You're going to hate me for saying this, but... The single most underrated tool in podcasting is the art of active listening. The term "active listening" often gets reduced to simple gestures or verbal cues, missing its deeper essence. Active listening demands more than just hearing words; it requires engaging your mind entirely to understand your guest's perspective. Rather than listening to respond, it's about listening to comprehend deeply. This approach challenges us to set aside personal biases and immerse ourselves in the speaker's world. What happens when you do this during a recording? It will unlock a wealth of dynamic information beyond mere words. It involves decoding nonverbal cues, understanding emotions, and grasping underlying motivations. As a result, you build trust and defuse tensions (performance fright). But how do you hone this skill? Chris Voss, a well-known former FBI negotiator, uses strategic communication techniques such as mirrors, labels, and what he calls calibrated questions (what, how, and why) to encourage openness and gather insights. Basically, you're finding ways to show and prove to your guest that you "see" them. These tools not only reveal hidden dynamics but also affirm our commitment to understanding. Here are a few pro tips to use during your next recording: 🔍 Use labels and calibrated questions to sound out underlying dynamics. e.g. "It seems like you're feeling frustrated about this situation." 🤝 Maintain awareness of your body language to foster a comfortable environment. If you're relaxed, they're comfortable. Notice any tension in your body and release it. 📝 Take handwritten notes to aid memory retention and demonstrate respect for the guest. The art of active listening is the most valuable skill you can have as a podcaster. If you want to keep up with the creator industry, trends and insights, you can check out my newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/gs8dCnzp #ActiveListening #podcastingskills #CommunicationSkills
Anna Mackenzie
2mo
I've been really enjoying your newsletter! Highly recommend for anyone who's in the creator/creative space 😊
Sarah Howell
2mo
Deep active listening is such an underrated skill in the work environment. I love these insightful comments Jessica
Podcast Host/Producer One Minute Remaining/Wanted/Crime at Bedtime
2moSo 110% on the money! I used to teach at radio school and this was my #1 most important lesson, Listen. The amount of confused faces that would stare back at me with the look of "well obviously". As someone who has now done hundreds of interviews with all sorts of people I know an interview can be a highly stressful and unnatural situation. You spend hours researching and writing those 'perfect' questions, by the time it comes to the interview, you're now more focused on getting out all these incredible questions that you actually don't listen to the answers. As you mentioned when you actually listen and engage with the answer this also makes the person your talking with feel more relaxed, more engaged and more likely to give you gold! Howard Stern is a master to watch, he gets a quick run down from his producer on anything important he should know but otherwise he just chats, he asks things that interest him that he wants to know, he LISTENs and probs further. If anyone hasn't seen his solo one on one with Chris Martin of Cold Play it is a master class in interviewing.