Hey Reader,
We’re one week into October. Have you bought Halloween candy yet?
(Or already bought it twice?)
Today, let’s get into why you should…
Close your eyes and hit ‘play’!
The best way to watch your recording is to not watch it.
If you read my free guide, “From Mic-Shy to Camera-Confident”,
(download link below)
You know how much you learn by ‘recording’ yourself.
But the most important step happens when you play it back.
I call it the listen-only review.
You press play. Then you look away. Just listen.
Without your face to fuss over, your ears finally get a turn.
That’s when the stuff that matters gets LOUD.
Here’s why. When we watch ourselves, our eyes become a terrible coach. They only care about our hair. You’ll spend four minutes on one weird strand by your ear.
Meanwhile, you said “um” 31 times and didn’t notice once.
When you can’t see your face, your brain stops grading it. All that’s left is your voice. And that’s exactly what your listeners get.
So close your eyes and check these…
Speed. Are you racing like the guy who reads the fine print at the end of a car ad? Or are you going so slow people could fold laundry between words?
Volume. Are you projecting, or kinda mumbling into your shirt?
Tone. Does your pitch go up and down? Or does it sound like a robot reading a parking ticket?
Pauses. Do you ever stop? A pause gives people a second to catch up.
It also makes you sound like you know what you’re doing.
You’ll hear things you never noticed. It’s a little weird at first.
Nobody likes their recorded voice!
We all think we sound like a stranger who owes us money.
Now, the question I get a lot: “Royce, what do I say?”
Fair. Nothing kills a practice session faster than staring into your phone going, “Uh… hi, me.” You’ll be bored in 40 seconds.
And bored sounds bored.
So here are some questions to answer on camera.
They’re built to pull out the “real you”. There are no right or wrong answers. Nobody’s grading this. Not even you. (Well, maybe a little you.)
Stuff you can talk about…
– What’s something you could talk about for ten minutes without preparing?
– What’s one small thing that always makes your day better?
– What’s a hobby you enjoy, and what do people misunderstand about it?
– What’s something you’re surprisingly good at?
– If a friend visited your town, where would you take them first—and why?
Stories: “Here’s what happened…
– Tell me about a time you tried something new and felt completely out of your depth.
– What’s a mistake you can laugh about now?
– What was the worst job you ever had?
– Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
– When did you surprise yourself by doing something you thought you couldn’t?
Opinion: “Here’s what I think…
– What’s something you love that other people don’t seem to appreciate?
– What’s a piece of common advice you disagree with?
– What’s one thing you wish people understood about your work?
– What’s something you’ve changed your mind about?
– What’s a harmless opinion you’ll happily defend? Yes, breakfast for dinner counts.
Practice being seen: “Here’s what I bring…
– What do people regularly come to you for help with?
– What’s something you’re proud of that you usually downplay?
– Teach me one useful thing in under a minute.
– Tell me about yourself without mentioning your job title.
– If you stopped worrying about sounding impressive, what would you want people to know about you?
Pick one. Talk for three minutes. WAIT! (at least a few hours) Then close your eyes and listen back.
Your voice has been doing all the work. It’s time it got your full attention.
P.S. Sometimes a second set of ears catches what yours miss. Mine have spent 30+ years in Major Market Radio. Grab a free 15-minute one-on-one, tell me what’s tripping you up, and walk away with tips you can use that day. (Link below)
Stellar Quotes
“Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor, the enemy of the people.”
Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird
“There is no innovation and creativity without failure. Period.”
Brené Brown
Making callers mad was my favorite part…
Two topics never fail on the Radio. “Ghosts” and “flying saucers”.
Both start with the same four words. “Have you ever seen…?”
Then the phones light up like a spaceship just landed in the parking lot.
The number of “witnesses” out there always amazed me. And they’re not just out there. They’re passionate.
I get it. If I truly believed I saw something from out of this world, I’d be passionate too. I’d call everybody. I’d call my dentist.
Some callers were pretty believable.
They really believed they saw Grandma Mary at the end of the bed.
Who am I to argue with Grandma Mary?
She clearly had notes about the curtains.
But my favorite was always the flying saucers.
Why? Because I could make fun of them, Reader!
I loved playing the ‘skeptic’.
My standard comeback was, “That was a weather balloon!“
People would go ballistic. “How could a three-sided ship with flashing lights be mistaken for a weather balloon?”
“Have you seen the Grumman LX7000? It looks exactly like that!”
Then things got intense. Jerry Springer audience intense.
Chairs-flying intense, minus the chairs.
Sure, sometimes I seemed like a jerk. But people wanted me to be a great ‘interrogator’. Nobody wants to tell their alien story to a guy who just says “neat.”
Here’s why it works. “Have you ever seen” makes everyone the star of their own story. A little push-back makes them dig in.
And then they tell it even LOUDER.
You don’t have to be the most interesting person in the room. You just ask the question and play the doubter. We all secretly love a good argument about lights in the sky.
So try it at your next party. Wait for that lull when everyone is staring at the chip bowl. Then ask, “Has anyone here seen a UFO or a ghost?”
Now watch your quiet coworker, the one who’s said six words all night, stand up. He’ll describe the lights he saw over a Costco in great detail.
He’ll use his hands.
Bonus points if you lean over and whisper, “Weather balloon.”
Asking the right question, then pushing back a little, is a real speaking skill. You can get better at it.
And if somebody at that party swears it wasn’t a weather balloon, let them win this one.
Diversions
Your Thoughts
Quick confession time. What’s standing between you and that little red button?
Don’t have “From Mic-Shy to Camera-Confident”?
Here’s a download link: https://bit.ly/4orCOK2
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Free Coaching!
Your voice has been with you your entire life, but odds are nobody ever taught you how to “use it”. Let’s fix that. Grab a free discovery call and let’s see what’s possible. No push, no pressure.
We can do it by Zoom or phone, whichever you prefer. https://calendly.com/roycethewriter/royce-coaching-call
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