‘Pod Your Heart Out’ (PYHO) podcast is just four episodes away from finishing off the first season successfully. When I first started recording episodes for PYHO, I did not realize how time-consuming the editing process will be. As a seasoned user of professional audio production software, the work required to get a short podcast of less than 10-minutes to sound professional is the same as that of a 2-hour audio post-production, but it is the minor cuts and edits that take time.

In addition to clarity of speech, elements that make a speaker great include the use of voice, body language, eye contact, and the ability to persuade, influence, and inspire an audience with stories.

SHUJA RABBANI – SHRM-SCP, SPHRI, EXECUTIVE COACH – JOHN MAXWELL TEAM

Since I do not record any of the PYHO podcast episodes using a pre-written script, the process of listening to your own voice over and over again can be awkward and it has taught me a very important lesson in communication: clarity in speech.

What I have learned about the exercise of making yourself a better communicator with clarity in speech is to record yourself and notice any of the below:

• Repetitive use of specific words: When speaking to people, we hardly ever notice the frequency of use of specific words in our language unless and until we are given feedback about it. However, how often is it that someone is given feedback about their communication during a performance review meeting?

Better yet, why wait to be given that feedback when you can help yourself in picking up on the use excessive use of specific words in your language by recording yourself speaking for a few minutes and then listening to your speech.

• Use of words that do not exist in the English dictionary: When the globally famous reality TV personality ‘Jude Judy’ asks the plaintiff or the defendant a question and they respond with an ‘um’ or ‘ah’, she immediately interrupts and tells them that ‘um’ or ‘ah’ is not a word. They are unnecessary word fillers that can impend your communication and make you seem less credible as a speaker.

Such word fillers can sometimes be so internalized and used subconsciously in daily language that unless your voice is being recorded and replayed back to you, possibly with a transcript, it is not easy that the use of word fillers be picked up.

Keeping oral communication concise and clear is one of the greatest advantages in public speaking. While public speaking is a necessary skill for anyone in leadership to be able to stand and deliver an effective speech to an audience, clarity in speech is just one aspect of a good public speaker. Other elements that make a speaker great include the use of voice, body language, eye contact, and the ability to persuade, influence, and inspire an audience with stories.

Six months ago, I would have never thought of this hidden advantage of becoming a podcaster and how much it would help in self-awareness about my speech and language pattern. The message is clear: if you want to become a powerful communicator, mind your language in whole, not just in part.

Listen to the latest Pod Your Heart Out podcast episode below: