Introduction
Remote and hybrid work have become a normal part of life for many professionals. We’re meeting, presenting, and building relationships through screens more than ever before, especially since 2020. And while this shift brings flexibility and convenience, it has also changed the way we communicate as many of us are no longer face-to-face with others. Therefore, your voice becomes very important as it becomes your online presence when we can’t use the rest of our body to communicate. As a Speech-Language Pathologist, I see more clients seeking support not only because they struggle to speak, but because the demands of online communication highlight things they never noticed before such as intonation patterns, fast speech rate, use of filler words, unclear consonants/syllables, or simply feeling less confident when talking to a screen. Clear, intentional speech has always been important. But today, it plays a much larger role in how you show up professionally.
How has remote work changed communication
1. Need to use more vocal clarity rather than non-verbal cues
When we speak to someone face-to-face, we use facial expressions, eye contact, and body language to help support our message. Online these cues may not always be seen or may be inconsistent. Some people have small screens and bad lighting, often we may also experience glitches where there are delays in videos making it hard to pick up on non-verbal cues. Often with eye contact, people are also looking at the screen or at each other’s face, but this does not give direct eye contact, and the person can also potentially be looking at something else without us knowing. Due to this, the voice becomes the star of the show when communicating online, as you do not get the non-verbal support you may use in person. How clear you sound, how fast your speech is, and what your intonation patterns are like become the key to someone understanding your message fully and feeling confident in what is being said. Sometimes there may also be audio issues where Wi-Fi cuts out or there is a lag in the audio. When this happens, unclear speech or improper intonation patterns may become even more noticeable. When using clear speech, this can avoid potential miscommunications.
2. Many roles now require virtual communication
Many professionals are often asked to take part in virtual meetings, do presentations online, webinars, online interviews, and online training. When so many things are done online these days, then your voice becomes your presence. Your voice will be noticed more than anything else in this setting. When speaking clearly, this will allow you to sound confident, organized, and easy to follow.
Speech skills that matter most in virtual settings
1. Breathing and pacing
Many people tend to speak fast or sometimes rush through their message without even realizing they do so. Sometimes this could be due to the way they are used to speaking, nervousness/anxiety, or not getting as much non-verbal feedback that naturally would make us adjust our speech. Breath support is very important when working on having enough air as you speak and pacing your speech. It helps reduce fast speech, decrease the use of filler words, prevent vocal fatigue, and support a steady clear voice throughout the interaction. For those clients who do not use their breath support well when speaking, they may constantly feel like they are running out of air, causing a fast rate of speech, an upward intonation at the end of sentences, or a raspy-sounding voice near the end of thoughts.
2. Intonation
How we use our intonation communicates your emotion and shows your confidence in what you are saying. For those who tend to have an upward intonation at the end of statements, this can make your message sound less confident or as if you are unsure of yourself, as it automatically puts a question mark at the end of your statement. Practicing a more downward intonation at the end of statements can help you sound more sure and confident in what you are saying, allowing others to also feel confident in what they are hearing.
3. Enunciation
Clear pronunciation of words gives crisp-sounding speech. This is very important in virtual communication as it will allow everyone to be able to understand your message and make you sound more clear and professional. To improve enunciation, clear articulation of all syllables and final sounds in words should be produced very clearly. This will allow for every word to be said and finished clearly before moving on to the next, reduce mumbling, and increase the confidence in your voice.
Speaking online when on video can make many people more nervous. But if you can focus on pacing yourself, breathing, downward intonation, and clear articulation, this will make you come across sounding confident, even though inside you may not fully feel it.
How a Speech-Language Pathologist can support you
Many of my clients work remotely or only go into the office a couple of times a week. The main goal for these clients is usually to improve their communication skills with more focused goals working on: reducing filler words, clear presentation delivery, adjusting intonation patterns, more appropriate pace, increasing awareness of breath support when speaking, and enunciation for more clear overall speech. A speech pathologist can assess your needs and provide you an individualized plan to meet your goals, and give you the skills to practice so that these skills can become more automatic. A speech pathologist will work with you on your goals so you have a better understanding of what you have to work on and how to work on it, so eventually you won’t have to think of everything in the moment as you are speaking.
Final thoughts
Since remote work is here to stay, it is important to know how to use our voice with confidence, especially when communicating online. You want to come across sounding clear and confident. This saves time from having to repeat yourself, builds trust with colleagues or clients, supports collaborating, and improves your leadership presence. If you have noticed some weaknesses in your own speech and would like to improve, it is definitely worth finding a speech pathologist to help you work on your goals. This will put you on the right path to more clear, crisp, and confident communication and allow you to excel in your role or even build confidence to reach for higher leadership roles
