How Can You Sound Good When You Present at a Videoconference?

My last post talked about creating a good visual impression during a videoconference. With the coronavirus pandemic putting the kibosh on live conferences, we’re meeting on the Internet instead. But what about how you speak? Your vocal presentation gives you a chance to shine.

So, point number one is to speak in an energetic but not overwhelming style. A videoconference speaker wants to speak with plenty of vocal variety – especially variations in the rate and pitch of speech – but not with Paul Harvey-level enthusiasm. You’re speaking into someone’s home or office, not in a big auditorium, and you prefer to sound conversational. At the same time, if you are too cool, you can get lost in the Internet shuffle. To judge how people are responding to you, keep an eye on their nonverbal reactions. (That’s why the conference software shows everyone in a little box.)

Second, a videoconference speaker should never speak too fast. That’s because the Internet does not carry audio reliably. Yes, a super-fast Internet connection will help, but no one should ever trust the Internet. I do mean never. Fast speech might sometimes get garbled before people hear it. If there’s a lot going on at the conference, you might not get a second chance to make your point, so you need to make sure people hear you the first time. Slow down a bit!

Third, remember the Internet lag. At a live conference, people will hear the speaker’s voice within milliseconds. Over the Internet, the signal could travel for a second or more before everyone hears it. Furthermore, there’s no guarantee that everyone will hear the same speaker at the exact same moment. That’s another reason to avoid fast speech and it’s a good reason to pause briefly to punctuate your points.

Fourth, watch microphone placement. The microphone hanging from your computer is not ideal. That’s because the microphone wants to be six inches or so from your mouth, but the best camera placement will be a bit farther away. We’ve all noticed how awkward it is when an Internet camera peers at a person’s face, emphasizing the nose and every blemish. But if you back the camera off, vocal quality can break down. There’s a physics reason for that, but I’ll spare you the explanation. I purchased a separate web microphone – it wasn’t expensive – and it helps a lot. I can plop the microphone on my desk about 10 inches closer than the camera, making the camera and microphone both happy.

At the same time, don’t put the microphone right against your mouth. No one wants to hear your P’s pop. A few inches away will be best, and the ideal distance varies with the microphone. It’s not a bad idea to test your microphone and camera setup by conferencing with a sympathetic family member ahead of time to make sure that your visual and audio setup is the best.

Fifth, since you aren’t there in person, vocal quality rises in importance. Here are some old announcer’s tricks. One is to breathe from your abdomen, like an opera singer or a baby. Good speakers don’t move their shoulders when they speak. Paul Harvey himself once said that, when he was growing up, his mother liked to dress him in cute sailor vests. She didn’t have enough money to buy him a new vest as he grew, and he learned abdominal breathing to avoid suffocating. He joked that his mother was, without knowing it, preparing him for a career in radio. Another trick is to take a few moments to relax your mouth, throat, and shoulders, breathing deeply and thinking peaceful thoughts. We don’t sound our best when our muscles are tense. What about pitch? To find your ideal pitch range, close your eyes, relax, and hum. You will be humming in your natural pitch range. You’ll probably notice that this is higher or lower than the way you usually speak. Trust me, you will always sound better in your natural range than if you try to force your voice to be higher or lower than it wants to be.

Finally, be sure to project into the microphone. People will neither understand nor believe you if they can’t hear you. Again, checking your microphone setup ahead of time will help you find the correct volume. You probably need to speak a bit more loudly than you would expect, although, of course no one likes yelling.

I hope all that helps! Videoconference speakers usually want to be moderately enthusiastic, project their voices, and sound relaxed and confident. If possible, watch a recording of your presentation afterwards so you can learn from experience. Finally, and this most important, enjoy going to your conference, interacting with colleagues, sharing what you know, and learning from other people. That's what it's all about.

My upcoming post talks about hot and cold media. Is a videoconference a hot medium or a cool one? Or something in between? It makes a difference when we start speaking to one another on line.