by Jeff Hanley
What's the objective of your eLearning? To change behavior, right? Perhaps you are trying to get learners to examine their health benefits during open enrollment and take action. Maybe you want to make them aware of safety concerns and convince them to think and act safely in the workplace.
Do you think your eLearning is going to change behavior if it is boring, and contains lackluster voiceover that's delivered in a monotone?
The first rule of an effective voiceover is "sell it." The audio is one of the most important pieces of your eLearning content and it needs to be presented in a dynamic and convincing way. Voiceover is like acting or singing. You need to project and give the audience something compelling on which to focus. Why? Many things get between you and your audience and distract them from your content.
- Technology. It's a long way from your microphone to the end user's ears and eyes. The technology, including the processing of audio and video for streaming, will suck the energy out of your presentation. You need to reach through that dissipation and compel your learners to pay attention and absorb your information. That requires a little extra dramatic "push" when delivering a script.
- Much eLearning is consumed at work with coworkers, meetings, phones, and email all serving as distractions. Voiceover audio that has a monotone delivery is not going to keep your audience engaged through all those distractions. Give your learners a reason to pay attention.
- Changing behavior requires convincing people to hear what you're saying, take what you're saying seriously, and take action after the eLearning. Words like important, required, critical, and bottom line need to be communicated with the substance and urgency demanded by your learning objectives.
Remember, what you are presenting is more than just "words on a page." Your eLearning might be about safety, health and well-being... perhaps your company's bottom-line is at stake. Voiceover, in this case, is not a close-up, though the microphone and quiet room where you record may make it feel that way. It's actually more like presenting in front of a big room, with air-conditioning humming, doors slamming, and people talking. You need to compel learner attention with energy, meaning, and by keeping the learning objectives in mind with the delivery of every word.
Sell it!
Note: I'll be contributing articles to this newsletter that discuss all things voiceover audio. I'll be covering best practices for microphone technique, the hardware you'll need, and the software available for recording quality voiceover for your eLearning.
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