Jodi Krangle

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KP Media TV

Listen and Breathe: An Interview With John Watkis – Part 2

December 1, 2021 by Jodi Krangle

“Your breathing is the key to calming yourself down because you can lower your heart rate and calm yourself by the proper breathing techniques. And so we call this diaphragmatic breathing, and anyone in theater arts and anyone who sings will do this type of breathing. It’s also used in yoga and mindfulness, where you take that deep breath, imagining that you have a balloon inside your stomach, and as you breathe in the balloon expands. You hold it for a few seconds and you exhale slowly, and that slow exhale brings your heart rate down.”

— John Watkis

This episode’s the second half of my interview with performance coach, professional speaker, and author John Watkis, as we discuss empathy, breathing, and the key to speaking with confidence.

A Bigger Toolbox

The second half starts with a deeper look at the role silence plays in effective speaking, and whether storytelling is necessary to connect with an audience. John points out how some of the most famous speeches in history have effectively used elements like relatability and repetition, and the importance of using every tool at your disposal. As he puts it, “when you need a screwdriver or sandpaper, make sure those are elements in your toolbox too.”

Both Sides of the Board

We also talk about active and passive listening, and how often we find ourselves listening just enough to form our own reply, without really considering the other person’s words. “That’s listening in and of itself,” he says. “We think we hear it, but we’re not hearing what they mean.” John compares such exchanges to a game of chess, and, as in chess, the key to effective communication is to use empathy and consider the perspective on each side of the board.

Remembering to Breathe

We conclude our interview with a look at why, as an introvert, John prefers the intimacy of Clubhouse to some of the bigger social media networks, and he offers some practical advice on breathing, relaxing and speaking with confidence even if you aren’t a natural. “At any point when you feel nervous,” he explains, “it usually means you haven’t been breathing. In fact, I watch speakers who gulp on air because they’ve been speaking without taking a breath.”

Episode Summary

  • The role of silence and storytelling.
  • Repetition, rhythm and effectively using metaphors.
  • Listening with empathy and understanding.
  • How to relax and breathe while giving a speech.

Get your complimentary mini e-book and learn how to create your personalized and branded audio branding strategy with my Top Five Tips for Implementing an Intentional Audio Strategy.

Do you need a voice talent for your next project? Visit my voice-over website to find out more about how my voice can help you with your audio brand.  You can also subscribe to the Audio Branding Podcast on YouTube to watch the show’s latest episodes.

Please leave the Audio Branding Podcast a written review or a spoken review so others can find the show on their favorite podcast player!

This interview episode was very skillfully made to sound beautiful by the talented Humberto Franco.

Connect with the Guest
Website: https://johnwatkis.com/
Follow John Watkis on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zumba.john.5/
Connect with John Watkis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnwatkis/
Tweet to John Watkis on Twitter: https://twitter.com/johnwatkis
Try the High-Stakes Performance community free for 7 days:
https://www.highstakesspeaking.com/plans/135624?bundle_token=4c022e1905d1f5699f43f8baf72992d0&utm_source=manual

Filed Under: Public Speaking, Voiceovers & Public Speaking Tagged With: Anaphora, Diaphragmatic Breathing, Eight Essential Elements, High Stakes Performance, High Stakes Speaking, John Watkis, KP Media TV, Power of Sound, Professional Speaker, Speaking Makeover, Speaking Notes

Listen and Breathe: An Interview With John Watkis – Part 1

November 24, 2021 by Jodi Krangle

“And we see it, we automatically know and can even tell when someone is reading something that is written. We’re like, ‘ah, they’re reading.’ And it’s usually not their fault: it’s that they’re reading something that was written to be read by the eye, not for sound.”

— John Watkis

This episode’s guest knows a thing or two about public speaking and connecting with an audience: he’s a high-stakes performance coach, a professional speaker, and the author of Speaking Notes: The Eight Essential Elements to Make Your Speech Music to Their Ears, not to mention the first Canadian-born actor to play Mufasa in the Disney musical The Lion King. Clients seek him out when they have to communicate at their best during presentations, pitches, and interviews. His name is John Watkis, and this week we’ll be having a fascinating discussion about public speaking, storytelling, voiceovers, and everything else about sound in between.

How People Judge You

We begin with John’s earliest memory of sound, a harrowing encounter with a Winnebago when he was just four years old. From there we talk about his childhood in Toronto and how people’s mistaken impressions of him based on his Jamaican heritage led to an early understanding of how sound and voice influence people’s unconscious biases. “It was always apparent to me that the way you speak will determine how people judge you and the perception they have of you.”

Writing for the Ear

John goes on to tell us about the subtle differences between writing for the ear and writing for the eye, and how an experience near the start of his career revealed to him the hidden link between composing music and crafting speeches. We look at the eight elements great music and great speeches share, and how they both use rhythm to make a lasting impression. “That’s the hook,” he tells us, “it’s the one part we stick to. Well, speeches are very much the same.”

The Sound of Trust

We also discuss just how much information we convey without even realizing it, without necessarily saying a word. John explains the origins of a popular statistic about body language and talks about how cultural differences can challenge the way we’re used to reading people’s emotions. “When there was a misunderstanding or a lack of trust,” he recalls in a landmark study, “7% of that distrust came from words, 38% was the tone of voice, 55% was body language.”

Getting Used to Silence

One thing public speakers quite often misunderstand, John explains, is the power of silence. “What is missing,” he says, “and you’ll find most speakers don’t want to use it, is silence. When we speak about sound, the sound of silence can be uncomfortable.” Most of us use filler words and sounds to avoid awkward silence, but he shows us how silence can be an important part of communication, and how we can use it to create a powerful impression on listeners.

Episode Summary

  • Sound, voice, and unconscious impressions.
  • Writing for the ear vs. writing for the eye.
  • The eight elements great music and speeches share.
  • Body language, tone, and establishing trust.
  • How to effectively harness the power of silence.

Be sure to listen next week for part two as we talk about empathetic listening, the unexpected ways a speaker can connect with their audience, and the overlooked importance of breathing.

Get your complimentary mini e-book and learn how to create your personalized and branded audio branding strategy with my Top Five Tips for Implementing an Intentional Audio Strategy.

Do you need a voice talent for your next project? Visit my voice-over website to find out more about how my voice can help you with your audio brand.  You can also subscribe to the Audio Branding Podcast on YouTube to watch the show’s latest episodes.

Please leave the Audio Branding Podcast a written review or a spoken review so others can find the show on their favorite podcast player!

This interview episode was very skillfully made to sound beautiful by the talented Humberto Franco.

Connect with the Guest
Website: https://johnwatkis.com/
Follow John Watkis on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zumba.john.5/
Connect with John Watkis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnwatkis/
Tweet to John Watkis on Twitter: https://twitter.com/johnwatkis
Try the High-Stakes Performance community free for 7 days:
https://www.highstakesspeaking.com/plans/135624?bundle_token=4c022e1905d1f5699f43f8baf72992d0&utm_source=manual

Filed Under: Public Speaking, Voiceovers & Public Speaking Tagged With: Disney, Eight Essential Elements, High Stakes Performance, High Stakes Speaking, John Watkis, KP Media TV, Mufasa, Professional Speaker, Speaking Makeover, Speaking Notes, The Lion King

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