When I’m collaborating with clients about exactly what content should be in their IVR, I notice that many of them have a “shopping list” of things that need to be in their menu. “We have to list all of the extensions in accounting in case someone’s hunting for someone specific.” Or: “We need to make sure that the after-hours extension goes to Frank if callers need immediate support.” would be typical requests that I get from telephony installers. But *what if* (and this “perfect world” thinking here) – designers of IVRs and call flows thought about how quickly they can get callers through the IVR, in addition to the framework of where extensions need to go? Knowing that virtually nobody has *too much* time on their hands, why don’t more IVR designers have speed and efficiency at top of mind when writing a call flow script? Especially if you’re designing a system for emergencies (flood/hurricane/wild fire warnings), urgent medical call flow, and even IT support carries with it a certain level of urgency that would benefit from a speedy pace and an overly-sensitive respect for the caller’s time and patience. I’ve even called into IVRs that I’ve voiced in the past and wondered why I was “plodding” along. I became aware that a more rapid pace is best suited for most industries a few years ago – and now the IVRs I voice sail along, balancing that need for clarity with expediting the caller to support. Here’s my checklist as to why the need for speed is essential when designing a call flow: If It’s Medical, Urgent, or Technical Support-Driven, All the More Reason to Turbo Nothing is more frustrating – when you’re returning a call about your MRI results – to encounter a long, lumbering phone menu that just doesn’t “understand” how urgent this information is to you. Same goes for calling your bank to report an unknown charge on your statement – you don’t want to waste time in a 21-option phone menu that isn’t getting you directly to help. Make sure – if your company offers urgent/critical/emergency support, that the phone menu “acknowledges” that and gets the callers speedily though the options. Think About Attentions Spans and Patience. We’re all used to bite-sized, fast-scrolled reams of information passing by us at rapid speed. That’s just the reality of our world. Unfortunately, this has made most of us very short on patience, and lacking in true, robust attention spans. While it’s a sad commentary on us as a people, if you are designing a telephony platform, it’s a good idea to always remember that callers can’t remember long menus of choices, and almost everyone is short on expendable time and patience. Remember Your Last Time on an IVR. I usually try to spend as little time a possible on the phone. When I do – and I encounter a particularly frustrating IVR – I’m in a flurry of taking notes in my head: “That was too many options. Those options are too similar. It’s too slow.” You don’t need to be an expert on call flow structure to remember how frustrated you were the last time you called a company and heard – repeatedly – “Your call is important to us.” It was torturous, and disingenuine. Make sure that you avoid everything you personally dislike in a phone system, when designing yours, and don’t feel obligated to include meaningless phrases in your system just because they’re prevalent in others. Time Is the Greatest Commodity. By escorting your callers rapidly and efficiently through your IVR, you are telling them that you acknowledge that their time is a premium and that you won’t be the one to waste it. Time is our greatest commodity, and very few callers will forget the company that wasted their entire morning by having them work their way through a lengthy IVR only to find out that their issue can’t be answered by a live a agent or that a live agent is not actually *ever* available to take their call.  When it comes to IVR call flows, speed is of the essence. The faster and more efficiently you can get the caller to their destination, the happier they’ll be.

If you track any topic at all on YouTube, you’ll find a broad array of quality of content – from re-posted pre-produced slick network shows to fare that’s most typical of that channel; someone “smithing” together a montage of film clips and still photos using a consumer-level editing program, and then adding the narration track themselves, with whatever audio interface is available to them (typically recording it on their phone.) Personally (despite being a pro voice talent myself) – I have no objection to amateur filmmakers or narrators engaging in a pet project of producing a short on a topic they care about and voicing it themselves. And I turn to these videos a lot: my knitting game has improved because there’s no shortage of homemade how-to videos, guiding you through complex moves which used to involve a trip to the knitting store for one-on-one instruction. The dark science of how to merge Spotify playlists has been quickly hacked with the watching of a YouTube tutorial, and the number of times I’ve turned to amateur YouTube videos while encountering a cooking snag or a recipe clarification – countless. The problem for me – and where I disengage pretty fast from a video – is when it’s voiced by someone who is just *reading* . Reading the words off the page. Trying to say everything correctly – but just going through the mechanical act of getting the written words into spoken form and giving little thought as to the actual content of what’s being said. Without really comprehending what they’re saying, and certainly not conveying their passion or interest in the topic. You’re producing videos on – for example -- urban legends, Hollywood homicide mysteries, extra-terrestrials, or what ever happened to the original Sinclair Dino World sculptures because you’re *interested* in that topic, correct? Then why don’t you sound like it? It’s the mechanical, lifeless, and inflection-free narration on these videos that absolutely kills me. They would be so much more engaging for the audience if you, too, were engaged with the topic. So here’s my checklist for producers of YouTube content to make the most compelling, interesting video you can. Remember Why You’re There. You have a passion and an interest in this topic, otherwise, you wouldn’t have gone to the measures of producing content to educate others on it. Yes, it’s important that your topic is well researched. It’s also important to have everything mapped out and structured to give it some form and flow. And yes, it’s critical to follow a script rather than free—form it. But in my estimation, it’s most important to convey your personal interest and passion . If you’re engaged, we will be too. If you’re not – and you’re merely reading words – we’ll drop off. Comprehend What You’re Reading. It sounds obvious, but it’s essential that you understand the impact of what you’re saying. This is something that even seasoned voiceover talent are guilty of: just reading the words skillfully and on time – but not giving the words the “weight” they deserve. In conversation, we know – on the fly – which words need to be emphasized and “set forward” – either by slowing down before you say the significant word in order to highlight it, slowing down as you say it , or even slightly boosting the volume on that word. Sometimes when we have a script in front of us, we lose the meaning and comprehension of the words. *Really think* about the words you’re saying and give them the appropriate depth they need. Deliberately look for words you can “exploit” – words that are juicy, filled with significance, and which propel your narrative forwards. Don’t Be Afraid to Render an Opinion or be Transparent About Your Views. Out of neutrality and a desire to have your videos garner the biggest audience possible, some users are hesitant to attach an opinion or a viewpoint to their content. To my ear, nothing is more sympathetic or engaging than hearing someone say -- from the heart – how personally moved or attached they are to the topic of the video. Make your perspective known. Don’t be afraid to convey how *you personally * are impacted by the topic. And don’t ever shy away from projecting a strong viewpoint or personality.  What will set your videos apart from others in the same genre is if you take the time to remember why you’re covering that material, ensure that you are connecting with and honoring the words, and that you are not afraid or hesitant to convey you own personal connection with the material.