Making Technical Copy Conversational

Of all the genres we work in, making technical copy conversational is one of my favorite challenges in voice over. Yeah, I know it's  not “glamorous” and that a lot of the time it’s harder to attach to the concepts, but who doesn’t like a challenge!?

The trick is that, unless you’re training someone new to the technology, odds are it’s all native to them. The audience doesn’t need you to sound smarter than they are. They need you to guide them clearly through information they care about.

Now, when you’re making technical copy conversational, the goal isn’t to sound relaxed. The goal is to sound credible, confident, and human.

Making Technical Copy Conversational Doesn’t Mean Robotic 

The very first thing I do is cold read the whole script. You’ll learn the tricky spots quickly!Obviously there'll be paragraph breaks, but you might find that these 3 paragraphs go together, and so do those two. 

So, step 2 in making technical narration conversational is carving out the structure more clearly for yourself.

And step 3 is to develop an “attitude flow”. I’ll even add text in (that I’ll edit out later)  just to make sure I’m flowing conversationally.

Maybe the piece starts with the statement of a problem: “Dontcha hate it when x happens”.

The next section might hint at a solution: “No worries. We have the answer.”

Then it presents the solution: “So here’s how we do it”.

Next maybe it tells you why the solution is so groundbreaking: “Impressive, Aren’t you glad we thought of it”.

Then, there’s often a CTA: “Yeah, we know you want it. You need it. And your life will be better for it”.

Break Technical Copy Into Thoughts 

Here’s where it gets picky. I'll go back through making little notes for myself. I get really specific. Technical scripts often LOOK intimidating on the page with their big terms, long sentences and dense paragraphs.

To avoid reading each word robotically, I go through again and break up copy, into thoughts.

For example:

“The platform integrates multi-factor authentication with centralized identity management…”

That’s not one giant idea. It’s really saying that the platform integrates something, like multi-factor authentication, and connects it with centralized identity management. Isn’t that convenient! The line becomes This: “The platform integrates  /  multi-factor authentication  /  with centralized identity management…”

Once your brain organizes the information naturally, your delivery becomes easier for the listener to follow.

Don’t Apologize for Technical Jargon Another thing you’ll want to stay away from in making technical copy conversational is apologizing for jargon with your tone. Instead, treat technical terms like they belong there. In fact read it like you use the term everyday.

That confidence helps listeners trust the information.

If YOU sound unsure of the terminology, the audience feels lost too. Your goal should be more like: ‘Hey, I got you. Flux capacitors are such a hassle…amiright?’

Also, it’s tempting to lean into nouns, and technical copy can be loaded with them!

• platforms

• protocols

• systems

• architecture

• integrations

• frameworks
  

But on the flip side, if every word gets equal importance, listeners tune out. Focus on Outcomes, Not Just Features 

Be sure to emphasize the results.

For example: To avoid contamination of these surfaces, always handle ProteinChip arrays by their edges, never touching the spots. Ask yourself, why handle the chip arrays by the edges? To avoid contamination. So read “To avoid contamination of these surfaces” with a bit more inflection, slower pace, or more weight. That’s important. Let the Listener Catch Up And there’s another thing I do. I go through and look for places where the listener might need some time to consider a concept, or where I suspect animation may be happening.

Allowing for micro-pauses, gives just enough flow for the listener and should allow the producer to cut in visuals without them needing to speed through.

And oh boy, those feature lists. They may be meaningless to lay people like you and me, but to the people who need this product, tool or item, this is where the rubber meets the road.

When you’re making technical copy conversational, think of them as benefits Instead of focusing only on: “Automated cloud-based synchronization”

Think: “it’s really cool that you don’t have to worry about manually updating files anymore.”

You can’t change their uber technical script, but understanding the practical benefit changes the warmth and clarity of your delivery.

Confidence Beats Complexity 

Whatever you do, don’t try to sound smart. You run the risk of your VO getting slower and heavier, and that makes the material harder to understand. Just tell them about the tool, product, service or application plainly and confidently.

Sometimes slowing slightly before an important concept actually feels more natural because that’s how people explain things in real life.

Especially when introducing: things like new terminology; step-by-step processes; healthcare information; financial concepts; software workflows. Technical Narration Should Feel Human 

Lastly, don’t let your smile undermine your credibility. A little warmth helps but too much brightness can undermine your credibility.

The sweet spot is usually confident + approachable.

Technical narration isn’t about sounding technical. It’s about making complex information feel manageable. And that’s often the difference between a voice over people merely hear…and one they actually retain.