The Seinfeld Syndrome

Remember the episode of Seinfeld in which Kramer was dating the "low talker" and Jerry ended up agreeing to wear the puffy shirt?

Remember the other episode of Seinfeld with the "high talker?"

Now it seems the Seinfeld Syndrome has infected the broadcast industry. I am referring to the predominance of the "slow talker."

Never fails. Someone calls me up on the phone and wants to be a client. I can hear the wonderful personality in the voice, the pure energy and excitement that come with knocking out a great story. Then the tape arrives.

And...I...get...a...client...who...talks...like...this. Even worse, the person often makes things even worse by e-nun-ci-a-ting ev-er-y sin-gle syllable in an effort to have perfect diction.

The result is a delivery that is both boring and unnatural.

If you remember anything from this blog, remember this. Talk, don't read. Again, talk normally. You want to be conversational. Read your scripts as if you were talking to a friend over the phone.

You...don't...talk...on...the...phone...like...this,...right?

I've occasionally heard the argument that small market anchors and reporters should talk slower. Hmmmm.... funny how the networks broadcast to every market in America and no one complains that network people talk too fast.

Talk normally, and you'll find you're also more comfortable because you're doing something natural. When you're doing something unnatural by talking in a delivery that's foreign to you, you're going to get nervous and have a better chance of stumbling.