In this episode, you get the first session from my most recent Podcast Profits Bootcamp. Here, we help you discover why we podcast. Then, we help you incorporate that “why” into your podcast content.
I had a client tell me, “If we are able to generate leads, that is awesome. If we are helping change people’s lives, and they are reaching out to us, that would be a success. Becoming a resource is the goal.”
SUCCESS
What does success look like to you? Have you determined your passion?
Your podcast allows you to leave your mark on the world. You can spread your message and make an impact if that is your desire.
Before you can reach that goal, you need to define that goal.
Making money with your podcast isn’t enough. You need to develop a deeper desire. A deep, meaningful goal will motivate you to get in the studio every week and record an episode.
If you haven’t defined that meaningful purpose, finding the motivation to sustain a consistent podcast will be difficult.
During this episode, we will help you find your “why”.
Then, we will help you incorporate that “why” into your podcast content.
It is important to provide your audience with a little of your story and the reason you create your content in each episode. This allows your audience relationship develop. Your listener gets to know who you are.
RELATIONSHIPS
On each episode, include a bit of your why and your story. This is how your listeners get to know, like and trust you. This is how relationships are built.
Next week, we will talk about reviewing your episode to reach your goals and get better.
If you don’t have a mentor who can take your hand and walk you every step of the way, go to www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/apply, click the button and apply to have a chat with me. We will develop your plan and see how I can help and support you to achieve your podcast goals.
This week, Sadie did it. She was a member of my last Podcast Fast Blueprint program. She finally got into the right mindset, had a breakthrough and launched her podcast.
The interesting thing about Sadie is that she has been in radio for about a decade. Yet her limiting beliefs were holding her back from launching.
She had been out of radio for a couple years when she moved to Puerto Rico for a bit. Now she was jumping back in and wasn’t sure she could do it.
When Sadie launched, she sent me a text. “Thank you for holding my hand during this weird time in my career. I had really lost a lot of confidence, because I had been gone for so long.”
If a radio pro like this fights the Impostor Syndrome, I can only imagine what you go through when it is time to launch anything. It gets scary.
So, how can you have that breakthrough? How can you find the right mindset?
MY MINDSET BREAKTHROUGH
I began my broadcasting career when I was 19. It was completely by accident. I was going to college to get my architecture degree. Since I was 12 I had been tailoring my education to be an architect or engineer.
In college, I had the same fear of public speaking as most people. In our design classes, we had to do presentations in front of a panel of judges. I absolutely hated doing these presentations.
During class, four or five students would present during the hour. It would take about a week to get through the entire class. That was the worst part.
The anxiety would build for presentation day only to not get your name called. I would have to live through the anxiety again in anticipation of presenting during the next class. It was viscous circle.
I never envisioned being a public speaker, radio talent or any other presenter.
My younger brother worked for a radio station at the time. I was home for the weekend doing nothing like most college students. That was when the phone rang. It was the manager of the radio station looking for my brother to fill in during a shift. My brother wasn’t home and I was offered a part-time job. That’s where it all started.
That part-time job led to an easy journalism elective. That turned into becoming the music director at the campus station for a little college spending money.
Next thing I know, I’m working at a real commercial radio station. I would become program director of a few stations. I’m on stage introducing concerts in front of 15,000 people. Not what I had envisioned. I didn’t even like talking in front of 12 people.
COMFORT LEVEL
Over time, I started to get comfortable talking on the radio. It took a little time. I eventually got there. I changed my mindset.
It took me years to figure out how to overcome those butterflies I would get each time I stepped in front of a crowd. There were tips and tricks I learned along the way to help me. It was a combination of things I learned over the years that helped me defeat the jitters.
It doesn’t need to take you years to get comfortable. Learn a few strategies and you could save yourself years of trial and error.
Identifying your limiting beliefs is your first step. Then, proper preparation for your show is next.
In this episode, I’d like to help you discover how you can identify the barriers that are stopping you from living your fulfilled life. You can make a breakthrough and launch your next big thing.
MERRI-JO HILLAKER
I asked Merri-jo Hillaker to join us today to share her journey and breakthrough wisdom.
Merri-jo is a lawyer by profession, graduating top 5 % of her Law school and then also in earning her Masters in Tax. She worked for the largest law firm in her home state of Wisconsin and within 3 years was hired away at the age of 28 to be the Vice President and General Counsel of one of the largest publicly traded company in the state.
She was living an amazing life while only in her 20s.
A few years later, after recognizing that upper echelon corporate America can truly challenge your ethics, and that it was never going to feed her soul, she bought a company and moved to Texas where she still lives today. Unfortunately, that company didn’t succeed as she had hoped.
After an incredible mindset shift of her own, she has now been an entrepreneur, a venture capitalist, turning $20,000 into $1.1 million, and started her own foundation. Merri-jo sits on four charitable Boards including Changing Environments, which she started in 2008.
MINDSET MASTERY
Merri-jo has started yet another company in the last couple year. She created Global Mindset Mastery Association to satisfy her desire to share her vast knowledge to support others to breakthrough their limiting beliefs.
She has the energy of a 20 year old, and a huge heart of contribution. You can see that by all of her Board memberships, mission work and commitment to make a difference for the less privileged.
Merri-jo has a mission to empower others to live the life of their dreams so they too can experience a fulfilled life, and make a significant contribution as the world is clearly waiting!
She is an incredible soul and we are lucky to have her with us today. Grab a pen and paper and be ready to take notes. This one is gonna be good.
We learn why she decided to leave an amazing job to dive head-first into entrepreneurship. She talks about her bankruptcy and eventual million dollar cash out. You will also get some tips on how to break through your challenges and shift your mindset.
Enjoy the conversation.
YOUR MINDSET BREAKTHROUGH
Merri-jo is incredible. Such an inspiration.
I love how she hits bankruptcy in her first venture and almost immediately gets back on the horse by investing $20,000 in another business. That’s when you know it is part of your being.
You can’t help but get inspired just being around Merri-jo.
I convinced her to give you a special offer for her Kryptonite Breakthrough.
To learn more about the program, visit www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/breakthrough – Tell her you heard her here and she will give you a 25% discount off the course.
Text Purpose to 26786 for a free consult with Merri-jo Hillaker.
Next week, I’m scheduled to interview Dan Miller of 48 Days to the Work and Life You Love. We will get the insights on how he uses his 48 Days podcast to drive his amazing business. You’re sure to get some tips, tricks and inspiration from that one.
When it comes to creating engagement with your podcast, it all starts with the proper preparation. Before you even start recording the episode, you need to determine what you hope to accomplish. This can be accomplished with an episode launch checklist that will help you reach those goals.
The most important piece of your planning is what you will do with the material. How will you make it interesting and unique? Determine where your content will go and how it will create engagement.
12 QUESTIONS
There are twelve questions you should answer before you begin recording.
8. Where will the story go? What details will you use?
9. What will they remember?
10. Where will the conversation go next?
11. How will you market it?
12. Write the intriguing intro.
Answer these 12 questions before you record and launch the episode. It will help you reach your goals and create engagement.
I would be honored to help you shape your content. You can get a free strategy session with me at PodcastTalentCoach.com/coaching.
CLEAR CALL-TO-ACTION
The most important part is deciding exactly what you want your audience to do. Then, make sure it is clear to those listening to the show. You should ask them to do only one thing. Don’t make the call-to-action confusing by asking them to do too many things.
If you want to create more engagement with your audience, define what you would like them to do. Be specific, make it easy and ask them to take action.
Don’t let one of the questions hold you back. If you get stuck on one or two, skip it and move to the next. The more questions you answer, the stronger your content will be.
Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.
Your podcast allows you a great opportunity to demonstrate your authority while talking about a topic that you love. If you structure the focus of your show properly, your podcast can be an amazing tool to drive your business and generate revenue.
OSCAR’S PODCAST
When Oscar Trimboli came to me for coaching, he had the desire to strengthen the connection between his podcast and his consulting business.
Season one of his podcast consisted of interviews. He was headed into season two and wanted this season to be more about teaching his five levels of listening.
Oscar Trimboli is a mentor, leadership coach, speaker, author and podcaster. His podcast and book are both entitled “Deep Listening – Impact Beyond Words“.
OSCAR’S BUSINESS
Oscar Trimboli has 30 years experience in bringing out the best in senior executives and next generation leaders.
Leaders seek Oscar’s help when they feel frustrated with their organizations’ results and their own performance. They’re drowning in information and feel stressed, time poor and swamped by their day-to-day workload.
Past beliefs, assumptions and decisions are no longer serving these leaders. They need a different way to think, a fresh perspective, renewed focus and energy.
Leaders that work with Oscar say they soon learn to think with laser-sharp focus and clarity. They become more self-aware and experience greater personal alignment with who they really are. With that awareness, these leaders gain a clear perspective, deeper understanding and a true grasp of their purpose and legacy.
Clients say Oscar quickly takes them from feeling disoriented and confused, to feeling energized and ready to create their legacy.
THE PODCAST & BUSINESS CONNECTION
As Oscar and I worked together, our challenge was to bring that power and authority to Oscar’s podcast.
Our goal was to create engagement with his audience and demonstrate his authority in the space. Over time, this would help him grow his consultancy.
In order to reach Oscar’s goals, he needed to start asking for feedback in order to get feedback. This would help drive engagement.
Oscar also created a Facebook group to begin building community for each level of listening and interact with his audience.
To build his authority in his space, I suggested that Oscar interject himself more into the episodes, so listeners get to know him.
PODCAST EVALUATION
In this episode, we review examples of what Oscar is doing today on his show to connect with his potential clients. We look at specific clips of his show where he in incorporating, explaining and promoting his business within his content.
Oscar Trimboli is now the author of 3 books. He also offers the “Deep Listening – Impact Beyond Words” playing cards set that helps improve your skills as a listener.
Over the last 7 years, Oscar has coached, mentored and advised people in a wide range of roles from founders, CEOs and CFOs to a variety of other leadership roles in financial services, technology, professional services, education and not for profits.
He has been asked to speak to leadership teams and their organizations about the importance of clarity to create change, how to embrace the digital economy and the role values play in the achievement of your purpose.
People who have worked with Oscar have a few things in common. They want to bring alignment to their work and life.
Once they have personal congruence, they very quickly accelerate their business and personal impact. Their energy and passions are now focused and they feel alive rather than distracted and frustrated. As a result, they achieve high impact outcomes aligned to their passions.
His podcast is now focused on the same material. He demonstrates his authority in and mastery of the space. This allows potential clients to experience what his coaching, mentoring and consulting is all about.
YOUR BUSINESS
If you would like some guidance refining the focus of your show and creating a plan to build a business around your podcast, grab my free show focus worksheet at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/focus.
This worksheet will help you gain some focus on your goal and strategy. It will help you start with the end in mind and then work backward into your content.
Imagine what you could accomplish if you couldn’t fail.
When was the last time you had to speak in front of a large crowd? The sweaty palms. The butterflies in your stomach. The racing heartbeat.
Studies show that one of the most common fears is the fear of public speaking.
The act of speaking probably isn’t the real fear. When you examine it more closely, the true fear would be the fear of failure. We don’t fear speaking. We fear making a fool of ourselves.
If we knew it wasn’t possible to look dumb, imagine how powerful your speaking could be.
Fear of failure holds us back from so many incredible experiences and possibilities. You could do so much if you just attempted more adventures.
SKIING
As my two kids were growing up, I wanted to teach them to ski. Each time I would ask if they would like to go learn, they would just say, “nah”.
My daughter was in high school and wanted to take a father/daughter trip one year over Easter break. We talked about going skiing. She decided it was time to give it a shot.
We made it a two-day trip, just to make sure it was something she enjoyed. After a quick, half-day lesson, she picked it up like a champ.
We went to the top in the afternoon and took our time coming down. By the end of the day, I couldn’t keep up with her. She was having the time of her life.
SKIING AGAIN
The next winter, my son decided it was time he give it a try. He had heard my daughter talk about it so much he thought he might be missing out.
When we arrived at the slopes, we got his rental gear and made our way out to base of the hill. We had about 30 minutes before his lesson was to begin.
Simon was a bit nervous. He had been playing hockey for ten years, but had never been on skis. This was a big step.
We found a bit of a hill. It was about a 20 yard stretch from one lift to the other. We started by learning how to snowplow and stop. 20 minutes later, Simon had great balance and was stopping with ease.
This gave him just enough confidence to take on the lessons.
After a 3-hour lesson and some lunch, we were ready to head up the hill and give it a real try. Simon wasn’t ready for the big hills, but was ready to see what was next.
We took that run nice and easy. Building a little more confidence.
By the end of the day, he was taking a few risks and picking up some speed. He was having a blast.
The magic came when he forgot about failing and just had fun. Falling is part of the game. It happens. Get up, dust yourself off and give it another whirl.
On your podcast, you may try a few things that don’t work. That’s ok. Get up, dust yourself off and give it another whirl.
THREE STEPS
There are three steps to overcoming your fear and making progress.
Be brave. Try to push your boundaries on each episode.
Take baby steps. Just a little past your comfort zone will help you grow.
Find someone who can encourage you and pick you back up when you fall.
Have you ever hit that wall when nothing seems to go your way? Overwhelm and frustration attack the best of us. Here are five ways to battle it.
Things slowed down for me over the summer. I had been cranking out the content. My clients had been making progress.
Suddenly, I just felt like I was in a rut.
After a spring that brought some of my best months yet, I hit that wall. My strategy calls were lighter than normal over the summer. My joy started feeling like work. The voice in my head got a little louder.
Those were some long weeks.
It had been a while since I had a call with my mastermind group. Summer had made the scheduling a little difficult.
I finally got on a call with the team. When I laid out the frustration for them, the group really helped me find my passion again.
We revisited the work I had done over the years. We talked about the success I have had. This was just a bump.
When I had the dream reignited by my mastermind team, I scheduled a call with my coach. I described the scenario for him.
By the end of the call, we had an action plan in place to get things rolling again. We figured out the next logical steps to take to help me make some progress.
I was back up and running.
By looking back over that journey, I realized there are five things you can do to battle the overwhelm and frustration.
BALANCE
Find balance in your life. When you spend all of your time on one thing, boredom and burnout will set in.
Keep your mind inspired by balancing all areas of your life. This includes money, health, relationships, faith, social, career and personal development.
Avoid burnout.
SPREAD IT OUT
When you try to do all of the work at one time or in one setting, overwhelm sets in. There are too many things to accomplish and not enough time.
Spread the work across the week. Get a little done each day to avoid drowning in the tide of tasks. Reach benchmarks. Making progress each day will help you see the light at the end of the tunnel.
VARIETY
We sometimes experience frustration when we try to do the same thing over and over expecting a different result. It is often used as the definition of insanity.
Try a different approach to maintain variety in your work. There are multiple ways to reach the same goal. Get creative. Variety is a great antidote for frustration.
BABY STEPS
When you feel overwhelmed, break the task into little parts. Find the little wins.
By accomplishing little things along the way, you’ll get inspired by the victories.
Set smaller goals that you can measure. When you reach each goal, cross it off and celebrate the win.
GET INSPIRED
Fight the frustration with some inspiration. Get around people who can inspire you. Find those who can help you remember your superpower and victories of the past.
You can do this by attending gatherings. Join a mastermind. Recruit an accountability partner. Hire a coach like I did.
Sometimes using more than one can be a bigger help. I use all four to help keep me inspired. I find when I neglect these areas, the frustration and overwhelm returns. Others who care about me help me get back on track.
Do you need help with your podcast? Take advantage of my free podcast strategy session. Find details at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/coaching.
Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.
I saw a post on Facebook the other day. “Everybody *wishes* they were successful – who wouldn’t want that? But how many are really doing everything they can to achieve it?”
Former Indiana basketball coach Bobby Knight said it a little differently. He said, “Most have the will to win, few have the will to prepare to win.”
Preparation is key. Have the will to put in the work.
Doing what others are unwilling to do is what will separate you from the crowd. Take consistent action and you will be much closer to your goals than others.
SIX STEPS
There are six steps to reach your goals.
1. Determine your goal.
2. Find someone who has been there and done that.
3. Define the steps to get there.
4. Break the steps into bite-sized chunks.
5. Take consistent action.
6. If you need help, find an accountability partner.
CHALLENGE
To help you take consistent action, I have created a Podcast Download Challenge. In the group, we help each other take consistent action in order to grow downloads for our podcasts.
Are you like me? Have you said that to yourself more than once? Things could have been so much easier.
I’m like most podcasters. I wanted to make money with my podcast. It sounded so easy.
As I was building Podcast Talent Coach, I had always heard about the concept of the product suite. It sounded great. Create a suite of products along with multiple streams of income. You then have money coming from every direction.
That’s where my journey started. I created my Podcast Talent Coach workbook. I was also working to create my course, my speaking platform, my coaching and my live events. It was going to be the ultimate product suite around my expertise.
How many streams did I have launched after 3 years? One.
Yep. Only one.
And it didn’t get much better.
How many did I have launched after 7 years? Two.
Two streams after seven years. It sure wasn’t happening as fast as the experts made it sound.
What happened? Where was my traction?
Now that I look back using what I now know, I realize I didn’t get things up and running until I learned how to focus on the single task at hand.
It was all about focus.
As Confucius said, “The man who chases two rabbits catches neither.”
Once I focused on the single, most important thing until completion, my momentum multiplied exponentially. It was crazy.
Focus helped me reach my goals so much faster.
Now, I have a plan in place to launch 4 more streams. But, all in due time. And all one at a time.
Had I learned to focus from the start, it would have saved me so much time, energy and pain.
Take time to find the idea that is right for you. Look for the low-hanging fruit. What is the easiest idea to select that you could get launched quickly without a big investment of time?
Dan Miller from “48 Days To The Work You Love” tells the story of selling his original version of his book in a 3-ring binder. He took orders, printed them at a copy shop and mailed the binder to the customer. He got proof of concept and launched. It wasn’t perfect. But, it was done.
Pick one idea and go. You won’t know until you try.
If you want help refining your strategy, take advantage of my FREE podcast strategy session.
There is no hard sell during the call. We talk about you, your podcast and your goals. We create a plan. At the end, if we work well together, I’ll ask if you would like my help with the plan.
That’s it. That is the whole pitch. If you are comfortable executing it on your own, we are all good. If you’d like my help, we can talk about how that would look.
I just hope to help you learn the lessons I learned the hard way without putting you through the time, effort and pain.
You have probably heard the saying, you can spend money or your can spend time. Do you want to go through the process with trial and error, or would you like to take the fast path?
I was on a coaching call with James the other day. He is struggling with the process of creating his podcast. He feels it consumes a lot of time during the week that he would rather be dedicating to his business.
As we talked about his process, we realized he touches his podcast many times throughout the week. This includes developing the topic, researching the idea, creating his outline with the Show Prep Planning Worksheet [ Click here to download], finding time to record, editing the show, creating the show notes, publishing the show, and marketing the podcast.
James and I developed a plan where he would batch a bit of his work. Rather than spending time every week developing topics, James began using a content planner. He now has topics for the next 12 weeks planned out. He now just needs to create the episodes. There is one big chunk of his week back.
How can you batch part of your process? Maybe you can record a few episodes at a time to save on studio set up time. Maybe you can publish a few at a time and schedule them to be released according to the plan and save time there.
Find areas of your process that you can refine. Just because everybody does it one way doesn’t mean you need to follow along.
If you would like help with your process like James, give the FREE Podcast Strategy Session a try. You can find the info at podcasttalentcoach.com/coaching.
Your Key To Success In The Next 12 Months – Episode 206
Copyright : Przemyslaw Koch
What does success look like for you over the next 12 months? You hear so much about setting goals. How specific have you made your goals to ensure success in the next year?
Now, this episode isn’t all about setting goals. We are not going to talk about SMART goalsand the five goal-setting steps. You know your goals need to be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time bound. You know you need to write them down and create an action plan. You can find that information anywhere.
What I want to talk about today is putting your goals in the right place to ensure success. What are the specific actions you can take that will get you to your goals?
If you lean the ladder against the wrong wall, it doesn’t matter how high you climb. Your goals and action plans need to be focused on the right areas. Only then can we create an effective action plan for success.
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.
The goals I had set were centered around dollar goals for my business. I know where I want the business to be in order to be happy with the results.
My coached asked how I planned to get there. What it would take to hit the goals in terms of coaching clients and products sold?
He wanted me to break it down 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.
That’s when it hit me. I didn’t have those numbers.
YOUR PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
I hadn’t translated my financial goals into number of business transactions that would need to happen to find success. I couldn’t possibly begin taking steps toward my financial goals without defining those steps.
We worked together to put the money on paper in terms of business action steps and clients. We defined the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)that help me land a new client. We 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.
James and Amy Hebdon at Paid Search Magicare a perfect example of podcasters that benefit greatly from my coaching. They have a fantastic business helping their clients with paid search. 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. We just work together to figure out where they are today.
YOUR COACH
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 for success.
THE NEXT STEPS
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.
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.
I also shared those goals with my mastermind, which helped tremendously.
Jeff is one of my clients right now. He wants to get his show on the radio. I love working with Jeff. He is incredibly creative and a great sales guy. If I had him take the DISC personality profile, he would probably be a high “i” … influence, persuading others, openness and relationships.
In working with Jeff, he sometimes suffers from shiny-object syndrome. He loves the “next” exciting thing. He is writing a book. He is creating his show. He is trying to get on the radio. He wants to create a course. He wants more public speaking opportunities.
I love multiple streams of income. We just need to build one at a time. Jeff needs to get one up and running, and THEN get to the next one.
My whole goal working with him is getting Jeff to focus on the next task that needs to be done. We then check up on progress to ensure he hits the deadlines we set. Jeff benefits most when I hold him accountable. We are close to landing a few big clients for him and getting his radio show up and running.
Do you know what your next steps need to be? Start by working backwards from your vision of success.
FIVE YEAR GOALS
Where do you want to be in five years? Define your long-term goals first.
Use the SMARTmethod 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.
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 clients over the year, can you land 6 per quarter?
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?
THIS WEEK
Now that you have your weekly goals, what are the things that need to be completed this week? Create the task list.
TODAY
Take a look at this week. What are your objectives today?
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?
Build in a little time to catch up. You do not want falling behind to be an excuse to give up. Give yourself a “catch up” day every now and then.
CONSISTENT ACTION
Finally, stick with it. The only way you will achieve success and realize your goals is with consistent action. Take steps forward every day. Little by little, you will eat that elephant.
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. Stay accountable to action.
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.
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.
If you want to grow and develop, you need to push yourself. Self-development requires you to get uncomfortable. Nobody grows in their comfort zone. This is especially true if you want to grow your audience by 10x.
In the online business space, you hear a lot of people talking about 10x. You hear them encourage you to grow your business by ten times its current size. Grow your audience by ten times. The gurus encourage you to not focus on growth from 200 to 300 downloads and instead focus on growing from 200 to 2,000 downloads.
How do you do that?
Well, you won’t 10x your growth by doing the same thing you’ve been doing. It hasn’t got you there yet.
You need to take bold action. You need to push yourself out of your comfort zone and do something big that will get noticed. Get uncomfortable to grow your audience.
I have been on the radio for 30 years. But, I didn’t start at the top.
PUSH #1
If you look back at my start in radio, it happened by accident. When I was in college getting my degree in architecture, I picked up a part-time job at a roller skating rink. My job was to skate around and make sure kids followed the rules. My younger brother was the DJ.
After moving up the roller rink food chain, I eventually became a DJ at the rink. The job requirement to get the gig was simply to be the guy with most tenure. If you were the one who had been there the longest, you got to play the tunes.
Dan was another guy who worked at the rink. He also happened to run a really small AM radio station. The station played paid, long-form programming. He hired my brother to work part-time at the station.
One day, he called the house to see if my brother could cover a shift he had open. My brother wasn’t home. However, that call turned into a part-time offer for me at the station. That weekend, I was at the radio station running the board for the programs. I still wasn’t on the air, but I was running a radio station. My envelope wasn’t being pushed quite yet.
Over the summer, I began thinking of a career change. The next semester of school, I picked up broadcasting for the non-major as an elective. One night in class, the program director of the campus radio station visited.
The program director is the guy who runs the entire content operations of a radio station. Music, imaging, contests, commercials, and talent. The PD is in charge of anything you hear on the air.
When the program director was wrapping up, he told us he was looking for a music director for the station. The music director works for the program director and handles everything related to the music.
This was the first time I pushed the envelope. After class, I went up to him and explained I wasn’t a broadcasting major but was interested in the position. He explained that I didn’t need to be a broadcasting major. He said I just needed to be interested and willing to do the work.
Here I was … an architecture major with limited radio experience being put in charge of the music on the radio station and responsible for communication with the record labels. I had no idea what I was doing. I simply learned on the fly.
Though those years, I met a ton of great people. I was exposed to a lot of great music I had never hear. Most importantly, my on-air ability grew at least by ten times. In fact, it grew enough to land me a full time gig at a local commercial radio station.
PUSH #2
Jump forward 5 years. I was working as an audio producer for an interactive phone company. Radio had been my career until I joined this company 8 months earlier.
The station I left 2 years earlier called me. The station was for sale and the program director was leaving. They asked me to come back to the station to be the new program director until they could find a suitable buyer.
At this point in time, I had never been a program director. In fact, the college station was the only time I had ever been a music director. There was no experience managing a staff on my resume. I wasn’t even in radio at the time.
Now, I had the opportunity to run a radio station.
I could let the little voice in my head tell me all the reasons why I wasn’t qualified to do it. Or, I could jump at the chance to prove I had what it took.
Time to push the envelope a second time.
I took the chance and leaned all I could. This was the first time I started coaching on-air talent. I was building shows and shaping content. It was a great ride. We never reached the top, but we learned a ton and had a blast.
The station eventually sold and I left the station.
PUSH #3
The third chance to push the envelope came 2-and-a-half years later.
This time, I had a chance to launch a station. I was offered the opportunity to be the program director of a station that was flipping format to Top 40. I was given one on-air talent and one promotions director.
My first guy didn’t last very long. My second guy took the challenge and ran with it. We took that station to number one in 12 months. It was huge.
We were on a small signal with a small staff. We just did what others wouldn’t. The staff grew. I helped my team develop shows that were the buzz of the town. It was an amazing ride. That station was number one for a long time.
DO YOU HAVE THE DESIRE?
Every time I made huge leaps in my career it involved pushing the envelope. My growth came from getting out of my comfort zone and stretching myself.
Do you want to grow your audience by leaps and bounds or do you want to slowly creep toward your goal?
Are you ready to increase your downloads ten times what they are now?
Then you need to do a few things that are going to make you a bit uncomfortable.
You need to reach out to others in your space. You need to increase your circle of influence. You need to take some chances and make some noise.
Here are some tips to grow your audience.
TEN TIPS TO GROW
Reach out to super-fans and begin the interaction.
Help people meet and create community.
Host events to create community.
Get interviewed on other shows. Make it easy for hosts to find you.
Give. Leave feedback for other shows. Ask great questions on other shows.
Promotion is the exploitation of great opportunities. Find great opportunities.
Buy a contest insurance policy.
Collect birthdates in your database and call listeners on their birthday.
Create a lead magnet for every episode.
Find people who can help you and invest in yourself. Mastermind, coach, peers.
You can get my entire list of 52 ways to create engagement with your show here:
Get to work. Move out of your comfort zone. Grow your audience by 10x by pushing yourself.
Do you need help with your podcast? E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let’s see what we can do.
One of my favorite speakers is Simon Sinek. He is all about knowing your why.
In episode 170, we discussed what the pros say about branding. Simon’s book “Start With Why” was part of that episode.
During his talks, Sinek likes to use Apple as an example. Many branding expert use Apple, because they are so successful in creating passion for their product.
Sinek says, “If Apple were like everyone else, a marketing message from them may sound like this: We make great computers. They are beautifully designed, simple to use and user friendly. What to buy one?”
“Here’s how Apple actually communicates: ‘Everything we do we believe in challenging the status quo, we believe in thinking differently. The way we challenge the status quo is by making our products beautifully designed, simple to use, and user friendly. We just happen to make great computers. What to buy one?'”
“Start with why.”
Start with why. It is so critical to your success.
Why do you do what you do? Your motivation will begin there.
WITHOUT MY WHY
I began coaching hockey in 2004 after growing up playing hockey. I love the game and really wanted to stay involved. An opportunity to coach a high school team came along and I jumped at it.
For the first few years, I coached for me. I wanted to create a winning team. The players were decent. The league was decent. I wanted to feel the exhilaration of winning a championship.
For five years, it didn’t happen. We were an ok, middle-of-the-pack team. Years six required I switch teams when there were not enough kids coming out to form a team.
The league called and asked if I would coach a team for a private, Catholic school. I told them sure, I had no allegiance to any particular school. I just wanted to coach. They said, “Good, because we have a guy who wants to coach the team. However, he has been suspended from coaching for coming on the ice after an official.”
This was a great group of players I had never coached. Many were better than my previous team. I instituted my philosophy, systems and practice plans. We had good talent and played well. Again, we finished in the middle of the standings.
The following year, the suspended guy was ready to come back and the league asked if I would pick up yet another team. I explained that I was just getting started with this team and would really like to continue with them. League officials told me they would need to conduct interviews to select the coach.
At this point, I figured I was in a no-win situation if I went through with the interview. I would either get the job and have to deal with this guy and his kids all season. Or, I would not get the job and be out of coaching.
I called the league and told them I would take the new team. They said, “Good, because we have a guy who wants to coach the team. However, he has been suspended from coaching for forging his kid’s birth certificate.”
I thought, “Here we go again.”
When the suspended guy found out I was coaching the team, he took the four best players to another league.
Season seven was the pivot point of my coaching career. That team was made up of a bunch of new and inexperienced players. I had 2 or 3 decent players. By that, I mean middle of the road. The rest needed a lot of work.
As the season started, I instituted my philosophy, systems and practice plans. I quickly realized I needed to go back to fundamentals with these guys. Systems were way above their heads. We needed to practice the basics.
In our final game of the playoffs, we were tied 0-0 at the end of regulation. We went into a 3-man shootout. After 3 round, neither team had scored. It took 5 rounds before we finally lost 1-0 in a 5-round shootout.
That loss was our 24th of the season. 24th consecutive loss. We didn’t win a single game.
So much for my philosophy. So much for my systems. We were the worst team in the league by a long shot. We were losing games 14-1. It was painful.
That summer, I seriously considered giving up coaching hockey. I wasn’t sure I had what it took.
FINDING MY WHY
As the summer went on, the league called to tell me the team was no longer. Many of the kids weren’t coming back. Those that were returning would be spread amongst the other teams in the league.
That’s when my “why” hit me. Kids shouldn’t be leaving the sport. Kids should learn to love the game. And they surely would not be taught to love the sport by coaching who get suspended for inappropriate actions.
The sport needed coaches who could teach not only a love of the game of hockey, but how to have fun and how to become respectable, young adults. They need role models who can guide them through the obstacles of high school.
The league knew my ultimate goal was to coach Millard West hockey. My son will eventually attend the school. That’s where I wanted to end up. The opportunity was open. So, I decided to return the following season to coach the Wildcats.
My coaching philosophy changed that year. It began with my why. Show respect and have fun. That’s where it all starts. Show respect for your opponent, your parents, the officials, your teammates and yourself. If you can do that day in and day out, you will win in life. Just have fun while you’re doing it.
Respect threads through all aspects of the game. You’ll find it in the locker room, on the ice at practice, on the bench during a game, in the handshake line after the game, at school the next day, respect is everywhere. Respect makes the game much more fun.
That first season with Millard West was a buy-in season. I was inheriting a few players from the previous coach. I had a little different approach. It took a while for the players to get on board.
At the end of that season, we finished 5th out of 12 teams in the league. Sure, it was middle-of-the-pack. But, internally it was much better than previous seasons. The team had fun and came together as a tight-knit group. We had something.
The following season, everything clicked. We had a blast. The respect came from everyone on the team. At the end of the season, we were state champions. It was a great year. It never would have happened without my why.
Since that first year when we finished 5th, we have been in the championship game 4 of the last 5 seasons.
I learned I was trying to implement my “how” before I knew my “why”. My philosophy, systems and practice plans meant nothing, because I hadn’t developed my “why”.
Once I created that foundation of respect and fun, the “how” came naturally. The “how” wrote itself. I knew exactly where we needed to go and what we needed to do.
Players have come and gone on this team. Some have already graduated college. Yet, we continue the tradition of respect and fun. The winning is a byproduct. It is simply the result of our “why”.
WHY I COACH PODCASTERS
The same is true with my talent coaching. I have been coaching radio talent for 25 years. It wasn’t until I put the needs of the talent in front of my desires to win that I began winning.
I had been coaching on-air talent for 5 years at the time. I was giving them all of the knowledge I had learned over the past 10 years to be a better air talent. We weren’t winning.
We had launched a new radio station. There was only one other talent on the air with me at the time. I focused all of my attention on that one individual. In our coaching sessions, I would ask questions and learn what they needed to grow.
Week after week, he would get a little better. I learned to stop focusing on the problems and begin to work on his strengths. We would talk about the show. I would help him find the things he was doing really well, so he could do more of that. I encouraged him to take chances. Some worked, some didn’t.
Drip by drip we made improvements. Suddenly, we were number one. Top of the market. My “why” of helping talent improve by focusing on their strengths came before my “how” of winning. Winning was a byproduct. Focusing on other made all the difference.
FIND YOUR WHY
What is your why? Why do you do what you do?
Once you determine your “why”, the rest will fall into place. You need to find the meaning in what you do.
If you would like help defining your “why” and finding the things you do really well, let’s talk about some coaching for you.
You can get a complimentary strategy session online a www.PodcastTalentCoach.com under the coaching tab. I’d love to spend 30 minutes with you to determine your “why” and develop a plan.
Do You Know Where You Are Going [Setting Goals] – Episode 174
Setting goals in 7 areas of your life
Do you know where you are going? Have you set goals?
Without a road map, you will never get anywhere.
LACK OF GOALS
We just lost a guy from our mastermind, because his goals were not clear. He let that get in his way.
The mastermind started back in February. We had intended to take it to three months and then evaluate the progress. We made it to six.
When the group began, we all described where we were in our business journey and where we wanted to go. We talked about our hopes and dreams. We started holding each other accountable each week to make progress on our dreams.
Each week, we would talk about our progress and accomplishments. We would help one member with their struggles. At the end, we would establish the steps we planned to take in the upcoming week to make further progress.
That is how you achieve your goals. You define your dreams. You put a deadline on those dreams. Then, you take baby steps each week toward those goals.
It sounds like an easy process. It is simple, but far from easy.
When we began, our guy talked about his dreams just like the rest of us. He had great goals of launching a business creating masterminds. He had been in quite a few over the last six years and was great at running them.
Our guy joined the group to have someone hold him accountable. He is a self-described “shiny object person”. Masterminds would be his side hustle, because he has a full-time job.
By the second meeting, we had helped our guy flush out his desires, strengths and path. He pivoted a little from group masterminds to a personal accountability coach.
On the third call, he reported he had launched a coaching website, but also had a few people interested in a paid mastermind. I thought, “At least he is making progress toward revenue.”
The next week he reported that he made no progress. He was working on a video for his coaching and still trying to launch the in-person mastermind.
By June, our guy had a few free mastermind meetings with friends, but was struggling to convert it to revenue. He was looking to pivot. He just wasn’t sure he was headed down the right path.
When July rolled around, he was exploring new aspects for his business and possibly a new niche. This is when he decided to start a blog for his content. The very next week he was interviewing people for a podcast he was planning to launch.
As we neared the end of July, our guy was back talking about the mastermind niche and how he could create a live workshop to help businesses launch a mastermind.
His distractions finally got the best of him. As we rolled into August, our guy decided he needed to get out of the group. After six months, he really spent most of the time battling the impostor syndrome. He let it prevent him from taking meaningful steps toward his goal.
LITTLE, CONSISTENT STEPS
If you want to reach your goals, you need to find ways to take little steps each week. Determine the next logical step in your journey and take it. Don’t worry about six months down the road. Worry about today.
What can you do today to simply make progress?
This is one of the benefits of having a coach. If you find the right person to coach you, they can hold you accountable to your progress. Then can give you a little push when you need it. Maybe help you create deadlines.
I do this quite often with my coaching clients. Sure, I help my clients shape their contents to be more engaging. They learn to be better interviewers. We work together to create a workflow that is more efficient.
But most importantly, I help podcasters stay accountable. Each week, we set little baby goals for the week that build on each other to reach the big goal.
Could you use a coach to help you stay accountable to your goals? Do you need that little nudge every once in awhile? I can do that for you. Check out the coaching tab online at PodcastTalentCoach.com.
The first session is free. We use that to set some goals and get to know each other. We see if we work well together. If we are both comfortable with it, we go from there.
I would love to help you reach your goals.
GOALS IN 7 AREAS AND 5 YEARS
So, let’s talk about goal setting. What can you do this week.
Grab a sheet of paper. Spend 5 minutes writing down your dreams. What do you hope to accomplish over the next five years. Big goals. Big things won’t happen unless you dream big.
Over the next five years, what does your podcast look like? What does your life look like?
Break these big dreams into seven areas of your life. Your long-term goals should include career, money, self-improvement, family, social, spiritual, and health.
Define your career. How are you employed? How many hours a week do you work? What does your work life look like five years from now?
With regard to money, how much do you have? How much are you earning per year in five years? What are you doing with your money?
As you begin to describe your self-improvement five years from now, consider things like your education, knowledge and the overall person you have become. What do you need to be a better person five years from today?
Family is a piece many people forget when they are goal setting. Money and career are easy. What about your family? What does your family look like in five years? How much time are you spending with them? What are you doing with that time?
Your social goals should include your friends and acquaintences. It is often said that you will become the average of the five people you spend the most time with. Who are those people five years from now? Be intentional with your friendships. Set specific goals in this area.
How is your spiritual life? How would you like that to look in five years? If you feel it could be stronger, let’s set some goals to make that happen.
Your health doesn’t improve because you hope it will. Goals will help you become healthier if you make it a priority. Set big goals in health that you can work toward five years from today.
GOALS FOR THIS YEAR
Now that you have big goals set, let’s figure out what you can do in the next year to work toward those goals. Sure, you have five years to accomplish them. That means we need to make progress each year over the next five to get there.
Big goals won’t happen overnight. It takes consistent effort. Break your five-year goals into smaller steps that you can accomplish over the years.
How far along will you be toward each goal twelve months from now?
MONTHLY GOALS
After you have determined your one-year goals, break those into twelve steps. This will be one step for each month. What do you need to accomplish each month in order to hit your annual goal?
Be realistic with your progress. This will be a snowball. It will get much bigger each time it rolls over. Very similar to compound interest. It doesn’t grow in a straight line. The line curves upward. Your progress will do the same.
Think of revenue for a business. Revenue doesn’t typically grow in a straight line, like 100 this year, 200 in year 2, 300 in year 3, and 400 in year 4. Revenue growth is typically 100 in year 1, 150 in year 2, 300 in year 3, 550 in year 4. The amount of growth increases each year. You build momentum.
WEEKLY GOALS
Now that you have monthly goals, break those into weekly goals. These are your baby steps. Little steps each week will help you reach your monthly goals.
Stack your monthly goals on top of each other and before you know it, you’ll reach your yearly goals. Your five-year goals are reach by taking little steps each week. Eat that elephant one bit at a time.
MAKE UP WEEK
I would suggest you build in a “make up” week every six to eight weeks. These are the weeks that will help you catch up. When you miss the goal, because it was a bit out of reach, these make up weeks will help you get on track.
It would be very easy to give up after you miss a couple weeks of goals. A make up week could be very beneficial to keeping you energized.
Keep your success front and center. You may not hit the goal exactly, but you will still be making progress. If your goal was 200 and you only hit 175, you are still better off than where you started. Keep your eye on the prize.
ACCOUNTABILITY
Would you like me to help you structure your goals and hold you accountable? Let’s talk about my coaching. I’d love to give you a hand.
I work with my clients on a weekly basis. We do a 30 to 45 minute call each week to review your goals, intentions and progress. I also listen to an episode before each call to help you improve. We discuss any struggles you are facing and how you can overcome those issues.
After our call, I send you a written recap of the podcast review and our call. That allows you to listen and ask questions rather than taking notes the entire time. I want the call to be packed full of information for you. I’m also available to you via e-mail anytime you would like.
Where is your podcast going this year? We are one-third through the year. Are you moving forward in 2017? Have you reviewed your goals lately? Have you even set goals for this year?
We often set goals at the beginning of the year. Studies show that most goals and resolutions go by the wayside by mid-February. How are you doing with your goals?
We need to take time to review our goals often. You do not need to wait for the beginning of the year to set those goals.
WHAT IS A GOAL?
A goal is a dream with a deadline. What are your dreams for this year? If you don’t have a map and destination, you’ll only wander. You’ll never get anywhere. Let’s be specific and set some deadlines.
I am a member of Digital Marketer with Ryan Deiss. Though I am not an affiliate, he has some great products and plans. One of them I use regularly is his “60-Second Blog Plan”. This plan helps me lay out a clear path and plan for my content for the year.
Find it here:
What is the one big thing you want to accomplish over the next year? Let’s develop little steps to get there. Break the big goal into bite-sized pieces.
GOALS MUST BE SPECIFIC
If you create a weekly show, you have 52 shows over the next 12 months. It may sound like a lot. However, you need to be intentional to reach your goals.
What is your call to action within your podcast? How can we make that call-to-action more effective? Where are you sending your listener each episode to get more info? Be specific and write it down.
Are you monetizing your podcast? There are many possibilities, such as books, speaking engagements, seminars, affiliates, products and more. If you have yet to monetize your podcast, schedule your time to create something powerful. Be sure to include deadlines.
Do you interview guests on your show? Create a list of guests you’d like to get on the show. Be brave and reach out to those people. Let’s get them on the show. Give yourself a goal with a deadline.
GOALS NEED PLANS
Are you effectively planning each show before you begin? Sometimes it is difficult to get motivated to record your show on a regular basis. Plan ahead.
Download the Podcast Talent Coach Show Planning Worksheet:
When you lack motivation, revert to plan you’ve already created.
Are you reviewing your show on a regular basis? To get better, you need to look at game tape. All great sports teams review tape of previous games. You should do the same.
Get the Podcast Talent Coach Show Review Worksheet:
GOALS NEED ACCOUNTABILITY
Finding someone that can help you honestly review your show will help as well.
The next year can be huge for you if you plan. Set deadlines to turn your dreams into goals. Be sure to find balance in all areas of your life.
Take some chances. Go for the big interview or launch a product. Dream big. You might just reach your dreams.
Do you need help with your podcast? E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let’s see what we can do.
This week on the podcast, we discuss 5 steps to ensure your proper podcast preparation.
But first, did you get my free e-book with 15 tips to improve your podcast this week? This resource containg 15 tips that are quick and easy to implement that can improve your show immediately.
If you would like your free copy, text “15Tips” to 44222. That’s one fie T-I-P-S to 44222. I’ll shoot you all the details.
This week, let’s talk about proper podcast preparation for your episode to ensure you are reaching your goals.
SHOW PLANNING
You must know where you’re going before you can actually get there. That statement is true with a road trip and it is also true with your podcast. When you set out to record a show, you must have goals in mind. Once you’ve determined what you hope to accomplish, you can then decide how you will make it happen.
So many podcasters seem to record their show less than fully prepared. I hear hosts often search for details that should be right at their fingertips. There is no reason to lack the proper information while you are doing your show. If you’ve fully prepared for your podcast, the information should be right in front of you.
Is rehearsal really the enemy of spontaneity?
Many people refuse to rehearse any part of their podcast, because they feel it will remove all spontaneity from the show.
Think about a speech you have given. When you have only rehearsed the speech a couple times, anxiety sets in.
Thinking about making a mistake makes you nervous. Your lack of preparation is the cause. You worry that you may forget something. You are not prepared.
On the other hand, when you have rehearsed the speech many, many times, you eventually know it by heart. You begin to feel much more confident. The worry isn’t present. You begin to relax.
When you relax, the spontaneity kicks in.
Spontaneity in your speech happens most when you aren’t worried about the mechanics of the presentation. Your mind is allowed to move naturally through the material.
This relaxation helps you become truly engaged with the audience and material. Wonderful, creative, spontaneous things happen when you reach this point.
The same can be said for your podcast. When you know the material, have defined a specific goal for the show, and have mapped out a plan to achieve that goal, your podcast will be filled with many “oh wow” moments.
When you worry about your content, you have no brain power left for spontaneous things to happen.
Where are you spending your time? Are you too busy thinking about the next question and blocking out the spontaneity? Is rehearsal really the enemy of spontaneity?
FIVE POINTS
There are five key steps to proper podcast preparation. Taking these five steps each time you record will give your show focus, make your show more entertaining, and create stronger relationships with your listeners. These steps will also make you sound more professional.
If you have ever fought the impostor syndrome, being more prepared will help you win that battle.
The impostor syndrome, or impostor phenomenom, is the psychological phenomemon in which people are unable to interalize their accomplishments. Despite external evidence that proves they are deserving and successful, those that suffer from impostor syndrome do not feel they deserve the success. These people believe their success came about not because of skill or expertise, but more because of luck or manipulation.
Students sometimes face this phenomenom in college when they tell themselves they really don’t belong in such an esteemed university and others may soon discover the fraud.
It is common for us all to experience the impostor syndrome to some extent. The phenomenom is roughly the opposite of your ego. Your ego is telling you that you are the best around and people should admire everything you’ve done. Your internal impostor is then telling you that you have no authority to be doing this. You are a fake and a fraud with no credibility. The only reason you are in this position according to your internal impostor is because nobody has yet discovered the truth.
Both your ego and impostor exist within you. Learning how to manage both is a challenge. Being well prepared for your show and having the confidence to stick to the plan will help you win that battle.
Here are the five steps for adequate podcast preparation.
1. YOUR GOAL
Overall, what do you hope to accomplish with this particular show? Define the call to action you hope to make your listeners take. Here, you are defining the ultimate purpose of this specific show.
The purpose of this particular episode may be more focused than the overall goal for the podcast as a whole. If the general goal for your podcast is to teach people to coach lacrosse, the goal of the show today might be to discuss the power of Double-Goal Coaching. The goal today is a subset of the goal for the podcast overall.
Your call to action of your show could be many things. It could be teaching your audience in order to build relationships, sales of your product, visiting your website, supporting your cause, joining your club or simply listening again. Know what you hope to accomplish before you begin the journey.
Knowing the goal for your show will help you develop a filter for your subject matter and topics. When each topic passes through this goal filter, you will be able to determine if the topic should be part of the show and how to best handle the content. Your show filter helps keep the show focused. You cannot build your filter until you first know the goal of your show.
Let’s take the “School of Podcasting” podcast with Dave Jackson for example. Dave is focused on helping people lauch podcasts. He wants to help as many people as possible get up and running with their own show. Therefore, everything Dave does on his show is centered around that goal. His content goes through that show filter.
Dave also reviews podcasts. Reviewing shows isn’t part of launching shows. Dave has a completely separate podcast called the “Podcast Review Show”. Where “School of Podcasting” is focused on launching, “Podcast Review Show” is focused on improving. Both shows have their own unique filter for the content.
The goal you develop for your show will build a focus for your podcast. When your show has focus, people know what to expect. Consistency is developed with your content. You also build confidence to fight your inner impostor when you consistently reach that goal each and every show.
2. STRUCTURE DEFINES TOPICS
Once you have developed the goal for your podcast and a goal for this particular episode, you need to determine which topics you hope to discuss today.
Topics come in many different forms. A podcast will sometimes focus on one topic for the entire show. Sometimes a podcast will have an overall theme while handling a few different topics under the umbrella of that theme. There are podcasts that answer various listener questions during the show. Others interview guests. And yet, some podcasts combine many styles into one show. How you approach your show is completely up to you. That is one thing that makes podcasting so great. You are in control.
Your show should have a structure that you follow for each episode. Your structure is a rough guideline that can easily be followed by your listeners. You might start the show with your show open and a quick overview of the episode. You could then include some news about your business and the industry in general. A short guest inteview could be next followed by listener e-mail questions. Finally, you could end with a recap and contact information. Each week, you simply plug in new content to each segment.
On the other hand, your show may only be an interview each week. It could be very focused and streamlined. You get to decide.
Once you have built the structure for your show, you can easily determine which topics will fill each particular episode. You can look at the structure in the example above and know exactly what you need. To record today’s show, I would need my show open, my outline, a list of news headlines, my recorded interview, and a list of e-mail questions and supporting answers.
Many people forget to bring the answers to the questions. Have your answers outlined to ensure you have any supporting material you need to appropriately answer the questions. When you try to answer the questions off the cuff, you will inevitably forget some important facts. It is best to make some notes before you begin recording. That takes us to the next step.
3. STRATEGY FOR EACH TOPIC
When developing your strategy, you need to determine how you will address each topic. Whether you are presenting information, answering questions or interviewing guests, there are many ways to address each topic. You do not need to do it the same way every other podcast does it. Be unique. Find the way that will stand out.
If you are interviewing, do you need to ask the same questions that every other podcast asks? What if you play a game with each guest called “The Hat of Forbidden Questions”. It’s a hat filled with crazy questions. You simply reach in the hat, pull out a question and ask whatever is on the card. It is completely different than every other podcast. It will also get unique answers while engaging your guest in a unique manner.
Here is a tip many people forget. This is show business. You could play “The Hat of Forbidden Questions” and never even have a hat. You could have a list of crazy questions for your guest written out and simply pretend to reach into a hat. This is show business. You are here to entertain.
Do you think the actors in “Seinfeld” or “The Sopranos” ad lib their lines? Of course not. Do you find it less entertaining when they follow the script? Of course not. There is no reason you cannot add a little show biz to your show.
Just be sure to always be true to the show. If you are going to pretend there is a hat, you MUST ALWAYS pretend there is a hat. Giving up the showbiz secret will ruin everything. On the other hand, you could really have a hat and have a ton of fun with it.
Determine how you will approach each topic. Will you play audio examples? Will you play voice messages from your listeners? Are you going to read e-mail? Maybe there is a guest contributor. Determine each approach before the show begins.
4. OUTLINE
Once you’ve created the show topics and the strategy for each topic, you need to create an outline for the show that includes each topic.
An outlines serves two primary purposes. First, you can use this outline in your show open. It will give the audience an idea of the content in the show today. Second, the outline will keep you focused during your show. The outline will help you determine where you are going and serve as a reminder of how you plan to approach each topic.
Your outline should be detailed, but not scripted. Include the important facts and notes on your outline. You will want this information at your fingertips during your show. When you begin telling a story and you don’t have the specifics right in front of you, the story gets off course and you lose momentum.
Build the outline with enough content to help you get through the information, but not so much that your show becomes scripted. You simply need to write down enough information to remind you where you are going. It is the map you are following. Road maps don’t show every detail of every building along the route. They simply draw a line to represent a road. You get the idea and end up at your destination. The same is true with your outline.
Do not write a script. Tell stories instead of reading them. If you sound like you are reading your information, you will sound stale and boring. Engage with your audience by telling stories. Make the stories come to life by using great words and inflection in your voice. You won’t get that energy, excitement and engagement when you read a script.
5. THE DETAILS
The final step before recording your show is gathering your details and supporting information. This includes the facts, figures, details and other elements will you need for each topic. Gather all of the information you need before the show begins.
Look over your outline to ensure you have each piece of supporting content. Make sure you have the facts to your stories. Gather the audio elements you plan to include. Round up any e-mails you plan to address. You do not want to waste the time of your audience while you search through your inbox trying to find that one great question you hoped to include during the show today. Be prepared.
If names are important to the story, jot them down. If dates or a timeline is a critical part of the tale, make note of it. I hear shows go astray quite often when the host cannot remember the web address for their story. The often say something like, “Hold on, I’ll find it here.” You then hear them tapping on their computer while searching Google to get the address. If they knew they were going to approach this topic with this particular story, the web address should have been part of the outline. Be prepared.
I recently heard a podcast trying to remember the web address for one of their topics. The host couldn’t come up with it. He paused recording the show, found the address and then started recording again. This is perfectly acceptable. Sometimes you don’t realize you need a piece of information until you are well into the story.
The issue I have with the way he handled the situation is how he addressed it during the show.
He said something like, “There is a website that will help you with this. It is … uh. Oh, what it is. It is something like WebAddress.com or something. Oh, I can’t remember right now. It’s a great web site. Ok, I just paused the recording and found it. It is GoodWebAddress and it gives you everything you need.” The “Ok, I just paused the recording and found it” line came out of nowhere. Listening to the show, I couldn’t tell he stopped recording and started again. The context was completely out of whack. The listener heard no pause. The subject matter simply started again in another place.
Now, he didn’t say those words exactly. I am paraphrasing. I am also keeping his name and podcast out of it, because I don’t want to embarrass him or disparage his show. This is simply to make a point. His show is great. More importantly, I don’t have his permission to name him or his show.
With a few creative edits in post production, you would never have known he didn’t have the information in front of him. It is show business. This is about your credibility. You are trying to build trust with your audience. If you look unprepared, you look amatuer. Sure, reveal your flaws during your show. But, don’t look like you are unsure of your content.
In post production, he could have edited the content to say, “There is a website that will help you with all of this. (edit) The website is GoodWebAddress. It gives you everything you need.” No need to look unprepared. Take two minutes to make it sound professional.
Get all information in front of you that you will need to record your show. Force yourself to stick to your outline of your content. When you start following tangents that are not on the outline, you get into territory for which you haven’t prepared and have no supporting information. You then fight to get back on track.
Build your reputation, trust and credibility by being a prepared, professional podcaster everytime. Even if you are only doing it as a hobby, you need people to trust you in order to bring them back episode after episode. Your supporing information right in front of you before the show begins will help you sound knowledgeable and prepared.
PODCAST PREPARATION RECAP
1. Your goal
2. Your structure defines your topics
3. Create a strategy for each topic
4. Outline
5. Information
Next week: How to increase podcast listener engagement.
I’d love to help you with your podcast. Post any questions or comments you might have, or e-mail me at Erik@PodcastTalentCoach.com.
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.
Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.
On a recent episode of the Podcast Review Show that I do with Dave Jackson, we got into a discussion with a podcaster who struggles with the introduction of his show. This happens with so many hosts. How do you properly begin an episode? What are the important elements of a solid podcast introduction? What is the purpose?
We were talking with Doug Salamone of Mind Drippings podcast. On this particular episode, Doug was interviewing Taylor Pearson, author of “The End Of Jobs”. Doug said he was having trouble forming the introduction of his interviews.
Before you begin your show, determine what are you hoping people will take from the interview. What is the point?
Many podcast introductions are a waste of time. They host wanders into the episode rather than creating anticipation and setting up the content that is to come.
“Tell us a little about yourself, who you are and what you do.” It is such an overused first questions.
Do your homework. Know the important facts about your guest that support the topic. Provide those pieces of information right at the beginning. Then, hit the ground running with great questions.
Make your podcast introduction compelling. It should make your audience want to stick around for the payoff. I hear so many shows begin with their standard show open immediately followed by a bunch of housekeeping. Don’t waste the time of your audience. Your introduction should make a promise (tell the audience what to expect). You should then follow through on that promise (give them the content they expect).
Last week, we discussed the purpose of a strong podcast introduction. This week, I want to walk you through the steps of creating your powerful purpose and intriguing introduction.
What do you hope to make the audience laugh at, marvel at or better understand?
What is in it for them?
Why is the topic relevant to your audience?
How will you make the audience care?
What is the source of the topic?
How will the source lend credibility to the topic?
What do you find intriguing about the topic?
What emotion do you hope to stir?
In what context will the story be set?
Where will you take the topic? Where will the story go?
What details will you use?
What is the one thing you hope your listener will remember about you/your show?
Write the intriguing introduction to your topic.
Before you begin your show, determine what are you hoping people will take from the interview. What is the point?
Do your homework. Know the important facts about your guest that support the topic. Provide those pieces of information right at the beginning in your podcast introduction. Then, hit the ground running with great questions.
Do you need help with your podcast? E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let’s see what we can do.
If you are like me, and many others in the online space, you struggle with pricing. You don’t want it to be too low and leave money on the table. On the other hand, you don’t want it to be too high and not make any sales.
So, where do you set the price?
Pricing is tricky. There is a lot of art to setting your price. Most is trial and error.
There really is no “correct” price. Price is determined by supply and demand. The price of anything is that point where a seller is willing and able to sell AND a buyer is willing and able to buy. It is a continuum.
If a seller is not making much money on a sale, she will focus on another area of business that is creating more profit. If she is a public speaker on self defense and earns $2,500 per speaking opportunity on the weekends, she is creating decent income.
If she then creates an online course teaching other women self-defense and creates sales of $3,000 per week with an hour of work online marketing the course, she may opt to do less speaking and more work online.
Her speaking gigs require her to find clients, travel to the location, give the presentation for an hour or two (depending on dinner and other presentations), possibly spend the night, travel home and miss time with her family. That is a lot to give up in order to make $2,500 when an hour a night on her schedule could earn $500 more.
People may be willing and able to buy her speaking at$2,500. However, she may not be willing to sell it for that. She may do a few speeches. It may just be less frequent. If her price increases to $5,000, the decision may be different.
HOW DO YOU DECIDE?
When I began coaching podcasters, I came to that very problem. I was in that place so many entrepreneurs find themselves. A price needed to be set for my services.
What would podcasters be willing and able to pay that I would be willing to accept?
In this episode, I take you step-by-step through the process I took to set the pricing for my podcast coaching.
So, how do you set your price.
OVERVIEW
First, ask your customers what they will buy. This could be a survey of your list. You could simply study the market and determine what they are already buying. Find a few people that could use your help and ask five or ten of them.
Next, determine what problem you are solving for your audience. People buy benefits and solutions. People don’t buy mops. They buy clean floors. Solve a problem they know they have.
Then, price on value. Know what value you have to offer. Your experience, knowledge and ability all play into your value. This will determine why it should be you rather than anyone else.
You can now set a price by looking at the market and seeing what they charge. Buy a few similar products to see what is included if necessary. You want your price to be competitive, but not necessarily the cheapest.
Your price does not need to be less than everyone else. It should probably be more expensive than others in order to stand out. Make it a great value for the price to justify being at the top end.
If you tell your audience what to do, you can charge a low price. If you teach them how to do, you are able to set a mid-level price. When you do it for the, you can be at the high end.
To be at the top of the range, go all out and solve all of their problems. Be a full-service machine. Prove the value and then add a bit more.
Most importantly, have a sales process. Know how you will attract people to your process. Define how you will demonstrate your value and benefits. Give your audience a ton of value, then the opportunity to buy.
I am not guaranteeing you will make money. I am not promising you that you will get rich, or even make a dime for that matter. I do not know you or your abilities.
I am saying this process worked for me. You may find a few helpful tips here that could help you in some way.
If you show your visitors the value of your product or service while giving them more than they expected, there is a good chance they will buy.
As in my example, there are times when the price doesn’t make sense. This is when you need to review your process.
Is the issue the price tag as it was with my program at the beginning?
Does the roadblock appear due to the structure of the product or service as it did with my 12-week program rather than weekly calls?
Are your clients looking for a product or service tailored to their needs, like my calls ever other week?
Rather than launching your product to thousands of people at one time, launch to a few. See if they are interested at that price and value. Gather some feedback. Make adjustments. Launch again to a few more people.
As you adjust your sales process, you will find a spot where clients are willing and able to buy your product at a price you are willing and able to sell. If you are not selling enough, add more value or lower the price. If you are selling too much, raise the price.
Tinker until it feels right. There is no correct price. There is only a price with which you are comfortable and that pleases your audience.
7 Thanksgiving Concepts To Drive Your Business And Podcast – Episode 116
As this episode is posted, it is Thanksgiving in the United States. It is a day of the year when we pause to give thanks to those treasures in our lives. Whether you are celebrating in America or just working another day somewhere else in the world, I would like to thank you for all you have done for me by simply being part of this community. Thank you.
This week, I would like to share with you 7 Thanksgiving concepts to drive your business and podcast any day of the year.
1. New Relationships
Take a few minutes today to plant the seeds of new relationships. Reach out to five people you do not know, and thank them for what you have learned from them. This could be authors, podcasters, business people, pastors or any other people who have given you a bit of their knowledge.
Only thank them. There is no hidden agenda. We are simply reaching out to give thanks.
If the quick note leads to a relationship down the road, that would be great. If it generates no response, that is ok as well. Our only goal is to give. Send good vibes into the universe. It will make you feel good. You never know what might come back.
2. Old Relationships
Next, take a few minutes to strengthen the relationships you have already built. Reach out to five people you know, and thank them for enriching your life.
This is a great opportunity to rekindle a few relationships that have gone dormant. Send a note to just say thanks. It will make the day of the recipient.
We all enjoy hearing that we have influenced someone in some way. It gives us validation. When you take time to thank someone for all they have done for you, the good will created by the note will go a long way.
The new conversation may also lead to new opportunities. Do not expect it. But, you never know what might happen.
3. What Gets Scheduled Gets Done
Use a day off to plan the next 12 months. This year, Thanksgiving is 36 days from the end of the year. It is a great time to look forward.
It doesn’t necessarily need to be the beginning of the year to set your goals. Your 12-month plan can begin at any point in time. Don’t let the calendar dictate your actions. Use today to look forward and plan.
As the old saying goes, what gets scheduled gets done. A goal without a deadline is only a dream. Set your goals for the next 12 months, and then add deadlines. Schedule the time.
Set goals at various lengths. Define big, 12-month goals. Decide what you will accomplish each month. Determine what steps need to happen each week to reach those goals. Let each goal build toward the next bigger milestone.
4. Great Offers
Black Friday and Cyber Monday bring great deals. This is especially true in the online world. It seems everyone has a great deal.
Just as with goals, the calendar shouldn’t dictate your strategy. It doesn’t need to be the day after Thanksgiving in order to make a great offer to your tribe.
Create something of tremendous value, add a little more, and offer it to your community. Thank your followers for being part of the group. As a “thank you”, present your great offer.
You do not need to wait for a particular day of the year to be generous to your tribe. Make your great offer today.
5. Fill Your Heart
Take pause and ponder all of the things in your life for which you are thankful. Fill your heart. Be grateful.
When we consider all of the wonderful things in our lives, it will naturally make us feel better. In business, we tend to think of all the things that need to be fixed. The items on our “to do” list. We look for the ways we can improve. We focus on our weaknesses.
Take time to focus on the treasures present in your life. It is wonderful that we have access to the internet. That we can determine our own future with the effort we put forth. We have amazing gifts in our lives. Count your gifts.
Let’s fill our hearts by giving thanks for all we have. It will relieve some of the stress we bring upon ourselves. Life will be a little happier.
6. Walk Away Wednesday
We need to take time away from the “to do” list and devote it to a bit of housekeeping. This is a concept I learned from radio great Mike McVay.
In radio, we tend to get too close to the product to be able to truly evaluate the quality. We live with the product every day. Knowing too much about the station handcuffs a program director.
The same is true with your podcast. We get so focused on the next episode that we forget to review the content we have already published. The website needs to be cleaned up. The autoresponder needs to be freshened. We never take time.
Mike created “Walk Away Wednesday” for radio program directors. It was a day to get away from the radio station and just listen. We would listen to everything to ensure it had a purpose. The goal was to review the radio station from top to bottom.
Take a day to review everything about your podcast and business. Look over the website. Check all of the links. Proofread the copy. Sign up for your newsletter. Make your “about” page forward-facing. Ensure everything works as it should.
Check your iTunes description to ensure it is still valid. Look over your Facebook “about” section. Listen to your podcast like a listener. Check the podcast on various devices. Review for quality in every aspect of your podcast and business.
7. Give
Pretty simple. Help someone. As Zig Ziglar always said, “You can have anything you want as long as you help enough other people get what they want.”
It is true. Giving does something to us. Giving makes us more attractive as a person. Serve people.
We do not give expecting something in return. We are giving, because it is the right thing to do. Giving helps society. We have been given gifts to share with the world.
Send out the good vibes. You never know what you will get in return.
Take time this week to put a few of these concepts to use with your podcast and business. You never know what good things might come your way in the next year.
Thank you for being part of this community. I truly value the time you give me every week. My hope is that you find value and some useful nugget in the content I provide in each episode.
I would love to help you with your podcast. E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.
A Simple Way To Improve Your Show That Works For Every Professional Broadcaster – Episode 112
Do you want to be the best? Do you want to move forward quickly?
Broadcasters learn early in their career that there is one primary way to get better. One well-worn path to improvement. A method used by nearly every broadcaster that has come before.
It is a tactic still used today. It is not only used by professional broadcasters, but used by world class athletes, writers, dancers, musicians, and others throughout most highly visible and well-paid professions in the world.
They all use a coach.
You see coaches everywhere. Life coaches. Career coaches. Sport coaches. Birthing coaches. Speaker coaches. Executive coaches. It seems coaching is a big part of the world today. Why is that.
Coaching is prevalent in our society, because coaching works. Coaching gets results.
Coaching works, because your coach helps you reach your goals when you can’t push yourself. Coaching helps you face difficult truths, learn how to make powerful change and maximize your potential.
The best speakers, the best executives and the best athletes all have coaches. Coaching helps the best become the best and stay at the top. Coaching is a powerful, secret weapon of those at the top of their game.
You can work tirelessly to learn on your own. Or, you can enlist the help of a coach and reach your goals much quicker.
I offer a free podcast review to serious podcasters who wish to get better. Why free? Because nearly every podcaster who talks with me for 30 minutes about their show instantly sees the benefit. They leave the session with a list of things to transform their podcast and business in a week. Because it works, most want more. They sign up for a quick program.
How can a coach help you take your podcast to the top? There are five areas where a coach can help you. A coach will help you assess your current situation and see the big picture. Your coach will help you develop your goals and plan. You will be held accountable by your coach. You will have your own personal cheerleader. Finally, your coach will provide regular feedback to help you with improvement.
THE BIG PICTURE
A coach will help you assess your current situation and see the big picture. Sometimes it helps to have another set of eyes helping you see the forrest through the trees. A great coach will help you clear away all the clutter to gain clear focus for your show.
A personal coach will help you honestly assess your strengths and weaknesses. These assessments are specific to your show. Your coach is not simply offering cookie cutter prescriptions. Once you understand your strengths and weaknesses, you can capitalize on the strengths and minimize the weaknesses.
You get a different perspective on your show when you have someone else give you honest feedback. When you look at your content in a different way, you will discover new ideas and different approaches for your content. A different perspective helps you keep the end goal in mind.
A big picture view of your podcast will also help you balance your life. Your coach can make sure you don’t devote all of your time to one area of your life. Ensuring you are spending quality time on all areas of your life and business could be one of the most important benefits of a coach.
GOAL DEVELOPMENT
Your coach will help you develop your goals and a plan to achieve those goals. What do you hope to accomplish with your podcast? How does your show fit into your overall business plan? Does your podcast include a clear call to action. Your coach can help you develop each of those areas.
A dream becomes a goal when deadlines are attached. Your coach can help you set those deadlines. Your coach can then help you develop a plan reach those goals.
Setting goals help you maximize your potential. You can be your best when you set and achieve goals on a regular basis. Your coach can help keep you accountable to those goals.
ACCOUNTABILITY
Some people need a little extra push to remain focused on the task at hand. Your coach can help hold you accountable to your goals. The best part of that accountability is the goals are your goals. It is your agenda. Your coach is simply helping you achieve the goals you have set.
With regular communication, your coach can push you to do your best. Your coach can help you keep your goals top of mind. When you don’t feel like spending that extra hour making your podcast the best it can be, your coach can give you that little, extra motivation. You can use your coach to push you as much as you would like.
Consistency is key to a successful podcast. Your coach can keep you on track. When your coach holds you accountable, you produce great content on a regular basis. Consistency produces a reliable, trusted brand. Let your coach help you achieve that quality with accountability.
CHEERLEADER
Fear and self doubt prevent many people from achieving their goals. We all have a little critic inside our head telling us we aren’t quite good enough or we do not have the authority to succeed. The impostor syndrome destroys far too many great business ideas.
When you have a coach, you will have your own personal cheerleader. Your coach will help you build self-confidence. You will have the courage to explore topics and ideas on your show that you previously avoided. Your coach will help you voice your opinion and be confident in your beliefs. You will overcome your fears and truly believe in yourself.
You will develop self-confidence when your coach helps you improve your competence.
FEEDBACK
Finally, your coach will provide regular feedback to help you with improvement. Feedback will help you improve your competence. Nobody knows everything. Collaboration helps everyone learn. New ideas, new approaches and new contacts all come from great collaboration. A great coach can help you achieve that improvement.
A great coach will share knowledge and expertise with you that will help you discover new ideas and concepts. It is difficult to improve when you don’t know what you don’t know. A coach can use years of experience to help you discover new processes and information.
You can transform your mistakes into opportunities and learn to do things better with the help of a coach. A great coach has worked with many others allowing you to benefit from the trials and errors of many others. Your coach knows what has worked for others. There is a fountain of knowledge with your coach that you can access for the benefit of your show.
Your coach will also provide specific feedback regarding your podcast. This feedback will include actionable items. You can isolate the areas of your podcast that need improvement. Your coach will help you create an improvement plan for those areas.
You cannot simply remove the negative parts of your show. You must discover the effective parts of your podcast and figure out how to create more of those opportunities. This is where a great coach can help you succeed. A great coach will help you discover the parts of your show that are strong, help you develop a plan to create those moments more often, and then find the courage to present those moments during your podcast.
Coaching works. That is why it is everywhere in our society. Find a great podcast coach to help you reach your goals. Though I would love to help you, your coach doesn’t necessarily need to be me. You simply need to find someone with some experience that can provide a different perspective on your show.
I help podcasters refine their content and transform their information into engaging entertainment. I can help you as well.
Many podcasters let self-doubt derail their efforts. They feel like they are kids playing dress-up among other professional podcasters that have been doing it for years. Those podcasters haven’t learned how to properly structure a show, prepare the content or review the podcast. The impostor syndrome creeps in and they lose faith in their abilities.
It happened to me when I began in broadcasting 25 years ago. There were so many great broadcasters that came before me. Who was I to be on the radio? What did I know about broadcasting? Over two-and-a-half decades, I’ve learned the secrets of the great broadcasters to overcome that fear to create powerful relationships with my listeners.
I’ve helped many broadcaster and podcasters over the years. Many have reached the top of their game. My own personal radio show has been #1 over 80% of the time. I know what works, and it isn’t the big radio voice and cheesy lines you heard on the radio 20 years ago. This is a new era. It is a relationship era. It is time to use your podcast to create meaningful, powerful, profitable relationships with your listeners.
I can help you create those relationships using these five coaching areas. I can help you assess your current situation and see the big picture. Together, we will develop your goals and plan. You will be held accountable to your own agenda. You will have your own personal cheerleader. Finally, you will receive regular feedback to help you with improvement. Are you ready for a coach?
If you feel you could benefit from my help, e-mail me at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. We can collaborate on a plan to crate a powerful podcast.
How To Improve Your Podcast In 9 Steps – Episode 105
Sometimes you are just too close to the content to recognize the issues.
I was recently working with two coaching clients. They were both struggling with the introduction to their episodes. The opening of the shows didn’t feel powerful enough.
As we dug into the shows with each podcaster, we realized they were missing their “why”. The hosts were not giving their listeners compelling reasons to stick around.
We would never have realized the issue had we not performed the show review.
In sports, coaches and athletes watch game film. Corporations use the annual review. Scientists incorporate theory evaluation. In the world of podcasting and radio, we call it the aircheck show critique.
Review your work. It is the best way to improve your show. Listening to the podcast like a member of the audience will reveal things you don’t hear while you’re recording the show. Your review will expose areas that need attention and focus.
There are a few ways to critique your show. One way is to review the podcast yourself. The other is to have a coach review your podcast for you. Both can be very effective if used correctly.
An experienced coach can be very powerful for your show. An experienced coach has mentored many shows. That professional has been exposed to many elements that have effectively attracted and entertained an audience as well as those that haven’t. You will also received unbiased feedback from a coach, because they aren’t as personally close to the content as you may be.
This episode should not turn into one big advertisement for my coaching services. Just know that I am available if you would like someone with experience to review your show for you. If you would like details regarding my coaching services, visit www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. It is affordable and rewarding.
You can learn to review your show on your own. It takes time, but is possible. This episode is focused on helping you with the self-critique by providing some critical questions.
To effectively review and critique your show on your own, you must be brutally honest with yourself.
It is not easy to separate yourself from your podcast. Becoming an unbiased onlooker to something you’ve worked hard to create is tricky. You will often find yourself justifying things you do on your show because it is personal.
To effectively critique your show, you need to ask yourself if the audience truly understands and is entertained by the content. Then, you need to honestly answer the question and be willing to change if necessary. Force yourself to be honest about every piece of content.
Not everything works. There will be times you fail. That’s ok. That is how you learn.
In order to properly critique the show, you need to listen to it in real time like an average listener. A few days after you’ve recorded the show, when the excitement of the new show has dimmed, go back and listen to your podcast. Play it in real time while taking notes.
Waiting a few days will remove many of the justifications you would normally use to explain away things that need to be adjusted. The content won’t be so fresh to you. The excuses will fade. You will find it much easier to be unbiased.
Actually listening to the audio rather than just remembering it in your head will make your critique more authentic. You never remember a show exactly as it happened. By listening to the audio, you will hear the exact words you used. It will be much easier to honestly review what really happened.
Listening to your own voice won’t be easy at first. That is alright. Most people do not enjoy the sound of their own voice. That is natural. Listen anyway. You will get more comfortable with it the more you listen.
When you critique your own show, you need to know where to look for areas that will make a difference. If you understand what content will engage your audience, you will begin making strides to add more of that content. Determine the goal for the show. Know what content will make a connection with your audience. Then, create a plan to add more of that powerful content.
If you have not yet downloaded the Show Review Worksheet from PodcastTalentCoach.com, get it HERE. We walk through the nine questions on that worksheet in this episode.
Here are 9 questions you can ask as you critique your show.
1. Did you accomplish your goal for the show?
Every show should have a goal. You should have an idea of what you hope to accomplish before you even open the mic. Be specific.
What do you hope to make your make your audience feel? Is there something they should better understand? Are you incorporating a call-to-action?
Write down your goal before the show begins. A written goal makes the show critique easier and more effective when you return to the show for the critique. As you review the show, find the areas that did and did not help you accomplish your goal.
2. What did you like about the show?
What parts of the show really jumped out at you as you were reviewing your podcast? Jot those parts down on a sheet of paper. If you can find ways to recreate similar experiences, you will be well on your way to creating a podcast that is consistently entertaining.
3. What was memorable about the show?
Your listener needs to remember your podcast, so they can return and listen again. That is the way to build a following. If each show has a few more listeners than the previous episode, you eventually build a solid audience.
It really doesn’t matter how many people listen today. What builds a strong podcast is the number of listeners that come back the next time, and the next time, and the time after that. You build your audience slowly with more listeners this week than you had last week.
Get your listener to remember to return. Most people will remember one or two things about any particular show. Find the big parts of your podcast episode that are memorable.
4. How did you make the audience care about your topic?
Nobody wants to watch our home movies unless they are in them. People will only care about your topic if affects them. How does your topic relate to your audience?
The best way to make people care is to first care about them. Show your audience that you have their best interest at heart. They will come back again and again. Start in the world of your listener.
If you truly want to engage your listener, put her in your story. This doesn’t mean create a fictitious part of your story where she becomes a fake character. Include details that are so vivid that your listener feels like she is right there in the moment.
Stir the passion within your listener with great emotion. You create strong engagement with emotion. Find the parts of your show where you made a connection and made your audience care.
5. Where did you surprise your audience?
You will delight your audience when you surprise them. When the show is predictable, your audience will get bored. Find ways to make them say “oh wow”.
This doesn’t mean your show shouldn’t be consistent. You can use benchmarks and bits that regularly appear on every show. You should simply find ways to keep them fresh with unique content.
Great comedians delight their audience, because the punchlines of their jokes aren’t expected. The material takes turns you don’t see coming. Great movies do the same thing with their plots. That is what makes movies and comedians entertaining.
Find the great surprises in your podcast. Make your audience say, “Oh, wow”. Add that same movie experience to your podcast more often.
6. What did you reveal about yourself?
When you tell stories during your podcast, you reveal things about yourself. Self-revelation is the beginning of great friendships. Friends will support you every chance they can.
People like to do business with people they like. Find those little nuggets that reveal wonderful details about you. That content will make you more approachable and human to your audience.
7. Where were the powerful words?
Storytelling is an important step to revealing details about yourself. Vivid details are a vital part of great stories. Your listener will enjoy your podcast stories more when you include very vivid details.
The more vivid the details, the more your listener will enjoy the story. Make your audience see the story in their mind. Draw the mental picture for them. Details help your listener experience the story rather than just hearing it.
Details are powerful words. Find those words in your podcast. Learn to recognize them. Then, add powerful words more often.
8. What could have been better?
There are always parts of your show that could be better. You need to find those parts. Become aware of your weaknesses. That will be the only way to improve.
Your shortcomings could be the introduction of the show. It might be the way you transition from one topic to another. You may find yourself using jargon and cliches most people do not use in natural conversation. Find the areas of your podcast that do not fully support the goal for the show. Those are typically the areas that need work.
9. What is your plan to make the next show better?
To improve, you need to develop a plan. Discovering the areas that need adjustment is only half the battle. You then need to figure out how to improve those areas. Put it in a plan.
The improvement plan is where a coach can be incredibly effective. A good coach has worked with successful shows. They know what works and what doesn’t when trying to attract and engage an audience. A solid coach can review your show and provide you an unbiased opinion. Sometimes that tough love is just the prescription necessary to break through to true improvement.
It is possible to critique and improve your podcast yourself. You should learn from others who have done it successfully. You will also need the ability to be extremely honest with yourself.
If you have studied successful shows to the point where you can consistently recognize quality content, you may be able to effectively critique your show. Give it a shot. Remember, you can find my free series of Podcast Talent Coach Worksheets to help you at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.
How To Define Your Avatar Or Target Listener – Episode 102
As we develop our business around our podcast, we strive to build trust. In order to build trust, we must develop relationships with our listeners. Friendships are created when you truly know everything about a person. This is the reason it is crucial that you define your single target listener.
Many podcasters refer to their target listener as their avatar. This person is the single individual around which you create all of your content.
To develop your business, you need to define your niche. Your focus on your niche helps grow your community. The ideal customers within that niche gives the focus the power.
TRUST
We have heard it said many times before. People do business with those they know, like and trust. This trust is what our friendship with our ideal listener is developing.
To build trust with our podcast, we need to have a conversation with one person. In order to do that, we need to define that ideal listener. Our target listener.
I have created a Listener Development Worksheet. This template will walk you through the development of your target listener step-by-step.
Use this worksheet to create your ideal listener. The more you know about your listener, the better you will be able to communicate. Keep this person in mind while recording each show.
YOUR AVATAR
In this episode, we walk through the worksheet. By the end of the show, you should have your ideal listener well defined along with a visual image in your mind.
A few characteristics of your ideal listener we will define today include age, gender, income, interests and fears. These are only a few of the 17 characteristics we will examine.
Be sure you have downloaded the worksheet. It will be a tremendous help with this episode.
Your ideal listener will evolve over time. The more you learn about your target listener, the more you will fine tune your definition.
RESEARCH
You can learn more about your audience by using a survey like Survey Monkey. Be careful that you ask questions that your audience will be comfortable answering. Specific income might be too personal. A range might be better.
Let me know how it turns out. I would love to help you any way I can.
This week, I would like to share with you the two steps to take in order to create powerful interviews.
Over the 25 years I have been on the radio and coaching radio talent, I have had the opportunity to interview many, many people. More importantly, I have had the chance to discuss the art of interviewing with celebrities, managers, coaches, consultants, radio talent and many others in the industry.
Time and time again, I hear the same thing. There are two elements that create successful interviews. Now, you can use these two steps to create great interviews on your podcast.
Don’t Ask That Question
If you have a decent guest on your podcast, they have probably been interviewed many, many times about the same subject. Popular guests often get bored with the same questions being posed to them over and over again. To make your interview truly engaging for all involved, find unique ways to ask questions that serve the guest as well as the listener.
Often, you will hear a host ask their guest stale, typical questions. You know the questions. “So, how did you come up with the name of your latest project?” You may hear them ask, “What have you been up to lately?” Guests truly dread these questions. They serve no real purpose, yet everyone asks them.
I have had musicians confide in me off the air how much they hate doing radio interviews, because they are all the same. When I once asked a question taken from the band’s website, my guest said, “Oh, I see you’ve read my bio.” He called me out right there on the air. Most hosts take the easy way out and just skim the bio or news release and take their questions straight from there.
Using typical methods lead to stale questions. “When does your album come out?” “Where did you get the name for the band?” “How did you guys meet?” Pop group Ben Folds Five began making up answers for the question “Where did you get the name for the band?”. In fact, they almost had a different answer every time the question was asked. They had to make the interview interesting for themselves.
Every guest is looking to benefit in some way from the interview. Usually, they have come on a show to promote their latest book or new product. You can help them do that without asking painful questions.
Let’s say you are interviewing a musician who has a new album coming out on July 1st. You ask, “When does the new album come out?” Your guest will instantly think, “Didn’t this guy do any homework before he set up this interview?” Your guest will also be saying in his head, “Oh, not this line of questioning again.”
Instead, make your questions interesting. Ask, “When you album comes out on July 1st, what will you be doing to celebrate?” You could also ask, “The album is released on July 1st. Who have you slipped some advanced copies to?” How about asking, “When the album hits stores on July 1st, where will you go buy your first copy?” Believe me, every artist buys a copy of their first album in the store. They just want to see it on the shelf.
By asking creative questions, you’ve helped the guest promote their goods without sounding stale. You have also avoided the mistake of stealing their answer. Be unique.
Country artist Little Big Town was recently a guest on my show. By reading information about the band on the internet, I knew all four members have kids. I also knew all of the kids travel with them when they tour. I could have asked, “What are the names of your kids.” How about, “Is it fun traveling with the kids?” I’m sure they get asked all of the time.
By getting a little creative, I asked the members of Little Big Town, “When the kids travel with you guys, what is the craziest kid thing you have on the bus?” They had just purchased a new kiddie pool for the summer that would fit on top of their gear. They also have a pink pottie for toilet training. It gave them a great opportunity to talk about their kids without asking the same, lame questions.
Keep your interview engaging. Be creative. Find unique ways to ask questions that serve the guest as well as the listener. By all means, don’t ask that question.
Did You Really Hear That?
When you are conducting an interviewing on your podcast, really listen to the answers your guest is giving. Don’t be in such a hurry to move on to the next question. Engage with your guests in order to make your show engaging for your listener.
I’m sure you probably think you are listening. In reality, you are probably thinking about the next great question you can ask. Even if you aren’t asking it, you are preparing the question in your head.
Stop. Be in the moment. Really listen to the answer of your guest. Let the answer spark your next question. If you truly listen to the answer, you will then ask the next logical question your listener is asking in their head.
When you are more concerned about the next question rather than the answer coming your way, you will miss the magic. Your guest could be giving you great question leads that you won’t find in their bio, on their website or in their news release.
If you don’t make it through your entire list of questions, nobody will know but you. The goal of the interview is to engage your audience. It doesn’t matter if that takes three questions or twelve from your list.
In every interview, intently listen to the answers. Did you really hear that?
To create powerful interviews, ask unique questions and then actually listen to the answers. Your podcast interviews will improve and be better than most other interviewers in your niche. Using these two steps will help you create engaging content and a respected podcast.
I would love to help you with your podcast. E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.
I recently received an e-mail from Bill Frank. He discovered me at NMX2015.
Bill was wondering how my coaching may help him with his interview show. I thought you may be having the same question.
This week, with the hope of helping you improve your interviews, I would like to begin sharing some of what I have learned while interviewing guests on the radio for 25 years.
When you have a guest on your podcast, it is your job as the interviewer to make the interviewee look good. You are the professional. You know everything there is to know about your podcast. Your guest is new to your show. They may even be new to interviewing. Help them.
When you help your guest get comfortable and look good, you help them successfully promote whatever it is they came on your show to promote. They will be grateful for that. Your guest will see the benefit of being a guest on your show. You will develop a reputation. That success will help you book even better guests in the future. Word will spread.
There are a three steps you can take to help your guest look good.
No Yes/No
First, ask open-ended questions. This will allow your guest to convey the information they have come to share. If you ask yes/no questions, your guest will be stuck trying to figure out how to get his point across. It will also be easy for him to simply say “yes” and leave it at that. You will then be the one trying to find the next point to make. Open-ended questions allow your guest to elaborate on their subject.
What’s In It For Me?
Second, know why your guest is on your show and help them make their point. Do a short pre-interview before you start the show. Ask them about the important points they would like to hit. Then during the show, ask them questions that help them make those points. If your guest tells you their spouse really had a huge impact on their success, ask them about their biggest influences in their success. Make it easy for them.
Set Them Up
Lastly, get out of the way. You don’t need to show your guest or your audience how much you know about their topic. It is their topic. So many hosts ask long, elaborate questions proving just how smart they are and how much they know about the subject. If the host knows it all, there is really no reason to have a guest. (see “One Of You Isn’t Necessary“.) Ask great questions because you know so much. That ability will make you look much better than actually knowing.
Using our previous example of spousal influence, you do not want to say, “Your wife played a huge role in your success with her support. That must have been a real help to you.” You just stole his thunder. You’ve only left him the option to say, “Yes” and make some menial points.
Instead ask, “Who was the one person other than yourself most responsible for your success?” You’ve created some anticipation for your audience. You’ve also just thrown him a softball that he can knock out of the park with a fantastic answer about his wife. He looks great for having such a stellar answer. You also look great for asking such a brilliant question. Everybody wins.
Help your guest succeed. Allow them to answer great questions. Most of all, make ’em look good.
If you have never subscribed to the Podcast Talent Coach podcast, please spend two minutes to do so. I would truly appreciate your generosity.
Do you need help with your podcast? E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let’s see what we can do.
At New Media Expo 2015, I met many podcasters that were weeks and months away from launching.
“I’m 30 days away from launching.”
“I’m about 90 days from going live with my podcast.”
“I’m still conducting interviews preparing for my launch this summer.”
What is holding you back?
I know what you feel. I was in your shoes when launching my podcast. Planning. Learning. Researching. Trying to get it just right.
Don’t let perfection keep you from launching.
We often let procrastination creep into our lives disguised as “planning” and “researching”. We tell ourselves we will launch right after we complete a few more steps on our “to do” list.
Here is the problem: The “to do” list keeps growing preventing us from launching.
When I was launching, I started with a blog. The blog grew slowly. I finally came to the realization that podcasters would rather listen to podcasts than read.
My podcast planning began.
I started watching videos on podcasting. Podcasts about podcasting filled my iPhone. Newsletter subscriptions hit my e-mail inbox. The NMX virtual ticket was my next purchase. I even bought books about podcasting. I consumed everything I could find.
I kept telling myself I was preparing. Truth is, I was just procrastinating.
Months into my learning and planning stage, Dave Jackson from School of Podcasting reached out. Dave found my blog and wondered why I didn’t have a podcast.
Dave, don’t you understand? I’m planning. I’m researching. I’m learning. Look at all the work I’m doing.
Dave wasn’t buying it. He had seen this movie before and knew how it ended.
During that 90 minute phone call, Dave pushed me. He challenged me. Dave had confidence that I could launch in a week or two. I simply needed to move.
That was the trick.
Start with the first step.
You’ve heard it before. Every journey begins with the first step.
Your first step may not be in the right direction. However, you make corrections as you go. Eventually, you reach your destination.
People often ask me how I can stand and speak in front of 15,000 people. I started with the first step.
Speaking in front of 20 people in speech class was tough enough.
To earn extra money in college, I began working as a wedding DJ. That job forced me to make announcements to groups of people every weekend.
One weekend it hit me.
People simply are not as interested in my speaking success and failure as I am.
If I mess us while speaking, there is a good chance I will be the only one to remember. People don’t care that much.
The same is true with your podcast. If you mess it up, few will notice let alone care.
Dave Jackson always uses a quote from Ryan Parker from FoodCraftsmen.com. “Nobody will punch you in the face.”
Are you letting self doubt keep you from launching? Is the Impostor Syndrome holding you back?
“Why would anyone care what I have to say?”
“What if I fail?”
“What if I make a fool of myself?”
All of the self doubt is natural.
We tend to make more of our mistakes than anyone else.
Don’t let the fears hold you back. Find someone to push you and hold you accountable.
We could surely work together where I can help that happen. You could also just find a friend that will push you to launch. Either way, push yourself to make it happen.
Now is the time to launch. Not 90 days from now. Not 30 days from now. Not after you have 8 episodes in the can.
Launch now.
Record an episode and get it out. Set some deadlines and take some baby steps.
Let’s make it happen. Pick a date and launch.
I would love to help you with your podcast. E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.
The purpose of a show clock is to provide a consistent framework for your content. By using a framework, you do not need to reinvent the wheel for every show. You simply plug in your great content into the clock.
Using a clock and being prepared does not mean you need to be less creative. In fact, it allows you to focus on creativity rather than the length of your episode. You get to design within the framework.
You can see examples of a show clock by watching the evening news. A typical newscast may follow of framework of top story, weather headline, general news, full weather, sports, and a kicker story.
Late night shows will use something like a monologue, funny skit, benchmark (like letter bag), big guest, second guest, and musical guest.
QUESTIONS TO START
As you begin to develop your show clock, there are a few questions you need to determine for the layout of the show.
What is it that you want to include in each episode of your show?
What is the goal of your podcast?
Once you are ready to add the content for this particular episode, you will need to answer two more questions.
What will the call-to-action be at the end of the show?
What is the main idea your listener will take away and remember?
Let’s look at an example of a show clock. For this example, we will use a 60-minute show.
For our sample show, we want to include a show open, intro/tease, latest update on our business happenings, an interview, tip of the week, call-to-action and the show close. 7 items total.
The content will not be the same every week. However, the structure will remain constant. The episodes will include different interviews, different news, and different tips. However, our listener will know what to expect from each episode.
Now that we have the elements, how do we lay these items into a structure for our show?
First, we determine the length of each to fit our hour. Length of each bit should also be consistent.
Open – 1 minute
Intro/tease – 5 minutes
Latest update on our business happenings – 15 minutes
An interview – 25 minutes with intro and thank you
Tip of the week – 10 minutes
Call-to-action – 3 minutes
Show close – 1 minute
Next, we turn the elements into running time to keep us on track.
:00-:01 – Open
:01-:06 – Intro/tease
:06-:21 – Latest update on our business happenings
:21-:46 – An interview
:46-:56 – Tip of the week
:56-:59 – Call-to-action
:59-:60 – Show close
When you are recording your show, you can use this layout to keep you on time.
CLOCK PITFALLS & EXCEPTIONS
You also need to keep an eye on edits and timing. Edits will lengthen the recording that will become shorter once you edit the episode. Therefore, record more than you need. You can always remove audio. Finding additional audio to add to extent your episode to 60 minutes is difficult.
If you hope to include a 20-minute interview in the episode, you should record a 30-minute interview. You can then edit it down to the best content for a solid 20-minute piece in the show.
There are always exceptions to the rule. You do not need to be exact with times. This show clock is to keep you on track. If your 5 minute segment turns into 7, you will still be ok. You will simply need to shorter your 20 minute bit to 18. It will ebb and flow.
Be consistent. If your listener expects a 60 minute show, they will accept 55 minutes. However, 45 will feel short. 1:15 will feel like you are overstaying your welcome. Use the clock to get close.
You can also have the occasional special show that breaks format. Just ensure the show is special. If you are going to break your brand promise, you better make sure it is worth it.
You can get sample clocks and blank clocks on the Worksheet Page online at PodcastTalentCoach.com. Find them HERE.
I’d love to help you with your podcast. Post any questions or comments you might have, or e-mail me at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.
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.
Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.
Create Results Without A Big Mailing List – Episode 081
This week I am at the Country Radio Seminar in Nashville, Tennessee. It has been an amazing week so far. I am learning so much about audience engagement and am looking forward to sharing it with you in the coming weeks. That photo is me with the amazing Tim McGraw.
A few years ago, I saw an amazing presentation that debunked the 80/20 principle.
The 80/20 principle proposes that 80% of your results is created by 20% of your efforts. This could be 80% of sales from 20% of customers. It could also be 80% of success attributed to 20% of efforts.
This particular session focused on a study done in 2008 by Catalina Marketing that found that 80% of your results are driven by 2.5% of your efforts. Specifically, it found that 80% of sales at large companies like Coca Cola are driven by 2.5% of their customers. You can find the entire study here.
The study really proved that consumers no longer strive to be part of the crowd, but rather seek products that reflect their personal preferences, needs and lifestyle choices. Examples of companies that have built successful business models that appeal to the “me” consumer include Starbucks®, Apple®, Facebook® and Dell™.
This theory is perfect for podcasting. We can truly niche down and focus on the 2.5%. We can move the needle with a group of super fans much smaller than we once thought.
What are you doing to reach the 2.5%? How can you create results without that big mailing list?
Your podcast is a great vehicle to do just that. Let’s find the content to move your 2.5%.
EMOTIONAL CONNECTION
Develop your brand by developing an emotional connection. Stories will help you create that connection by revealing things about yourself. Hype will not sustain a brand. You need to be true to who you are.
A brand is a promise. You must deliver on that promise every time.
A brand is a collection of perceptions. You must deliver those perceptions consistently.
Speak the language of your audience when you deliver on your promise and your perceptions.
USE YOUR ASSETS
Use your podcast and other digital assets to drive your 2.5% to your website with a powerful call to action. Make sure you convert the visits with a very specific call to action every time.
In order to create a powerful call to action, create your plan. What is the goal of your show? Use your goal to create content that helps your audience. Create fans with your great content. Then, move them with your call to action.
You do not need a huge audience or a big mailing list. You only need a very passionate few percent. What are you doing to motivate your 2.5%?
The Country Radio Seminar is teaching me so much. It is also an amazing way to meet new people. You can do the same. Join me at New Media Expo April 13-16 in Las Vegas. I would love to see you when I present my session on powerful storytelling.
Learn how to use stories to create that engagement and powerful call to action. Meet a ton of new people to help you move your business forward. Use my affiliate link and promo code to save $100 on your registration here.
I’d love to help you with your podcast. Post any questions or comments you might have, or e-mail me at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.
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.
Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.
How To Turn Overwhelm Into Focused Power – Episode 079
(photo by Albo)
This week, I received an e-mail from Cynthia Davis from CynthiaDavis.net and her podcast “Home Front”. She is finding herself overwhelmed by everything she hopes to accomplish with her podcast. In this episode, I offer a few suggestions to defeat that overwhelming feeling and find focus in her work.
Here is the e-mail …
I am still struggling on the bottom rung of the ladder and have no idea how to implement everything you suggest without having staff to help with this effort.
It’s my own fault because I could spend more time on this than I do, but I am at my maximum capacity with all the other responsibilities I have to juggle.
I have been doing the podcast for over two years, but it’s not growing. In fact, the e-mail list I have used to make people aware of a new podcast coming out has been shrinking. I wish my show would grow organically and that my super-fans would promote it, but that’s simply not happening.
The only conclusion I can come to is that the world doesn’t like my message. I am overwhelmed. I am about to record my 100th episode and I believe the content is as good as I can make it, but if no one wants our message, what can we do?
-Cynthia
Overwhelm is natural. I think we all face it at some point in time. We all want to accomplish so much, yet we have limited time in the week. Let’s find those tasks that will really move the needle and make a difference for us.
Here are Cynthia’s primary questions with six steps to turn the overwhelm into focused power.
SO MUCH TO DO
“no idea how to implement everything you suggest”
-Don’t feel like you need to do it all. Focus on one or two things that will move the needle.
FINDING TIME
“I could spend more time on this than I do”
-Spend your time wisely. Instead of two hours on one day, make it 30 minutes each night before you go to bed.
NOT GROWING
“I have been doing the podcast for over two years, but it’s not growing”
-Find two or three ways to grow your podcast that utilize tasks you already do or enjoy. If you’re on social media, make that part of your growth plan.
SHRINKING LIST
“the e-mail list I have used to make people aware of a new podcast coming out has been shrinking”
-Be consistent in your e-mail. Send it on a regular basis. Make content that is anticipated. Add content that helps people solve their problems. Be giving.
NO ORGANIC GROWTH
“I wish my show would grow organically and that my super-fans would promote it”
-Give fans a reason to share it. Make your content sharable. Lists, tips, recipes, photos, jokes, and recommendations are all sharable.
NOBODY LIKES ME
“The only conclusion I can come to is that the world doesn’t like my message”
-Find the people that want your message. Do outreach. Find the communities where your kin congregate. Get involved.
Follow these six steps and you are sure to find more focus in your work. These tips will help you decrease the overwhelming feeling in your life. You can find the area that move the needle and truly work smarter rather than harder.
I’m speaking at New Media Expo 2015 in Las Vegas. You can save $100 on your registration. Use the coupon code Ejohnson20. Find all of the details by clicking HERE.
I’d love to help you with your podcast. Post any questions or comments you might have, or e-mail me at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.
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.
Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.
Seven Things Your Guest Won’t Tell You (And How It Can Save Your Interview) – Episode 075
Posing with Lady Gaga after our interview
If you conduct interviews on your podcast, a solid reputation as an interviewer is critical to the health of your show. Your guests will share information about you and your show. Today, I would like to share with you seven things your guest will not tell you. In the long run, these tips could save your interview and podcast.
Our world of Podcasting is not that big. There is a good chance the big players in your niche know each other. Your reputation will typically precede your interview request. Work to make it great.
As podcasting continues to grow, booking services will become more and more prominent. These are people that work as the liaison between podcasts and guests. Agents like this are wide spread in radio. They are just beginning to get used in podcasting.
Your reputation to these individuals will be critical if you hope to continue to attract great guests.
When you send a request for an interview dropping some names of past guests, your prospect will do a little research to see if your request is worth their time. Your past actions will speak louder than your words.
Over 25 years in radio, I have had the pleasure of interviewing Mariah Carey, Jason Aldean, Sarah McLachlan, Big & Rich, Lady Gaga, Carrie Underwood, and so many others. With each interview, I have learned something new. I get a little better each time.
A few interviewing lessons have been learned the hard way. There have been times I have made a fool of myself. I am hoping I can save you the trouble.
Here are seven things your guests won’t tell you.
Introduce Me Like You Know Me
When you bring your guest on your show, your introduction sets up the entire interview. Your knowledge of your guest gives your guest credibility and tells your listener why they should care.
By opening the interview with “tell our listeners about yourself”, you are basically saying, “I did not care enough to learn a lot about you, so why don’t you handle this part.”
Open the interview with a quick elevator speech that tells your listener why they should care about this particular guest.
A Quick introduction does three things. First, it tells your guest that you care about them. Next, it doesn’t waste the time of your audience or guest. Finally, it sets the tone and direction of the interview. Hit the primary points you want to discuss in the interview to guide the interview.
Don’t Simply Refer To My Bio
Make your guest feel special. Do more research than their About page on their website.
Your listeners can read the website of your guest. Take time to go deeper and find other great information about this person that has taken time to appear on your show. Create unique questions.
This will keep your audience and guest engaged in the interview. It also shows you are truly interested in your guest, what they have done and what they have to say.
Benefit Me As Much As I Benefit You
Your guest has come on your show, because there is something in it for them. They could be pushing a new product or book. Maybe they are feel they can gain new audience.
The interview does not need to be one big commercial for your guest. However, it should benefit your guest in some way. If your guest gets great value from appearing on your show, word will get around.
The benefit you deliver doesn’t need to end with the interview. Benefits could include your newsletter, your website, social media and many other possibilities.
Don’t Ask The Same Questions
If you are asking the same questions your guest has answered on every other interview, your interview will most likely be less than engaging. Uninspired questions receive uninspired answered. Build the reputation of asking unique questions that excite both your guest and audience.
Actually Listen To My Answers
Listening is an art. By listening to your guest’s answers, you can ask fantastic follow-up questions. It becomes an engaging conversation for your guest.
When you simply ask the list of questions you have written down, your guest doesn’t feel valued. You are not listening to anything they say. This would be similar to asking someone a question and then going in the other room while they answer, only to return to ask another question. Incredibly frustrating.
Your list of questions is only a tool to guide the interview when necessary. Let the conversation ebb and flow. Find great nuggets in the answers of your guest.
Value your guest by intently listening to their answers. You can always edit.
If you Say 30 Minutes, Stick To 30 Minutes
Keep your promises. Nothing is more frustrating than overstaying your welcome.
Your guest is busy. They have planned out their day. When you delay them and negatively affect their schedule, your reputation will suffer.
If you need a 30-minute interview, as for 45 minutes to conduct the interview. Leave yourself a little time for small talk at the beginning and a wrap up at the end. If you can end your 45-minute block in 40 minutes, you will get the reputation of being respectful and courteous.
Don’t Make Me Jump Through Hoops
Your guest is doing you a favor by appearing on your show. When you demonstrate the benefits they will receive, the playing field becomes level. This is the ideal situation.
If you make your guest do a ton of work before they can be on your show, you are using up any goodwill your benefits may have created.
Things that make it difficult for your guest to be on your show are inflexible scheduling, lots of questionnaire paperwork to complete before the show, difficult technology necessary to conduct the interview, the need to provide a lot of background information before the show, and requiring your guest to visit a website to complete forms, upload data or do anything else that takes up their time.
The more you conduct interviews, the more your reputation will spread. Become known as the interviewer that is respectful, engaging and caring. When you ensure you have avoided these seven pitfalls, you will on solid footing to attract better guests in the future.
I’d love to help you with your podcast. Post any questions or comments you might have, or e-mail me at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.
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.
Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.
How To Take The Headache Out Of Show Planning – Episode 073
Where is your podcast going in 2015?
If you don’t know where you are going, how will you know if you get there.
So many shows discuss goals around this time of year. It is only natural with a new year comes reflection. This is a perfect time to assess your previous year and decide what you want the next twelve months to look like.
A goal is a simply a dream with a deadline. What are you dreams for the next year? If you don’t have a map & destination, you’ll only wander. You’ll never get anywhere. Let’s be specific and set some deadlines.
You and I discuss goals quite often. We talk about having an objective for each episode. What is it that you want your listener to take away from each episode. Once you answer that questions, you will know where to take your content in that episode.
We also need to answer that question on a larger scale. What is the purpose of your show? How are you helping people? How do you serve your listeners?
Once you create the mission for your show, you will have a filter for all of your content. When it comes time to plan an episode, you can ask yourself, “How will I serve my listener this week?”
My show is designed to give you more confidence in your content. I want to help you defeat that little voice in your head that is saying, “I hope I don’t make a fool of myself this week.”
Each week when I sit down to create my show notes, I ask myself how I might share with you a bit that I have learned over the past 25 years in radio that will give you confidence in your content and be more engaging with your listener.
MISSION
Let’s start with the mission of your show. Write down the sole focus of your show. How do you help people?
2015 GOAL
What is the one big thing you want to accomplish over the next year? We want to develop little steps to get there. Let’s break the big goal into bite-sized pieces.
If you create a weekly show, you only have 52 shows over the next 12 months. It may sound like a lot. However, you need to be intentional to reach your goals.
Break your goal into milestones. Keep in mind that your progress might not be a straight line. It may ramp up like a curve. Write down those milestones.
EPISODE GOAL
As we develop each episode, what do we hope to accomplish in each show that will help us move toward our 2015 goal? More importantly, how will that episode goal help us get closer to our milestone on the way to the yearly goal?
Each episode should have a strong call-to-action that helps us get closer to our milestone. What is your call-to-action within your podcast? How can we make that call-to-action more effective? Where are you sending your listener each episode to get more info? Be specific and write it down.
Are you effectively planning each show before you begin? Sometimes it is difficult to get motivated to record your show on a regular basis. Plan ahead. Download the planning worksheet at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. When you lack motivation, revert to the plan you’ve already created.
Do you interview guests on your show? Create a list of guests you’d like to get on the show. Be brave and reach out to those people. Let’s get them on the show. Give yourself a goal with a deadline. Let one guest lead to another. Always ask for leads.
GET BETTER
To improve, you need to review the game tape. Are you reviewing your show on a regular basis?
All great sports teams review tape of previous games. You should do the same. Again, get the worksheet at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. Finding someone that can help you honestly review your show will help as well.
BUSINESS
You should step back from your podcast to look at your overall business. If you are monetizing your podcast, we need to schedule time to help reach that goal as well. Baby steps and milestones.
There are many business possibilities stemming from your podcast. These could include books, speaking engagements, seminars, affiliates, products and more. If you have yet to monetize your podcast, schedule your time to create something powerful. Be sure to include deadlines.
The next year can be huge for you if you plan. Set deadlines to turn your dreams into goals. Be sure to find balance in all areas of your life.
Take some chances. Go for the big interview or launch a product. Dream big. You might just reach your dreams.
I want to thank you for a fantastic 2014. It has been quite a success for me.
I have met many amazing podcasters. You have given me your time each week as we grow together. I can’t thank you enough for that.
Podcast Movement invited me to share my knowledge at their event in Dallas. This coming year, I will present at New Media Expo as well.
Many have downloaded my worksheets and purchased the Podcast Talent Coach workbook. It has been a blast. I couldn’t do it without you. Thank you for being part of this journey.
Have an amazing 2015.
What would you like me to cover in the upcoming year? How can I better help you? E-mail me at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.
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.
Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.
Do you have a podcast that involves multiple people? This week, I’ll answer two listener questions to help with podcasts that involve interviews or co-hosts. You can always e-mail your questions to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.
We discussed interviews a bit in Episode 059 – Solution to Boring Guests. I offered ideas to salvage an interview that lacks any entertaining value. That content was focused on the guest. Our questions this week focus on you the interviewer. We will discuss podcast interview and co-host tips.
Interview Nerves
I would love to know if you have any tips on how to curb anxiety when you’re getting ready to interview a big personality. While my big personalities can’t touch yours, I’ve noticed that it takes me a while to loosen up and relax sometimes. Sometimes if I chat with them a little before the interview starts, that helps. But I never want to waste their time, and sometimes you just get the feeling they want to get to it so that they can go about their day. Am I still talking? Thanks, Erik! -Patrick Keller – BigSeance.com
This is a great question from Patrick. In fact, it is one question I get quite often.
First, understand that interview butterflies are natural. Find some comfort in knowing that most every interviewer feels some nervousness the minutes before the talk begins. It is very similar to public speakers.
You’re not the only one.
There are four things you can do to get over the jitters. These should help you a bit to calm the nerves before the interview.
Prepare
Make sure you have your interview plan ready. Be knowledgable about your guest. Have at your fingertips any details that you will need. Create a map and know where you are going. Ensure you know what you hope to achieve with this particular interview.
Preinterview – Explain the process
Before the interview, have a quick chat with your guest. Let them know exactly how the interview will run and what they can expect. This will not only put you at ease, it will make your guest more comfortable and open.
Understand you are helping them
Your guest is on your show, because there is some value to them. Guests typically do not appear on podcasts out of the goodness of their heart. They are interested in expanding their brand by being on your show.
You have something to offer your guest.
Podcast guests are marketing their goods or services to your audience. You are putting them in front of a group of people that can expand their reach. This is a huge opportunity and benefit to them. You aren’t simply taking from them. Find comfort in knowing that you are helping each other.
Really listen and be involved in a conversation
Many podcasters get wrapped up in thinking of the next question and fail to listen to the current answer. Have a dialog instead of a lecture. Truly listen to the answers your guest is offering. Those answers tend to lead to amazing follow-up questions.
By getting heavily involved in the conversation, you will take your mind off of your nervous butterflies.
Bumping Co-Hosts
Our next questions involves co-hosts.
Hi. On any of your podcasts do you have guidelines on how to stop hosts talking over each other? Cheers – Brian
This is another question I hear often. It takes a lot of practice to avoid stepping on your guest or co-host. I have five tips to help you clean up the discussion.
Develop hand cues
When one host wraps up their thought and is ready for the other to jump in, a simple hand cue can help make a smooth transition.
Be aware of each other
If you are truly listening to your co-host speak, you will be less concerned with jumping in to offer your point of view. Allow your co-host enjoy the limelight until they are ready for you to speak up.
Know who will serve as the director
On a podcast with multiple hosts, it is critical that one host drives the bus. With a director, all members of the show know who will call the shots to keep the show moving in the right direction.
The Sci-Fi Movie Podcast is a great example of this. Even though all three co-hosts have equal roles on the show, it is obvious that Rem is directing the show. Give it a listen. You can see how smooth their podcast typically runs.
Know who is leading
If you use a intriguing introduction as I describe and teach with my storytelling worksheet (available at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com), your co-host will know exactly where the story is headed. This leads to fewer interruptions by co-hosts. Respect the story.
Respect the mic time of each other
Everyone will receive their fare share of mic time. Try to be less concerned with offering your viewpoint and allow your co-host to enjoy the spotlight. Your time will come. If your co-host is on a roll, let them roll. When the podcast is entertaining, you both win. It doesn’t matter which host offers the punchline.
I hope those tips help clean up the flow of the show. There are many other ways to calm your nerves. When it comes to talking over each other, it comes down to finding a process comfortable for you and your partner.
I’d love to help you with your podcast. Post any questions or comments you might have, or e-mail me at Erik@PodcastTalentCoach.com.
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.
Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.
Let’s help you determine where to begin podcasting.
I recently had lunch with the guys from the “200churches” podcast. Jeff Keady and Jonny Craig are pastors at a 200church in Northwest, Iowa. They want to encourage and support other pastors of “smaller” churches.
As we were having lunch, Jeff was telling me about their start in podcasting. They had all of the equipment and were ready to roll. As they were about to record their very first episode, Jeff said he didn’t know where to start. What was the first thing he was supposed to say? How do you figure out where to begin podcasting?
Where to begin is a natural problem. You know what you want to say. You simply don’t know where to start it all. How far back to the beginning of your message should you go?
You have all the equipment. You have set up the technical details of the podcast. How does the show content begin?
Whether you are a brand new podcaster, or someone with hundreds of episodes under your belt, this episode will help you with your content. If you are just beginning, this will help you create your framework. We will walk through content preparation as you lay out the show.
If you are an “old pro”, this content will be a great refresher to help you step back and evaluate your progress. When we have done something for a long time, assumptions begin to creep into the content. We sometimes take small details for granted as if our listener has been with the show from the beginning.
There are six steps to defining your content and preparing your podcast. These six steps will help you determine where to begin podcasting.
1. What do you hope to accomplish?
This includes both the topic and the show overall. Set a goal for each topic, the episode and your podcast in general.
2. What are the interesting topics you hope to address on this particular episode?
As you determine your topics, look for a theme to develop.
3. How will you treat each specific topic you hope to address?
What will you do with the content? You could answer the question, demonstrate the answer, play some audio, show charts to support your answer, or use some other treatment. Find a way to make it your own. Your approach should be unique to you.
4. Create an outline for the flow of the show topics.
This is important for the show introduction. Bullet points should suffice. Do not script your content.
5. What supporting information will you need for the show?
Organize and highlight for easy access during the show. This will help you sound prepared as you begin to build credibility with your audience.
6. Write your introduction. Write your conclusion. Include your call to action.
If you would like a worksheet to walk you through this process and others, visit the worksheet section at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. These worksheets will further help you determine where to begin podcasting.
I’d love to help you with your podcast. E-mail any questions or comments you might have to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.
If you listen to online business podcasts, you’ve surely heard the business funnel discussed. Online marketers move a large group of people into the big end of the funnel. As the price increases, the funnel gets smaller indicating fewer people buying.
Similar to the business funnel, we want to move our listeners through a show funnel. We want to engage our listeners, hook them by piquing their interest, and finally moving them through our content.
The size of the listener pool gets smaller as the group moves through the funnel. Many people will see our headline. A portion of those people will move further to read the description. An even smaller group will continue to move through the funnel by beginning to listen to the show. A subset of that group will actually get to the end of the episode.
How can we move our listeners through the episode more efficiently? How can we get more of our listeners to reach the end of the episode?
In this episode, we discuss five tips to help you with your engaging content and the listener progression through your funnel.
1. Develop A Goal For Your Show
As you develop your podcast, you need to determine what you hope to accomplish with the show. What will the show be about? What do you hope to make your audience feel? Is there some call to action you wish to make your listener take?
After you have developed the goal for your show, stick to it. All content on your show should support your goal.
If your goal is to help consumers get out of debt, don’t spend a lot of time discussing your favorite, new CD. Your listener has come to your show expecting you to deliver on your promise. If you tell her you help people get out of debt, deliver that content to her. When you start discussing anything other than that, your brand promise is tarnished. She will be headed elsewhere.
In his “My Disney Podcast”, Correy Webb discusses all things Disney. He discusses his cruise adventures, visits to the parks and other traveling tips. If Correy suddenly began discussing the poker game he had with his buddies last weekend, you would be disappointed. Poker isn’t the reason you’re listening. His Disney promise would be broken.
A great brand is built slowly with great consistency. Deliver on your brand’s promise. However, before you can deliver, you need to develop a goal for your show.
2. Prepare For Your Show
Before you begin to record your show, you should spend just as much time preparing for the show. It is very similar to mapping out a trip. You not only need to know where you are going, you need to know how to get there.
Many hosts will have an idea of which topics they hope to address on the show. They may have a few e-mail questions to answer or a current event to discuss. That is where most quit. They think, “Well, I have our ideas. Let’s do this.” They then begin recording.
This is a big mistake. You must plan what you hope to do with each topic. How do you hope to answer the questions? What will your opinion be on the current event. Most importantly, how will you present it to your listener.
If you plan to answer an e-mail question only because you think it is a good question, but you do not plan out your answer, you will wade through the answer. It will take you much more time to answer the question than is necessary. Your show will therefore lack momentum. Your listener will become easily bored. When you stumble your way through your answer unprepared, your listener will wonder if you actually now where you are going.
Before you open the mic, plan out your show. Jot down some notes. Write down the few important points you need to mention as you’re answering the question. Then, make sure you stick to your plan.
Dan Miller does a wonderful job of this in his podcast “48 Days to The Work You Love”. He knows exactly which questions he wants to answer in his show. He knows exactly how he wants to answer them. He also has a few solid examples for each answer. Dan tends to over-promise at the beginning of the show with the questions he hopes to answer. He should either stick to a time limit for each answer, or promise fewer with the potential of a few “bonus” answers at the end if time permits.
Give your show more momentum and energy. It will happen when you prepare for your show.
3. Tease Me
Anticipation is a key feature to storytelling. Your story should build just like a good plot builds in a movie. You need to make your audience anticipate the content that is on the way. It is like a vacation you are planning to take. The fantastic anticipation for the trip is almost as pleasurable as the trip itself. You can’t wait for the trip to arrive. You want your listener to feel the same way about your content. When they can’t wait for the story to arrive, you have created some great content.
Teasing is the art of creating anticipation for your audience to entice them to stick around for the payoff to your setup. It is a critical element of your show. Teasing helps create momentum for your podcast.
When you promote parts of the show that are coming up, you must creatively tease your audience. You must give them a reason to stick around. It isn’t enough to simply say, “A great story about this weekend is coming up.” Few will stick around for the payoff. Tease. Create anticipation. Instead, use something like, “You’re never gonna believe what I found in the attic this past weekend.”
The evening news does a wonderful job at teasing. Create anticipation. Tease me.
4. Create A Power Intro
The opening of your podcast should explain the purpose of your podcast and let your listeners know exactly what to expect as if this is the first time they have ever heard the show.
A well-crafted introduction serves two purposes.
First, it tells the brand new listener who is hearing the show for the very first time exactly what to expect from the show. It is like the intro to a late night talk show. “From New York. It’s the Late Show with David Letterman. Tonight, Tom Cruise. Larry The Cable Guy. And Katy Perry. Letters from the mail bag. Tonight’s Top Ten list. And Paul Shaffer and the CBS Orchestra. And now, former New York City Medical Examiner … David Letterman.” You know exactly what is coming your way, even if you have never seen the show before.
Second, those that have heard the show before are confident that they are in the right place. Those regular listeners will find comfort in the opening of the show they hear each time they tune in. Fans will also feel like they are “in the know”. This is similar to singing the theme song of your favorite sitcom. As soon as you hear the first few notes of the theme song, you know you’re on the right channel. Your show intro should elicit the same response.
As you create your show open, treat it as if every listener is saying, “Hey, I’m new here. What’s going on?” You’ll make everyone comfortable as the show begins.
5. Make Your Listener The Star
Make your listener the star. It is your show. You know where it is going. When listeners are involved in your show, it is always your job to lead your guest and make them the star.
There are many ways to incorporate your listeners into your show. Live interviews, live calls, recorded voicemail messages, and e-mail are a few of the possibilities. Incorporating listeners into the show gives your entire audience a vested interest in the show.
With guests, you must remember you always know more about your show than they know. You know the goals of your show. You know the plot and strategy. You are always on the show. They are new. Lead your guest.
Phrases like “great question”, “I’m glad you mentioned that” and “I didn’t realize that” make your guest feel they are adding to the show … as long as you are authentic in your comments.
Financial guru and radio host Dave Ramsey is great at guiding his listeners. When a caller begins to ramble on, he will always step in with, “How can I best help you today?” That is a great way to say, “Get to the point.” You need to remember that your callers are not professional. They are not sure how to adequately edit their question while still providing all of the necessary elements.
Just as you do not need to answer every e-mail you receive on your show, you do not need to read the entire e-mail. When you are using voicemail and e-mail questions, edit them before you use them. Keep the essence of the question while eliminating the unnecessary details. Nobody will fault you for editing a 4 minute voicemail message to a great 30 seconds. They will probably thank you. The edited call is still the call as long as you aren’t changing their words. Your show is entertainment. Edit it as such.
When interviewing a well-known guest, make it easy for them. Open with great questions for which you already know the answer. Talk hosts like Jay Leno and David Letterman have producers that do a pre-interview with their guests. They will ask the guest, “If Jay asks you about ____, what will you say?” The producer then puts the great questions on the blue cards for the host. Jay may not know the answer, but the guest knows the question is coming.
If you know your guest has done some amazing things, ask them about it. Then, let them answer. I hear so many hosts interview guests as if they are trying to show the guest how much they actually know. In turn, they answer the question as they are asking it. This leaves the guest very little to say.
You and your show become great when you make your guests and listeners the star.
Using these five tips will help you refine your content and give it focus. This will help you move your listener through your show funnel. Develop a clear goal, prepare for the episode, tease your listener, write a power intro and make your listener a star. You will be well on your way to transforming your show.
A few housekeeping notes for you.
Dave Jackson and I are now hosting the Podcast Review Show together. Our guests appear on the show to have their podcast reviewed by the two of us. Typically, hiring the two of us individually for an hour would be hundreds of dollars. Not only do you get an hour of consulting from us on this show, you get to plug your show for a sixty minutes.
Our guests typically pay $99 to be featured on the show. I’ve convinced Dave to cut you a break. By using the code coach50, you can appear on the show for only $49.50. You get half off. Still an hour. Still feedback from both of us. Still plugging your show. Half the price.
The code is coach50.
Now, we cannot possibly review everyone. Once we fill the available slots, this deal will go away. We have already had a great response. Just a few openings remain. If you are serious about your improvement and would like to be on the show, get registered today.
We have not made anyone cry yet. At half price, it surely cannot hurt that much. Just use coach50 when you register.
If you are truly serious about building your podcast, improving your show and increasing your traffic, you should also be attending the Podcast Movement in Dallas on August 16 & 17. Find my affiliate link online at PodcastTalentCoach.com.
I’d love to help you with your podcast. E-mail any questions or comments you might have to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.
A goal is a dream with a deadline. What are you dreams for the next year? If you don’t have a map & destination, you’ll only wander. You’ll never get anywhere. Let’s be specific and set some deadlines.
What is the one big thing you want to accomplish over the next year? Develop little steps to get there. Break the big goal into bite-sized pieces.
If you create a weekly show, you only have 52 shows over the next 12 months. It may sound like a lot. However, you need to be intentional to reach your goals.
What is your call to action within your podcast? How can we make that call-to-action more effective? Where are you sending your listener each episode to get more info? Be specific and write it down.
Are you monetizing your podcast? There are many possibilities, such as books, speaking engagements, seminars, affiliates, products and more. If you have yet to monetize your podcast, schedule your time to create something powerful. Be sure to include deadlines.
Do you interview guests on your show? Create a list of guests you’d like to get on the show. Be brave and reach out to those people. Let’s get them on the show. Give yourself a goal with a deadline.
Are you effectively planning each show before you begin? Sometimes it is difficult to get motivated to record your show on a regular basis. Plan ahead. Download the planning worksheet at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. When you lack motivation, revert to plan you’ve already created.
Are you reviewing your show on a regular basis? To get better, you need to look at game tape. All great sports teams review tape of previous games. You should do the same. Again, get the worksheet at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. Finding someone that can help you honestly review your show will help as well.
The next year can be huge for you if you plan. Set deadlines to turn your dreams into goals. Be sure to find balance in all areas of your life.
Take some chances. Go for the big interview or launch a product. Dream big. You might just reach your dreams.
I want to thank you for a tremendous 2013. It has been quite a success for me. I’ve launched the podcast to great success. Many have downloaded my worksheets and purchased the Podcast Talent Coach workbook. It has been a blast. I couldn’t do it without you.
I do want to thank a few people for the 5-star reviews on iTunes.
I hope to see you at New Media Expo in Las Vegas in January. Let me know if there is any way I can help you with your podcast. E-mail me anytime at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.
If you hope to improve your show episode after episode, you need to properly review your show each and every time. To improve, you must look for the correct things. You also need to listen as a fan and not simply as a podcast producer. Below is a list of questions to help you effectively review your podcast. Let me know how I can help.
1. Review Your Show
Review your show on a regular basis. Actually listen like a listener. That is the only way to improve.
Many hosts finish recording a show and think, “That was pretty good. What’s next?” They might recreate parts of the show in their head to determine what might make the show better next time. Usually, there isn’t much time spent actually reviewing a show. There are so many other duties to handle. It’s on to the next thing, which is probably editing, posting, and promoting the show.
In order to make your podcast better, you need to spend quality time listening to the show. Play it back. Grab a pad of paper and write down the parts that jump out at you. Jot down the “oh wow” moments. Take note of the sections that didn’t work exactly as you planned. (read more)
2. Is That The Right Measurement
Many podcasters and bloggers measure their success by the number of downloads of, or visits to, their material. Unless you are blogging or podcasting simply as a hobby, this is a mistake. Downloads and visits really don’t move the needle for you. They don’t generate revenue or move your product.
You need to figure out what you want your audience to do and how you measure it? What is your call-to-action? Maybe you want them to visit your website. Maybe you want them to buy your product. Maybe you want them to donate to your cause. Determine the call-to-action. (read more)
3. Think Like A Fan
There will always be new people joining your podcast. Never take your audience for granted. Never act like you have been there and done that. Your listener is still enamored by your celebrity status and ability to do what you do. Be humble. Be real. Be just as amazed as your listener is by the things you get to see and do.
Help your new listener get up to speed with your podcast. Inside jokes only make your new listener feel like they are not part of the group. You want your podcast to feel inclusive. If a new listener feels like they are being left out of the inside jokes, they will leave quickly. Your listener will feel unwelcome. Nothing will keep them around if they feel left out. (read more)
4. Questions For Review
At Podcast Talent Coach, we take great care to help our clients develop the “art” of podcasting.
Do you fear sounding like a beginner? Do you desire to have stronger content? Do you wish you could sound more prepared, more organized and more like a true, professional broadcaster?
Do you fear people will see you as someone simply trying to play the part of a professional?
Our FREE worksheets will help you develop your target listener, create a focus for your show, develop topics and stories, prepare for each show you record and properly critique your podcast to make it stronger.
This podcast is created to help you with the ART of podcasting. Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment. I’d love to help you with your podcast. E-mail any questions or comments you might have to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.
You must know where you’re going before you can actually get there. That statement is true with a road trip and it is also true with your podcast. When you set out to record a show, you must have goals in mind. Once you’ve determined what you hope to accomplish, you can then decide how you will make it happen.
So many podcasters seem to record their show less than fully prepared. I hear hosts often search for details that should be right at their fingertips. There is no reason to lack the proper information while you are doing your show. If you’ve fully prepared for your podcast, the information should be right in front of you.
Overall, what do you hope to accomplish with this particular episode? Define the call to action you hope to make your listeners take. Here, you are defining the ultimate purpose of this specific show. The purpose of this particular episode may be more focused than the overall goal for the podcast as a whole. If the general goal for your podcast is to teach people how to coach lacrosse, the goal of the show today might be to discuss the power of Double-Goal Coaching. The goal today is a subset of the goal for the podcast overall.
Your call to action of your show could be one of many things. It could be teaching your audience in order to build relationships, sales of your product, visiting your website, supporting your cause, joining your club or simply listening again. Know what you hope to accomplish before you begin the journey.
Knowing the goal for your show will help you develop a filter for your subject matter and topics. When each topic passes through this goal filter, you will be able to determine if the topic should be part of the show and how to best handle the content. Your show filter helps keep the show focused. You cannot build your filter until you first know the goal of your show.
Let’s take the “School of Podcasting” podcast with Dave Jackson for example. Dave is focused on helping people launch podcasts. He wants to help as many people as possible get up and running with their own show. Therefore, everything Dave does on his podcast is centered around that goal. His content goes through that show filter.
Dave also reviews podcasts. Reviewing shows isn’t part of launching shows. Dave has a completely separate podcast called the “Podcast Review Show”. Where “School of Podcasting” is focused on launching, “Podcast Review Show” is focused on improving. Both shows have their own unique content filter.
The goal you develop for your show will build a focus for your podcast. When your show has focus, people know what to expect. Consistency is developed with your content. You also build confidence to fight your inner impostor when you consistently reach that goal each and every show.
Know where you are going before you actually begin the trip. Your first step in creating your podcast should always be defining the goal for your episode.
As you develop your podcast, you need to determine what you hope to accomplish with the show. What will the show be about? What do you hope to make your audience feel? Is there some call to action you wish to make your listener take?
After you have developed the goal for your show, stick to it. All content on your show should support your goal.
If your goal is to help consumers get out of debt, don’t spend a lot of time discussing your favorite, new CD. Your listener has come to your show expecting you to deliver on your promise. If you tell her you help people get out of debt, deliver that content to her. When you start discussing anything other than that, your brand promise is tarnished. She will be headed elsewhere.
In Correy Webb’s “My Disney Podcast”, Correy discusses all things Disney. He discusses cruise adventures, visits to the parks and other traveling tips. If Correy suddenly began discussing the poker game he had with his buddies last weekend, you would be disappointed. Poker isn’t the reason you’re listening. His Disney promise would be broken. You are now unsure what you will receive next time you listen.
A great brand is built slowly with strong consistency. Deliver on your brand’s promise. However, before you can deliver, you need to develop a goal for your show.
