Program directors often confuse air talent by asking for things they don’t really want. And the results can become a big problem. We often provide instruction without regard to how that information is heard or interpreted. That’s often the case when trying to improve energy.
How Some Personalities Improve Energy
Left to their own solutions, most personalities take the following steps when urged to improve energy:
They talk louder.
They talk faster.
An upbeat, drum-heavy rhythmic music bed is added.
They play sound effects.
None of these add enthusiasm or improve energy. All of them get in the way of personality and connection. Energy is important. But it has nothing to do with talking faster or louder. Energy is about pace and forward momentum.
6 Ways To Improve Energy
So if the solution doesn’t include speaking faster or using a music bed, how should personalities add energy? Here are six ways:
Inflection: When talking too fast or shouting, personalities lose vocal range. When that happens, the speaking pattern becomes flat. It’s hard to inflect. The result is a monotone delivery that is hard to relate to. Losing inflection reduces personality. Relax. Speak in a controlled manner, and don’t shout! Speak quickly, but not so fast that you lose control of vocal range.
Tempo Up, But In Control: Every personality has a comfortable tempo. Some, like Broadway Bill Lee, maintain control while speaking rapidly. Talking too fast causes the voice to pitch higher. Further, the mouth starts to move faster than the brain. That is a bad combination. This is when the uhs and ums start to appear. We fill the gap with habits and crutches waiting for the brain to catch up. Be quick, but don’t rush. Speak in a natural, controlled rhythm. When the rhythm is lost, you’re talking too fast. Turn it down a notch or two.
Punctuation: Artificially driving energy usually causes words, thoughts, and sentences to run together. Pause. Change the tone. Speak like a real human being. That may mean some of the content won’t fit the break. That’s okay. Edit.
Enunciate: Words that aren’t understood fail to communicate, which causes listeners to tune out. Research shows that people are more likely to recall a conversation if a speaker uses precise diction and slower, clearer communication.
Breathe: Many personalities become tense before turning on the microphone. Calm the tension with a deep breath. Hold it, let it out, and relax just before the break begins. It’s an amazing trick that works for most air talent. Then keep breathing. Don’t hold your breath from the beginning of the break until the end! That causes the voice to pitch higher and tension to appear.
Use Production: A few tricks increase the perceived tempo, such as talking only as the next song starts or even a beat or two after the next song establishes. That’s a good tactic, especially for beginners. Dial testing research (respondents turn a dial based on their interest in what they hear) has proven that when talk happens over the trail of a fading song, interest plummets, even if the next song starts soon after. However, song intros have become shorter as the music industry responds to shrinking attention spans. A solution is to create special extended intros to give you more time when it’s necessary. This sounds great on the air, but it obviously takes time to gather and produce the extended intros.
Conclusion
Use these tools to improve energy and excite listeners without artificially speeding up or yelling.
And programmers: Learn these principles and coach personalities to master them. It will pay off with a much more interesting station.
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Tracy Johnson is a talent coach and programming consultant. He’s the President/CEO of Tracy Johnson Media Group. His book Morning Radio has been described as The Bible of Personality Radio and has been used by personalities worldwide.