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Podcast

Make The Best of Challenging Times – PTC274

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With the coronavirus, times have definitely changed. People are staying home. Some have lost their jobs. A lot of business has moved online. How do you make the best of challenging times like this?

OPPORTUNITY

Let’s keep things in perspective. Yes, times are hard for some people. However, there are also opportunities.

The biggest opportunity is to prepare for the future.

The virus may go away in the next few months as weather in the Northern hemisphere gets warmer. It will probably take a little longer for the economy to recover. I can’t be sure. I’m not an expert in either space.

CONTROL

What I do know is that I am an optimist. I also like to control what I can control.

If you are going through challenging times, my heart is with you. Things will get better. We’ll get through this.

If you are on the other side, don’t get sucked down by association. Just because others are struggling, you don’t need to feel guilty for not struggling. We need to be empathetic rather than sympathetic.

Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. Sympathy is a feeling of pity and sorrow for another’s misfortune. Empathy involves lending a hand and pulling them up. Sympathy is all about living in the sorrow with them. Be empathetic and let your positivity rub off.

AVOID THE NEGATIVITY

Brian Dixon is co-founder of hope*writers, an online community of writers helping each other. He is the author of Start With Your People. Brian said, “Don’t write for your critic.” That is powerful.

Your tribe wants to hear from you in an authentic way. There may be a critic that hammers you for being positive and discussing something other than the crisis. However, most will appreciate it.

Over the past few weeks, my strategy calls with podcasters has actually increased. More podcasters are at home. There is less opportunity to be involved with activities outside of the house. This is a big factor driving my calls.

I have continued to deliver my regular e-mails with ways to make your podcast powerful. I have only received positive comments.

People want what you have.

If we look forward to July or August when we are all headed back to work and our lives have resumed to close to normal, will you be prepared?

TO DO LIST

Here are 9 things you can do during challenging times or whenever you find yourself with some downtime. This could be during slow times of the season, when you’re at home sick or if your business is seasonal. Use these steps to continue to move forward.

1. Be human. Understand what some people are going through.

2. Be positive. While some are going through really tough times, others are not. Be careful that you don’t pull the others down into stress and despair by only focusing on the negative.

3. Plan for the future. We will not be here forever. Market for the future. Keep creating your relationships for the future.

4. Keep publishing. People have time on their hands right now. They need to take their mind off off the stress. Keep going with your content.

5. Get ahead. Create some evergreen episodes that you can have ready in case real life hits you.

6. Book interviews. Many of your guests have some free time now that they are not visiting clients or speaking at events.

7. Start writing a book. If you have time on your hands, make good use of it.

8. Make your offers. Many people are looking for things to do.

9. Be generous. Offer some free resources for your audience.

NOW IS THE TIME

Now is NOT the time to put your head in the sand and think nobody wants to hear from you. During these challenging times, your people need you more than ever.

Many are sitting at home healthy and bored out of their mind. Adjust your approach to give them something to do. Highlight your older episodes, so they can catch up.

Then, use your free time to prepare for later in the year. Create your plan for the rest of the year. Create lead magnets and figure out how you will release them. Record some evergreen episodes. Book and record interviews.

Keep your focus on the future. If you get bogged down by the current state of society, you will come to a halt. You will find it hard to get started and catch up when things get back to normal.

Get through the challenging times by focusing on 6 months down the road. Where do you want to be? Start doing the work now to get there.

If you need help creating that plan or just getting out of your own way, reach out. Let’s get on a call and talk about it. The call is free. No charge. Book your time at PodcastTalentCoach.com/coaching. I’ll help you get through it.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Podcast

Start Now – PTC266

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What does success look like for you over the next 12 months? Have you broken your goals down to specific steps? Start to take steps toward reaching your goals.

Now, this episode isn’t all about setting goals. We are not going to talk about SMART goals and the five goal-setting steps. You know your goals need to be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time bound. It is also wise to write them down and create an action plan. You can find that information anywhere.

GOALS

What I want to talk about today are the specific actions you can start to take that will get you to your goals.

I was in a coaching session with my business coach the other day. We were talking about where I want the business to go. We were discussing my goals for the next year.

As we talked about my goals for 2020, I realized I don’t need as many coaching clients as I thought. As we worked out the numbers and the structure of the business and what I can offer, I really only need a few great clients to reach my goals.

I can continue to help as many podcasters as possible with my podcast and free worksheets. I can continue to offer my Dollars and Downloads course for those not yet ready for coaching. A few of the right clients will help me reach my goals for 2020.

At that point, my coach and I broke down the year in terms of the number of new clients I would need to find, how many products I would need to sell and what I would need to create to reach the goal.

Have you translated your financial goals into number of business transactions that would need to happen this year. You cannot possibly begin taking steps toward your financial goals without defining those steps.

My coach and I worked together to put the money on paper in terms of business action steps and clients.

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

When I was getting my MBA, we learned a lot about the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that drive businesses. There are a few indicators that will help you determine exactly what will drive your business.

A KPI is defined as a quantifiable measure used to evaluate the success of an organization, employee, etc. in meeting objectives for performance.

They are the quantifiable, outcome-based statements you’ll use to measure if you’re on track to meet your goals or objectives.

KPIs are not the overall goal of earning a specific amount of money. They are the steps you can control to help you reach those goals.

For instance, I know that 2 out of every 3 people I help during a free podcast strategy call will turn into a client. They recognize the value of the help I provide and they are at a point in their journey where coaching makes sense.

Therefore, if I know how many active clients I need each month, I can then determine how many free strategy calls I need to complete each month as well.

To gain strategy calls, I need to connect with people. If I can determine which actions attract strategy calls, I can then determine how much action I need to take.

Let’s say I average two strategy calls every time I am a guest on a podcast. I can then work back to figure out how many podcasts appearances I need to make in order to get hit my number.

Those are key performance indicators. It is all about taking the right action. Start using them to reach your goals.

IDEAL CLIENTS

My coach and I determined how many free strategy sessions I need to conduct to find the ideal clients that get the most benefit from my coaching.

Ideal clients are key. Not every podcaster is the right fit for my coaching. There are specific podcasters that can truly use my coaching to really improve their podcast and business.

There are some podcasters that benefit greatly from my coaching. They have a fantastic business helping their clients. They use their podcast to attract new clients and build their authority in the space.

On the other side, there are many podcasters I help with my free strategy session that are not a great fit for my coaching program. Those podcasters get a great deal of benefit from the session by defining their strategy and improving their show. Their show simply isn’t at the level where it can support coaching.

It is just fine that these podcasters aren’t ready. They will eventually be in a place where they are ready to start. We just work together to figure out where they are today.

PARTNER

That is the benefit of having a coach or accountability partner. An outside perspective can ask the questions you don’t see, because you are too close to the situation.

If you would like to see where you are, check out my free strategy session online at PodcastTalentCoach.com/coaching. You can get the details and schedule your free session right there.

You need to take time this week to not only set your goals, but truly define the areas that will really move the needle for you. Define the Key Performance Indicators that will move your podcast and business toward your goals.

Looking back at my process, the most productive week I ever had occurred when I was specific about the very next steps I needed to take. Then I put them in writing to help me start.

That week, I accomplished more than I had in the previous 2 months. It was all because I determined what actions would make a difference, I wrote them down, and then did the very next thing on the list. Focus and start.

YOUR KPIs

As you develop your KPIs, you should have around six. That number will vary depending on the size and scope of your business.

There are four characteristics of every key performance indicator. The should be

  • Measurable
  • with a target
  • from a source
  • and a reporting frequency

Your KPI must be able to be measured. “Be better at returning calls” isn’t specifically measurable. 10 clients is measurable.

It should have a target. 10 calls each week has a target with respect to number and time.

A good KPI has a source. You know exactly where they data will come from and how it is measure. “Connect with 10 clients each week” doesn’t have a clear source. You don’t really know what that means.

When your KPI is “10 face-to-face meetings with clients each week”, you know exactly how to measure that KPI. You know the source of the data.

Finally, you need a reporting frequency. It does you no good to set a KPI if you don’t plan to review your progress on a weekly or monthly basis. Inspect what you expect.

EXAMPLES

There are various examples of strong KPIs.

With regard to sales, you might measure the number of qualified leads in your sales funnel.

A customer KPI could be the number of clients that renew each month.

Marketing KPIs could be monthly website visits or Facebook posts each week.

You need to track these KPIs over months. As you start, these will adjust quite a bit. You won’t know what has impact on the results until you track it.

I know that 2 out of every 3 calls result in a client, because I tracked it over time. The results of a few months gave me an indication of that cause and effect.

Take time to begin tracking your results. If you post a call-to-action on Facebook once a day, what does that do for your results? When you bump it up to twice a day, is there any effect on the results?

Determine what your next steps need to be. Then, start by working backwards.

START WITH FIVE YEAR GOALS

Where do you want to be in five years? Define your long-term goals first.

Use the SMART method to get clear. You might consider creating realistic goals along with some stretch goals.

Five years is a long time. You can get a lot done in 1,825 days.

Many of us overestimate what we can do in one year, but underestimate what we can do in five. Think big.

How much do you want to be earning? What do you want your work life to look like? What does your family look like? How does your health look? Where are you in your spiritual walk?

GOALS NEXT YEAR

Next, where do you want to be next year? Be clear on the goals and lay in some stretch goals.

If you want to make $24k over the next year, $2,000 a month could be realistic. Maybe $8,000 a month is possible if a few key things happen. That would take you to $100k next year. That would be a nice stretch goal.

Just like the saying says, “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” It has been credited to Norman Vincent Peale. I’ve heard the great Les Brown say it. Regardless of where it originated, there is truth in it.

Shoot for your stretch goal. You may just outperform your realistic number.

QUARTERLY GOALS

Now, let’s break the yearly goal into four parts. What do you need to accomplish in each quarter of the next 12 months to get you to your yearly goal?

You eat an elephant one bite at a time. Break your yearly goal into quarterly milestones. Be clear and specific. “Get more clients” is not a goal. How many do you need. If you need 24 over the year, can you land 6 per quarter or one every other week?

As you break your goal into smaller steps, you will see if your goals are feasible with the tools and time you currently have. You may find that you need to add help or give up something in order to make the goals happen.

WEEKLY GOALS

Next, we take the quarterly goals and break those into week-by-week goals. You have 13 weeks in the quarter. What needs to happen every week to make the goals a reality?

Be sure to build in some “catch up” time. Again, we overestimate what we can accomplish in a short time. The shorter the time, the more we miss the estimate. Build in time to catch up each week.

THIS WEEK

Now that you have your weekly goals, what are the things that need to be completed this week? Create the task list and start.

TODAY

Take a look at this week. What are your objectives today? What is the next most important step? Start there.

REVIEW

Review each step of the way. Are your goals realistic? Can you really put in that much time everyday, every week and every month to make your goals happen?

Review your KPIs on a regular basis and adjust where needed. Make sure the key performance indicators are truly indicators. If you adjust them, ensure there is an effect on your results.

CONSISTENT ACTION

Finally, stick with it. Focus. The only way you will achieve your goals is with consistent action. Take steps forward every day.

To help you take those steps, find an accountability partner. Maybe join a mastermind. Hire a coach. Enlist a partner. Whatever it takes to keep you moving forward toward your goals.

Setting goals and writing them down won’t be enough. Focused action on the next step is the key to making your goals a reality. Start and then stay accountable to action.

I’d love to help you. Check out my Free Strategy Session where you and I will sit down for 30 minutes to lay out an action plan for your show and business. Get the details at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/coaching.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Podcast

How To Create An Effective Call-To-Action – Episode 194

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How To Create An Effective Call-To-Action – Episode 194

Action
Copyright: argus456 / 123RF Stock Photo

How many actions do you have in your call-to-action?

Dave Jackson and I do a show together called “The Podcast Review Show“. On each episode, a podcaster joins us to have his or her podcast reviewed. Pretty self-explanatory.

In nearly every episode we review, we need to get the host to focus their call-to-action. Podcasters tend to give their listeners a laundry list of things to do at the end of the show. Little do they realize, this list is actually hurting more than it is helping.

THE TO DO LIST

Let me give you an example.

In a recent interview, we reached the end of this particular podcast. The host closed with these requests:

  • E-mail us your events
  • Take our survey
  • Call the comment line
  • Join us on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram
  • Check out our Forum
  • Get our free app
  • Use our Amazon affiliate link
  • Give us interview guest suggestions
  • Visit our blog
  • Get voiceovers using our affiliate link
  • Check out the YouTube show
  • Follow us on Twitter (again)
  • Check out the website of our favorite non-profit

 

Did you count? Twelve … if you only count the double Twitter once.

Of those twelve, how many can you remember? How many will you actually do?

You can probably name a few of the easy ones. You will probably do zero. The list is just overwhelming. There are too many. Where do you start?

Here is the most important thing to realize. Their goal was to get people to come back and listen again. That is the one thing they told us they wanted their listener to do. Listen again.

Of the twelve, how many said “listen again”? Zero. They didn’t even tell us to subscribe or come back next week for some great piece of content.

Instead, they are asking us to use their affiliate link for voiceovers and visit the non-profit website. This isn’t even a podcast about podcasting. It is a podcast about outdoor activities. Why do I need a voiceover talent?

THE DECISION PROBLEM

Studies show when people are offered too many choices they will tend to make no choice rather than risk being wrong.

You are already asking your listener to make a decision to take action. By loading up the list with options, you are now asking your listener to make another choice of which action. More options mean more opportunities to choose to do nothing.

Have you ever been driving and you notice a pothole coming up. It is right there in your lane even with your driver’s side front tire. A slight shift to the left or right will cause you to completely miss hitting it.

All you need to do to miss the pothole is move the steering wheel one direction or the other. Pick one. Either one will work. Just move the wheel.

Suddenly, bam. You hit the pothole straight on. You froze and didn’t make a decision either way.

Why is that?

Either direction would have worked. But, your brain froze. You were too concerned about picking the best solution. Rather, you were more concerned about not picking the wrong solution. Your fear of being wrong delayed your action to being no action at all.

Why risk this with your listener? Don’t give them a choice. Pick the one thing you want them to do and make that your call-to-action. Don’t make them risk being wrong.

To create an effective call-to-action within your show, you need to stay focused on the task at hand. What is the one thing you want your listener to do at the end of your show?

MEASURE SUCCESS

How do we measure success? Measure what counts.

If we are trying to get our audience to do something by using a call-to-action (listen again, buy our product, visit our website, support our cause), measuring our call-to-action determines our success. Measure what counts.

When you create your podcast, you should measure your success not by the number of listeners or downloads, but by conversions to whatever you want them to do.

Let’s say your goal is to get people to visit the store on your website. If you have 1,000 people listening to your show, but you only get 2 of them to act and actually visit the site, you really haven’t been successful.

However, if you only have 200 listeners, but 100 love everything you do and visit your site regularly, I would consider that a success. Having 1,000 listeners may sound better than 200. By closer evaluation, I would much rather have 100 fans than 2.

STUDY THE JAM

WASHINGTON STUDY

In this study, shoppers of an upscale grocery store were given a choice to sample high quality jams. One group was offered 24 kinds. The second group was offered 6.

Of the customers who passed the table with an extensive selection of 24 jams, 60% stopped. Of the customers who passed the limited selection of 6 jams, only 40% stopped. On the surface, it would seem more options equals more success.

As you dig into the numbers you see that of those who stopped, those at the extensive selection sampled on average 1.5 jams and those at the limited selection sampled 1.38 jams. Not much variation there.

The big difference comes in buying. Of those who stopped at the extensive selection, only 3% made a purchase. In contrast, 30% of those at the limited selection made a purchase. That is a difference of 4 buyers compared to 31.

Consumers exposed to a limited number of choices proved considerably more likely to make a purchase than those initially exposed to a larger set of options.

Now, which should you be measuring? The number of people who stop at your store, or the number of people who actually make a purchase?

Do you want to count the number of downloads your podcast is receiving or the conversion into action? Here is a hint … just because people download your episode doesn’t mean they are listening.

Don’t get fooled by measuring the incorrect statistic. Measure what counts. Measure your call to action.

Do you want to know how to create an effective call-to-action and then measure it?

LET THEM BUY

You need to remember that people love to buy. They hate to be sold to. How many times have you said, “Let’s go get a used car salesman to sell me a car”? Probably not many.

“Let’s go see if the shoe salesman can sell me a pair of shoes.”. That probably doesn’t happen either.

You want to buy stuff you enjoy. Therefore, you need to create some desire with your call-to-action.

Your first step is to provide value. Give your listener something they can use. Make your content valuable. Then, make your call-to-action connect with the valuable content you just delivered.

Next, before you make your call-to-action, start with the “why”. Why is this content important? What will your call-to-action do for your listener? What is in it for them?

Then, intrigue your listener. Create some anticipation and curiosity. Make it exciting for them.

Finally, make sure you only have one measurable call-to-action.

 

Do you need help with your podcast? E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let’s see what we can do.

You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.