VIDEO SPEAKING

"What is the most important thing to remember when you’re speaking on video?" 

       There are probably as many answers to this question as there are public speakers.  Here's mine: That your listeners hear you and understand what you’re saying.
       I don’t mean that the volume on their computers is turned up to an optimum volume. I’m talking about coming across to them as someone they’ll like to listen to for the entire length of your presentation. This is critical.  How easy is it, if you’re doing a podcast, for example, for a listener to just hit Delete and end your talk before you get to your most important point?
 
      Our voice is the primary vehicle we use to make sure they understand us. How we feel about giving this talk will influence how we sound. But it’s not just a matter of ‘open your mouth and let ‘er rip!’  Just getting the words right is only the beginning of what we need to be aware of.  There are many things we do naturally, without thinking, that affect how we sound in front of an audience, i.e., controlling the pitch, the tone, the strength, and last but not least, the speed.
 
      When you're feeling good about yourself, confident that you know your material and will do a good job, your voice will show it. You'll speak with good volume, won't suddenly lose your voice and speak in a whisper, or talk too loud to cover the sound of your violently beating heart. Your voice will sound regulated, even and strong. 
       But what if you speak too slow, too fast, too soft, in a jerky uneven tempo, or even feel like you're losing your voice in the middle of your talk? 
 
      Too slow? Are you unsure of what you're saying? Worried it's not 'right'. Maybe as a child you were told to slow down, you're talking too fast.  Speaking slowly became a habit. Or, perhaps you're afraid you didn't prepare enough material to fill the time you've been given. Rehearse with a timer beforehand and you won't have to worry.
 
      Too fast? You're afraid they won't listen unless you get it all in quick? Did you have to compete for attention when you were growing up and speaking fast was the only way to be heard before someone shut you up?  Are you afraid the audience will click Delete?  Do you have too much material for the amount of time and feel like it’s a race to get it all in before your turn is over?
 
      Too soft?  Are you sure of your material? Worried you'll say something they won't agree with? You don't want to be heard because then you'll have to defend what you're saying? Maybe you're shy or embarrassed because you don't like the way your voice sounds. Or you figure they’ll just turn up their volume if they can’t hear you, so it’s not your problem.  
   
      Jerky tempo? Lots of starts and stops, you can't get a smooth rhythm going? Maybe you're not sure of your material. Can't find your place in your notes, or you're trying to 'wing it'? Give yourself plenty of rehearsal ahead of time. Trying to figure it out on the spot is a fool's game that you’ll probably lose.
 
       Losing your voice? Are you so disheartened by your incompetence that you don't even want to be heard? Creating an excuse to end your misery quickly? Or maybe you really are coming down with laryngitis.

       Last but not least, are you a victim of Speed-Speaking?  Do you regularly talk too fast to be easily understood?  Congratulations!  Your mind works faster than your tongue. That’s a double-edged sword.  
 
      Here’s the problem.  The audience is likely to tune out because they can’t listen and absorb what you’re saying at lightning speed. They need time. First to hear what you’re saying, second to absorb it, third to process it, and finally to store it in their brain where they can find it later.  All of this happens in split-second time, but only if they can hear you clearly at a tempo their brains can absorb. Speed-speaking makes it just too difficult to understand what you’re saying, so they’ll give up and tune out or just press Delete.
 
          Practice your speaking tempo when you rehearse. Or record your speech and listen to it with a critical ear, looking for those moments when you really did speak too fast.  You can train yourself to speak at an easy-listening tempo.  Your audience will thank you. And keep their hands off the Delete button!