If anyone ever had suggested that one day I would be coaching an Olympic athlete, I’d have suggested that now would be a good time to enter that rehab progam. Imagine my surprise when I recently found myself in that exact position…coaching a Gold Medal Olympian.
Steven Lopez is a two time Olympic champion and will be headed to Bejing later this year. When it comes to Taekwondo, he’s among the best in the world. Besides his Olympic gold he is a three-time World champion, a two-time World Cup Champion and a two-time Pan Am champion. Yet, he found himself in a position to be coached by me…for voice.
Steven arrived at the Lone Star Sound studios to record two announcements for one of the major Olympic sponsors. While he is a world-class athlete, this was something new for him. Whenever I am put in a position of coaching someone for Radio or TV commercials, the first thing we do is get an initial rough take down that we can both review to see what areas of the delivery need work.
Fortunately, Steven has a silky smooth voice and a very warm natural delivery so after the first take, I knew this session would turn out brilliantly. As I worked with Steven I thought that many of the tips I shared with him might benefit others who find themselves in the unfamiliar position in front of a microphone. Not all of the following tips applied to Steven, who turned out to be quite coach-able, and was out of the studio in record time.
Here are the Top 5 Tips from “the Coach”
Slow Down
At one time or another I am sure most of us have found trouble when the speed of our mouth outpaces the speed of the brain. When it comes to script reading, the opposite is often true. For most, our brains process things so quickly that many try to let their mouth keep pace with their brain. Slow it down. This is probably the most difficult thing for most people to do. A slower pace allows you more room for error, and things can always be tightened up in the editing process. There is much power in the pause, but it takes practice to master.
Love The Words
Once you slow down your delivery speed, you have the time to really love every word and give it the proper emphasis. In emphasizing certain words, some tend to blow right past other words. Don’t make this mistake. All of the words are important to the message, and some need an additional punch. So review the script, grab a pen and mark it up to ensure each word is delivered with the appropriate amount of emphasis.
Be Natural
One of the hardest things to do is to take words written by someone else and make them your own. A natural delivery of foreign material is one of the most unnatural things you will be asked to do. As odd as it sounds, it takes practice to sound natural and un-practiced.
Turn the Energy to 11
At some point I am sure you have heard the flat and lifeless delivery on the air from a business owner reading their own commercial. Crank up the energy. On a scale of 1-10 most of us don’t get past a 5 in daily conversation. For your message to stand out, you need to crank up the energy. I’ve always found that when most people think they are over the top on energy, and it’s turned up to 11…they’re right about where they should be on the energy scale. Yes, it feels weird but give it a shot and listen to the results. Energy makes all the difference.
Smile
Oscar is the only loveable grouch. Smiles are contagious. Put a smile on your face and it adds a smile to your voice. Try it. You’ll find it makes an enormous difference in your delivery.
There are several other tricks of the trade that I’d be happy to share with you firsthand, but those are the Big 5. So the next time you find yourself in front of a microphone, keep them in mind and turn in your own Gold Medal performance!
You can reach “the Coach” at jim@lonestarsound.com
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