How to Deal With a Quiet Talker

The person who won't speak up can be an annoyance--but there are a variety of reasons why someone would want another person to speak louder. Quiet talkers generally are acting out of fear or insecurity although in some cases they may just be tired or listless. Getting good clear language out of a quiet talker can be tough and might require effort.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

1. Don't bellow in their face. Quiet talkers will probably not respond well to loud demands to speak up. An alternative would be to use hand gestures for "raise" or miming turning up a volume knob.
2. Politely ask the quiet talker to repeat themselves, loudly. They may eventually raise the level of their voice to where you can hear them.
3. Appeal to specific reasoning. One way is to tell the quiet talker that you really need the information they have and you need to be able to clearly hear what they are saying. For a room full of people, politely tell the quiet talker that the people in the back need to hear.
4. Lean closer. In one on one situations, it may help to actually get closer to a quiet talker, especially if they cannot raise their volume due to old age or damage to their vocal cords.
5. Get a microphone. Some quiet talkers will quail with a microphone in front of them but for others it's a natural solution.
6. Get to the root of the problem. A chronic quiet talker may need to be coaxed out of their shell with gradual interactions to increase confidence. Support this person until they feel able to address others in a loud, clear voice.