Let’s face it. With the rise of the internet and information sharing, professionals have a plethora of options for growing their skills and continuing their education in informal settings. Podcasts have become one of the premier sources for leaders to learn about (and be entertained by) a wide variety of topics. From murder mysteries to business tips, millions of people turn to podcasts for their daily lessons, stories, or news. With 22% of the U.S. population (about 72 million people) listening to podcasts weekly, they have become an invaluable tool. In their variety, there are hundreds of podcasts specifically designed to help public speakers grow in their craft and become more skilled. We’ve saved you the time of searching for the best ones for public speakers, by doing the legwork for you and culling the top five. They are listed below in no particular order and are perfect for enhancing your public speaking skills. These productions are thought-provoking and will help you improve your client relatability. They’ll also make you a better communicator. You can find them in Apple Podcasts, Pocket Casts (Android) and most major podcast platforms.
- The Public Speaker’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Improving Your Communication Skills
“The Public Speaker’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Improving Your Communication Skills” is a podcast many people turn to for quick tips on how to improve their speaking and communication skills. Hosted by Lisa B. Marshall, this podcast consists of 353 episodes that give quick, 10-to-20 minute tips on how to be a better public speaker. Each podcast is clearly labeled by the topic covered that episode, which gives you free rein when browsing the different topics Marshall discusses. With examples like “How to Change Topics Mid-Conversation” and “The Importance of Visual Communication,” you can find yourself growing as a communicator in a plethora of ways as you dive into the many episodes of this podcast.
- Eat the Lens Podcast
If you are a public speaker who does most of your work in front of a camera, or you are simply interested in a wide variety of fields, “Eat the Lens Podcast” is the one for you. Hosted by Noeleen McGrath, an experienced, award-winning television news journalist, media trainer, and video producer, McGrath provides her listeners with short tips that can improve your on camera, and off camera, communication. Each of her 92 episodes is approximately a minute long, providing you with “bite-sized” tips from an experienced communicator who has a lot of knowledge to pass on.
- The Toastmasters Podcast
The Toastmasters Podcast is an interview-based podcast developed by Toastmasters International, a non-profit educational organization that is home to 357,500 members worldwide. Hosted by Bo Bennett, Ryan Levesque, and Greg Gazin, each podcast centers around an interview that runs for approximately 20-minutes with a different guest each week. All guests are accomplished public speakers who provide insight into the process of their speaking endeavors, along with some insight into their careers. This podcast is excellent for the public speaker who wants to learn from the best of the best and become a better communicator.
- The Presentation Scientists
Hosted by Scott Schwertly and Gabrielle Reed, The Presentation Scientists podcast provides its listeners with incredibly useful tips on how to improve your presentations and public speaking engagements through science. During each episode, the hosts look into different aspects of public speaking and reveal the science behind each one. As such, they provide listeners with a unique perspective and new ways to grow their public speaking skills. All 51 episodes of this podcast can give you an edge and a new perspective when you are preparing for your next public speaking engagement.
- TED Talks Daily
“TED Talks Daily” is a podcast that gives its listeners a wide variety of topics presented by some of the best minds that the world has to offer. If you’re unfamiliar with TED Talks, they are approximately 20-minute-long presentations given by experts in a multitude of professional fields. From mental health to innovative technology, TED Talks gives its listeners the ability to learn from a new presenter every day. This podcast is particularly useful to public speakers because you get to hear real professionals masterfully presenting topics they are experts in. These thought-provoking podcasts are amazing tools for improving your speaking and presenting skills and also learning about a wide variety of interesting topics.
According to companies like Nielson and Edison, two of the world’s top communication research companies, there are approximately 700,000 active podcasts, which creates a vast collection of niches throughout the hundreds of podcast listening mediums.
By taking the lessons you can learn from the ones we’ve suggested above and applying them to your next presentation or public speaking engagement, you can become a stronger communicator. With the combination of these podcasts and our help here at Phenomenal Speeches, you can take your communication skills to the next level and become a better public speaker.
Sources:
Edison (bit.ly/edison-podcasting)
Nielson (bit.ly/nielson-podcasting)