Things like wearing masks and social distancing are the way of the world these days. Unfortunately, it can have a negative impact on your ability to communicate with others. Even face to face communication is made more difficult with masks covering lips and muffling voices. But there are things you can do to improve push-to-talk two-way radio communication while wearing a mask, like those listed below.
- Enunciate. Speak carefully, pronouncing each syllable fully and clearly. Masks already muffle sound. If you do not enunciate your words, some syllables may get lost in the mix, making it more difficult for others to understand your message. It may feel like you’re exaggerating the words, but ultimately will speed up communication while masks are required. Getting into the habit now, will help you remain a more effective communicator — even when masks are no longer required.
- Position mics carefully. While there is a piece of fabric between you and the microphone, it remains important to position the mic in a manner that allows it to pick up your voice fully and completely. You may have to work a little to find the “sweet spot” for your particular microphone, but it does improve your ability to communicate with a mask to do so.
- Keep communications short and simple. “Brevity is the soul of wit.” It works for communication via two-way radios just as it did for Shakespeare. In fact, using fewer words can sometimes help you communicate more. When you choose your words carefully with the intent of communicating more clearly, everyone wins.
- Consider wearing a headset. Headsets, like the PTT 58394G Surveillance Headset, are wonderful as they hold your microphone securely in place. This means you only have to find the magic “sweet spot” once instead of searching for it every time you need to communicate with your push-to-talk two-way radio.
- Speak slowly. The faster you speak, the more difficult you are to understand. It really is as simple as that – even without a mask. However, the muffling capabilities of the mask mean it is more important than ever to speak slowly and clearly when you need to get your message across.
Of course, there are other ways you can improve communication via push-to-talk two-way radios, including using text messaging features and images to make your points. Contact Peak PTT today to learn more about our radios and features to help you improve communications while wearing masks and practicing effective social distancing.