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The How To Podcast Series - Podcast Co-Hosts, Practical Podcast Tips, and Podcast Community
E582 - Sharpening Your Podcast Voice - The Podcaster’s Path, 24 Steps from Beginner to Pro
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Okay, we're rolling. Welcome back to the how to Podcast series. My name is Dave. Happy to be with you. We're taking a path together. A walk. A path, Right. We're gonna go on a walk. It's the podcaster's path. 24 steps from beginner to pro. 24 episodes in a row. I'm glad you're here. If you haven't heard the other episodes before this one, you need to go back to the beginning, and you're like, dave, how do I find all the episodes in one place? Good. I. Good question. If you go to YouTube, a link in the show notes, there's actually a link to the playlist, and you can see and hear all of the episodes in one place. So there you go. Helpful. Super helpful. And if you know of anybody that's thinking of starting a podcast and they come to a show like the how to podcast series, and they're like, oh, my gosh, this is so overwhelming. How many episodes does this guy have? Then your best chance to get a starting point for podcasters who are thinking about starting a show go the playlist for this. This series of episodes is designed to kind of walk you from the initial idea to I have an idea for my podcast, to I have a podcast. And that's the idea and the intent behind these 24 episodes. So this is episode 582, and we are focusing in on sharpening your podcaster voice and helping you do this. So I'm glad you're here. Let's work on that voice of yours, and let's help your podcast get going. Here we go. The worst thing you can have is a dull knife in the kitchen. Like when you try to cut a carrot, it bounces off the carrot. You try to cut something and it doesn't work. It's just like, what is the point of this? Right? A sharp knife designed for it. What it's designed for and used the proper way, in a safe way is what you need. You need something that works. And I think in podcasting, what we can do is sharpen our voice. And what does this mean? This is probably one of the most powerful skills that you can develop as a new podcaster is focusing in on your voice. Your voice isn't just how you sound. It's how you connect. It's how you persuade and how you keep your listeners coming back. And episode to episode, week to week, most beginners freeze right here. This is where they stop convinced that they need that radio polish before they hit record. And that's not true. The truth, authenticity. Being a real you, being a real human with all of your foibles, all of your mess ups, the way you mispronounce words, maybe your occasional y'. All. All that stuff that makes you you. And that always beats perfection in every single case. The good news, you can train this muscle, this voice quickly with simple, low pressure practice. Got some suggestions for you on how you can make your podcast better. Some practical things you can do as you record your first few episodes, or if you've been doing this forever, a refresher to make your podcast better. I want you to think back, if you've been podcasting for a while, like me, to your first episodes, or for you new podcasters, imagine what your new episodes are going to sound like. You hit play. You hit play on those episodes. What happens? You cringe, right? You're like, oh, wow, that was an awkward pause. Oh, I could have asked that question better. What's with this big gap? Why did I say 3,000 times? And as you listen to this, you're like, why is the delivery so flat? Why do I sound like a robot? And then you vow to never, ever record your podcast again. You're like, forget this. If that's how terrible I sound to myself, then what does my audience think? Who would ever listen to this? Every podcaster's journey starts right there. Listening back isn't a punishment. It's your personal highlight reel, your improvement, that you're making progress. Progress is hard to measure. Episode to episode, it's really hard to know if you're improving. But as you go back in time and as you get points of reference to how you were and how you are, then you're like, wow, I am improving. You already come so much further than you think. Keep that in mind. I want to break down four pillars on how to have a magnetic podcaster voice. And this isn't putting on a fake voice. This is how to improve and, and build on the voice you have. So the first is your cadence. When we talk cadence, think of rhythm. Think of a drummer, right? The heartbeat of a song. Your cadence is that pace that keeps your listeners hooked. When you speak too fast, you sound frantic. And when you speak too slow, people start to tune out because they get bored. There needs to be some ebbs and flows, some variety, up a little bit, a little bit faster, a little bit slower. People like that back and forth. And remember, we don't have the advantage of having a visual component to an audio podcast. You can't see that I'm waving my hands Right now, but I am, because I'm speaking and I want to enter emphasize something. So I'm throwing my hand towards the screen as I say the thing. I'm using my hands, and I'm then trying to replicate that with my voice so that it brings across when I'm making a point or when I'm highlighting something. Instead of just reading a script to you, I'm talking to you as if I would if we were at a coffee shop hanging out. When I work with podcasters, setting up their show and getting them comfortable on the mic, I get them to practice a conversational speed, not how they would talk on stage in front of a thousand people, because you automatically talk a little faster because you're nervous, but how you talk around the kitchen table at dinner with your family and friends. That's this. That's the speed I'm looking for. I'm looking for that feel. Not something that feels forced, rushed. I don't want to have you sound like you're running down a hill at full speed trying to have a conversation at the same time. That doesn't work. That actually builds anxiety for your audience. There are podcasts about podcasting where I have to turn the host down in speed because they are so fast. I don't even know how they can get that many words out. So I'm actually dialing that podcaster back and slowing them down so I can actually understand what they're saying. Because my heart starts to race. I feel nervous around them. They have great content, but they just kind of slow the heck down. Aim for that conversational speed. Picture telling this story that you're going to share on your podcast to a friend over coffee. And then vary your sentence length as well. There's a key point right there. Don't have 35 word sentences. Have short sentences, have long sentences, break them up. Short punches to emphasize something, and maybe long arcs to create buildup and anticipate something. But have some cadence, some gallop, some rhythm to what you do. And then the next part. We've touched on this already, but if you haven't heard this part already, your podcast needs to set it. You need to set the tone for your show. Tone could be equivalent to your emotional color. Think of all the crayons for all these people. In some states, they're like, I don't know how you say it. Crayon. Crayon. You say it funny. It's interesting. I might say it funny, you might say it right. I don't know. But think of all the different colors that are available to you in your markers. There. I'll use that instead in your markers. There's a lot of different choices to pick from, right? Use the tone of your show to be emotional color. Are you curious, fired up, reflective, or warm? A different color comes to mind when you hear those words. Match your tone to your content. A gear recommendation needs practical energy. A personal failure story calls for some vulnerability. The goal isn't deep. Movie trailer voice person. It's supposed to be you, but amplified, not you. Bored on your couch on Saturday afternoon with nothing to do but you. Amplified. I tell people that I come to the mic as an introvert. I have to turn up the dial just a little bit to be a little bit more engaging than my normal resting state. Otherwise, you probably would just tune me out completely. So I turn up the Dave dial just a little bit. I'm not faking it, but I'm a little bit more than I would be on my own in a place where, I don't know, people put it that way. Listeners bond with humans, not radio announcers. Keep that in mind. Your podcast is not radio. It's. It's a podcast. And also, the other big advantage we have as podcasters is the power of the pause. If silence is golden, it's also a secret weapon that you can use to change the context of the show, to make people sit up and pay attention. Silence is amazing. And in music, as a musician, I've always said the beauty of music is found between the notes, in the gaps. The silence, the breaks, catches people's attention. Focus on silence after a big point. When you make your big main point and you're like, this is the thing and this is how I did it. Insert a pause. A few seconds of just wow. Allows your audience to catch up with what you just said and allows them to replay that thing one more time because you give them a chance to catch up to you. Everybody is a few words behind you at all times. They're listening, processing, and then hearing the next thing and processing. So they're always in this state of a few steps behind you. Don't get too far ahead of your audience by being too fast. Slow down, put some pauses in there and let your audience catch up to you, and then continue on. Be a leader. Lead your audience, but at the same time, don't be so far out ahead of them that you've lost your audience completely. Like that podcaster who needs to be slowed down because they talk way too fast. Use the power of the pause. It really, really Works. We use it in our natural speech all the time. Practice it by reading your script out loud, if you follow a script and making pause spots and slashes. So everything changed. This changed everything. Slash, pause. Because put that in your notes. Like make things, highlight stuff if you're using a script and insert the places where you're going to add that pregnant pause that makes people go, what? It really works well. The power of the pause. Huge word. In podcasting, Authenticity is another part of how we can make our podcast voice magnetic. This is not negotiable. The whole idea of you being real, you being approachable, you being someone that people can identify with us, somebody that has been through, has tried, has failed, and you're a real person in a world of AI, this is where we, we were shined. Your authenticity, forcing a podcaster voice repels people. When I hear people who sound like they should be selling used cars in the 70s, I'm like, come on, really lean into your natural speech, your quirks, your laugh, your empathetic, you know what I mean? Those things, that's what makes you irreplaceable. Don't edit those things out. I say so way too much, Way too much. I'm working on it, but I say it too much. I'm like, that's awesome, that's great. I say that all the time. I'm always affirming my guess. It's who I am. Would I like to stop doing it? Well, I like to do it less. I'll never stop. It's who I am. If you met me in person, that's how I would talk to you. So keep that in mind. Keep your authenticity. Don't remove the humanity in a world where people are inundated by fake voices, podcasts, auto generated content, you being you, all your foibles, and everything that makes you you be you. And then this part is interesting too, how you can practice without pressure. To develop that magnetic podcaster voice, I want you to focus on the low stakes, the reps that build skills fast. Start with a daily 5 minute riff. Grab your phone, hit record, and talk about anything. I don't care what it's about, just talk about anything. Why you love coffee, a recent win, Your show's origin story, what happened in sports last night, your favorite movie, and why you love it so much. No script, no edit, just flow. Just grab your phone and talk for five minutes. Hit record, call yourself, I don't know, leave yourself a message. However, your phone records, do whatever. You can do this for a week and you're going to hear your voice evolve. Five minutes. Just open the phone, leave a message, a voice memo, whatever, and. And just record yourself and talk about anything. Why is this important? Because you've never been a podcaster before. And when you jump on the mic, you start to get a little nervous. You see that record button hit and you're like, oh my gosh, it's recording me. And it's the red light syndrome in that the record light shines and you're like, oh, oh my gosh, it's recording me. Before you get to that part, just talk on your phone. Who cares? Everyone else is talking on their phone. You'll blend right in. But you're practicing your podcast. You're not talking to your Aunt Mabel. You're recording your podcast. Practice time. So practice without pressure, grab your phone and don't worry about it. What's our action step, Dave? What do we do here on our path from beginner to pro when we start talking about sharpening our podcast voice, what do we do? Your action step for this episode? Record a five minute solo riff about why you started your podcast. Don't overthink it. Just talk into the mic. Talk into your phone like it's a curious friend and then listen back to it. Jot down three things that you liked. How was your energy on one phrase? Was there some natural pauses? Were you genuinely excited about this topic? When you listen back, skip the flaws. Train your ear to focus on strengths. First, we naturally go to the bad stuff. I want you to purposely go to the good stuff when you listen. This one. Practice rewires your self doubt into confidence. And then I would re. I'd ask you to do this more than once. That five minute solo riff. Your voice doesn't need to be perfect on episode one. It needs to be yours, sharpened episode by episode over time. Start riffing. Today, your listeners will be waiting for the real you to show up. But you got to find your voice. You need to sharpen it. And this is how you do it. Jump on your phone. Record today. You can do this. And your podcast has benefit from it because you put in the time. Need help? Reach out anytime. How to Podcast CA thanks for being here. If you're looking for more information about podcasting and you're looking for a community around podcasting, come check out howtopodcast ca. It's my website where everything we do around podcasting this show our community or meetup resources. There's a lot of great stuff there for you. A whole list of free, free tools that you can use as a podcaster to save yourself some money. That's based on my website, podcastforfree.com, which just leads you back to my regular website. And if you want any more information as well, there's a calendar link on my website where you and I can meet anytime. It's always there. It's always available. Whatever you see available on your end. I'm ready to talk podcasting with anybody. I'd love to help you no matter what your questions are. We can grab a virtual coffee and we can talk through what your big idea is. Maybe some of your struggles in podcasting, maybe some motivational things, maybe some growth things. Happy to help you over at howtopodcast ca come check out the website. Let's connect. Stick around because we have a bunch more episodes here on The Podcaster's Path. 24 episodes here in a row. That's meant to be kind of your starting point for your journey as a podcaster or if you're going to start a new show or you want to refresh your journey and catch up on maybe some of the things you might have missed. That's what this show's about. I'm glad you're here. My name is Dave. Love to help you reach out anytime. HowToPodcast CA take care. Talk soon.