How to Be a Confident Podcast Guest

Jacob Riederer -

Appearing on a podcast can feel like stepping onto a stage you can’t see. You want to sound clear, authoritative, and engaging for both the host and the listeners. But confidence isn’t just about what you say; it’s about how you say it. From your voice to your pacing, every detail shapes how your message is received.

Whether you’re sharing your expertise or telling a personal story, the goal’s the same: connect with the audience in a way that leaves them wanting more. Here’s how to approach your next podcast guest spot with calm assurance and real presence.

1. Voice Control: Project Clarity and Strength

Your voice is your instrument, and like any instrument, it needs tuning. When nerves hit, your pitch can creep up and your words can start sprinting. That’s when technique becomes your best friend.

This isn’t about trying to sound like a radio announcer. It’s about making your voice steady, clear, and easy to listen to. Your goal should be to ensure that both the host and the audience stay with you from the first word to the last.

Why breath and posture matter

Your voice-ready toolkit

  • Breathe deeply and quietly for one minute: Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds, then exhale in a slow, steady hiss for 8–12 seconds, keeping your shoulders relaxed and your ribs expanding. It’s a technique that helps to train steady outflow and benefits vocal function. (Pro tip: NCVS notes that trained speakers learn to take larger, quicker, quieter breaths for power without noise.)
  • Stack your posture for resonance: Take a moment to adjust your posture to the correct position, think “tall and relaxed” to let your voice ring out. Here’s the secret scientific formula: feet hip-width apart, knees soft, pelvis neutral, spine long, ribs buoyant, shoulders relaxed, and mic at mouth height. Research demonstrates this position often shows a higher perceived acoustic quality. 
  • Warm up like a pro: Start by humming for 30 seconds to get your vocal folds vibrating gently, followed by a lip trill (that “brrr” sound) up and down your range. Lastly, practice a straw phonation (hum through a straw for 2 minutes). These “semi-occluded” exercises have been shown to reduce vocal effort and improve clarity almost instantly.
  • Hydrate before and during: A dry throat is a shaky throat. Sip water regularly and skip throat clearing. You can always try a gentle hum instead if you need to reset.

Quick pre-record checklist

  • Two rounds of deep breathing: In for 4 seconds, out for 8 to 12.
  • Posture set: Sit tall, keep your chin level, place the mic to meet your mouth (not the other way around), take one easy shoulder roll.
  • SOVTE block: 30 seconds humming, 30 seconds of lip trills, 2 minutes straw phonation, followed by reading one paragraph aloud at conversational volume.
  • Hydration sweep: Keep water within arms reach, avoid throat clearing.

2. Powerful Storytelling: Own Your Narrative

Facts may inform, but it’s stories that connect. Sharing a well-told anecdote not only helps make your points memorable, it helps you feel grounded and confident while you speak.

Why storytelling works

  • Structure curbs rambling: Stories have a built-in structure; a beginning, a challenge, and a resolution. That means you’re not fumbling for what to say next or wandering off-topic.
  • Stories invite emotional connection: When you tell a story, you’re inviting listeners into your world. Harvard Business Review points out that good stories “build familiarity and trust” and lets people step into the narrative where they are, which makes them more likely to engage with what you’re saying.
  • Shifting from performance to sharing eases nerves: Shifting your mindset from “I have to perform” to “I’m sharing something” is a game-changer. Take it from Rioch’s Head of Global Employee Engagement, Darren Menabney, who notes that storytellers often become more conversational, with body language that feels relaxed. The result? A calming effect on both the speaker and their audience.

How to craft stories that work

The pros agree: keep your stories short, relevant, and emotionally honest. The most memorable ones have characters your audience can relate to, some form of conflict or tension, and a resolution that ties back to your main point. 

Quick story-building tips

  • Choose stories with a clear arc: beginning, middle, and end.
  • Use personal experiences, especially challenges that turned into lessons. They’re authentic and instantly relatable.
  • Practice your delivery until you’re familiar, but not word-for-word memorised. You want it to sound natural, not rehearsed.

3. Pausing and Pacing: Slow Is Strong

When nerves kick in, it’s easy to hit fast-forward on your words. The problem? Speed kills clarity, and it can make you sound less confident than you really are.

Why pauses matter

  • They give you (and your audience) breathing room: Pauses aren’t empty space, they’re processing time. Expert public speaking coach Sally Prosser calls them a chance for your listeners to digest your message while you recharge mid-sentence.
  • They add weight to your words: 3-time TEDx speaker and public speaking professor Nausheen Chen says to think of pauses as verbal punctuation. Like commas and full stops in writing, they frame your ideas and create anticipation before the next thing you say.
  • They show you’re composed: Seasoned coaches often pair pauses with grounded posture and slow, steady breathing. But why? Because it makes you look and sound calm, even if your heart’s racing.

How to practice pacing

  • Pause after your big ideas: Let your words land before moving on. You’ll be surprised how much more impact they have.
  • Take a sip of water before heavy questions: This not only buys you time, it also gives you a chance to breathe and reset.
  • Mark pauses into your notes: Read scripts aloud and insert deliberate breaks at commas and periods. The Buckley School reminds us that your audience is hearing this for the first time, so give them time to catch up.

4. Listening Skills: Be Fully Present

Confidence on a podcast isn’t about talking the most. It’s about making every word count. And the secret to that? Listening just as much as you speak.

Why active listening matters

  • It makes the host feel valued: When you’re truly tuned in, you’re showing respect. Active listening creates a stronger sense of connection and trust, which helps boost your own credibility. 
  • It sharpens your responses: Instead of mentally rehearsing your next line while the host is talking, you’re picking up on details that can make your reply more relevant (and often more interesting).
  • It builds trust with the audience: People can tell when you’re present. Research shows that active listening makes others feel more understood than simple acknowledgements or quick advice.

Ways to listen actively

  • Reference what was just said: Phrases like “That reminds me of…” or “You mentioned earlier…” show you’re following the conversation, not just waiting for your turn.
  • Ask open-ended questions: Invite the host to expand with prompts like “Can you tell me more about that?” This keeps the energy flowing and deepens the discussion.
  • Stay out of ‘response mode’: Resist the urge to plan your next sentence mid-question. Your reply will sound fresher and more natural if it’s shaped by what you’ve just heard.
  • Be physically present, even on remote calls: Sit up, nod, and keep your eyes on the camera or screen. It signals focus. And yes, the host will notice.

Key Takeaways to Practice Before You Record

Confidence isn’t magic, it’s muscle memory! The more you rehearse the right skills before a podcast, the more natural they’ll feel when you’re live.

So before you hit record, remember: 

1. Get your voice podcast-ready

  • Breathe from your diaphragm, not your chest, to steady your pitch and stop shaky delivery.
  • Stack your posture: feet hip-width apart, spine long, shoulders relaxed, mic at mouth height.
  • Warm up like a pro: hum, lip trill, and straw phonate to loosen your voice.
  • Keep water close and avoid throat clearing; hum instead if you need a reset.

2. Tell stories that stick

  • Pick short, relevant anecdotes with a clear arc: beginning, middle, and end.
  • Use personal challenges that turned into lessons for instant relatability.
  • Practice enough to sound confident, but not so much you sound scripted.

3. Master your pacing

  • Pause after big points so they land with impact.
  • Take a sip of water before tricky questions to buy time and breathe.
  • Mark pauses in your notes to slow yourself down and keep clarity high.

4. Listen like you mean it

  • Reference something the host just said to show you’re engaged.
  • Ask open-ended questions to keep the conversation flowing.
  • Stay out of “response mode” and let your answer form naturally from what you’ve just heard.