• If you are feeling brave, ask them a curly-whirly one: “What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned in the last 12 months?”. 

You will see them light up because someone actually cares about their opinion. 

Remember, simply having some good questions up your sleeve is the key to making small talk easy.

Level 4: The City Walk Go for a 30-minute walk in the city. Set a KPI (Key Performance Indicator) for yourself: You must greet 10 people. Once you master the greeting, level up: Greet, then compliment, then ask a question. Ask for a recommendation on where to eat or find good coffee.

Level 5: The Work Presentation Find an opportunity at work. Go to your manager and ask, “Hey James, do you mind if I take 2 to 5 minutes in the next team meeting to share some results I’ve found?”.

The Power of Slow Progress

I know this sounds painfully slow (and likely terrifying). But I am a believer in slow progress, so for now, simply focus on Level 1 and stop freaking out about the thought of talking to strangers on the street. 

Don’t throw shade on slow progress.  It is the most powerful form of progress in the world because it sticks. 

So, start with the voice note. 

Do the work. 

And slowly, you will realise you aren’t allergic to people anymore.

We often look at great speakers and admire their stage presence. That ability to command attention and connect with any audience within the first few seconds of their presentation.

While vocal mastery and body language are huge parts of the stage presence equation, there is a hidden third factor that creates a magnetic “energy” that audiences can’t look away from.

It isn’t a technique. It’s a mindset.

The “Level 12” Protocol

Let me explain exactly what I do to arrive on stage with the most powerful, engaging presence possible.

Before I am introduced, you’ll find me backstage amping myself up!

I want to get my energy to a Level 12 out of 10.

• I listen to really intense music.
• I do push-ups.
• I jump around.

The goal here is to get your adrenalin pumping, preparing your mind and body to arrive on stage with the same levels of energy and enthusiasm as a 5 year old who’s just consumed an entire bag of candy.🤪

The Secret: Contained Power

Here is the trick.

When I walk out onto the stage, I don’t unleash that 5 year old on a sugar-high level of chaos on the audience. That would be overwhelming!

Instead, I take that 12/10 energy that I feel inside and I physically control it down to an 8 out of 10.

This is where the magic happens.🪄

When I walk out feeling a level 12 inside, but only showing a level 8 outside, the audience can literally feel the difference. They can sense this massive reserve of power radiating just under my skin.

It creates a tension and a magnetism that is impossible to look away from. It’s that feeling of “contained power” that you see from incredible speakers all around the world.

The 3 Steps For Developing Powerful Stage Presence

If you want to develop irresistible stage presence, remember it requires a triad of skills:

1. Vocal Mastery: How you sound.
2. Body Language Mastery: How you look.
3. The Mindset Hack: Creating a surplus of energy but delivering it with control.

Try this before your next presentation. Amp yourself up in private, dial it back in public, and watch how the room responds to your energy.

Ready to master the full range of your presence?

Understanding the energy of stage presence is just the beginning. To truly command a room, you need to master your voice and your body language.

If you want to start building that foundation, I invite you to join my free live & interactive virtual masterclass. It’s the perfect place to start.

And if you are ready to fully transform how you show up in the world, check out my full range of in-person events and online communication skills courses.

Does your personality completely evaporate the moment you hit the record button? Or perhaps you freeze like a deer in the headlights when it’s your turn to present in an online meeting. 😐

The reality is, speaking to a camera is not natural. 

No one is born into the world with an innate talent for speaking on camera (not even me!) – us humans have only been recording ourselves in this way for the past couple of decades.

Yet, so many people expect themselves to be amazing at it immediately.

We watch our favourite YouTubers or communication coaches and think; 

“Oh, that’s just talking. I know how to talk. That looks easy.”

Then you switch the camera on and suddenly… you freeze. You stumble. You feel extremely awkward and ask yourself; 

“Why do I suck at this?”😞

Your brain actually starts working against you, critiquing you in real-time: 

[You’re being too much. You’re overdoing it. Your hands look weird.]

If you want to become more confident and natural sounding on camera, you have to treat it like any other skill.

The Piano Analogy

If you wanted to become a better piano player, how would you do it?

You would say to me, “Well Vinh, it’s obvious. You practice.”

And you are right. But let’s get pragmatic. You wouldn’t just think about learning piano. You would schedule it. 

You would say, “I’m going to practice for 45 minutes on Monday and 90 minutes on Wednesday.” 

You sit at the keys and you play.

But when I ask people, “How do you practice your communication skills?” they get stuck. They usually say, “I don’t know… I guess just when I’m talking to people?”

Because of that lack of clarity on how to practice, people never improve.

The Solution For Acting More Natural On Camera

So, how do you actually get more natural on camera?

Record yourself more.

I mean dedicate yourself to the process. You need to schedule time to sit down and record yourself talking.  

You do not have to post these videos anywhere online, just think of them as practice rather than performance. 

The “One Thing” Rule

Why is this process so important? It isn’t just about repetition; it’s about review.

When you record yourself on video, watch it back and with just one question in mind:

“What is one thing I can do better next week?”

Don’t try to fix everything all at once.

• Week 1: You might notice, “I barely used my hands; they were hiding under the table.”
  • The Fix: Next week, keep hands above the table.
• Week 2: You might notice, “I kept doing the same repetitive gesture.”
  • The Fix: Next week, try to increase your gesture vocabulary.

Stop Consuming, Start Applying

Here is my challenge to you.

Most people will read this article, nod their heads, and then… do nothing. 

They just keep consuming and consuming information. 

I want you to be part of the 1% who are addicted to knowledge application.

Commit to recording just one video a week. Schedule it in your calendar right now, I’ll wait….. 

I said do it now!  📅

Ok good, now you may continue reading. 

If you do this for 10 weeks, focusing on just making just one improvement each time, you will be a completely different person in front of the camera in two to three months.

Remember – To Sound Natural on Camera, You Must Practice the Unnatural.

1. Schedule It: Treat camera practice like piano practice. Put it in the calendar.
2. Record & Review: Watch yourself back.
3. The 1% Improvement: Identify only one thing to fix for the next video (e.g., volume, posture, hand gestures).
4. Repeat: Do this weekly for 10 weeks to see a massive transformation.

Hungry for more knowledge application opportunities just like this? I’d like to invite you to explore my full range of in-person events and online communication skills training programs trusted by over 500,000 students around the world.

It is really important, especially early in our lives, to clearly define the difference between confidence and arrogance.

On the surface, they can sometimes look similar. 

• A confident person stands tall; an arrogant person stands tall. 
• A confident person speaks up; an arrogant person speaks up.

But the internal mindset, the engine driving that behavior, is completely different. 

And that difference determines whether people want to follow you or run away from you.

What is True Confidence?

I believe confidence is found in people who believe that others are equal to them.

It is a mindset that says: “I’m not better than you. But also, you’re not better than me.”

We’re on the same playing field.

When confident people walk through life thinking in this way, they remain open.

• They are open to new opportunities.
• They are open to learning from other people (because they don’t think they are “above” anyone).

As a result, I believe confident people become more successful because they are constantly absorbing wisdom from the world around them.

What is Arrogance?

Arrogance is the opposite. Arrogant people go through life believing that they are better than others.

They believe they are on a whole other level, and that everyone else is on a lower playing field.

Because they believe this, they go through life closing off their mind and closing off their heart. They aren’t open to new opportunities because they think they already know everything. 

They don’t learn from other people because they don’t think other people have anything to teach them.

The “Success” Trap

I used to say that arrogant people don’t succeed, but I actually have to take that statement back.

Sometimes, arrogant people do succeed. 

We’ve all seen it, but there’s a catch!

When an arrogant person succeeds, they usually end up standing at the top of the mountain alone and when they do win, everyone around them secretly (or openly) hates them. 

A great example of this is my videographer Craig. Arrogant guy. Makes me sick. His name leaves such a bad taste in my mouth that I need a mint just talking about him… (Just kidding Craig, I don’t even like mints.)😉

Confidence vs Arrogance: A Concise Summary

The difference between confidence and arrogance isn’t just about how you feel about yourself; it’s about how you view others.

• Confidence: “We are equals. I can learn from you.”
• Arrogance: “I am better than you. You have nothing to teach me.”

Choose the path of the open mind and you’ll find others will perceive you as confident, inspiring and worth listening to. 

Ready to build true confidence?

True confidence comes from competence and knowing how to interact and communicate with the world effectively.

If you want to start building that foundation, I invite you to join my Free Virtual Masterclass. It’s the perfect place to start.

Or, if you are ready to completely transform how you show up in the world, check out my full range of in-person workshops and online communication and public speaking courses.

❤️ Love you Craig