Last week, we released the second episode of our monthly business communications podcast, ‘Get PodSavvy’ –. This month’s theme is ‘Where do I start?’ So of course that was the question I looked at in the first episode of my ‘Sound Advice’ feature (which will appear within each monthly show). The series gives me the chance to share some tips and tricks on the subject of professional business audio.
The answer to the question is, of course, ‘with research’. If you have no experience of this kind of project, the starting point for that research is listening – soaking up as much of other people’s content as you can get your ears on! Dr Stephen Covey says that out of reading, writing, speaking and listening, listening is the activity we spend the highest percentage of our time doing (or at least attempting to do) but the lowest percentage of our time learning. I’d go along with that – although I have to say, in my professional experience, the average person’s listening skills are better than they think. I’m consistently surprised by clients who swear they’re ‘no good at listening’, then proceed to spot a flawed piece of audio on first hearing. They can’t always tell me straight off what’s wrong with it – but they know it isn’t right; it isn’t ‘comfortable’ to listen to.
I set you a challenge in the programme – to turn away from the tv for a few minutes, just listen, and see what you pick up on. I try this with all my training clients –with some really interesting results. If you give it a go, do let me know what happens.
The July show is the first I’ve recorded in USP’s new studios – which include some very swish television facilities. So I had to be a bit careful what I said about tv sound – although I still had to tell it like it is – traditionally, it’s been ‘the poor relation’, the assumption being that the viewer will be so preoccupied with the pictures, the sound really doesn’t matter. Even I assumed that was the case for a lot of people – until recently, when I was talking to someone who makes videos for business and he commented that the standard of the audio behind the pictures could make or break the whole presentation.
For this month’s competition, I’m asking you to identify what’s wrong with a sound clip. Obviously, you need to listen to be able to have a crack at it.
The winner of the June competition was Tim Carter of Attwaters Solicitors in Harlow, Essex. He was the only person correctly to identify that Ivan Newman was reciting ‘Jabberwocky’ by Lewis Carroll. The stakes have gone up this month – not only do you get an hour of me for free, you also get an hour with Ivan. Between us, we can help you improve your customer service – and sound professional when you shout about it!
Talking of the relationship between sound and pictures (as I was just now), next week, I’ll tell you a bit about the first ‘Get PodSavvy’ feature to go visual.