How to use your voice brilliantly in online sessions

With the recent upgrade to the video conferencing software, Adobe Connect, I thought it would be timely to post about  a webinar I attended on How to use your voice brilliantly in online sessions. I signed up for this session as I help to facilitate a regular online tutorial session using Connect and I was looking for some tips to improve my online presence. This online webinar was facilitated by Amanda Randall-Gavin and was organised by the Learning and Skills Group which is an international community focused on organisational learning and using technology to support learning at work.

Here are some tips that I picked up to help improve my online tutorials.

• Project from the outset. Sit up straight and push out your chest.
• Remember to inflect your voice appropriately. Inflect up to ask a questions and down to signify a statement. With my Cork/Limerick accent I always inflect up!
• It is important to pause to allow your audience some space to think. However in an online environment keep your pauses short.
• Speak clearly. Don’t aim for speed just try to enunciate clearly.
• Avoid er.., you know.., well…, erm…, it was like…
• Practice to make perfect: Read a paragraph from the paper, record it on your phone and play it back. Don’t worry, I’m assured, everyone thinks they sound very high pitched when listening back to themselves.
• Remember stage fright is less apparent to speakers. You need to manage your nerves. Use your adrenaline positively.
• Emotions affect your voice – you may feel stressed, nervous, upset but your voice needs to convey positive qualities.

Now that you are armed with some tips you might want to try out using your voice brilliantly by facilitating an online meeting, tutorial or conference using Adobe Connect.

Resources:
Using Radio Production Techniques to Improve Synchronous Communication
A practical guide to narration