I'm a designer who turned into a writer who turned into a startup CEO. My mission is to help creators earn a living. Subscribe for essays on building an audience and earning a living as a creator.
How to speak in soundbites
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Hey Reader, I’ve noticed some people speak in a way that really sticks with you. I feel like a couple of my friends—Codie Sanchez and Nick Huber—are really good at this. When they speak, they have a way of delivering in soundbites or talking in clips. You can record them, and what they say is succinct and memorable without any editing. It seems effortless. But like with many things, the easier someone makes it look, the harder they’ve worked at it. That’s exactly what Nick said when I asked him. “Speaking in soundbites is a learned skill.” It’s not something that comes natural to anyone. This is good news, because it means we can develop the ability if we don’t have it. But why does it matter, and why should you put in the effort to learn to speak this way? I have a lot of ideas that can help people, but when put on the spot, it’s hard to deliver them effortlessly. At a mastermind I attended recently, someone put a camera in my face and asked for my biggest piece of advice to new creators. I wasn’t ready. There were many things I could say, but my go-to advice is usually, “Teach everything you know.” I’ve been saying this for years, so you’d think I’d have an elegant way of delivering it by now. But when it came time to speak the message in a short, punchy way, I stumbled. I know the advice is good, but I wasn’t able to explain it in a way that felt natural and memorable. When you’re able to deliver your message in a polished soundbite, two great things happen:
Sometimes, an idea might be brand new to someone. Other times, they may have heard the same general advice before, but it’s the packaging that gives them an epiphany. The way you phrase an idea can help it resonate with people in a way it never did before. Turning something into a soundbite can be the difference between someone sharing an idea with another person later and them attributing you specifically when sharing that idea. But this only happens if your message is succinct. You’ve removed the filler words, you’ve kept it simple, and you’ve made it memorable. That could be with a helpful analogy or visual, it could be the cadence of your speech and the emotion you put behind the message, or all of the above. Speaking in soundbites isn’t just useful for when you’re a guest on a podcast or invited to speak on stage. It’s also valuable when making a memorable impression when you meet people. The key is to make it sound natural. It shouldn’t sound rehearsed. (I’ll talk about how to do this after the break…)
Most people don’t write like they speak, so if you’ve only ever written about this idea, and then you speak the exact words you’ve written, chances are it won’t sound natural. First, take inventory of the most common pieces of advice you give. You probably have a few that you’ve shared a lot. Go back to a time where you gave that piece of advice on a podcast or during a conversation that was recorded. If you haven’t done this, make a point to record yourself during a conversation you’re having with someone where you intend to give the advice. Go back and review how you said it. Take a moment to transcribe the exact words you used:
Now it’s time to edit. Rewrite the transcript of what you said last time into something more succinct and punchy. Here’s the counterintuitive part: set aside the transcript and pull out your phone. Imagine you are speaking to someone you know and, without looking at what you wrote, record yourself giving the advice by memory. It won’t sound exactly like what you wrote, and that’s the point. Once you’re done, compare the way you spoke in the video you recorded on your phone to the transcript you wrote. Evaluate three things:
Remember, this is a process. The people who make this look easy are the people who have worked the hardest at it. Eventually, it does become easy but only with a lot of practice. Once you’ve reached a point where you’re happy with a soundbite you’ve developed, Nick has one final piece of advice: “Record it again. The first take you’re happy with will be decent. But if you record it again a second time, you’ll make it tighter and better.” CONVERTKIT FEATURECreator Profile: Custom pagesJust like you might create additional pages on a website, you can now do so on your Creator Profile in ConvertKit. Use custom pages to set up pages like:
Custom pages are a great way to expand your Creator Profile if you don’t have a separate website. Add up to 3 custom pages, and you don’t need to get used to a new editing experience—it’s the same as our email editor. X POSTHow to Teach in an Engaging WayMcGuire Brannon shares a mini masterclass on how to teach in an engaging way. His 5 keys:
Have a great week! —Nathan |
Nathan Barry
I'm a designer who turned into a writer who turned into a startup CEO. My mission is to help creators earn a living. Subscribe for essays on building an audience and earning a living as a creator.
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