Hey! Thanks for joining me today. Let’s get right into these three main tips, I always share with podcasters that I work with.
When I worked in radio, clients would come into the studio, never having been behind the mic before. So my job was not only to produce a commercial for them, but to make sure they sounded like as much of themselves as possible. I believed, even then, that your voice is your selling feature. It was the way to connect emotion to emotion with your listener to move people to take action.
First, talk with your hands and body. I was coaching a young, new podcaster recently who also had a YouTube channel. But his podcast didn’t sound as lively and energetic as his YouTube videos. So what was the driving force behind that difference? He said that with YouTube, he could express his emotions with his body because people can see that. So why couldn’t he do the same behind the mic?
I am a hand talker and if you are too, that’s what you want to embrace. Although you are behind the mic, you can still move your body and hands. No one talks sitting or standing in a static position not being able to move around. That’s not normal during a conversation and so you’ll sound unnatural if you are not moving. When moving your body, treat it like a dance. Your mouth should stay by the mic at all times when you’re speaking, but your hands and body can sway and move from side to side. My only warning with this is to make sure you are aware of your surroundings. When you’re a hand talker, you might hit the mic or mic stand. Don’t do hit things. Know your surroundings. Remember, you are dancing with your mic, but no touchy touchy! And if you have a guest, you can lean back and relax while they talk, but remember to come back close to the mic when you have something to say.
Second, picture your ideal listener. Back in my radio school days, I used to print out a picture of the one person I want to talk to and tape it to the music stand that was holding my commercial scripts. You should do the same now. It doesn’t have to be a real person, but that can help. Cut out a picture of a random person from a magazine and name that person. What does she like to do? How does she listen to your podcast? What is she passionate about? Know this person and then talk to her! When you have her picture up in your recording space, it’s easy to imagine having that conversation with her because in podcasting you are talking to that one person listening to you usually through their earbuds.
Lastly, SMILE! If all else fails, I’ll always tell you to smile. Smiling can be heard through a microphone and a little goes a long way. There’s a Chinese proverb “A smile gains more friends than a long face.” So smile more to gain more listeners! New friends! Yay! People who smile are likeable and trustworthy. Research shows that an honest, genuine smile leads people to believe that you are honest and will cooperate. These are all subconscious thoughts from your listener. Looking mad and unfriendly will turn people away. If you smile, even if you are having an off day or are not feeling it, smiling first will trigger your brain to say, hey, I’m happy and that will connect your emotion with your listener!
So put these into practice this week. Let me know if you hear a difference in your voice. Send me a voice note through email at VisibleVoicePodcast@gmail.com. And I know there’s lots to think about during your recordings, so if nothing else, smile!
Email Mary at VisibleVoicePodcast@gmail.com
Engage with the show on Instagram at @VisibleVoicePodcast
