We all agree that we need to practice our public speaking skills for them to improve. But when it comes to recording ourselves and listening to the recording, many of us hate hearing ourselves speak, and there’s a very simple explanation for that.
In the article about creating a retroplanning, we mentioned:
- Step 12: Record yourself – audio
- Listen to:
- the clarity of the content of your pitch
- your pronunciation and articulation
- your language and verbal tics
- the “AHA!” moments
- the silences
- your speed and cadence
- Listen to:
- Step 13: Record yourself – video
- Look at:
- your stage presence
- your use of your hands for punctuation
- your non-verbal communication
- your involuntary movements
- your posture
- Look at:
So why do we hate listening to a recording of our own voice?
Well, we all have two voices:
- The first is the one that comes out of our mouth. It’s the one that everyone hears, including ourselves, because it’s coming out of our mouth and into our ears.
- The second is the one that only we hear. Our vocal cords vibrate, which goes up through our bones and tissue, and straight into our inner-ear.
When we listen to a recording of ourselves, we might feel uncomfortable – that’s because we recognise the voice, but we don’t identify it as ours, which causes the feeling of rejection.
Now you know why you hate listening to your recorded voice… because it’s you, but it’s not you…
That being said, listening to yourself pitch is one of the most useful tools to identify the parts you need to work on, and improve your delivery.
The sooner you get used to hearing the sound of your own voice, the sooner you can start practicing properly, and the sooner you can become a better public speaker…
Practice really does make perfect.
If you have a public speaking engagement of any kind, and you want to be as prepared as possible, contact Philip Grother via this contact form or book a call.