Do This To Sound Great In A Video

Over the past few months, I’ve been seeing an increase in students who are contacting me for private sessions because they want to sound better on video.

These are business owners from many different backgrounds who have realized the power of video (YouTube, Facebook Lives, Instagram Stories and Reels, etc.) when it comes to promoting their businesses and they want to be sure they sound their best when creating these videos.

And I have to say, I am loving these new students!  They are a joy to work with and knowing that I am helping them grow their businesses is incredibly rewarding.    

Clear pronunciation is important for sounding great on video, so we do work on pronunciation of specific sounds (people have to understand what we’re saying!), but these students also use The Accent Channel Method to work on intonation for more nuanced meaning, improving resonance for a more powerful sounding voice, vocabulary and Idioms for more colorful language, gesture, body language, and more.

And since we’re on the topic of sounding better on video, here are the top tips that I share with my students:

1. Good posture = more powerful voice because the breath moves more freely in a well aligned body.  You’ll look more confident too.  Make sure your spine is straight. Lift the top of your head toward the ceiling, roll your shoulders blades back and down, and relax your stomach. 

2. Do a quick vocal warm-up by taking a deep breath and exhaling a few low-pitched “mmmmmm” sounds leading into different vowels, i. e. "mmmmmmmmmmmmah", "mmmmmmmmmmmmeeeeee", etc.  You’ll feel vibration in the bones of you face and throat when you do this.  Try to maximize these vibrations when you're speaking.

3. Keep your tongue low and relaxed to reduce nasality.  Creating some space in your mouth will improve the tone of your voice, but don't overdo it.  Keep it natural and relaxed.

4. Fully pronounce voiced consonants, like Z. You should feel vibration in your neck and jaw when you produce these sounds.  The more vibration you feel, the more powerful and clear your voice will sound.

5. Vary your pitch, rate, and volume. Monotone is boring and nobody likes boring.

6. Be aware of any repetitive intonations, like upspeak (using a rising or questioning intonation at the end of every sentence). Again, anything repetitive becomes boring (and annoying!)

7. Start with a lower pitch than you are used to using. When we get nervous, our voice goes up in pitch.  If you start low, you have somewhere to go.

8. Don’t be afraid to pause. It gives your listener a chance to process what you’re saying.  Use pauses to emphasize important points that you want your audience to remember.

9. Rehearse!  Especially your intro and closing.  We are usually most nervous at the beginning of a video, or even a conversation, so these sections feel the most uncomfortable and awkward.  If you practice a few times, it will sound more natural. 

10. Be yourself. People are attracted to your personality.  And if you mess up, don’t worry.  It makes you likable and relatable.

Feel free to share these tips with your students!

Video really is a great way to get the word out about your services and allows people to get to know you and your teaching style.  So if you have haven't created any free videos to attract potential students, you should definitely consider trying it.  I hope these tips will also make you feel more confident about getting in front of that camera!