A new US podcast study has been published, and hosts matter. Of people with a favourite podcast, 82% said the host is a big part of why they listen, or the only reason they do. More than half said they’d stop or seriously think about it if that host left for good.

Naturally I read this and thought, ‘Well, that explains Women Talking About Learning.’ It’s OBVIOUSLY all about ME.

I’m joking.

Mostly.

But I do have a sonorous voice, and I’m not going to pretend otherwise. Years of facilitating rooms will do that to you. My voice isn’t really the point, though. What I think I bring as a host to all the podcasts I record is that I’m genuinely curious about the people we record and the topics we cover, and I’m really happy to let people talk.

I rarely – if ever – have a complete list of questions I need to go through, and if a guest says something interesting in minute four, we follow it. That’s the conversation and what people listen for.

The other thing is that I’ve done this long enough to know when to shut up. Most hosts talk too much. I’ve been guilty of it. Recording with Jane on Show Your Work cured some of that, because you can’t talk over Jane Bozarth and expect to get away with it! Love you, Jane. 🧡

So who do I think does it well?

David James because he understands the sector backwards and isn’t afraid to veer off course. His confidence makes the guest feel confident.

John Helmer because he ‘gets’ what makes things sound good his production values are SO high.

A note of caution before anyone rewrites their podcast strategy. This is a survey of 1,205 US listeners, sponsored by NPR, PRX and Crooked Media, all of whom have a fairly obvious interest in hosts mattering. It’s what people say they do, not what they were observed doing.

However, for L&D, there are lessons. Mostly, the one that too many internal learning podcasts are faceless. A rotating cast, a script, a corporate voice and we wonder why nobody sticks around. The study says 55% of people make up their minds in the first five minutes. If there’s no one there to trust in those five minutes, what exactly are they deciding to stay for?

If you’re making a podcast for your organisation and want to talk about this, get in touch.