Video Presentation Tips: Adjusting Your Tone (Episode 106)

Welcome to the Video Made Simple podcast where we help take the mystery out of video and break through the monotony of day to day communication. I'm your host, Chris Schwager. And if you're worried that your presentation could induce a snooze fest, perhaps you don't feel as confidently as you'd like, maybe a topic is complex or dry, or you think you're just boring, we all kind of maybe think we're a little bit boring from time to time, then stick around, because here's a wonderful video presentation tip to assist you. And it's called Tone. Tone. Tone.

Chris Schwager 0:34
Tone is a vocal sound with reference to its pitch, pitch, quality and strength. You don't want people to fall asleep when you're trying to relay a scientific discovery or a medical breakthrough. For example, obviously, not. When someone is speaking, we receive information through body language, energy and tone. And tone clarifies and conveys the meaning. And we do it unconsciously, all day every day, we just don't recognize that we use high tones all the time. And unfortunately, when people read for the first time, they have video script, for instance, from their teleprompter, that tone is the biggest thing that suffers. It's boring and monotonous. It's like if you're playing a keyboard, it'd be you playing in the middle of the keyboard with one finger. And repeating the same note over and over and over again, it's very boring and not very melodic at all.

Chris Schwager 1:34
So we've got to use the whole range of that keyboard. Tone helps you better relate to your audience's emotions, needs, wants and interests, you're giving the information to them in a way that they're accustomed to their brains, their ears are very smart at deciphering the code of information. And therefore you need to be able to give them the information in a way that they used to. The better you can relate and understand them through using the right tone, the more likely they'll connect and engage with what you're saying.

Chris Schwager 2:08
So here's an example, with no tone. Welcome to the video made simple podcast where we help take the mystery out of video and break through the monotony of day to day communication. Obviously pretty boring, right.

Chris Schwager 2:21
But here is a version with tone. Welcome to the video made simple podcast where we help take the mystery out of video and break through the monotony of day to day communication.

Chris Schwager 2:32
Obviously, there's two distinct differences. One's obviously a lot more energy than the other. But also I'm utilizing all the tools, I have to just keep it alive and keep it energetic. Obviously, I'm using light and shade and commas and full stops to my advantage. But the tone, everything's a little bit higher. And sometimes when you're presenting in video, it's a real great tip for you to be able to do that just present a little bit higher, because when you present higher, a little bit more urgency, a bit more energy going on. It's kind of like, you know, if you're a concierge at a hotel, you wouldn't be introducing people as they walk through the door. Hi, I'm Chris, you would be like, Hi, I'm Chris, how can I help you? Right, it'd be higher, generally in tone.

Chris Schwager 3:11
Now, obviously, you if you play higher, and Aussies have a sort of a way of sometimes going a bit high from time to time and always keeping up. Then you want to also use your lows to your advantage as well and putting those in intimate, intermittently, to give the thing a little bit of light and shade. Alright, so if you play in the mids "Hello, I am Chris." Or if you're playing the highs, "Hello, I'm Chris." It's all gonna sound a bit ridiculous. But if you mix it up, and you use a combination of low, mid, high tones, and use that as a way to be more conversational, then you will win every single time.

Chris Schwager 3:50
How do you set the right tone? Well, understanding what your people are saying. Understanding how people would respond to what you're saying, from the introduction to the end is part of the trick. It's not just about you talking all the time. It's about you understanding well, how are they hearing you?

Chris Schwager 4:08
Read the script, read it out loud, rehearse it, and perhaps even get a couple of people to listen to what you're saying and give their opinion as well. And that can't help or that can hurt I should say. They will give you some feedback, some pretty direct feedback, feedback. And it of course, if there's nothing better than getting a business coach, a video coach, video strategist, somebody that's in the game to be able to help you decipher, is your thing sounding real. And they'll tell you pretty straight up that it either is or it isn't or need some improvement.

Chris Schwager 4:41
Most people who read for the first time read like they're tone deaf, but if you use a combination of all these high and low tones, you'd be pleasing the audience because that's the way they like it, and they'll stay engaged while your tone and message is still relevant. Right? So what I getting at is it still got to be a relevant message, it's still got to deliver the right tone. But at any point that it isn't relevant, that you do fall in your energy and your tone drops a little bit. Well, there you know red flags for an audience member to say, well, this is not quite relevant anymore. I'm switching off.

Chris Schwager 5:20
So the trick is to keep your message sharp, keep your tone, relevant, interesting, engaging, and then you will have the best chance possible at holding their attention.

Chris Schwager 5:31
If you want more personalized coaching around this then be sure to like, share and leave a comment. And don't forget to subscribe to this channel where you'll get regular Video Made Simple ideas to present your videos like a pro. That's all for this episode. Thanks for listening and see you next week.