Habituation (or How Not To Bore Your Audience)

In Episode 2, host Trevor Currie and producer Karen Ward talk about habituation and why it's so important to change things up if you want to keep your audience's interest and attention.

Listening Notes:

1:04	Trevor shares the definition of habituation and how it relates to speaking well.
1:55	Karen asks about the various ways speakers can fight against habituation so they can keep their audiences engaged.
2:45	Trevor talks about Jeffery Toobin, an American lawyer, author and legal analyst for CNN and The New Yorker, and how he mixes things up during an interview on NPR's Fresh Air.
3:42	Karen shares her reflections on the radio program This American Life and why it is such a good example of how to fight habituation when you speak and tell stories.
4:36	Trevor talks about Radio Lab, another radio program, and how they fight against habituation by using different voices, pacing and sound effects.
5:35	Trevor talks about the importance of planning your content in a way that prompts you to use a different element of your voice or approach to delivery.
6:53	Karen asks if there are contexts when it doesn’t make sense to switch it up too much when you’re speaking.
9:11	Trevor clarifies that fighting habituation is not about trying to be an actor. It’s about being yourself and planning your content so you naturally change your inflection, delivery and pace.
10:22	Trevor talks about how nerves can lead speakers to speak more formally and technically and become “tight”. This often translates to habituation – and a bored, disengaged audience.
11:17	Trevor shares his best habituation-fighting tips.
14:28	Trevor suggests David Pogue’s TED Talk as a great example of an animated, anti-habituation presentation.
15:52	Trevor reminds us that variety is the spice of life. Add some to your presentation!

Why Speaking Matters

In this introductory episode, host Trevor Currie and producer Karen Ward discuss the importance of speaking as a "signal skill" and what you can start (and stop) doing right now to improve your impact as a public speaker.

Listening Notes:

1:20	Trevor talks about the goals he set for 2015 that led to The Podium Project podcast.
3:23	Karen asks Trevor why speaking matters and Trevor discusses the importance of speaking as a “signal skill” and why it’s accessible to everyone.
5:25	Trevor talks about the various applications of persuasive communication in both personal and professional contexts.
6:40	Trevor outlines the different types of client he works with and the common challenge they share—their expertise.
8:33	Trevor talks about the limitations of public speaking as a medium and how presentation performance always improves when a speaker focuses on sharing a few keys points, well illustrated, instead of trying to be comprehensive.
10:00	Karen asks Trevor to share a couple of great presentation tips for the audience to act on right away and they are: (1) content is king and (2) less is more.
12:40	Trevor talks about author Dan Pink’s TED Talk about motivation as a great example of providing an audience with a few key, well illustrated points, not all of the insights from his book Drive.
14:18	Trevor explains why it’s often counterintuitive for professionals to be less comprehensive when they present and why it’s so critical that they are focused and selective when they share their knowledge.

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