Tag Archives: Podcast

How To Build Trust – PTC Episode 058

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How To Build Trust – Episode 058

How To Build Trust

Last week we discussed the four essential elements of storytelling.

As I gave that presentation at Podcast Movement, some had questions about turning personal connections into stories that actually had something to do with their podcast subject. In fact. Josh Elledge of “90 Days To Abundance” suggested I do an episode on it. Find him at “SaveingsAngel.com”.

Today, we dive into the “how” of storytelling.

Journaling

The use of journaling will help you dig deep into your thoughts to reveal your personal connections to the subject matter. Journaling can be done for a specific length of time or output. You can do it for 3 or 5 minutes, or an entire page of thoughts.

Whether you choose time or output, it should be set and consistent. Set a timer and write until the timer goes off. You want to write to the point where if becomes free-flowing without any conscious thought.

Understand that no one will ever see this journaling. You can even throw it out after you create the episode. There is no need to keep it once we find the personal connection.

Your Personal Connections

After you journal, read over your writing. Highlight the thoughts and personal connections that really jump out and grab your attention. Those are possible starting points.

Engaging Introduction

Once we have highlighted our personal connections, we need to pick one to use for our show. We then turn that personal connection into our engaging introduction to our powerful story.

An Example

I want to show you how we can find great stories for an episode using Journaling. In this example, I want to create an episode that teaches the power of storytelling. The goal of the episode is to have my listeners understand the importance of stories if they hope to have their audience know, like and trust them.

Here is my journal entry. These are never shared with anyone. I am sharing it with you as an example. There are some connections here that reveal my vulnerability that I typically wouldn’t share with anyone. I’m laying it all out with hopes it will help you find the courage to open up to yourself.

JOURNAL ENTRY

How do I create great stories by journaling. Max’s great story about his father. Find deep connections. When we tell these great stories, we reveal things about ourselves. I learned a lot about this from Bill McMahon. I’m sometimes afraid to reveal what I truly believe, because I worry what people think about me. Once Bill instilled in me the courage to recognize what I truly believe and present it on the air, I began creating great friendships with listeners I don’t even know. As the public address announcer of the Omaha Lancers hockey team, I often run into people who act like they know me, because they kind of do. It used to really creep out my wife. People would come up to me and start having a conversation about something I talked about on the air. After they would walk away, she would ask why I didn’t introduce her. I would tell her that I have no idea who that was. She couldn’t understand how I could have these conversations about personal stuff with somebody when I had no idea who it was. That is very common when you talk about personal connections on your show. How do you reveal things? People will get to know you. You never know what will connect. Listeners grab onto the most everyday stuff. It is something that happened with your kid. Or the hockey rink in your backyard. Or the pothole you hit on the way to work today. If you are doing a show about gun control, how do you link potholes to gun control? Journal until you find the link. It doesn’t need to be perfect. Journal. There is a connection there. My story here links Josh to storytelling. It was a great conference. I love when people ask great questions. My lectures really get into conversations. That’s what it is all about. That’s why I do this. I feel like we are developing a relationship. They actually trust me enough and care enough to ask questions. We are beginning to develop something here. The feedback and questions really make me feel like my presentation was validated. Even after the presentation, many came up to ask additional questions. Probably 10 or 12. Which was great, since it was the final presentation of the day. What a great way to finish the weekend.

Four different personal connections in that journal entry.

Now, let’s look at each personal connection and turn that into an engaging introduction. My topic for this episode is the power of great storytelling in podcasts. I want to encourage podcasters to use stories to get their audience to know, like and trust them. What stories can I use to make my point?

Before we create our introduction, we need to determine what we hope to make our audience feel.

Max’s great story about his father.

Like many of us, Max couldn’t find the courage to share his stories about his father. He didn’t feel anyone would care. Max eventually left my station to work at one of the big stations in Chicago.

With this connection, I hope to make the audience gain confidence and know that even the radio personalities in the biggest markets in the U.S. have some self doubt. It is natural. Let’s begin the story there.

“Fearing what people will think about you when you share personal stories is natural. Even radio personalities in some of the biggest cities in the U.S. have that self doubt. I once had a morning guy working for me who would tell me these great stories about his father …”

I’m sometimes afraid to reveal what I truly believe, because I worry what people think about me.

This is very similar to the the previous story. I can use the same style. Even I get a little nervous about what people will think. Using this connection, I again hope to give my listener confidence.

“Fearing what people will think about you when you share personal stories is natural. Even I encounter that self doubt. At Podcast Movement, I was a little nervous how my presentation would go over with the group of my peers.”

She couldn’t understand how I could have these conversations about personal stuff with somebody when I had no idea who it was.

With this personal connection, I want you to understand that you will be surprised what connects with your listeners. Some of the smallest asides will endear you to your listener. There will be times when your listener will mention things you do not even remember talking about. We can begin our story there.

“There are times when listeners will stop me to mention some of the must mundane things mentioned on my show. My wife and I were walking through the arena where I announce hockey games. We were stopped by a listener I didn’t know personally.”

The feedback and questions really make me feel like my presentation was validated.

With this personal connection, I want listeners to see the payoff that comes with powerful storytelling. If you use storytelling correctly, the end result can be very fulfilling and inspiring. I want this story to empower and encourage you to share your stories. Let’s start the story there.

“Have you ever been unsure about sharing your thoughts and opinions? I was a little nervous about giving my Podcast Movement storytelling presentation to a group of solid podcaster. By the time I finished sharing my stories and real life examples like Lee Brice and Walt Disney, I received some great questions that really validated my process. I was even more excited about helping people with my knowledge and information.”

There are four examples of how I journal to create great stories for my show. There are really four steps. Journal for 5 minutes. Find the personal connections within your writing. Determine what you want to make your audience feel and the point you want to make. Finally, turn that into your engaging introduction.

Telling great stories within your podcast will help your listener know, like and trust you. The details and personal connections you include will tell your listener about your beliefs, morals, dreams, dependability, experience, reputation, honesty and reliability.

As your listener begins to know you through these stories, she will determine whether or not she likes you. It is better to have some love you and some hate you rather than have a bunch of people on the fence. If they rate you a 3 on a 1-to-5 scale, they are basically saying they don’t care.

Create some passion. As long as you have more “loves” than “hates”, you’re on the way to a win.

Not everyone loves Harley Davidson motorcycles. There are people who love Harley and wear their colors proudly. Then, there are others who wouldn’t be caught dead riding a Harley. It doesn’t fit their personality. Nobody goes shopping for a new vehicle and says, “Oh, maybe I’ll buy a Harley or maybe I’ll buy a Volvo. I’m ok with either one.” Create a passionate tribe.

You can then build trust after your listener has had a chance to know you and decide if they like you. By trusting your audience with your personal feelings, they will begin to trust you by the law of reciprocity. When you give to someone, they will feel compelled to give back to you in return.

The process sounds easy. However, it takes practice. If you would like my help, let me know. I would love to teach you the process.

I’d love to help you with your podcast. E-mail any questions or comments you might have to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.

If you would like to have your show reviewed on The Podcast Review Show with Dave Jackson and me, click here. We are looking for great guests who would like to improve their shows.

You can also find other tools including worksheets, a workbook and videos to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

The Secret To Know, Like And Trust – PTC Episode 057

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Secrets to Know, Like and Trust – PTC Episode 057
Four Essential Elements of Powerful Storytelling

Trust Me

WHY STORYTELLING

Have you noticed a lot of the business interview podcasts sound the same? We are hearing the same guests answer the same questions time and time again. How do you become unique in this sea of sameness?

Storytelling can transform your podcast. Your personal experiences and stories make you unique. No one has experienced the things you have experienced in the same way you have. If you want to stand out from every other podcast, share your personal stories during your show.

People do business with other people they know, like and trust. Your stories create that knowledge. That is where true friendships begin.

Stories help define your character and personality. If you want your listener to get to know you, share those personal connections. Connect, motivate and inspire your audience with your stories.

Don’t fit in, stand out.

Your personal experiences are the only way to make the content your own. Great songwriters do it. Great filmmakers do it. Share your stories and stand out.

ENGAGEMENT

In podcasting, you cannot afford to be boring. Interest in your story never remains constant. Your information can only become entertainment when interest is rising. A great story continues to develop the plot and raise the interest.

To create engagement, tell great stories. Keep the interest of your listener rising.

Date your listeners. You need to earn the privilege of talking to people who want to be talked to and selling things to people who want to be sold to. To earn that privilege, you need to build friendship.

Great friendships are developed through self revelation. When you share your personal thoughts and feelings with an individual through stories, you begin to create a bond with that person. It is life enrichment. Making our lives better through friendship is the reason we do not live is seclusion.

Over time, sharing stories will begin to build trust with your listener. Your stories share your values and beliefs.

Practice becoming a great storyteller.

GREAT STORYTELLERS

Practice being a great storyteller. Have the courage to listen to yourself. Hear and have courage to record your personal connections to the events happening around you.

When you use your podcast to create friendships, you are asking people to spend time with your every week. People share time with others that they like. They are asking themselves, “Would I enjoy taking a one-hour car ride with this person every week?”

People listen to audio while they drive, run and workout so they are not alone. They use the audio as companionship. Let your listener get to know you.

Your stories will also let others live vicariously through you. Your listener can enjoy your story of struggle and success without enduring the hard work and pain. Let them enjoy your stories.

ELEMENTS OF GREAT STORIES

There are four essential elements of great stories.

  • Engaging introduction
  • Reveal the details
  • Powerful Resolution
  • What else?

Engaging Introduction

Give them a reason to care. What do you want the audience to feel? Your stories make you human. Will it be humorous, compelling or tragic. My talent coach Bill McMahon would always ask, “What do you hope to make the audience laugh at, marvel at or better understand?”

Your listener can experience various emotions through your stories. You could elicit joy, sympathy, empathy, anger, tragedy, tenderness, humor, rage, patriotism or many others. Emotions make that personal connection to your story.

Pull your listener into the story. Your engaging introduction is a roadmap. It should be a solid headline that tells your listener exactly where your story will go. “Tell me if I’m gonna go to Hell for this…”

Reveal the details

Details are more believable than generalities. Your details will make your story come to life.

When you develop your details, use all 5 senses. Draw the picture in the mind’s eye of your listener. Make the story come to life. Put your listener right there in the moment. This is theater of the mind.

Your details reveal specifics about your thoughts, beliefs and character.

Resolution

Your resolution should be a powerful reframing of introduction. Your will know when you reach your conclusion when you have successfully achieved the emotional goal set at the beginning. What did you hope to make your audience laugh at, marvel at or better understand? When you’ve achieved that goal, get to the resolution.

What else?

Asking “What Else” will transform your show. Let your story lead to something bigger. Maybe you turn your story into a discussion on Facebook. Maybe your story leads into an interview. What else can you do with it? Create some great entertainment.

HOW YOU CAN BE A STORYTELLER

What do you want to make your listener feel?
What is the engaging set up?
How will it be revealed in the story with vivid details?
What is the resolution?
What else can you do with it?

I’d love to help you create great stories with your podcast. E-mail any questions or comments you might have to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.

You can also find other tools including worksheets, a workbook and videos to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Top 11 Takeaways From Podcast Movement – PTC Episode 056

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Top 11 Takeaways From Podcast Movement 2014

Podcast Movement 2014
Podcast Movement 2014

Podcast Movement 2014 was held in Dallas, Texas August 16th & 17th. For an inaugural event, PM14 was well run and full of great information. The guys did an amazing job putting it together.

Earlier this year, Dan Franks reached out to me and asked if I would present a session at PM14. I was truly honored. My session on the power of storytelling went over very well. Many people came to the stage after my session to tell me how useful they found the information. I really appreciated the feedback.

I am already looking forward to Podcast Movement 2015 in Fort Worth, Texas.

My notebook filled with great notes from PM14. On this episode, I want to share with you my 11 top takeaways from the event. I hope these spark a little something in your to move your podcast forward and transform your content.

1. Have a plan to make money.

This came from Chris Brogan’s Keynote “Podcasting As A Business Driver”. If you want to support your habit/hobby, have a plan to generate income. This could be from your product, service or other income stream. Figure out how to cover your cost at a minimum.

2. Copy = Pale Imitation = Ignored.

Srinivas Rao offered this insight in his Keynote “Genuine Curiosity – The Fuel Behind The Fire”. Chris Brogan said, “No one ever won a race looking sideways.” Be brave and have the courage to be unique. Tell some great stories.

3. What is your brand personality?

Who are you really and who do your clients need you to be? Kristin Thompson asked these questions during her session “Rock Your Talk & Profit Big … Beyond The Podcast”. Define your brand personality. Then, thread it through everything you do.

4. Don’t use white in your logo.

This was mentioned during “Top Podcasters Share Three Success Secrets For Podcasting”. It was a panel discussion with Michael StelznerCliff Ravenscraft, and Chris Brogan. If you want it to stand out in iTunes store, get rid of the white. Make your logo pop.

5. Involve others.

During his session “10 Ways to Take Your Podcast From Average To Amazing”, Daniel J. Lewis suggested you use interviews, conversations, and shared presentations to get others involved with your show. Empower your audience to share your content. Delegate others to help you achieve tasks.

6. #1 goal of podcast marketing is opt-in.

Tim Paige mentioned this in his session “The Top 7 Ways To Grow Your Podcast And Turn Listeners Into Leads”. We’ve heard it many times that the money is in the list. Use your podcast to grow your list every opportunity that you get.

7. Think of your avatar in the car or excercising. What can you provide to make the experience better?

This was a great piece of advice from Jaime Tardy during her Keynote “The Future Of Podcasting”. If you want to connect and engage with your audience, put yourself in their shoes.

8. Learn what the knobs do.

To learn your equipment and what it does, press record and narrate your actions as you turn knobs. Hear how it sounds. This was a tip offered by Dave Jackson in his session “The Art Of Editing Audio – Finding The Diamond In The Rough”. What better way to figure out what all of those knobs do other than tinkering with it.

9. Ask your tribe questions about what they struggle with.

Jessica Kupferman’s session was titled “Your Commmunity Of Kindred Spirits: Why, How and When To Build One”. She offered this tidbit while helping us discover the power and connection of a community.

10. Give your guests resources to promote your show after they are on.

This came during a panel discussion called “Promote Your Podcast The Right (And Unique) Way”. If you want your guests to promote your show after they appear, make it easy for them. Give them graphics, quotes or audio clips they can use to help spread the word.

11. Comfort and awesome usually do not overlap.

I loved this line. It was another from Chris Brogan during his Keynote “Podcasting As A Business Driver”. Be brave. Try something new. Be unique. Have the courage to step out and tell personal stories that cannot be copied. That’s when you’ll get noticed. Don’t be comforable. Be awesome.

I’d love to help you with your podcast. E-mail any questions or comments you might have to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.

You can also find other tools including worksheets, a workbook and videos to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

3 Step To Create Your Avatar – PTC 055

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3 Steps To Create Your Avatar – PTC Episode 055

Hi Erik, thanks for your awesome podcast. I have one question for you You define your avatar with a bunch of well-crafted questions, but where do you get the data to answer them? Is it hard data you have got from your following (if any)? Is it just a fruit of your imagination? Is it a mix of both? How much of the avatar is based on hard data, and how much is a projection of yourself defining it? Thanks and keep up the awesome work!
-Alessandro

Create a unique avatar

Great question, Alessandro! It is actually a little bit of both. It will evolve over time.

Our goal is to create a vision of that one, unique, ideal listener.

There are really three steps to creating your ideal listener.  Each step relates to the life cycle of your podcast.

Step 1

If you are just starting out, you need to create your ideal customer out of your imagination.

  • Who would you like your ideal customer to be? Start there.
  • Who do you want?
  • Who will listen and get involved
  • Who will be best served by your content
  • Who will buy your stuff

Step 2

Once you begin to get some feedback from your audience, refine your target with that information.

  • Who is posting in your comments
  • Who is sending your e-mail
  • Who is asking for more information

Step 3

Finally, when you have an audience of decent size, survey them.

  • It does not need to be a formal survey
  • One of strongest is an e-mail often used that simply says “where an I help you”
  • To get specific demographic info, you will need a formal survey
  • Ask questions that will help you know and serve them better
  • Do not ask questions that will not give you info you can use and will only waste the time of your listener

Overall, you want your avatar to represent that individual that in most engaged with your show and likely to take action when you make that request.

Audience Of One

Knowing your target audience will allow you to treat your audience as an audience of one.

As you are creating your podcast, treat your audience like you are talking to each person individually. This is critical when creating a trusting relationship with your audience.

I hear many shows address their audience as a group with comments like “hello everyone” or “hey guys”. Each person in your audience is listening to you as an individual. Audio is a very personal medium. Many times, they are listening with headphones. It is just you and her. Talk to her just like that.

Addressing a crowd on the radio began when radio began. As radio was just being created, station owners needed content to broadcast. Radio programming began with rebroadcasting live, theater events. The person on the stage would address the crowd as “ladies and gentleman”.

As radio progressed, live audiences were eliminated. However, people on the radio continued to address the audience as a group. It was fitting. The family still gathered around the radio before television was introduced to the family room. An on-air personality could address the audience as a group and be justified in doing so.

Radio then became a personal medium. The television replaced the radio as family entertainment. In-car and headphones became the preferred method of radio listening. Each listener was now creating images and visions in his or her own head that were unique to their imagination. Their thoughts were different from those of any other listener. The conversation was now between the person on the air and the individual listening.

Unfortunately, radio personalities continued to address the listener as a group. “It has always been done this way.” The disconnect began.

Podcasts are even more individualistic than radio. Most people select a podcast because of their own tastes. Groupthink does not play a factor as it would to select a movie or television show for the family. It is one person listening on their own to a show that interests them.

If you are talking to your listener as if they are in a group, using plural terms like everyone and you guys and you all, your listener will wonder who you are addressing. They will think, “You guys? I’m listening by myself. Who are you talking to?” In the end, they will not follow your call-to-action, because they will think someone else in your “group” will handle it. Talk to an audience of one and build that relationship with each listener individually.

 

I’d love to help you with your podcast. E-mail any questions or comments you might have to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.

You can also find other tools including worksheets, a workbook and videos to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Never Know Who You Help – PTC Episode 054

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You Never Know Who Your Podcast Might Help

PTC Episode 054

Who You Help
Tough to bathe with no thumbs

I received a piece of feedback from Kenn Blanchard the other day. He said he was inspired so much by my “chit chat” episode that he went back into the studio to completely rerecord his latest episode.

Kenn creates a few podcasts. I listen to “Black Man With A Gun” He recently launched a second called “Motorcycle Radio”.

We talk a lot about the help you provide people with your podcast. As you create your content, keep in mind that you never know who you might be helping or how much that help may mean.

Gary Vaynerchuk has an entire chapter in his book “Crush It” devoted to care. It is probably the easiest chapter you will ever read. It is also possibly the toughest chapter to execute well.

Extra Mile

It is unfortunate in business today that “going the extra mile” isn’t even necessary to stand out most of the time. Being consistent and delivering on your brand’s promise will usually make you better than most of the competition.

It amazes me that delivering a simple recap after the job is complete to one of our clients can create astonishment on their part. They are so numb to the average lack of care from their other suppliers that any sense of attention will get them to take notice.

I’ve seen many, many bands go through the motions. I am not trying to make excuses. However, It’s like a couple trying to get back together after a breakup. The relationship ended for a reason the first time. Getting together again may be good for a beer. Any longer will probably only make you realize why you broke up in the first place … even when you’re making hundreds of thousands of dollars to do it.

Trust Circle

You can’t shout your way into a person’s trust circle. They only way to gain trust is to add value. Give them something they can use. Building trust is the foundation of revenue generation for your podcast.

As you build trusting relationships with your podcast, continue to ask yourself, “How am I helping my listener?” Continue to give, and the trust will develop over time.

When you begin every discussion with your product, needs or wants, people will tune you out. You will begin to sound (and be treated) like advertisements for used cars. Shouting doesn’t work. Your listener won’t care and will rarely return.

Serve first, many times over. Then and only then can you effectively sell.

Shows like the 48 Days To The Work You Love, School of Podcasting and Internet Business Mastery are all designed to help their listeners first. Sure, they all have products to sell as the end result. However, they never begin with their product. The discussions on these shows always begin with the listener’s needs in mind first.

As you prepare for your show, find great ways to help. Your help may come in the form of entertainment. You may serve as companionship for your podcast listener. Help them find other forms of companionship as well. If your podcast is only one hour per week, there are 167 more hours in the week that aren’t occupied by your show. Your listeners will surely need more companionship to fill a few of those hours. Help your audience fill those hours, too.

Let’s Help Each Other

I would love to answer any question you might have. I have been in broadcasting for well over 20 years. Coaching on-air radio talent has been part of my day-to-day role since 1995. Studying and developing marketing and promotional campaigns for our radio stations and clients is also something I do on a regular basis.

If you could use some help in any of these areas, please shoot me an e-mail at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Your questions will help me refine my show. You will help me select topics. It will also make the show much more enjoyable for you. I would love to hear your questions and offer you podcast help.

If you could take a minute to shoot me an e-mail, or even comment on any of my posts that may have helped you, I would truly appreciate it. Making this show better is always my goal.

Let me know how I can help you. In turn, let’s help each other.

I’d love to help you with your podcast. E-mail any questions or comments you might have to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.

You can also find other tools including worksheets, a workbook and videos to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

You Are An Expert – PTC Episode 053

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You Are An Expert – PTC Episode 053

Podcast ExpertPodcast ExpertPodcast ExpertPodcast Expert

As I was grabbing a quick bite to eat at the local fast food restaurant earlier this week, I was reminded we are all an expert at something to someone.

After ordering my food, I pulled up to the drive thru window of the fast food restaurant to pay. My total came to $4.38. I handed the kid in the window $5.38. The amount completely puzzled him.

He looked at the currency for quite some time. I was beginning to think he didn’t realize I needed change. After what seemed like two minutes, he looked around for his manager.

When he realized his manager was helping another customer, he looked back at the money trying to devise a plan B.

The kid finally stuck his head into the window and asked, “Are you good at math?”

I said, “The total was $4.38, right?” He replied with, “Yeah.” I said, “You owe me a dollar.”

“Oh, that’s what I thought,” he replied with relief as he ducked to the register to retrieve my dollar.

At that point, I realized we are all an expert to somebody. Even people who do not normally deal in American currency could probably guess that $5.38 minus $4.38 equals $1. To this kid, I could have been Newton or Archimedes or Pythagoras.

You may not feel you are an expert in your field, because you don’t have the experience or success equal to others. On the other hand, realize you have more experience than the beginner.

If you think about where you were two years ago, you are much more experienced than a person in that position now. Help those folks make the two-year journey to get to the point where you are now.

Six Ways To Demonstrate Your Expertise

Help people learn what you know.

Help people find the tools you have discovered through your journey.

Help people find the right people in the industry where they can learn more.

Find people who are in a position that you have conquered.
Share your stories of triumph and woe to encourage those following behind you.

Help those that do not have quite as much knowledge and experience that you have.

If you have been in your field for any length of time, there will always be somebody with less experience than you. Find those people, and help them succeed.

You may not be number one in the field. That doesn’t matter. You can always be seen as an expert in the eyes of someone at some point. You simply need to find them. Then, help them in your expert sort of way. Who knows, maybe you are good at math.

I’d love to help you with your podcast. E-mail any questions or comments you might have to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.

You can also find other tools including worksheets, a workbook and videos to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

At Last, The Secret To Podcast Chit Chat Revealed – PTC Episode 052

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At Last, The Secret To Podcast Chit Chat Revealed

PTC Episode 052

Podcast Chit Chat

Chit Chat at the beginning of your podcast has long been discussed. Is it appropriate? How much is too much?  When are you wasting the time of the pirates listening?

I was listening to a marketing podcast once. I just about gave up and moved onto another show. I had to force myself to stick with it. You would have thought they may have uploaded the wrong show.

Here is the opening of the podcast. I’ve eliminated the names and other identifying parts. I really don’t intend to call out anyone. I simply want to show you how chit chat can destroy your engagement.

Show host: Welcome to (marketing podcast). I’m your host (host name). (website). We’ve got a couple people hangin’ out in the live chat with us. (chat link) And you know, I shouldn’t say that, because I’ve taken the link down from the site. But if you’re listening and wanna see the schedule, it is fairly current. Although, not exactly throughout the summer. I am joined today, as I frequently am lately, by (co-host name) of (other show name). How’s it goin’ (co-host name)?

Co-host: It is wonderful up here.
Show host: Is the … uh … now you guys probably didn’t have a lot of snow like we didn’t have a lot of snow, which I’m still bummed about. But, I’m trying not to talk about it. How’s your … how’s your weather in ____?
Co-host: It’s pretty good. It’s, uh … it’s been a pretty warm winter.

They proceeded to discuss the Celsius to Fahrenheit conversion for the first 10 minutes of the 30-minute show. At 10:45 into the show, host says, “Should we get into some questions?”

This is a show designed to coach businesses to attract more customers.

How did we get lost down some path about temperature conversions?

I’m not even sure I can say it got lost. The show never laid out the expectations of the show. Neither does the show title. As I’ve written before, the opening of the show must tell your audience what the show is all about right at the beginning. Let your listener know what to expect. Assume they are listening to the show for the very first time.

Six minutes into the show, they actually say, “You’re safe by now skipping over the first 10 minutes” of the show. What!?! You’ve got me, now you’re actually telling me this isn’t worth my time?

At this point they aren’t really lost. They are well aware they are wasting my time. There are over 100,000 podcasts available. These shows are all trying to attract me. These guys actually have me paying attention (the tough part) and are wasting the incredible opportunity. What are the chances I’ll actually be back?

In addition to the chit chat that has absolutely nothing to do with the topic, they gave you info at the open of the show that you can’t even act on. They gave you a chat link that isn’t even active anymore. They gave you a schedule which is “fairly” current, “although not exactly”. Then, they tell me I can skip over this part of the show.

This sort of chit chat destroys your credibility and trust. People have come to hear you deliver on your promise of your topic. Talking for ten minutes about the weather does not accomplish that, unless you are the Weather Channel podcast.

Your show must deliver on the brand promise right out of the box. That is the key to audience engagement. Your listener has come to your show for a reason. If you get lost on some tangent, your audience will be gone in a heartbeat.

In this case, there are many podcasts available dealing with marketing. Instead of continuing to listen to this podcast, I moved on and found the “Unpodcast” with Scott Stratten. Scott was one of the keynote speakers at NMX2014. Scott has a bit of chit chat in his episodes. The difference is the relevance of Scott’s chit chat to his topic.

Chit chat during your show is appropriate if you can link it back to your topic. Let’s say you open your show with, “My local television news did an amazing marketing job getting in front of 100,000 people this weekend at the sporting event simply by keeping fans up to speed on the weather.” If you follow that with some chit chat about how crazy the weather has been and how the station used that to their marketing advantage, you have linked it to your topic.

Chit chat here is perfectly acceptable. It makes sense.

If you are talking about the new studio you have built on a show about podcasting, that would be completely understandable.

If you are talking about your weekend fishing and have no way to link it to your podcast about automobile parts, you are wasting time.

It is a fine line. If the information supports your topic, you are on the right path. If it does not fit with the subject matter at hand, find another story that does.

Lay out the expectations in your introduction. Deliver on those expectations immediately. If you find you’re getting off on a tangent, get back on track as soon as possible.

You will quickly find you are talking to yourself if your listener says to themselves, “I think we’re lost.”

Intriguing Introduction

Use a great, personal story to lead with an intriguing introduction. This is where chit chat comes in handy. It is a personal, chit chat story that will engage people. Your chit chat brings them into the topic for this episode.

This is true for your podcast in general as well as each individual topic. Your intriguing introduction should hook your audience, let them know exactly what to expect, and allow them to enjoy the story.

What do you hope your audience will take away from this particular discussion? Your introduction should spell it out. It should set up what is to come.

If your goal is to make your listener laugh at your misfortune over the weekend, lead with it. “This weekend was so disastrous, I wouldn’t have had time for anything else to go wrong even if I tried.” The audience will now have time to enjoy the vivid details of your horrible weekend rather than trying to figure out what point you are trying to make.

When you begin your story with the details, your listener spends energy trying to determine the point you are trying to make. They are trying to figure out what the story is about.

Have you ever been stuck listening to someone tell a story while you’re thinking, “Will he ever get to the point?” That is what we are trying to avoid.

Here is an example of a story you might hear. “This weekend we went to the mall. It was just the two of us. We were looking for a gift for my dad.” Are we telling a story about finding gifts? Is this story just recapping the weekend? Maybe it is about my dad. You don’t know. I haven’t told you. There is no lead to this story.

To hook your audience and allow them to truly enjoy the story, lead with an intriguing introduction.

 

I’d love to help you with your podcast. E-mail any questions or comments you might have to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.

You can also find other tools including worksheets, a workbook and videos to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Why I Ignore Podcast Critics (And Maybe You Should Too) – PTC Episode 051

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Why I Ignore Podcast Critics (And Maybe You Should Too)

PTC Episode 051

There are a few reasons why I ignore critics, and maybe you should, too.

I was listening to Pat Flynn’s “Smart Passive Income” podcast today. Pat received some feedback that was crtical of his style and motivation. The critic felt Pat was putting on a unauthentic persona in order to sell affiliate programs.

Pat spent a bit of time at the beginning of the episode explaining his approach and defending his character. He didn’t get defensive. His comments were positive toward his critic. Some great points were offered which made me like Pat even more.

I love Pat’s show.  He sounds like a great guy.  I just think he is wasting his time trying to persuade a critic to change his mind.

There are five reasons I tend to ignore critics like this.

Mic Time

By spending time on negative comments, you’re just giving the trolls exposure. The time on your show is valuable. Use it for great content. Do not let the trolls hijack your podcast. You’ve worked hard to attract the attention of your audience. Trolls do not deserve the attention.

Constructive Criticism

Yes, I find constructive criticism valuable. However, critics are rarely motivated to help you. They typically have the desire to tear you down to their level. If they cannot have success, they do not want you to succeed either. Giving them attention just feeds their appetite to be critics.

Representation

One person is not representative of your entire audience. It is so easy for us to get derailed by a negative comment. We can receive 40 compliments. Then, one negative e-mail will completely destroy our confidence. Remember, one e-mail only equals one e-mail. It is one person.

Self Doubt

We all fight the impostor syndrome. Am I good enough? Will anyone take me seriously? Who am I to be an expert on this topic? It is common to battle that everyday.

Critics just feed that syndrome. You already have enough self doubt. There is no need to allow critics to feed that fire. Beat them down. Ignore them.

Your Target

Critics will never be your target audience. If you are selling an idea or product, critics will never be the group that buys what you are selling. No matter how hard you try to convince the critic that you are correct, they will always be skeptical. You are wasting your time on the critic. Focus on the people that love what you do.

Jeff Walker addresses this topic in his new book “Launch”. He says, “All of us have people we want to connect with better than others … The last thing you want is a lot of prospects and clients who aren’t a good fit for you … You want to be sure you attract YOUR people into your business.”

Maybe You Should

On the other hand, maybe you should give your critics some attention. If you have thick skin, giving your critics some attention can strengthen the support of your fans. When you read some negative feedback, you fans will step up to support and defend you.

I am not talking about trying to attract attention to yourself or manipulating your audience. However, if you have a strong, supportive community, you may find them defending you before you even have a chance to mention the critic.

Dave Ramsey does this on his show quite often. He makes it quite entertaining, and it strengthens the support of his tribe.

You really need to have strong self esteem to make this happen. You need to be strong in battling the impostor syndrome to try this approach. If you truly believe in what you do, you can use critics to your advantage.

If you find yourself creeping into self doubt, remove the trolls from your life. Don’t let them bring you down. You are great at what you do. Superserve your fans. Let the critics seep back into the darkness and feed on somebody else.

I’d love to help you with your podcast. E-mail any questions or comments you might have to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.

You can also find other tools including worksheets, a workbook and videos to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

8 Questions To Better Podcasts – PTC Episode 050

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8 Questions To Better Podcasts – PTC Episode 050

8 Questions To Better Podcasts

Today, we discuss how you can follow 8 questions to better podcasts.

On the Podcast Review Show the other night, Dave Jackson mentioned he was reviewing his own episode and discovered something he could do to make his show better. I’m a big proponent of show reviews in real time in order to get better. One of my free worksheets at PodcastTalentCoach.com is dedicated to reviewing your show. Here are eight of the questions on that worksheet that can help you improve your podcast.

Pick an episode from a few weeks back. Listen to it in real time. Then…

Ask yourself these questions

  1. Did you accomplish the goals you set for this episode?
  2. How did you make the audience care?
  3. How did you include the listener, making them part of the story?
  4. Where were the “oh wow” moments?
  5. What was memorable about the show?
  6. At what points did you introduce and reset the show/topic?
  7. What stories did you tell?
  8. Where did you use active language? (walking instead of walked, eating, not ate)

There are 19 total questions on the review sheet. You can find it online at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

If you would like the workbook that will walk you through all of the worksheets, find that at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

 

I’d love to help you with your podcast. E-mail any questions or comments you might have to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.

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

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Get More Podcast Traffic – PTC Episode 049

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Get More Podcast Traffic – PTC Episode 049

Get More Podcast Traffic

How do I get more podcast traffic? I hear that question all of the time. I recently conducted a survey of my subscribers. The question asked most often had something to do with traffic and engagement with their podcast. “How do I get more podcast traffic?”

I knew the subject was a hot topic, because I see discussions everywhere. How many product launches have you seen that promise to teach you how to get more traffic?

In 1962, Time magazine called David Ogilvy “the most sought-after wizard in today’s advertising industry.” David Ogilvy is quoted as saying, “Great marketing only makes a bad product fail faster.” Be careful what you wish for.

First, make your product great. Then, bring people to the party.

Let’s make your content engaging and memorable before we invite your prospects to the show. If you create a unique experience, your engagement will be much more effective when people come to the party.

Let’s discuss how we become unique. Then, let’s discuss a few organic ways to gain some attention.

 

Create your own style

Don’t try to be somebody else. You are best at being you.

Create you own show structure. There are enough knockoffs.

Highlight your sense of humor.

Tell stories that define your character.

Discuss topics that interest you. Be interesting by being interested.

 

Remove the clichés

Definition of cliché: a trite, stereotyped expression; a sentence or phrase, usually expressing a popular or common thought or idea, that has lost originality, ingenuity, and impact by long overuse.

If you want to sound unique and original, replace your clichés with something fresh.

Top business clichés:

  • Thinking outside of the box
  • Win-win situation
  • Giving 110%
  • Best Practices
  • Synergy
  • Paradigm Shift
  • Low-hanging fruit
  • Push the envelope
  • Take it to the next level
  • A leading provider of…

When you use the same phrases used by everyone else, you become vanilla.

If you want to be unique, grab a thesaurus and find some new words

 

Be memorable

What can you do on the show this week that hasn’t been done before?

Listen to Dave Jackson on his 400th episode of “School of Podcasting” where he was hi jacked by the Binky & The Wiz morning show. You won’t hear that on any other show.

Some loved it. Some hated it. Everyone that heard it remembered it.

Removing every flaw and sterilizing your show will not make it memorable.

Be audacious. Be adventuresome. Be creative.

Be boisterous … sometimes.

Be tender other times.

Do it in a way that only you can do it.

Brainstorm until you have something exciting.

 

Sell The Sizzle

People do not buy products. They buy what the product can do for them.

You don’t go to a restaurant to buy a steak. You go the restaurant, because you’re hungry and want one of your favorite dishes. You want that tender piece of meat that you can cut with a butter knife. The one that will just melt in your mouth, because it is the best steak around. It is cooked perfectly. You are not rushing in there because the cow was corn-fed and aged to perfection. Who cares. Those are attributes, not benefits. Does it taste great? Will it fill me up? Does it remind me of the great family dinners we used to have when I was a kid? I’m in. Those are the benefits.

Sell the sizzle, not the steak.

 

Now that we have a great product, how to we bring people to the party?

Sure you could buy all of those expensive products or a bunch of Facebook ads. I’m sure they work.

 

There is an easier way. And, it is free.

Get your name out there by getting involved.

 

Getting Involved

How many podcasts do you listen to that beg you to get involved with the show? Email us. Leave us a voicemail. Post on our Facebook page. Find us on Twitter. Don’t forget that we have a speakpipe link on the website. Use a carrier pigeon. There are a million ways. Everyone wants engagement.

When you reach out and engage with others, they include you on the show. This does two things.

First, it puts you in front of their audience. That could bring a new audience to your show.

Second, through the Law of Reciprocity, the host of the show may be more inclined to engage with your show. A little thank you gesture. What goes around comes around.

Reciprocity in social psychology refers to responding to a positive action with another positive action, rewarding kind actions. When you do something nice for someone, they feel inclined to do something nice for you in return.

Gary Vaynerchuk spends an great deal of time discussing this in his book “Crush It”. It is a great book that I highly recommend.

Gary basically says, “Put your stuff out there. Then, go engage with everyone else.” Be seen. Meet people where THEY live.

Then, be patient.

You won’t get 100,000 listeners immediately. Grow slowly. Adjust and get it right as you progress. Build the foundation.

As Gary says, “do it again, and again, and again, and again.” Keep engaging. They will come. It only takes your time.

Schedule 30 minutes a day to interact with your audience where they are. You will eventually build the traffic you desire.

 

Get more podcast traffic, but first be unique.

  • Create your own style
  • Remove the clichés
  • Be memorable
  • Sell the sizzle
  • Get involved

 

I’d love to help you with your podcast. E-mail any questions or comments you might have to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.

You can also find tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Find Your Motivation – PTC Episode 048

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Find Your Motivation – PTC Episode 048

DSCN0108

Are you like me? There are times when I find it difficult to find the motivation to take myself to the studio and create a great show. Sometimes it is so much easier to stay on the couch and watch some television.

Just like an athlete, we sometimes just need to find a way to get fired up.

This week, I received this e-mail.

 

I have a podcast about fly fishing that has pod faded. Because I am a fly fisher I thought such a podcast would be ideal. But, it became so much work from pre-production, to post-production, to hitting the publish button on iTunes, that I stopped after 10 months.

I enjoyed interviewing the people on the podcast and the preparation, but quickly grew tired of all the other work it took to publish. 4-6 hours for a 1 hour podcast.

My current challenge is that I enjoy doing several recreational things, but I am not “passionate” about any of them. I just enjoy doing them.

Also, I did not have a product or service to sell and still do not. Since this is not a hobby for me, I want to make a good income from this.

I have purchased your book for my Kindle and am reading it now. I am considering consulting with you for an hour or two to move things along faster.

Right now I am re-grouping and figuring out what to do next and your podcast is a great help.

Thanks again for a great podcast.

Name Withheld

 

There are a few issues within this e-mail.

  • How do we find the motivation to fight through the blahs and record consistently?
  • How can we streamline our workflow to make better use of our time?
  • How can we do more of what we love and less of what we dislike?
  • How can we generate some income?

 

Motivation

Like most podcasters, I sometimes fight the blahs. Are you like me? Do you have those days where you could record for hours on end when you have the drive and you’re fired up?

Then, I experience those other days where I just cannot find the motivation to get into the studio. I feel alone. I wonder if anyone is actually listening.

There are a few ways to find the motivation.

Tips:

  • Find the time of day and day of the week that gives you the most energy.
  • Be consistent with the day and time of the week you record – schedule yourself.
  • Record a few episodes in one sitting to batch similar functions.
  • Always work a week or two ahead to ease the pressure to produce.
  • Have a back up episode in the can in case life happens.

 

Streamline the workflow

Tips:

  • Record a few episodes at one sitting. Setting up the gear takes time. Logging in, gathering material, getting to the studio, getting in the right frame of mind all takes time. You can perform the tasks once for multiple episodes when you put it all into one sitting. You could conduct one recording session per month for 6 hours and be done.
  • Minimize your editing by relaxing on the perfectionism.
  • Find the areas that eat up a lot of your time and remove or condense them.

 

Do What You Love

If you hate editing or creating show notes or posting the episode, farm it out. Use virtual assistants or production assistants. Make it easy on yourself.

 

Much of this costs money, so …

 

Generate Income

  •  What do fly fishers need?
  • Find something that is easy for you to create. Develop your product funnel. In this case, it could be location guides, gear guide, gear reseller, instruction tutorials, tours, travel coordinator, make your own flies.
  • Build different tiers for the funnel.
  • Michael Hyatt & Dan Miller did an interview about making $150,000 a year from your platform. Doing a podcast for 10 months creates a solid base. There is surely something in that niche that could be monetized. It simply needs to be uncovered.

 

This week:

  • Find the motivation to fight through the blahs & record consistently
  • Streamline the workflow
  • Do what you love
  • Build your funnel and begin to generate income

 

I’d love to help you with your podcast. E-mail any questions or comments you might have to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.

You can also find tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Stories Transform Your Podcast – PTC Episode 047

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Storytelling Transforms Your Podcast

Magazines

Have you noticed a lot of the business interview podcasts sound the same? We are hearing the same guests answer the same questions time and time again. How do you become unique in this sea of sameness?

Storytelling transforms your podcast.

People do business with people they know, like and trust. Stories help you develop that knowledge, likability and trust.

Your stories define you and will touch many more people than typical information. The stories you tell and the details you include reveal many things about you. That begins to develop that like and trust.

It can be a bit scary to reveal things about yourself on your podcast. Develop the ability to recognize your unique thoughts and the courage to reveal them on your show.

Two radio coaches have influenced me greatly over the years. They each have similar views on storytelling.

Radio consultant Randy Lane says use stories to “make it human by making it humorous, compelling or tragic”.

Radio talent coach Bill McMahon suggests you decide what you hope to make your audience “Laugh at, marvel at or better understand.”

How do you want your audience to feel after hearing your story? Frame that feeling in your engaging introduction. Decide what you hope to reveal about yourself with the story.

Stories help you connect, motivate and inspire.

There are four parts to the storytelling structure.

 

Engaging introduction

This pulls your listener right into the story. Your introduction should tell your listener exactly where the story is headed.

 

Vivid details

How will your emotion be revealed in the story? Use vivid details to make your story come to life in the theater of the mind.

 

Powerful conclusion

Wrap up the story by reframing of your engaging introduction.

 

What else?

Asking “What Else” will transform your show. Don’t let the story simply end and fade away. Turn it into something powerful.

Many treat a subject in a similar manner. That is why we hear the same style of interview. If you want to stand out and be different, transform you content by using your unique style.

“What Else” can we do with a compelling story? You could create a video, continue the conversation on social media, follow up with listener input in the following episode or various other things. Let your story lead to something bigger.

Ask “what else can we do” and see where it leads.

Storytelling transforms your podcast.

 

A few housekeeping notes this week.

Coupon code ends this week!

Get a one-hour coaching session with Dave Jackson and me for only $50 if you act before June 30, 2014.

Dave 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. Dave and I have decided to cut you a break. By using the code “coach50”, you can appear on the show for only $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”. This deal ends June 30, 2014. Get in on it now before we close it.

GET REVIEWED – CLICK HERE.

 

Podcast Movement

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. We are only 8 weeks away from the Podcast Movement. Register today.

 

I’d love to help you with your podcast. E-mail any questions or comments you might have to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.

You can also find tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

 

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Where To Begin Podcasting – PTC 046

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Where To Begin Podcasting – PTC 046

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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.

You can also find tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

 

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Your Effective Call To Action – PTC 045

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Effective Call To Action – PTC045

(photo by Albo)
(photo by Albo)

I was listening to an interview CD that accompanies each issue of Success magazine. Publisher Darren Hardy was talking with Founder and President of Piranha Marketing, Inc. Joe Polish. During that interview, Mr. Polish proclaimed great marketing makes selling easy and unnecessary.  It makes your call to action powerful.

 

Selling is Easy

You may not be selling in the traditional sense of products or services in exchange for money. However, you are making a call-to-action within your podcast. It may be selling for money. It may also be inviting your listener to come again, asking him to visit your website, requesting that she join your mailing list, inspiring him to get involved with a cause or any other action. It all involves selling yourself.

Polish’s statement was bold. As he went on to explain himself, Polish made perfect sense. In fact, his comments were very similar to the marketing and branding information we’ve been discussing with regard to your podcast.

We have discussed the call-to-action in previous episodes of Podcast Talent Coach. We simply need to determine what we hope to accomplish with our podcast episode before we begin recording.

In summary, Polish said great marketing gets people properly positioned, so they are pre-interested, pre-motivated, pre-qualified, and predisposed to do business with you (or act on your call-to-action). Great marketing therefore makes selling easy and unnecessarily.

If you have truly engaged your listener and created that strong relationship we’ve been discussing, the selling should take care of itself. Selling becomes difficult when you are trying to get your listener interested. Selling before your listener is motivated is a challenge. Trying to sell to a listener that isn’t qualified is hard work. If your listener isn’t predisposed to taking action, you will need to sell hard.

Building relationships with your podcast involves telling great stories. Revealing things about yourself through stories makes you real. Your listeners get to know and like you. As you continue to help them over time, you build the trust they seek.

When you have taken the time to build the relationship, your listener will be pre-interested, pre-motivated, pre-qualified, and predisposed to do business with you. They will be ready to buy. Selling, in terms of convincing your listener to buy, will be unnecessary. Your marketing and engaging relationship will have them ready for your call-to-action.

Do the hard work up front to make selling easy.

 

Shouting Will Not Help You

You can’t shout your way into a person’s trust circle. They only way to gain trust is to add value. Give them something they can use. Building trust is the foundation of revenue generation for your podcast.

As you build trusting relationships with your podcast, continue to ask yourself, “How am I helping my listener?” Continue to give, and the trust will develop over time.

When you begin every discussion with your product, needs or wants, people will tune you out. You will begin to sound (and be treated) like advertisements for used cars. Shouting doesn’t work. Your listener won’t care and will rarely return.

Serve first, many times over. Then and only then can you effectively sell.

Shows like the “Dave Ramsey Show”, “48 Days To The Work You Love” and “Smart Passive Income” are all designed to help their listeners first. Sure, they all have products to sell as the end result. However, they never begin with their product. The discussions on these shows always begin with the listener’s needs in mind first.

As you prepare for your show, find great ways to help. Your help may come in the form of entertainment. You may serve as companionship for your podcast listener. Help them find other forms of companionship as well. If your podcast is only one hour per week, there are 167 more hours in the week that aren’t occupied by your show. Your listeners will surely need more companionship to fill a few of those hours. Help your audience fill those hours, too.

Are you building trust, or are you shouting?

 

Ask For The Sale

After you’ve done the hard work building the relationship, don’t forget to ask for the sale.

One afternoon last week, I stopped by the quickie mart to get something to drink. As I waited in line at the cash register, the gentlemen in front of me set his purchase on the counter.

Among his items was a 2-liter bottle of soda. The bottle of soda was $1.69. The clerk said, “Did you know these are on sale two for $2? You can grab another and save yourself some money.”

The customers responds with, “Looks like I need to grab another bottle.”

By simply asking for the sale, the clerk doubled the purchase. The customer also benefitted by saving some money.

In fact, everyone wins in this transaction. The store is paying the clerk an hourly wage whether he sells one bottle of soda or 100. The cost of the clerk’s time to the store remains constant. Wages are the biggest expense to the store when figuring cost of goods sold. Therefore, by adding another bottle of soda to the purchase, even at the lower price, the store makes more money also.

It all happened because the clerk asked for the sale.

 

This week, review your show to ensure you are building those relationships.

• Start with the listener instead of your product or service

• Determine how you are going to help your listener with this episode

• Put a strong call-to-action at the end of the episode

 

Let’s Work Together

I would love to help you with your podcast. If you would like to improve your content, call-to-action and business, I have a few openings for coaching clients.

You need to be serious about making some money with your podcast. It may not be millions. However, you need to have the desire to make a little money.

We will work together to build a customized plan for you, your show and your business.

We have to date before we can get serious, right?

I’m offering a complimentary coaching call to a few candidates who are serious about their improvement. We need to see if we are a good fit for each other.

There will be no high pressure sales pitch. We can review your show to see if we work well together. If it clicks, we can lay out a coaching plan for you. If the call is not all you had hoped, no harm. We’ll just continue on as friends.

There is only room for a few. My calendar simply will not allow me to coach everyone.

If you are interested … and serious … e-mail me at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. We can get the conversation started.

 

Find tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Your Podcast Brand Revisited – PTC 044

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Your Podcast Brand Revisited – PTC044

Headphones

This week, we revisit my most popular episode. This episode has been downloaded almost twice as many times as any other episode I have released.

Maybe you missed it. Maybe you caught it and this will be a great refresher. Either way, I have received great feedback on the content and I am sure you will enjoy it.

On this episode, we discuss how to turn you, your content and your podcast into a brand. How do you create that powerful podcast brand to stand out amongst the sea of podcasts that are available online?

Find the original show notes HERE.

 

A few housekeeping notes this week.

Get a one-hour coaching session with Dave Jackson and me for only $50 if you act before June 30, 2014.

Dave 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 $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”. This deal ends June 30, 2014. Get in on it now before we close it.

GET REVIEWED – CLICK HERE.

 

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. We are only 10 weeks away from the Podcast Movement. Register today.

 

I’d love to help you with your podcast. E-mail any questions or comments you might have to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.

You can also find tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Powerful Podcast Stories – PTC Episode 043

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6 Ways Stories make your podcast powerful

PTC Episode 043

Zig Ziglar used great stories in every point he made. He was a wonderful storyteller.

Dave Jackson and I spoke with the Contractor’s Secret Weapon podcast this week on the Podcast Review Show. They hosts told a great story about earning the #1 spot on Google. The story really helped solidify their points.

You don’t need to include constant stories in your podcast. You only need a few memorable stories to make your podcast stronger.

6 ways stories make your podcast powerful.

 

Transport your listener to other places using stories

  • Visual words
  • Theater of the mind

 

Would I enjoy taking a one-hour car ride with this person every week?

  • Develop friendships
  • Like a one-on-one conversation in a car

 

Do I know the host by listening to the show?

  • Reveal things about yourself
  • People get to know and like you

 

Stories define your character

  • People begin to trust you

 

Let others live vicariously through your stories

  • They can enjoy your journeys without the risk
  • May be the reason there are so many entrepreneur podcasts

 

Stories make you human

  • Humorous, compelling or tragic
  • Laugh, marvel, sympathize
  • Put yourself on the same level as your listener

 

There are worksheets available on the Podcast Talent Coach website that will help you develop your stories. These worksheets are free. The Show Prep and Topic Development worksheets will be most helpful with your stories.

You can receive further help walking through the worksheets by getting the Podcast Talent Coach Workbook. It is available in paperback HERE and on the Kindle HERE.

To discuss my personalized, one-on-one coaching, you can reach me at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.

 

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. Prices increase by $40 on June 1. Act now!

 

I’d love to help you with your podcast. E-mail any questions or comments you might have to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.

You can also find tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Memorable Podcast Brand – PTC Episode 042

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Memorable Podcast Brand – Episode 042

Have you noticed all of the interview shows popping up lately?

It seems everyone wants to have an interview podcast. Many simply copy the other successful interview podcasts and hope to stand out. How can you be different while being the same?

Jared Easley and I were talking the other day. He publishes the wonderful podcast “Starve The Doubts”. We were discussing his approach to make his interview show stand out amongst the sea of sameness.

Jared creates a unique approach to the interview show in a couple different ways. First, he not only has a guest to interview on his show, he also has a guest interviewer join him to ask the questions. This gives the show an extra dimension. The questions on every interview have a little different perspective.

Second, Jared asks unique questions. He opens every show asking about the guests favorite concert. He then sprinkles in “would you rather” and “fill in the blank” questions. Jared does his homework on every guest to create questions that are well-informed.

These two steps help to create a unique interview experience and overall solid, memorable podcast.

 

Be Memorable

If you want to keep your listener coming back show after show, you need to make them remember to come back. You need to remain top-of-mind for your listener. That is the purpose of audience engagement. Make your listener remember you for something specific about your show.

As you build your show, make it about one thing. Find one particular thing that will be remembered. If you try to be all things to all people, you will water down the show. Everything will be nice. However, isn’t usually truly memorable. You will get lost in the millions of messages your listener receives on a daily basis.

Find one point that you can make amazing. Take it over the top. Make it the “goodbye” scene in “Titanic”. Make it the “I am your father” scene in “Empire Strikes Back” between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader. Your particular point could be the point where you assure your caller that everything will be ok. It could be the fantastic story of your brush with celebrity. It is your show. Find the magic.

Stir emotion. Make it amazing. Bring your listener back. Be memorable.

 

Do They Remember?

When you consider the entertainment options podcast listeners have, the importance of creating a powerful brand really becomes apparent.

I searched iTunes for podcasts about hockey. There are hundreds of hockey podcasts available. Thousands and thousands of episodes exist that deal with hockey. You can find various topics, including drills, NHL teams, coaching, fantasy hockey and many more.

How do you stand out? How do you get noticed?

Your listener needs to remember your podcast, so they can return and listen again. That is the way to build a following. 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.

Using your brand to create strong relationships with your listeners is critical to the health of your podcast. If you are bland, you will get lost in the sea of average. There are over 100,000 podcasts available for consumption. Most of them are average or worse. If you refine your content, turn your information into entertainment, and transform your podcast into powerful relationships, you will easily stand out from the crowd. It is a must not only for your success, but your mere survival. Begin your brand today.

 

The Memorable Podcast Brand Uses Cows

The unexpected is amusing, delightful and memorable. Being direct assumes your listener cares about your marketing message. They don’t. Your listener cares about his or her needs, wants and desires. Attract their attention by doing the unexpected.

To engage your podcast listener and create a relationship, you need to be memorable. In order to be memorable, you must be unique. Be distinct, unusual, and unexpected. If you sound like every other show, you will not stand out and get noticed.

Chick-fil-a could have easily become another fast food restaurant lost in the sea of mediocrity. Founder Truett Cathy wouldn’t let that happen. The company pays great attention to the details and does the unexpected at every turn.

The Chick-fil-a mission statement is, “Be America’s Best Quick-Service Restaurant.” Sure, every fast food joint wants to be the best. Few are willing to put in the work.

One Saturday, we were on a road trip. We were passing through Des Moines, IA at 8:45p as we pulled into the mall to grab a quick bite. We found out the mall closed at 9p. As you can imagine, most restaurants in the food court were cleaning up. We were one of two parties there to eat.

We stepped up to the Chick-fil-a counter and apologized for cutting it so close and causing them extra work. The gentleman behind the counter assured us it was no trouble at all. We received our (fresh) food quickly and grabbed a table in the middle of the food court.

About five minutes later, the Chick-fil-a employee came to our food court table to make sure everything was alright. This was a mall food court. Few fast food restaurants ever check on you in their own establishment. You especially do not receive this sort of attention 10 minutes before closing.

That level of service is the norm at Chick-fil-a. They always take the extra step to surprise and stand out. It is carried through to the careers they offer, the scholarships they provide to their employees and the process of accepting partners and franchisees.

The company uses cows in their commercials to promote chicken sandwiches. The Chick-fil-a website even has a special section devoted to the cows. When a cow parachutes into a football game promoting chicken sandwiches, it us unexpected. Chick-fil-a is memorable.

If you can create unique, memorable experiences for your listener by incorporating the unexpected, you begin to create powerful, meaningful relationships.

Are you using your own cows in your podcast?

 

The Memorable Podcast Brand Swings For The Fence

Rather than being consistently good with your podcast, be occasionally great.

Your listener will remember one big thing from your show. They will not remember every detail, every comment or every e-mail answer. They will remember that one thing you did. Each show, try to make one big splash that will be memorable.

Swing for the fence.

Many know the great Babe Ruth as one of the greatest home run hitters in baseball. Many also know that Ruth struck out roughly twice as often as the league average. He struck out 1,330 times.

Babe set out to do something exciting. We wanted to be memorable. Sometimes, that meant striking out.

People don’t remember all of the singles Babe hit. Even though he is 2nd all-time with his on-base percentage of .474, nobody talks about all the times Ruth got on base. He had 1,517 singles and 506 doubles to his 714 home runs. That is nearly twice as many singles as homers. Doubles and home runs were just about equal.

Why do people remember all of the home runs? Because they were exciting. Babe was occasionally great. He was great often enough to be memorable.

You don’t have to set records. Simply make your podcast occasionally great. Nobody remembers your strikeouts. Don’t worry about them. When you finally hit the home run, people will remember.

Every now and then, swing for the fence

 

Risky Stands Out For The Memorable Podcast Brand

As we develop meaningful relationships with your podcast, we in turn build credibility that will support our call-to-action within your show. To develop strong relationships, you need to create engaging entertainment that will get you remembered by your listener. To be remembered, you must stand out.

You stand out when you are loved. You are remembered when you are hated. You fade into the background when you are plain, vanilla and trying to not upset anyone. If you don’t stir strong emotions, you are easily forgotten.

When we create, we expose our perspective. We open ourselves to criticism. It is natural to want your thoughts, views, art and creation to be accepted by everyone. To avoid being disappointed, we often play it safe.

Those fantastic, memorable personalities are usually both loved and hated. Rush Limbaugh is loved by the conservatives and hated by the liberals. Dave Ramsey is loved by the conservative investor and hated by credit card companies and whole life insurance salespeople. Dr. Laura Schlessinger would consistently be critical of her callers. Yet she would receive more callers than she could handle on any given show.

Safety lacks creativity. It is risky to be truly creative. However, that is really the only way to get noticed. Safe blends in. Risky stands out.

Create that memorable podcast brand to keep your listener coming back show after show. Remain top-of-mind for your listener. Make them remember to come back next week.

 

I’d love to help you with your podcast. E-mail any questions or comments you might have to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.

You can also find tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

The Show Funnel Solution – PTC Episode 041

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The Show Funnel Solution – PTC Episode 041

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.

You can also find tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

The Gender Marketing Difference – PTC Episode 040

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THE GENDER MARKETING DIFFERENCE – PTC EPISODE 40

There is a big difference between marketing to men and marketing to women. The book “Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus” by John Gray, Ph. D. discussed in great detail the communication and relationship differences between men and women. These differences are critical in marketing. They are also important elements to your podcast strategy.

I’ll be speaking at the Podcast Movement in Dallas August 16th & 17th. My affiliate link is online at PodcastTalentCoach.com. I will be doing a session on this very topic showing you how to make use of these marketing tactics in your podcast.

Today, we are going to cover five major differences you need to consider when marketing to the different genders. Keep these differences in mind when you are shaping your podcast content.

Please understand that I am speaking in generalities. I understand these statements won’t hold true for every person. These points are are simply how most men and women react in common situations. The definition of stereotype is “a simplified and standardized conception or image invested with special meaning and held in common by members of a group” There are times when the stereotypical case will not hold true for a specific situation. Most of the time, this is the case.

 

THINKING

In a broad sense, men tend to think very linearly. Women usually think very spatially. To be effective communicating with each gender, you must understand these differences. You must also select one to target. The same message will have difficulty reaching both genders effectively.

 

PROBLEM SOLVING

Men and women also take different approaches in the way they solve the problems. Because men think linearly, men focus on the solution. Men try to determine what steps are needed to reach a successful outcome. If a man is in need of a new car, he will find the solution step by step. A man will review his options, compare the features, determine the best buy for the money that will do the job, and make the purchase. Men typically move through a problem step-by-step. If the steps are all completed successfully, he buys the vehicle.

Because women tend to think globally, they are typically concerned with the way their relationships are affected by problems and the possible solutions. A woman tends to consider how each person in her close circle is affected by each possible solution. If she is in need of a new car, she will typically consider her needs and those of her family. Will her kids be safe? Is there enough room for everyone? Will the features please her family? Are there entertainment features available to keep her kids occupied on trips? She will also consider how her friends will view the purchase and if she is being treated right by the salesperson. If the relationships all benefit from the purchase, she buys the vehicle.

You can see evidence of this difference in the way auto makers market to the different genders. Minivans aimed toward women will play up the features for the entire family. The commercial will depict the envy of the neighbors. The storyline may even show mom juggling soccer practice, shopping, carpooling and work. These commercials tend to be very spatial in nature and focused on relationships.

Commercials for trucks that are targeted toward men will usually tout the problem solving ability of the truck. The script will play up the horsepower, torque and hauling capacity of the truck. The commercial will usually show the truck pulling some ridiculously heavy load, like trees or ships or something. Men will be convinced they can get the job done with this particular truck. The steps are very linear.

When handling tasks, men tend to be single-minded and focused on one goal, while women usually multitask well. This difference probably began with the cavemen. Each had well-defined duties in the household back in the cave.

Cavemen would set out to find dinner and bring it home. He had one task with one goal. Women handled the entire household doing many things at one time. Men needed to be very focused to find dinner without being eaten by a tiger. Women needed to multitask in order to tend to the house (or cave), handle the children and keep the family in line all at the same time.

You can see this difference in society today. When men are watching television, they watch television. When men attend a sporting event, they watch the event. Men are typically focused on the thing they are doing. This is usually true even if they are doing it with friends.

Women, on the other hand, typically have the ability to multitask very well. Women can be cooking 3 different dishes for dinner, talking on the phone, and keeping an eye on the evening news all while being fully aware of what the children are doing in the other room. Women multitask in a way that astonishes men. Men cannot understand why women spend an entire baseball game talking with the people around her rather than watching the game. Men are there to watch the game. Women attend because it is a way to socialize and strengthen her relationships. She enjoys the game for much different reasons.

The tendency to focus on one task or many creates another interesting difference between men and women. Because they tend to multitask and focus on multiple items simultaneously, women do not seem to tire of activities as quickly as men. When men focus on one thing only, they will become bored with that particular item before a woman. Men will want to move on to the next thing. Therefore, men tend to like new and different. They tend to appreciate change more than women. Women will tolerate repetition much more than men, because they are not as focused on one item at a time. It may also take more messages in different ways to effectively reach and influence a woman.

Men and women also differ in the way they remember things and events. Again, men are linear. Women are spatial.

 

COMMUNICATING

Men typically view communication and problems solving as a way to show their strength and power. Men typically see things as a competition. It is a linear approach. They seek validation by solving problems. When men are communicating with each other, you will often see each attempt to “one-up” the other. You will often hear, “Oh, you think that’s bad. One time something worse happened to me.” Other men do not typically take offense to these comments. These challenges are a way for men to show their power and dominance.

Women use communication and problem solving for much different purposes. Women use both as a way to strengthen the relationship. Women seek understanding when tackling a problem. Rather than seeking validation, women are typically seeking empathy from and an opportunity to bond with their communication partner. You will rarely hear a woman try to “one-up” the person with which they are communicating. However, you will hear, “Oh, that’s terrible. What did you do?”

When I go out to lunch with my buddies, we have a good time. When I get home, my wife will ask me what we talked about. I will tell her, “Nothing really. Sports and politics.” She finds it baffling that we didn’t discuss his son’s birthday or our family vacation. We debate the nuances of professional versus college sports. We might discuss the benefits of one political candidate over another. That’s how men communicate. Men use a friendly challenge to bond. Women tend to see that style as a lack of understanding.

 

RELATIONSHIPS

Men and women also handle relationship problems differently. Just like problems in any other area of life, men typically seek the solution (linear) while women tend to use problems to strengthen the relationship (spatial). Understand these differences as you build your relationship with your audience.

Let’s take a typical, hypothetical couple. Tina and Adam have been together for 3 years. Their standard Friday night is eating take out and watching TV. Tina says, “Adam, we never go out anymore.” In Tina’s head, she is thinking, “Our relationship needs more ‘us’ time. We don’t spend enough time together having fun.” Adam replies, “Fine, let’s go out tomorrow night.” Adam is thinking, “Done, problem solved.” Tina then gets a little more aggressive with, “That’s not what I mean.” Now Adam is really confused. “You just said we don’t go out enough. Let’s go out tomorrow night. What’s the problem.” Tina says, “I’m not just talking about going out.”

Conversations similar to these fall apart, because men and women approach the problem in much different ways. Women use the conversation to strengthen the relationship. Men use communication to solve the problem. “Going out tomorrow night” means different things to each of them.

 

MEMORIES

When men remember events, they tend to remember in a linear fashion. They will remember events in sequence as one thing happened, then the next and finally the last. It is a sequential time line. If a man were recalling a party, they would typically begin with the setting and who arrived first. He would walk through the time line of the party. His description might begin with, “Things got going in the kitchen. We moved downstairs and shot some pool. Paul had a bit too much to drink and after he broke the lamp trying to dance, the party came to a halt and everyone headed home.” It is a step-by-step recollection of the events.

Women typically remember events in a very spatial way. They will remember who attended the party. They will remember the great time that was had by everyone. Women will recall some of the great conversations that took place. The memories would possibly include the laughs, the gathering places and the details of the atmosphere. The recollections of women tend to be global in nature.

These differences between men and women will play an important role as you define your target audience. Will your communication be spatial or linear? This is something you’ll need to decide before you can move forward to create the structure and content of your show.

Gender is only one characteristic of your target audience. There are many others to consider. Just as if you were describing one individual person, gender would only be one characteristic of that person.

 

I’d love to help you with your podcast. E-mail any questions or comments you might have to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.

You can also find tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Defeat The Podcast Jitters – PTC Episode 039

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Defeat the Podcast Jitters – PTC Episode 039

This week we discuss how to properly prepare for your podcast, and how to overcome the podcast jitters.

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.

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.

My career in radio started just running the board for long-form programs. I only talked on the radio between the 30-minute shows. I might give the time or temperature. Otherwise, I would sit around while the show played. Speaking was minimal.

As an elective for my architecture degree, I took a class called “Broadcasting For The Non-Major”. I figured being in a radio station for a part-time job should make this class a little easier. It would also help me learn more about my job.

That class eventually led me to become the music director of the college station.

That position got me a job working overnights at a commercial station. Suddenly, I instantly found myself talking to 10,000 people. I was no longer talking between long-form programs to a handful of old people. This was real radio.

Over time, I started to get comfortable talking on the radio. It took a little time. I eventually got there.

As I started picking up more hours on the air, my boss started to send me out broadcasting live in front of a crowd. I was being sent onstage to introduce concerts in front of 10,000 people. These were no longer people I couldn’t see. They were right in front of me.

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. In this episode, I would like to show you how to shake the butterflies out of your system. It could save you years of trial and error.

Preparation is the key idea in the process.

 

Here are four steps to properly prepare for your show.

 

To Overcome Jitters

– Prepare your material

– Rehearse

– Focus on one person – preferably your single target listener you have defined

 

Create Great Notes

– Bullet points – don’t script

– Tell stories

– Give examples – play audio

– Determine your open and close, intro and outro for show and each topic … “now it’s time for” is not an appropriate intro

 

Set the Room

– Get the temp correct – be comfortable

– Get some room temp water

– No distractions – phone, family

 

Prepare Your Equipment

– Close other programs

– Prepare your software

– Turn off your phone, close e-mail, close IM

– Test your mic and set your levels

– Contact and prepare guests & co-hosts

 

What other tips do you use to overcome the jitters?

 

I’ll be speaking at the Podcast Movement 2014. It is a national podcast conference in Dallas Aug 16 & 17. The speaker roster looks amazing. It is only about $135 for the standard ticket before June 1. Get my affiliate link here.

 

Next week, we will discuss the differences between marketing to men and women. You’ll learn how this will shape your podcast content.

 

I’d love to help you with your podcast. E-mail any questions or comments you might have to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.

You can also find tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

2-Person Podcast Tips – PTC Episode 038

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2-Person Podcast Tips

A few notes before the episode this week. I am speaking at the Podcast Movement in Dallas August 16th and 17th, 2014. It is a national podcast conference that has an amazing roster of presenters and speakers. It is less than $135 (including fees) for the standard ticket before June 1, 2014. I would love to have you join me there using my affiliate link. Get your ticket by clicking the logo in the bottom right corner online at PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Dave Jackson recently invited me to join him on the Podcast Review Show. You can find the show and listen at PodcastReviewShow.com. Each week we invite a podcaster on the show for a critique of the entire business from content to website to revenue opportunities.

If you would like to be featured on the show, click the “Get Reviewed” link at PodcastReviewShow.com.

 

Joining a two-person show forced me to review my tips for shows with multiple hosts. How do you maintain the level of quality and professionalism? How do you maintain the focus without running down rabbit holes and getting lost?

Most of these tips apply if you are a solo podcaster or only have guests on your show.

There are five areas to develop for a show with multiple hosts.

 

Define Each Role

  • Select your partner carefully
  • If you are the same, one of you isn’t necessary
  • What is each expected to bring to the show

 

Responsibilities During The Show

  • Who drives
  • Who sets up topics
  • Who cues others

 

Smooth Flow

  • Develop hand signals to avoid talking over each other
  • Use chat if can’t see each other
  • Use names of each host to allow listeners to follow along
  • Use a show clock so each host knows where the story is headed
  • Begin stories with your intriguing introduction so your partner can follow

 

Other Work

  • Decide who handles other tasks like booking guests & post prod
  • Equal sound quality
  • Use similar equipment
  • Record on separate channels for processing & post prod

 

If It Ends

  • Create an agreement before you begin
  • What happens to the show if someone wants to leave?
  • Who owns the content if someone leaves?
  • Who owns the business & clients?
  • “Oh, it will never happen. We’re married/best friends/brothers.” It happens all the time. Don’t fool yourself.

 

Plan your show before you begin. If you are already creating content, it is never too late to start. Start planning today.

This week:

1. Define the roles of each member of your show and put it in writing

2. Start using the names of those on the show

3. Create an exit plan for the show if it should end

 

Next week we will discuss how to prepare for a show. We will review topics like how to get over prelaunch jitters, how to use your notes, and what should be included in your prep outline.

 

I’d love to help you with your podcast. E-mail any questions or comments you might have to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.

You can also find tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Focus Of Your Podcast – PTC Episode 037

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Focus Of Your Podcast – PTC Episode 037

A few notes before the episode this week. I am speaking at the Podcast Movement in Dallas August 16th and 17th, 2014. It is a national podcast conference that has an amazing roster of presenters and speakers. It is less than $135 (including fees) for the standard ticket before June 1, 2014. I would love to have you join me there using my affiliate link. Get your ticket by clicking the logo in the bottom right corner online at PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Dave Jackson recently invited me to join him on the Podcast Review Show. You can find the show and listen at PodcastReviewShow.com. Each week we invite a podcaster on the show for a critique of their entire business from content to website to revenue opportunities.

If you would like to be featured on the show, click the “Get Reviewed” link at PodcastReviewShow.com.

Show Focus

I was listening to the Solopreneur Hour Podcast with Michael O’Neal this week. His show is one of my regular, weekly listens. The podcast frequently features an interview with a successful person in business. Michael does a nice job relating his content to my business.

Many podcasters get lost in the interview and fail to make the important connection to the listener.

When you define the focus of your show, you create a filter for your content. This filter helps determine which content makes the show. It also helps frame your content with respect to your listener.

(Get the “Show Focus Worksheet” HERE.)

To succeed, you need to set yourself apart from the crowd. You cannot simply be better. You must be amazingly different. Make the connection of your content to the needs of your listeners. Help your audience solve their problems and eliminate their frustrations.

Even if you are a seasoned podcaster, it may be time for a tune up. Does your show have a strong focus? Is your content truly helping your listener? Have you defined what is in it for them?

Begin with your passions. When you are creating your podcast, find subject matter that stirs a fire inside you. If you can talk about it for hours, you are probably on target. If you can come up with fifty different topics on your area of interest, you could have a winning subject.

What topics and subjects typically occupy most of your conversations? This is probably where you will find the focus of your podcast. You will be talking about the same subject matter show after show. You better love it. To be interesting, you first need to be interested.

Once you have your topic, define your unique qualities. Remember, you don’t simply want to be better. You want to be amazingly different from the others. My show is focused on content. Where most shows about podcasting center on the technical aspect, I use my 25 years of broadcasting experience to create content you cannot find elsewhere. That is my unique position.

This is where we narrow your topic. Really focus on the niche. You cannot be everything to everybody. Being broad creates a bland podcast that lacks focus. Be specific.

The size of your niche is not nearly as important as the passion of the niche. Help people that are passionate about your topic. This is where you will succeed.

Where can you help? Determine what frustrates your listeners. Figure out what your audience needs to do to double their business or happiness or success. Then, help them accomplish those things. Create solutions with your show.

Finally, use this filter for all of your content. Define the focus of your show. As you prepare for each episode, run your topics and content through this filter to ensure the focus is on your listener.

If you are interviewing people on your show, run it through your filter. What is in it for your listeners? How can they put that information to use?

Even if you are a comedy podcast for entertainment only, your listener is still getting a benefit from your show. They are coming to you for companionship. They want to forget about their problems for a bit. Your content filter should ensure you are helping them accomplish that goal.

 

Here is your “to do” list for this week.

1. Step back for an overview of your show. Define the goal for your podcast.

2. Determine where and how you are helping your listeners.

3. Ensure your niche is focused enough.

4. Put all of your content through your listener filter.

 

Next week, we will discuss tips for the two-person podcast. We will examine five areas you should define and develop if you have a show with multiple hosts.

 

I’d love to help you with your podcast. E-mail any questions or comments you might have to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.

You can also find tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Podcast Negativity Trap – PTC Episode 036

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Podcast Negativity Trap – PTC Episode 036

A quick note … Dave Jackson of School of Podcasting has invited me to join his Podcast Review Show podcast. Each week, we invite a podcaster on the show and review their podcast with them. Dave and I help our guest refine their content, delivery, production, branding and website. If you would like to find our more, head over to PodcastReviewShow.com.

This week on Podcast Talent Coach, we get a question submitted by Steve Stewart of the “Money Plan SOS Podcast” Steve brings up two questions. With all of the negativity surrounding us and pulling us in, how can we keep on a path of positive messages? How can you be passionate without being negative?

It is good to recognize the negative influence in our content. Negativity surrounds us everyday, making it difficult to stay positive. The nightly news uses the philosophy “if it bleeds it leads”. The political talk shows are typically more about the negatives of the opposition rather than the virtues of their position. The Sunday morning political talk shows in the U.S. Are all a battle with a “sky is falling” mentality.

Negativity attracts people. Many people have a desire to run from the negative rather than toward the positive. Many want to quit their job. However, few have any idea where they want to head. A cynical, sarcastic, mean attitude will simply pull successful people down rather than build anyone up.

If bad news and negativity attract an audience, why change? If conspiracy theories and stories of the world ending keeps people coming back, why get rid of it? If it ain’t broke, why fix it?

Negativity in your life is destructive.

If you believe you are what you think about, then we need to remove the negativity from our lives. This theory is present in many books. You will find it in Napoleon Hill’s “Think & Grow Rich”. It is the main idea in “The Strangest Secret” by Earl Nightengale. It is difficult to have a positive attitude in life if you are talking about negativity in every episode.

In the long run, negative content in your podcast will harm you and your listener.

I have stopped watching the news. I don’t want that negativity in my life. What good does it do me to see pain and agony in the lives of others?

What is the solution? Our content can’t be all tulips and licorice. We can’t look at the world through rose-colored glasses. How do we create the balance?

First, we can’t make your show great by simply removing the bad stuff. We need to replace the bad content with more of the good stuff.

Have you ever tried to stop doing something? Smoking? Eating fast food? The secret is that you can’t stop something without replacing it with something else. Many people that try to stop smoking gain weight. Food replaces cigarettes.

There are four steps you can take to maintain a positive attitude and overtone in your podcast.

 

Positive Solutions

With your content, lead people to positive solutions. Start by identifying the negative. Then, replace those ideas with positive solutions. Show people better options. Give them help & hope.

 

Use Proper Planning

Know how to get to the good in the story and where you plan to go before you begin recording.

 

Review Your Show

Find the parts of your show where negativity appears. Then, determine how you could have lead the topic in a positive direction. Over time, you will become better getting to the positive during the show.

 

Stick To The Tough Work

The negativity trap is the easy path. Being positive is tough work. In the long run, it will be better for you and your listeners. Your audience will grow more slowly. However, it will be more loyal over the long run. Negativity wears out its welcome quickly. A positive attitude will help your podcast develop longevity.

 

The negativity trap is destructive to your podcast. It is unhealthy for you and your listeners. Being positive is hard work. Be confident, and stick to it. Over time, it will be better for your show. Help your listener find the positive in her life. Help her overcome her challenges and solve her problems. Lead her to better results. Positivity helps develop long-term success for your show.

 

I’d love to help you with your podcast. E-mail any questions or comments you might have to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.

You can also find tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Creating Podcast Avatars – PTC Episode 035

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Creating Podcast Avatars

Before you can create a great podcast with meaningful, powerful relationships, you need to define your target listener. Most podcasts decide they are focused on a niche and leave it at that. I hear, “My podcast is for entrepreneurs.” A broad category of listeners isn’t defined nearly well enough to help you focus your content.

When creating content, you will approach fans of the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League different than you would talk to fans of the New York Philharmonic. You will speak differently to young men in college than you would to grandmothers who enjoy knitting. When you define your target audience, you will define your strategy to reach that audience.

If you are creating a podcast around retirement, your target audience may be defined by gender and age, such as men in their early twenties or 50-year-old women. Their age is the commonality.

Your target audience could also be defined by a common passion. The podcast could cater to fans of Harley Davidson who ride at least 25,000 miles per year. Their fanaticism ties them together.

This episode walks you through your listener definition using the Podcast Talent Coach worksheet found online at PodcastTalentCoach.com.

 

This week, complete the worksheet to really define your avatar. I think you’ll be surprised how it helps shape your content.

 

I’d love to help you with your podcast. Please let me know how I might be of assistance. You can also find tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

More Podcast Engagement – PTC Episode 034

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More Podcast Engagement – PTC Episode 034

A few notes this week …

A big thanks to Dave Jackson at The School of Podcasting for having me on his 400th episode. That was quite an honor. We had a lot of fun. Check it out when you have a minute.

 

The Podcast Talent Coach workbook is now available in paperback. The workbook will walk you step-by-step through my worksheets. You will gain a better understanding of the purpose behind each question and worksheet as you develop your content. Find it at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

 

I received an e-mail the other day that contained a question I’m asked quite often. For quite some time, I’ve tried to solve the problem myself. I’ve read books, listened to interviews, purchased products and reviewed tons of notes and articles I’ve collected over the years. The question? How do we create more engagement with our podcasts?

 

Before we jump into engagement, let’s review your checklist from last week. On the last episode, we discussed ways to sound more confident in your content. Your checklist included four items.

– Be yourself. Tell a story on your podcast this week that will reveal something about you.

– Do everything in your own style. Start by defining that style.

– Move beyond information by defining what is in it for your listener. Stir emotion.

– Review a past episode while actually listening like a listener.

Now that you have some time between posting the episode and reviewing it, this might be a good week to listen to your show like a listener. See if you actually accomplished all four points.

I hope the episode helped you and served you to create your podcast with more confidence.

 

Through all of my research and years of experience, I’ve discovered a few key steps to create interaction. This week, let’s cover 7 steps to create more engagement with your podcast.

 

1. Be A Storyteller For Success

As you create your podcast, become a great storyteller. Great storytellers create fans.

Interest in your story never remains constant. Your information can only become entertainment when interest is rising. If interest is falling, the show is becoming boring and is no longer entertainment. A great story continues to develop the plot and raise the interest.

Have you ever sat through a long, monotonous story that never seems to end? You stare and wonder if the speaker actually has a point to this monologue. You pray for your cell phone to ring and save you. That scenario is exactly what you want to avoid. Practice becoming a great storyteller.

Stories help define your character and personality. You should always be yourself. It is difficult to play a character consistently and tell great stories. Your true feelings and identity will always be revealed in the stories you tell. If you are successful hiding your true self, you simply are not telling great stories. Vivid details and interesting points that stir emotions in your listeners can only come from your true feelings. Reveal your true character. Storytellers create raving fans.

 

2. Ask Them To Engage

How do you expect them to know you want them to be part of your show if you don’t ask?

Be sure to make your request specific. Tell your listener exactly what you want her to do.

 

3. Make It Easy To Engage

You may use social media, your website, an e-mail address, voicemail, or a number of other methods to reach you. Simplify it. Create one contact page on your website containing the info to avoid the need for a laundry list during your show. Then, always provide that one contact source. By using that one source, you also prevent your listener from getting caught in the decision paradox.

Make the questions specific, so they don’t have to think. Give your listener a question to answer or specific piece of information to provide. If he isn’t forced to be creative and “work” to create content for your show, you will have more success creating engagement.

 

4. Focus On Helping Others

Zig Ziglar had many great quotes. One of my favorites is, “You can have anything you want in life just as long as you help enough other people get what they want in life.” How true that is.

As you turn your information into engaging entertainment with your podcast, keep in mind that helping people is part of the foundation of a strong relationship. If you take, take, take, your relationship won’t last long. If you are there to give and help, you will develop friends for life.

Ziglar is a great example of helping people. His speeches always offer great tips to improve your life, sales or attitude. He also has great books, CDs and other products he sells. However, most of his time is spent on helping others. There is a lot of free Ziglar information available. He helps others and eventually sales come his way.

Get what you want out of life. Focus on helping others.

 

5. Make It About Them

If you want people to engage, there has to be something in it for them. Make them care.

 

6. Tease And Set Up The Next Episode

Prepare your audience to participate. Let them know the topic for next week. Then, ask them if they have a question about that particular topic. If you have a guest, ask if there is a question they would like you to ask. Michael Hyatt does a great job at this on his podcast “This Is Your Life“.

 

7.Thank Your Audience

Thanks for listening. I appreciate the help you give me.

It is such an easy way to strengthen your relationship with your audience. Your listeners have given you something they can never get back. That is their time.

Show your appreciation. A simple thank you will go a long way with your listener. If they know you are honestly grateful for their time, the chance they will listen again goes way up.

It must be honest and authentic. You can’t thank them in a gas-station-attendant-I’ll-never-see-you-again kind of way. You must deliver it from the heart. It should be the kind of thank you that you would give a stranger who stopped to help when you ran out of gas.

Your listener is your lifeblood. Without your listener you have no show. She has many, many choices when allocating her time. Let her know you appreciate her for spending her time with you.

… And thank you for stopping by. You have done a ton for me just by being here.

 

Next week we will discuss how to define your target audience better than the generic avatar you have now. We’ll get specific. If you have questions about that topic, head to www.PodcastTalentCoach.com to get your questions answered.

I’d love to help you with your podcast. Please let me know how I might be of assistance. You can also find tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

More Podcast Confidence – PTC Episode 033

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How To Develop More Podcast Confidence

Self-confidence is a battle we all face. Do you feel like you don’t belong amongst the best in your niche?  Do you sometimes wish there was somebody that would give you that little boost of validation?  Most recently, I received nearly the same question. How do I become comfortable as a speaker?

We have discussed this topic in the past on the Podcast Talent Coach podcast. In episode 012, I offered tips to become more comfortable with the timber and sound of your voice. This week, I would like to give you a few ideas to use to develop more confidence in your content.

I had a coaching call and received an e-mail in the past couple weeks that included this topic. Both podcasters were unsure of their speaking ability. They felt they may lack authority on their topic.

I had a coaching call with a gentleman who had recently launched a new podcast. His career to this point had involved public speaking and presenting. He was self-conscious of how he sounded on his podcast. He asked if he should get a voice coach.

The second question came in an e-mail.

“So far I have interviewed and recorded 3 people and when editing I’m realizing how much I hate my voice and because of that I feel unsure about putting anything out. Though the desire to podcast and be a liable presence is there is it possible to have a nervous sounding voice and still taken seriously? I don’t know why I sound so timid and unsure because these people I’m interviewing are so far of people I know but as soon as I press that record button my presence seems to change. Do you have any tips? I hope there is still a chance for me. I hope this is just a newbie problem and something that I can eventually overcome.”

We all face the inner critic. We are unsure how we can sound like an authority in our niche. What can we do to develop more confidence in ourselves as we create our content each and every week?

This week, we discuss four steps to become more comfortable & confident with your content.

 

BE YOURSELF

A great podcast is a great relationship. It is just like creating a great brand. In order to develop that solid relationship, you must be yourself. You can’t fake it.

When you try to be someone or something you are not, you will not sound authentic. Eventually, the truth will come out.

Have you ever met someone you had admired from afar, only to have them do something that didn’t fit with your image of them? Maybe it was a baseball player, or a movie star, or a politician or a musician. You met them with great expectations of an encounter with your hero only to find out they were rude and average. It turned out they were only being who they thought they should be for the public when really they were someone completely different in real life.

Everyone has their flaws. That is what makes them human. Howard Stern has flaws. He makes his flaws part of his show. Domino’s Pizza admitted the errors of their ways with their cheap, low quality pizza. They laid it out for the world to see in their marketing. Your listener will accept your flaws. They will feel like you are “one of them” when you admit your flaws upfront. Don’t be afraid to expose yourself.

When your listener discovers you are something other than the character you portray, the bond of trust will be demolished. Your relationship will be forever damaged.

Build a solid brand. Be yourself.

 

YOUR STYLE

Create everything you do in your own style. You can only stand out among all other shows when you create your own unique style. You must then make sure everything you do is consistent with that style.

Many new broadcasters try to emulate the style of their hero or mentor. They attempt to imitate the styles they hear from other broadcasters. Unfortunately, copying doesn’t create a unique style. Copying typically creates a watered-down version of some other style. When creating your content, be yourself and find your own style.

Some of the greatest broadcasters didn’t start the ascension to the top until they abandoned the attempts to broadcast in the style they thought others desired and began being true to themselves.

Oprah Winfrey quit trying to be a traditional news anchor. She also quit doing the typical tabloid, daytime talk show. When she began to create the show she always desired, she went to the top of the game.

Howard Stern began as a radio DJ sounding like every other radio DJ. He was playing the records and spouting the lines written by management while going nowhere. When Stern decided he was going to do radio his way, he began to make a name for himself. He also went to the top.

Rush Limbaugh followed a very similar path. He had a cheesy radio name. He followed the format designed by somebody else. Limbaugh made every attempt to fulfill the typical radio DJ stereotype. He also got fired again and again. When he decided to broadcast in his style and true to his beliefs, he began his rise to the top.

Adam Corolla made his climb when he took full control over his style and show. He was climbing the DJ ladder in Los Angeles. Corolla had some decent television work. He then decided to create his own show in his own style via podcast. That began his rise as one of the biggest podcasters in the world.

All of these broadcasters made the decision to stop copying others. They all created shows that were true to their style.

They each also stay true to their style in everything they do. You will never hear Rush sound like Howard. You’ll never mistake something Oprah says as something Adam might say. Being true to their style isn’t something that takes conscious effort. It comes easy to each of them, because it is true to who they are as people.

Be true to yourself. It will make it easy to create everything you do in your style.

 

MOVE BEYOND INFORMATION

The goal of our podcasts is to create strong relationships with our audiences. We can take those relationships and move our listeners with a call to action. To achieve that strong relationship, we need to move beyond information to engaging entertainment.

Dan Miller, author of “48 Days To The Work You Love” could simply explain how you might find a new job. Instead, Dan instills the belief in his listeners that there is more to work than a paycheck. He stirs emotion describing how you can turn your passion into your career. Dan uses that emotion to turn his job finding information into engaging entertainment.

Financial information is turned into entertainment on “The Dave Ramsey Show” when Dave turns debt into the enemy. He doesn’t simply walk you through the steps to become debt free. Dave helps you find that burning desire to escape the shackles of debt. He makes you envision the possibility of “living like no one else”. His help becomes engaging entertainment. That is the reason his show is extremely popular and he is very wealthy.

Our shows can be powerful when we build relationships and move our listeners with a call to action. Those relationships happen when we move beyond information to engaging entertainment.

 

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.

You will only find these moments when you listen like a listener. The show will sound much different to you when you listen back than it did as you were recording it. You will hear things you didn’t notice as you were focused on creating the content. Words that you overuse will suddenly become noticeable to you.

Once you have created the lists of good and not-so-good, create two more lists. First, determine how can you create more of the “oh wow” moments on the show. How might you incorporate into the show more of the great content that worked? Second, make a list of ways you can eliminate the parts that weren’t polished enough.

Get on the road to show improvement. Review your show on a regular basis.

 

To Do This Week

1. Be yourself. Tell a story on your podcast this week that will reveal something about you.

2. Do everything in your own style. Start by defining that style.

3. Move beyond information by defining what is in it for your listener. Stir emotion.

4. Review a past episode while actually listening like a listener.

 

I’d love to help you with your podcast. E-mail any questions or comments you might have to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.

You can also find tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Your Professional Podcast Sound – PTC Episode 032

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Your Professional Podcast Sound

When I first started in broadcasting, I doubted my voice, my sound and my ability. I doubted whether I belonged with the other professional broadcasters. Would they find me out and end my broadcasting career before it began?

Everyday, I would search for ways to sound more professional. Any idea that would come along to help me sound more prepared I would put to use. If I thought an idea would help me sound organized, I would give it a shot.

Overnight radio is where most broadcasters begin. I did overnights for the better part of four years trying to find my way. The desire to belong in the category burned inside of me. My passion to sound like a professional drove me show after show.

After years, I realized the fear of sounding unprofessional, unprepared, and unorganized is perfectly common amongst broadcasters. The desire to be credible and belong in the category burns inside of most that go on to become successful. The inner critic is present in all of us.

If you would like to sound like an expert and not simply knowledgable about your topic, there are steps you can take to sound more professional. There are ways to become more organized and prepared. Your show can grow by leaps with a few simple adjustments.

Here are three steps you can take to sound more professional.

 

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.

 

STAY FOCUSED

Avoid the shiny objects.

In the past, I’ve suggested you incorporate stories in your podcast to truly engage your listener. To make your stories powerful, lead with a strong introduction that tells your listener exactly what to expect. Your first few sentences will tell your audience exactly where you are going with your tale.

Many podcasters find it fairly easy to lead with an intriguing introduction. The trouble comes as the story develops. Storytellers often find it difficult to stay focused on the goal of the story. They often get distracted and sidetracked following tangents that really have nothing to do with the story.

Let’s say the story begins with, “I got the deal of a lifetime at the mall this weekend.” You know exactly where we are going with this story. I’m going to tell you all about a great deal I found at the mall.

If we are in the middle of the story, we get completely derailed if I ponder, “Why do parents think they can just drop their kids off at the mall like it is a daycare?” This has absolutely nothing to do with the great deal I found. We are now running down a rabbit hole and need to figure out how to get back on track.

Your listener has a difficult time following your story when you get off on tangents. Your show becomes confusing. Meandering stories also waste time and limit the number of subjects you can address in any particular episode.

Make it easy for your listener to follow and enjoy your stories. Stay focused on the goal of the story. Avoid the shiny objects.

 

REPLACE THE CLICHES

That’s right, of course, like I said, obviously.

If you find yourself saying “obviously” or “of course”, you are making one of two errors.

The first error is repeating yourself. If you are saying “obviously” because you feel everyone already knows the information, you are wasting your breath. There is no need to say it.

I may say, “The sun comes up in the East, of course.” Everyone listening to me knows the sun comes up in the East. There was no reason for me to point out the origin of the morning sun.

“Of course” gets thrown in, so it didn’t look like I was trying to teach you about the sunrise. I didn’t want you to think I just learned that. “Of course” plays it off.

The second error is lack of confidence. You may want to sound knowledgeable to those who know the information. Yet, you know there is a segment of the audience that does not know the details. In this case, you’re just wasting words.

I may say, “The band will be at the arena Saturday night, of course.” Some may be aware of this performance. Yet, there may be members of the audience who haven’t heard the news. It makes sense to add the information.

The idea is to sound knowledgeable and credible to those that already know, while providing the information to those unaware. You simply need to restructure you sentence and eliminate the cliché.

“When the band is at the arena Saturday night, parking will be at a premium.” This sentence provides new information to both segments. I include the “arena Saturday night” portion for the new listeners while giving those already aware of the concert new parking information. Both receive a benefit.

When you include “that’s right” or “like I said”, you are repeating yourself. Your listener heard you the first time. Most people use these cliches to fill time while they think of the next thing to say. Avoid going in circles. Your listener will quickly become uninterested. Know where you’re going and keep moving forward.

Avoid the cliches. That’s right, of course, like I said, obviously.

 

Take these three steps to sound like an expert and not simply knowledgable about your topic. These steps can make you sound more professional, more organized and more prepared. Start down the path to show growth this week by making these few small adjustments.

I’d love to help you with your podcast. E-mail any questions or comments you might have to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.

You can also find tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Protect Your Podcast Voice – PTC Episode 031

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Protect Your Podcast Voice

Your voice is your power. It is your tool. Without your voice, you have no podcast.

Throughout the year, it is inevitable that you will get sick. Maybe it is just a scratchy voice. Maybe you lose your voice altogether. When illness hits, what do you do about your show?

A few weeks ago, I made a trip to a conference in Nashville, Tennessee. Five days of shaking hands, conference room sessions, and group dinners along with two flights there and back, made it difficult to avoid the germs. As much as I did to rest, eat properly and protect myself from getting sick, illness still found me.

The sickness had me down for the count. I had a horrible cough. My throat was sore and raw. The frog sound coming from my voice box was not anything I could use to record a podcast. What was I going to do?

Luckily I had prepared. I had been working two weeks in advance in preparation for the trip. In case I didn’t make it back in time to record the podcast for that week, I wanted to be sure I had something prepared. It came in handy, even though I made it back in time.

There are three things you can do to prepare for disaster.

First, work a week ahead. When you are working on the podcast for the following week, you have some flexibility. If something happens where you can’t record for any reason, you already have the show ready for this week.

Second, create an evergreen episode. This is an episode with content that never becomes outdated. This is your “just in case” episode. You simply set it aside in case you need it.

Finally, you can record an evergreen “donut”. This is an open and close that allows you to put repurposed content in the middle. It is like you are putting it in the middle of the donut.

For instance, you would record an open just like your regular show open. However, instead of introducing new content, you say something like, “This week we will be revisiting the one episode of my show that has been downloaded more than any other episode.” You could also create a show of highlights or “best of” questions. This could be any content you can gather from previous episodes.

Your close would be very similar. “I hope you’ve enjoyed this ‘best of’ episode. I will be back next week with an entirely new episode.” This closes the donut.

Now, if you ever get sick, you have an option to continue to deliver content every week. Consistency is crucial to creating relationships. Plan ahead.

So, how do you stay healthy? How do you get well if you get sick? What ounce of prevention can you use to protect your most valuable asset? Here are a few tips.

 

Care

Take care of your voice.

– Wear a hat & avoid the head cold

– Speak from the diaphragm when recording

– Avoid excessive clearing of the throat

– Warm up properly by slowly expanding your range

– Use a nasal rinse

 

Drink

When recording, stay hydrated.

– Drink room temp water to avoid constriction from cold beverages

– Avoid caffeine, because it also constricts

– Avoid soda & syrup drinks to prevent the crud building up in your throat

 

Get Well

If your voice gets strained, here are a few things to try.

– Gargle with warm salt water

– Use a humidifier to keep your membranes hydrated

– Drink warm decaf tea with honey

– Drink warm/hot chocolate

– Use a nasal rinse

– Drink plenty of water

– Experiment to find what works

 

Your voice is your most valuable asset. Do all you can to protect it. Stay healthy.

If you get sick, try these seven tips to get well.

Above all, don’t risk it. Plan ahead. Illness is inevitable. Have a show in the can or a plan to create some evergreen content should you get sick. Do your best to protect your podcast voice.

 

I’d love to help you with your podcast. E-mail any questions or comments you might have to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.

You can also find tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Turn Your Podcast Into A Conversation – PTC Episode 030

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TURN YOUR PODCAST INTO A CONVERSATION

PTC EPISODE 030

Let’s have a conversation. People want to feel part of the discussion and not like they are sitting in a lecture. How do you create that atmosphere on your podcast?

1. Talk to me, not at me

2. Treat your audience as an audience of one

3. Let your listener live vicariously through you

4. Use your regular voice

5. Do everything in your own style

 

Talk To Me, Not At Me

When you are podcasting, talk “to” your listener.  Don’t talk “at” her.  You are not announcing.  You are having a personal conversation and building a relationship.

Podcasting is an intimate conversation with one person.  The conversation is typically one person speaking into a microphone addressing another single individual.  There may sometimes be hundreds of thousands of people listening.  However, they are all listening by themselves.  Even in an automobile with others listening via communal speakers, the members of the audience are listening by themselves in their own head.  Each listener is developing their own unique, mental images.

Have a conversation directly with that individual.  Put your listener in the moment.  Avoid addressing the group.  Instead of using “hello everyone”, use “hi, how are you?”  Make her feel like you are talking directly to her.  It will make your podcast relationship much stronger.

 

Audience Of One

As you are creating your podcast, treat your audience like you are talking to each person individually.  This is critical when creating a trusting relationship with your audience.

I hear many shows address their audience as a group with comments like “hello everyone” or “hey guys”.  Each person in your audience is listening to you as an individual.  Audio is a very personal medium.  Many times, they are listening with headphones.  It is just you and her.  Talk to her just like that.

Addressing a crowd on the radio began when radio began.  As radio was just being created, station owners needed content to broadcast.  Radio programming began with rebroadcasting live, theater events.  The person on the stage would address the crowd as “ladies and gentleman”.

As radio progressed, live audiences were eliminated.  However, people on the radio continued to address the audience as a group.  It was fitting.  The family still gathered around the radio before television was introduced to the family room.  An on-air personality could address the audience as a group and be justified in doing so.

Radio then became a personal medium.  The television replaced the radio as family entertainment.  In-car and headphones became the preferred method of radio listening.  Each listener was now creating images and visions in his or her own head that were unique to their imagination.  Their thoughts were different from those of any other listener.  The conversation was now between the person on the air and the individual listening.

Unfortunately, radio personalities continued to address the listener as a group.  ”It has always been done this way.”  The disconnect began.

Podcasts are even more individualistic than radio.  Most people select a podcast because of their own tastes.  Groupthink does not play a factor as it would to select a movie or television show for the family.  It is one person listening on their own to a show that interests them.

If you are talking to your listener as if they are in a group, using plural terms like everyone and you guys and you all, your listener will wonder who you are addressing.  They will think, “You guys?  I’m listening by myself.  Who are you talking to?”  In the end, they will not follow your call-to-action, because they will think someone else in your “group” will handle it.  Talk to an audience of one and build that relationship with each listener individually.

Nobody like to be lectured to. Data and facts get dull & boring. Engage by being conversational. Tell stories. This is a converstaion, not a lecture

 

Vicarious

Can I Be You?

Vicarious. Voyerism. Eavesdropping.

Those are three main reasons people listen to your podcast. Tell stories to help fulfill those desires.

People dream about having a different (and usually better) life. They want to experience those things others are experiencing. The grass always seems greener on the other side of the fence. People crave living the lives of others.

Your listeners want to live vicariously through you. They want to experience your success. They wish they had the courage to do the things you have done. Your fans want to be you in some way or another.

Voyerism is a reason many people watch the shows they watch, listen to the stories they hear, or read the books they read. They want to experience the lives of others.

People eavesdrop on the conversations of others for the very same reasons. They can experience the life of others without the risk of faliure. Eavesdropping doesn’t take the courage that it takes to actually live the life.

By telling great stories about your experiences, you help your audience fulfill the desire to live vicariously through you. If your show contains audio of your feats and experiences, you allow your audience to become the voyers they desire. When you interview people on your show, you allow your listener to eavesdrop on your conversation.

When you simply lecture as the content of your show, you fail to help your listener experience any of those three desires. Find new ways to deliver your material to your audience. You will make those important connections that turn into friendships. Those relationships will foster loyalty to your show. Your tribe will follow you wherever you go. That’s a powerful thing.

Tell stories of self-revelation. See where it takes you. You’ll be surprised how many people wish they could be you.

 

Use Your Regular Voice

The scoop is that fake announcer voice that you hear quite often. It’s like a slow start with a gradual build.

“Wwwwweeeelllllcome to the big show.”

It sounds like your voice is going up and down as if it is on a yo-yo.

Real people don’t talk like that. You are trying to build trusting relationships with your audience. You want to sound real and authentic.

When you sound like a supermarket announcer, you sound fake. Your listeners will find it hard to trust you, because they know that isn’t really you. The audio they are hearing sounds like a character you are portraying.

Don’t let your voice bounce like a ball. You can be excited and enthusiastic. You can also be real and natural at the same time. Just be yourself.

When the inflection of your voice bounces up and down, you will find it difficult to truly engage your listener. Be real. Avoid the scoop.

 

Create Everything In Your Style

Create everything you do in your own style. You can only stand out among all other shows when you create your own unique style. You must then make sure everything you do is consistent with that style.

Many new broadcasters try to emulate the style of their hero or mentor. They attempt to imitate the styles they hear from other broadcasters. Unfortunately, copying doesn’t create a unique style. Copying typically creates a watered-down version of some other style. When creating your content, be yourself and find your own style.

Some of the greatest broadcasters didn’t start the ascension to the top until they abandoned the attempts to broadcast in the style they thought others desired and began being true to themselves.

Oprah Winfrey quit trying to be a traditional news anchor. She also quit doing the typical tabloid, daytime talk show. When she began to create the show she always desired, she went to the top of the game.

Howard Stern began as a radio DJ sounding like every other radio DJ. He was playing the records and spouting the lines written by management while going nowhere. When Stern decided he was going to do radio his way, he began to make a name for himself. He also went to the top.

Rush Limbaugh followed a very similar path. He had a cheesy radio name. He followed the format designed by somebody else. Limbaugh made every attempt to fulfill the typical radio DJ stereotype. He also got fired again and again. When he decided to broadcast in his style and true to his beliefs, he began his rise to the top.

Adam Corolla made his climb when he took full control over his style and show. He was climbing the DJ ladder in Los Angeles. Corolla had some decent television work. He then decided to create his own show in his own style via podcast. That began his rise as one of the biggest podcasters in the world.

All of these broadcasters made the decision to stop copying others. They all created shows that were true to their style.

They each also stay true to their style in everything they do. You will never hear Rush sound like Howard. You’ll never mistake something Oprah says as something Adam might say. Being true to their style isn’t something that takes conscious effort. It comes easy to each of them, because it is true to who they are as people.

Be true to yourself. It will make it easy to create everything you do in your style.

 

I’d love to help you with your podcast. E-mail any questions or comments you might have to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.

You can also find tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

More Podcast Listener Interaction – PTC Episode 029

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MORE PODCAST LISTENER INTERACTION – EPISODE 29

Many podcasters ask me how to get more listener interaction with their show. How can you get more listener feedback and comments? We need to transform your information into engaging entertainment. When your content is engaging, people take notice and take action. If you want your listeners to interact more with your show, make your content engaging.

When you tell stories on your podcast, you reveal things about yourself. Vivid details are critical elements of great storytelling. You are creating theater of the mind. Draw pictures in the mind of your listener.

Details are more believable than generalities.

Details reveal specifics about your thoughts, beliefs and character.

Details put your listener in the moment helping them envision your story in their mind.

Garrison Keillor, in one of his “Stories From Lake Wobegon”, describes a woman who endures crushing loneliness and town gossip. Keillor says, “She got into bed with a dying man – so she could sing ‘Abide With Me’ in his good ear”. You can see the details in your mind. Envision the man’s hearing aid. Can you hear the song? There are so many details in that sentence, many of which aren’t even described.

Lake Wobegon is a fictitious place, yet is believable due to the details. The story details reveal what Keillor finds amusing. The story is also vivid enough that you can see it in your mind.

That’s the wonderful thing about audio. Everyone sees their own personal, mental images in their own way. Those differences add to the enjoyment and entertainment of the story. Each listener can enjoy the unspoken details in their own way. They are not at the mercy of the interpretation of a movie director.

Tell great stories. Use vivid details. What did you reveal today?

1. Tell me great stories

I’m not simply talking about your integrity. By character, I mean all of the attributes that create you, as in character in a play.

The purpose of your show is to attract an audience. Whether you want to monetize that relationship, encourage a call-to-action, or simply create an audience for your ideas, creating the audience is where you begin.

The stories you choose to tell reveal how open you are to others. Your openness is a sign of trust. Trust is a big piece of a relationship. Reveal things about yourself through your stories and you’ll begin to build trust with your listener.

The details you include tell your listener what you value. If the listener feels you value things they too value, you solidify the relationship. People like to hang out with similar people. If your values are opposite of your listener, you may also attract them. It is like a love/hate relationship. They may dislike it, but they continue to listen. This often happens when talking politics.

What you find entertaining will be evident by the stories you tell. Since people like other people who have similar tastes, revealing those things you find entertaining will also build the relationship.

Stories also have the power to demonstrate your vulnerability. Stories can show that you are a real person. Your listener will see you as approachable. They also may begin to see you as a friend. That is when true relationships begin to form.

Next time you watch a late night talk show, notice how the great, memorable interviews contain great stories. Interviews that focus on facts and information rarely cut through. Those guests come off more as a lecturer than as a friend. The guests that tell stories appear more personal, warm and friendly. Their stories reveal things and help you feel like you know them personally. Take note next time you watch.

Foster a relationship with your listener by revealing things about yourself through stories. Stories will define your character.

2. Put your audience in the story

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 have probably seen a movie like “Silence of the Lambs” where you completely lose awareness of your surroundings as you’re sucked into the scene. It may have been a movie like “Casablanca” where they say goodbye at the very end. Those are two great stories that put you right there in the moment.

Stories told by great storytellers do the same thing. Garrison Keillor is probably one of the best storytellers of our time. When listening to this story, you can see the guy Keillor describes in a few short seconds. He includes great lines like, “… In the midst of drinking a Bombardier at the Moonlight Bay Supper Club and she’d gone off with him to the Romeo Motel.” The story is short, yet the details are vivid.

If you can create details so vivid that your listeners can almost feel them, you can truly put her in the story. Your listener will be fully engaged. That is where information becomes entertainment. Strengthen your relationship with your listener at every opportunity. Put the audience in the story.

Create a movie and put your listener in it

3. Make them forget they are listening to a podcast

When your audience is listening to your podcast, make them forget they are listening to a recording. Take them to another place. Make your storytelling so strong that their imaginations put your listener in another time and place. That’s what great storytelling is all about. That’s what great relationships are all about.

People seek entertainment to escape from reality. They want entertainment like movies, concerts, television, radio and podcasts to make them forget about all of their problems. Entertainment that succeeds will take the audience member to some other place and time.

When you record your podcast, you need to create that wonderful theater of the mind. It doesn’t matter if you’re reading fiction or talking about gardening, put your audience in the moment. Make your listener forget they are listening to a recording.

4. Intrigue & Suspense

What will happen next?

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.

5. Use active language

Your details should contain active language. Words like walking, carrying, and eating are current tense. They create images in your mind. You can see a clown walking. If I am telling a story about a clown that walked, using the past tense, it is more difficult to envision in your mind. It already happened. He isn’t doing it anymore. I can see walking. I can’t see walked.

When you use active language, your story comes to life. Use rich, vivid words that will draw fantastic pictures in the minds of your audience. “The old man, small and fragile, came slowly walking into the art shop gingerly carrying the tattered, leather-bound, black-and-white photo album he had been saving from his depression-era childhood.” You can see the old man. Active language paints those photos.

I’d love to help you with your podcast. E-mail any questions or comments you might have to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.

You can also find tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Building Your Podcast Business – PTC Episode 028

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Building Your Podcast Business

Most every podcaster has the desire to turn their podcast into a business. Though some podcasters treat their show as a hobby and an outlet for their passion, many reach a point where they wish to monetize their efforts. Podcast profits are possible in many forms when podcasters get creative.

Most podcasts do not generate enough cash to stand alone as a business. There are ways to generate revenue from the podcast, such as advertising and sponsorships. These methods typically bring in money in direct relation to the size of the audience. It is traditionally called CPM, or cost per thousand. (M for mille – Latin for thousand; M is also the Roman numeral for thousand.)

There are two primary issues with relying on advertising as your primary revenue source.

The first downside of CPM is the direct relation of hours to dollars. When you stop putting in hours, you stop taking out dollars. When you stop creating the podcast, the revenue stream stops as well. When you exchange hours for dollars, that is called a job. When you create something one time and it generates a continuous stream of income, that becomes a business.

Limited inventory and revenue is the second problem with advertising. There is a limit to the amount of sponsorship time possible within any particular episode. If your podcast is an hour in length, how much advertising could the show possibly contain? Two sponsors? Four sponsors?

At some point, the adverting becomes a negative to the audience. This is the issue terrestrial radio is facing. The commercial time has expanded to a level that is negatively affecting time spent listening to radio. Stations are hoping listeners will sit through 12 minutes of commercials on music stations and nearly 20 minutes on talk stations. People are looking for other content that does not force feed them content they do not desire. This is where your podcast will thrive.

You can turn your podcast into a business by developing a suite of products. Brendon Burchard, the author of “The Millionaire Messenger” and creator of Experts Academy, describes it as an integrated product suite. The podcast attracts a group of followers without wasting their time. Your content and message builds a friendships. Listeners begin to know, like and trust you.

Once you have built a loyal group of listeners that trusts you and your message, you can ask them to join your list in exchange for something free. This gets people to take the next step to become engaged with your brand. I use this with free worksheets, videos and other content. Fans give me permission to e-mail them pertinent, valuable content. The additional free content continues to build the relationship.

After delivering content over time, you can begin to monetize the trust you’ve built. Start by asking your fans to purchase a low end product, such as this workbook. The low end product doesn’t cost much. It is simply a purchase to break the barrier to make your fan comfortable doing business with you. Your listener can risk $20 to see if your products are as good as you say. Again, we are building more trust.

If you could sell 1,000 e-books at $20 each to your audience of 10,000 listeners, you would generate $20,000 in revenue.

Let’s compare that to the CPM model. The average CPM in podcasting is around $25. Using that same 10,000 listeners, your CPM factor would be 10, because you have ten “thousands”. $25 CPM x 10 “thousands” equals $250 per episode sponsorship. Two sponsors per episode would generate $500 per episode. Producing 50 episodes per year would then bring in $25,000 annually. That is just a little better than the e-book model.

There is a big difference between the two methods. With the e-book, you write it once. It then continues to generate revenue. You must create your podcast every week to keep the revenue flowing. At the beginning of the next year, your podcast starts over again. Your e-book continues to sell with little additional effort. You can also write another book to begin doubling your revenue.

The next step is a mid-range product. This would be something in the $200 range. While you continue to deliver great, free content and your book continues to sell and build trust, you can then produce your mid-level product. At some point, you will ask for that sale. Convincing 100 of your 10,000 fans to purchase your $200 product will generate $20,000. We are talking about converting one percent of your audience at this level.

This style of product layering continues as you build your business. It is all based on the relationships you are creating with your podcast. You are building trust with your podcast. The fantastic, free content allows your fans to know, like and trust you. Your podcast is the foundation of your business.

Your podcast is not your income generator. The relationships you have build with your audience becomes the conduit to create income. Your friendships will be the basis on which your business is built. We will turn those relationships into a suite of great products centered around your content.

Entrepreneur on Fire” with John Lee Dumas is arguably one of the most successful recent podcasts in terms of revenue generation. John releases a daily podcast 365 days a year. He has been able to monetize his podcast at a high level using sponsorships. In fact, he posts his monthly income report at www.EntrepreneurOnFire.com/income. According to his site, Dumas generated $39,400 from sponsorships in December 2013.

Even at that level of success, John Lee Dumas has other products. At nearly $40,000 a month, his show is bringing in almost half a million dollars in annual sponsorship revenue. If you examine the income report, advertising within the show isn’t even the largest source of income during the month of December. Entrepreneur on Fire generated $52,763 with John’s “Podcasters’ Paradise” program.

In total, Dumas lists 7 different revenue sources on his income report. These include a mastermind, sponsorships, an ebook, an audiobook, his program, one-on-one mentoring and affiliates. This is a great example of a suite of products. The entire program is built on the foundation laid by his podcast.

If you hope to build a business around your podcast, begin by developing your product suite. Brainstorm the various products and services you can create. Make a list of five to ten products that will begin to generate revenue for you. Then, start creating the one that will be quick and easy. This is where your business will begin to take shape.

Your entire business will be built around your podcast. This is where people will begin to trust you. Everything described in this workbook up to this point has been designed to get your audience to know, like and trust you. Only when we reach that point can we begin to monetize the show.

You are creating a relationship with your audience. The more you reveal about yourself on your show, the more you create influence through friendship. Your sales will be built on the trust you are developing.

Help your audience. In sports coaching it is often said that players will not care how much the coach knows until they know how much the coach cares. Show your listeners you care by helping them solve their problems. Develop that friendship.

Once your friendship is built, your listeners will begin to move through your product funnel.

Your product funnel is just as it sounds. We bring many people into the big end of the funnel. As they move through, the price goes up until only a few come out the small end. Your podcast and other free content is at the big end of the funnel. As we move to the low-tier $20 product, we lose a group of listeners. We then lose another group when we progress to the $200 product. Listeners continue to move along the funnel until we have a few dedicated listeners playing thousands of dollars at the small end of the funnel.

You cannot begin at the middle of the funnel. People do not begin by buying your $200 without knowing anything about you. The entire funnel is based around your podcast and the relationships you are creating.

Though your podcast will not be your primary revenue generator, it will be the foundation for your business. This is where it all begins. Make it great. Tell the truth. Make it matter. Have fun. Before you know it, you will be building great friendships on the way to an amazing business.

 

This week:

Develop your free bonus content

Launch an e-mail database like Aweber or Mail Chimp

Brainstorm a low-tier and mid-tier product you can create

 

I’d love to help you with your podcast. E-mail any questions or comments you might have to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.

You can also find tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Confidence To Begin A Podcast – PTC Episode 027

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Confidence To Begin A Podcast

I’m Erik K. Johnson, founder of Podcast Talent Coach. I help people refine their content to transform their information into engaging entertainment so that they can convert their podcast audience into powerful, profitable relationships.

Have you ever struggled with your confidence to launch or record an episode of your podcast? Have you worried that you were just pretending to know what you’re doing? That someone might find out that you didn’t really belong amongst the podcast professionals?

I’ve been there. I was at that point when I started in broadcasting. While in college getting my degree in architecture, I became a party DJ to make some extra cash. Music had always been a big part of my life. I had been a musician since I was 11. However, I had wanted to be an architect since 6th grade. Getting my architecture degree was never in question.

Around my junior year of architecture school, I started becoming disenchanted with the field. It was then that I picked up a part time summer job at a radio station where my brother worked. Just to make some extra cash. As my passion for architecture waned, my passion for radio grew. Next thing you know, I’m taking classes in the College of Journalism and becoming the music director of the college radio station.

My music director position at the college station turned into another part time commercial radio job. That position eventually became full time.

Architecture was still part of my life. I was nearly done with my degree and didn’t want to throw it all away at that point. So, I finished my degree in architecture and continued to work in radio. Oddly enough, my only architecture job came while I was still in high school.

When I began in radio, the impostor syndrome heavily kicked in. I had an architecture background. What right did I have to be on the radio? Who was I to think I was in a position to be amongst these radio guys who had been doing it for many, many years and had paid their dues. I felt like I was playing dress up and pretending to be one of them. It took me years to get over that and build the confidence to perform on a daily basis.

After doing it for 25 years, I got to the point where I was programming multiple radio stations at the same time. Some of those station were recognized with national awards from the National Association of Broadcasters. The stations ranked #1 quite often. My own show was regularly #1. I built the confidence within myself to deliver content that was compelling and connected with my audience.

When I launched my podcast, I quickly went back to the beginning. The impostor syndrome kicked in again. Who was I to think I could build a successful podcast amongst these greats that had been doing it for years? Dave Jackson at the School of Podcasting has been podcasting since 2005. I’m just starting. How can I possibly think I belong in the same arena as Dave?

Then, I started thinking about my story. I had been here before. That helped me shake the impostor syndrome and put out my content.

That’s what I want to help you do. I want to be that cheerleader for you if you don’t have the history that I have to overcome that little voice inside your head doubting your ability. You can do it. You belong. You have just as much authority on your opinion as anyone. Let’s get it out to the world.

It is fairly simple to set up a mic, mixer and laptop, load up some software and record some audio. Setting up a website with WordPress, creating a Libsyn account and posting a show isn’t very complicated. Even if you are not very technically savvy, there are great people like Dave Jackson and the School of Podcasting that can help you with every step along the way. He even has a great class at www.HowToPodcast.com. You’ll have a podcast launched in 6 weeks.

Creating the platform is only the first step. Creating great content is up to you. Your content isn’t something you can outsource. You need to find the confidence to put your thoughts and feelings out into the world.

How do I bootstrap to begin? Make it simple. Get an inexpensive microphone, like a $60 ATR-2100 or a $99 Blue Yetti. Pick up an inexpensive mixer like a $99 Yamaha 4-channel. Get a free WordPress site. Create a Libsyn account for $15 a month. You’ll need a computer and some free Audacity software. If you already have a laptop, you’re up and running for under $200. Again, Dave Jackson has a whole list of recommendations for you at www.SchoolOfPodcasting.com. I leave the technical stuff up to him.

My goal is to transform your content and beef up your confidence.

So, how do you define your niche? Will anybody really care? It is easy for the impostor syndrome to sneak in here. Your internal impostor will tell you nobody cares about that topic. Your niche is too small and nobody will come. You’ll be talking to yourself.

Fight it. Your niche size doesn’t matter as much as the passion of the niche community. If you have a group of people that are passionate about and loyal to a particular subject, run with it.

The more narrowly you target your niche the better. If you are interested in fishing, pick a small niche. If you love fly fishing, but create your show around fishing in general, you will find it tough to build loyalty. If your show is only on fly fishing, you will primarily attract those interested in fly fishing. The niche is smaller than fishing in general. However, every show will be of interest to your audience.

If your show is “The Fishing Show” and all about fishing, you’ll be hit and miss. One week you talk about fly fishing. The next week you discuss deep sea fishing. Now, you fly fisher friends only get what they seek on occasion. You aren’t catering specifically to them. People will only check our your show now and then. You will find it difficult to build a passionate tribe.

The audience for “The Fishing Show” looks like a bigger audience than “The Fly Fishing Show”. But, it is deceiving. The passion lies in the niche.

Be confident in your topic. You will start slowly. But, it will grow. Stay the course.

How do you get ready? How do you overcome the pre-launch jitters? Planning your podcast will help relieve a bit of the anxiety. If you know where you’re going, you can stay focused on the goal and fight through the self doubt. Plan your show before you begin.

Let’s discuss the 5 Speech class basics and how they pertain to your show.

 

1. Lead with a provocative point – capture their attention right at the beginning.

 

2. Dazzle with details – make the story come to life.

 

3. Take the first exit – Get out when you have the first opportunity.

 

4. Don’t repeat yourself and overstay your welcome – In talk radio, it’s called the call circle.

 

5. Include a call to action – this is the whole reason you’re doing a podcast and creating a tribe.

Have confidence in your content. Fight the impostor syndrome. Do all you can to push forward and get your content out.

When you plan your show, it makes it easier to stay focused on the goal. Know what you hope to communicate on this episode. Lay out how you plan to communicate that information. Then, define your intro, details and exit. Define your call-to-action and determine where you plan to incorporate it into the show.

Now, all you need to do is record the show and post it for the world to hear. The more work you do ahead of recording, the easier it is to believe in yourself while the show is rolling. Remember, because it is fun is the main reason you are podcasting. Enjoy the process.

 

This week, plan your show.

Determine the topics for the show.

Lay out your intro, details and conclusion for each topic.

Define your call-to-action.

 

You can find a free show prep sheet online at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let me know how I can help. E-mail me at anytime at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Tell the truth, make it matter and have fun.

Consistent Podcast Brand Message – PTC Episode 026

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Consistent Podcast Brand Message – PTC Episode 026

New Media Expo 2014 in Las Vegas at the beginning of January was an amazing experience. Every podcaster I met was interested in sharing the knowledge. I discovered many new podcasts. The best part of the event was meeting so many fantastic people.

One common theme came to light as I listened to so many people sharing their ideas. Podcasters are always looking for new things to talk about on their show. They want to keep their content fresh.

It is understandable that podcasters want to continue to deliver new content. You want to keep your listeners returning for new ideas. Delivering the same message over and over may get boring and stale. However, when you stray too far from the core message, you run the risk of diluting your brand.

There is a podcast about business and marketing. I would listen to it on a regular basis. This went on for a few months.

I began noticing the show would post inconsistently. Sometimes it would be weekly. Other times a new episode wouldn’t show up for a month. I never knew what to expect.

The show as hosted by two people in different locations. During some episodes they would talk about hiking. There were times they would discuss the weather differences between the two cities. Many times the discussions were not pertinent to the topic of business.

The hosts would also answer all sorts of questions that came in, regardless of topic relevance. It sounded as if they answered every e-mail they received. There was such a variety of topics that I sometimes wondered if they changed the focus of the show.

I had come to this show to learn something about business and marketing. The show looked like it might have some information I could use in my business. Unfortunately, it seldom delivered on the promise of the show brand. The show was too inconsistent.

Eventually, I unsubscribed.

There are hundreds of podcasts about business and marketing. If you want to stand out from the crowd, you need to be unique, be the best, be exciting, and be consistent.

Frequency to the target is the way to get your audience to remember your show. So, how can you be unique and consistent at the same time? How do you deliver a consistent message without getting boring or stale? How can you keep your content fresh while delivering the information your audience expects from your show?

There are five ways to deliver a consistent message with your podcast without getting stale.

 

1. Say the same things with different words.

Find different ways to package your message. Keep the brand message consistent. Simply find new ways to illustrate your point.

On The Dave Ramsey Show, Dave teaches his seven baby steps to get out of debt and build wealth. His entire show is based around those seven steps. Nearly every call and question comes back to one of those steps. He has built an empire and 20-year radio show around seven steps. It’s the same thing on every show. Dave simply finds new ways to illustrate the method. Consistent message. New ways to say it.

When looking for new ways to frame your brand message, you could approach the subject in many ways. It could be from your point of view or the listeners point of view. It could be in relation to the elderly or young. You could describe it through the eyes of somebody from another country or somebody that speaks a different language. How would the rich and poor see it differently? Describe how a beginner might use your information. Then, describe it from the standpoint of a professional. Those are ten different ways to communicate the same message using different words.

 

2. Give it context

Day O’Day is one of my mentors. I have been to many of his seminars and purchased quite a few of his products. He works with radio people in crafting their sales message and production values.

In one of his presentations, Dan gave a fantastic example of context. Dan asked, “Is it wrong to take medication from a coworker’s desk?” How would you answer that question?

Then, Dan gave the question some context.

What if someone in your office was having a heart attack and that medication was the only thing that could save them?

That is the definition of context. On the surface, sure, taking medicine is wrong. Give the story some context, and you might just change your mind.

 

3. Decide on the perspective for the story

What is your position on the subject? Take a stand. If you don’t care enough to be on one side or the other, how can you expect your audience to pick a side and care?

What do you hope to communicate with this topic? What is the one thing you want your audience to remember about this episode? Answer those two questions and you will begin to define your perspective.

Pick an angle that will really make the story stand out. If you are discussing hunger in Africa, you could tell the story from the point of view of an energetic volunteer, a hopeless child experiencing it firsthand, a frustrated government worker fighting the bureaucracy, or an immigrant to this country who has discovered new hope. Different perspectives communicate different messages.

 

4. Communicate with passion

Love what you do. It is much easier to find different ways to say the same thing when you love what you do. Be passionate about a topic, and you’ll be able to talk about it all day long.

Excitement and passion are contagious. If you are excited about your topic, your listener will be engaged and excited as well. Have you ever met that person that was so excited to talk about a subject that you found yourself getting sucked into a conversation that wouldn’t have had any interest to you at any other time? 30 minutes later you realize you’re still talking about the same subject.

Make them love you or hate you. Either way you are making them care. The middle is boring. Nobody has ever said, “Wow, did you hear the show today? He really had no opinion one way or the other.” Push people to pick a side. You will make the emotionally vested in your show.

 

5. Sell the sizzle

Consumers don’t by products. They buy the benefit of those products. People don’t want products and services. They want their problems solved. What problem will your product or service solve?

People will buy the results and benefits of your product or service.

Be consistent with your benefit message. Find different ways to deliver the message of your benefit in different ways. We are transforming your information into engaging entertainment. Information sounds like a boring message. Let’s juice up your content and make it engaging. Sell the sizzle.

 

I’d love to help you with your podcast. E-mail any questions or comments you might have to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.

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

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Podcast Brand Positioning – PTC Episode 025

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Podcast Brand Positioning – PTC 025

At NMX 2014 in Las Vegas at the beginning of January, I discovered a ton of great podcasts and met many new, fantastic people. Here are a few of the new podcasts I’ve been enjoying lately.

As I was listening to new podcasts, I heard one particular show get concerned over a critical review he received from anonymous individual. I understand podcasters are concerned with reviews. Your show is your art. It is your baby they are calling ugly.

Please remember, one listener is such a small percentage of your overall listenership. There will always be somebody critical of you and your point of view. If you have 100 listeners, that is only 1% of your audience.

If you have people commenting one way or the other, positively or negatively, at least you are making them care. Trying to ride the fence is a lonely place. Stir some emotion.

Your firm dedication to your position is critical for your brand. Stand for something. Politicians aren’t trusted, because they constantly change their mind.

Be concrete in your beliefs. If you love something, shout it from the rooftops. If you really dislike something, be open about it. Either way, stand your ground for the health of your brand.

 

On the show this week, we discuss …

7 Ways To Protect The Positioning Of Your Podcast Brand

1. Talk about what you care about – Find topics that excite you

2. Show prep – Know your position

3. Have a goal for every episode – When listening to “Smart Passive Income” with Pat Flynn, Pat said podcasters and speakers should always ask, “What transformation do you hope to have happen for your audience?”

4. Make it interesting by being interested – Even with guests

5. Don’t take the first idea, work a topic

  • Various things to do with a topic
  • Doesn’t always have to be an interview
  • Parody song, skit, long form report with natural sound (experience), demonstration

6. Never be boring – Do something unexpected

7. Have a strategy – Not only what you hope to accomplish, but how to accomplish & how it affects the brand.

Shout out to Kathy Kelly at “Special Mouse” podcast. The show is described as “Disney parks and travel planning for guests with a wide variety of health issues and special needs.” www.SpecialMouse.com.

Mario from www.210LocalMedia.com. This show is described as “Art, music, film & entertainment around San Antonio, Texas.”

 

I’d love to help you with your podcast. E-mail any questions or comments you might have to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.

You can also find tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Making Your Podcast Brand Stronger – PTC Episode 024

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Making Your Podcast Brand Stronger

This past weekend, I was reading a book by Michael Gerber called “Awakening The Entrepreneur Within“.  Mr. Gerber is the author of the E-Myth series and founder of the company of the same name.

In his book, Mr. Gerber mentions fighting with the internal critic that strikes so many entrepreneurs.  This fight didn’t happen while launching E-myth.  It happened 30 years later, after he was incredibly successful, and while launching a new business.

When I discovered a great entrepreneur like Michael Gerber fights the impostor syndrome, I realized it is only human nature.  We all struggle with that internal critic.  One way to overcome that critic is to continually improve.

To make your podcast brand stronger, it takes consistent improvement.  To achieve constant improvement, you should 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)

In this episode, we cover the questions outlined in the Podcast Talent Coach Show Review Worksheet. Those questions include:

– What did you hope to accomplish on this show? Did you succeed?

– How did you make the audience care?

– Where were the “oh wow” moments?

– Where were the surprises?

– What were the powerful words you used?

– What did you like about the show?

– What was memorable about the show?

– What worked?

– What could have been better?

– How did you position the story from the listener’s point of view?

– How did you include the listener, making them part of the story?

– At what points did you introduce and reset the show/topic?

– How did it appear you were prepared for every element?

– What did you reveal about yourself to help foster the relationship with the audience?

– What stories did you tell?

– What details did you use that were spectacular and visual?

– Where did you use active language? (walking instead of walked, eating, not ate)

– What crutches do you use that need to be removed?

– What is your plan to make tomorrow better?

 

Review each episode for continuous improvement.  Fight your internal critic.  Have confidence in yourself and be your best.  You will be well on your way to making your podcast brand stronger with every episode.

I’d love to help you with your podcast. E-mail any questions or comments you might have to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.

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

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

The Power Of You – PTC Episode 023

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The Power Of You

This week is a little self-reflection. I’m not sure I’m doing my job with my message and serving you as well as I can. Is my communication cutting through in the correct way?

This past weekend, I attended the New Media Expo (NMX) 2014 in Las Vegas. I had an incredible time and learned a lot. The inspiration I receive by attending these conferences is amazing.

The only thing more incredible than the inspiration is the friendships. Mike & Izabela from Music Radio Creative held a meet up at an amazing wine cellar within the Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. We all had an incredible time mingling with other amazing podcasters. Mike & Izabela held the gathering in a room of the Wine Cellar & Tasting Room at the Rio. It was like sitting in their living room with couches, chairs and end tables near a bar filled with wine and cheese. The intimate setting really spawned some great discussions.

During the meet up, I had the chance to sit down with Kenn Blanchard from “Black Man With A Gun”, Dave Jackson from “School of Podcasting” and Rem Lavictoire from “The Sci-Fi Movie Podcast”. We had a great time sharing stories about our lives and podcasting. It was a gift.

Kenn mentioned to me that he wasn’t sure how my podcast would be received. He said I was so passionate and determined about my style that he felt it might turn some people off. I loved the feedback. His words really got me thinking.

I stepped back and assessed my message. Is my message really being communicated they way I hope it is? That leads us to the podcast this week.

My message is all about you. I never want to tell you how you should do anything. I want to show you ways it may be done and let you decide. I want you to be you in a way that only you can do it. It isn’t a prescription. It should be a thought starter.

There are a few things I wholeheartedly believe about any podcast, such as podcasts should be built to attract and grow an audience. I also believe every podcaster should be their own unique self. How that happens should be completely up to you.

Today, we discuss the power of you. Many thanks to Kenn Blanchard for showing me the path. His insights are cherished. Check out his NMX2014 session with the virtual ticket if you have the chance.

Here are the 8 facets of the Power of You.

 

1. Be yourself

Only you can be you

Don’t simply copy somebody else

2. Stick to your beliefs

Be true to yourself

Can’t consistently be something you’re not

Hard to fake it without tripping up

3. Tell the truth

Honesty fosters relationships

4. Use your personal style

To make your show unique, add your personal style

Do it in a way that only you can do it

5. Stories define your character

Listeners will learn about you with stories

Stories breed friendships

6. Have fun

People don’t simply want info, they want entertainment

Much more fun to learn when the content is entertaining

7. Be consistent

People know what they like and like what they know

They want to know what to expect when they listen – Deliver the goods every time

8. Be memorable

Own your category – When they think of your category, they think of you

Don’t want them to casually listen then go away

Hard to monetize your activities if you are not top-of-mind

Most marketing is focused on top-of-mind awareness and a strong call-to-action

Call-to-action is powerful when you are the first one that comes to mind

 

This week …

Review two of your shows to see if you are being yourself

Find one personal story to include in your next podcast

Do one thing in a way only you can do it and make it memorable

 

I’d love to help you with your podcast. E-mail any questions or comments you might have to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.

You can also find tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Creating Powerful, Podcast Relationships – PTC Episode 022

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Creating Powerful, Podcast Relationships

It has been said may times before. People do business with people they know, like and trust.

To make your podcast successful, you must create meaningful, powerful relationships with your listeners.

In this episode, we review five of the many ways to improve and foster your listener relationships.

 

Their Voice Will Always Be More Meaningful

One major purpose of your podcast is to foster relationships with your listeners. Many podcasters use e-mail, texts, tweets and posts to interact with their audience. The podcast host typically reads these on the air.

Unfortunately, using these methods of communication puts distance between you and your listener. (read more)

 

Assume Your Listener Is New

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. Second, those that have heard the show before are confident that they are in the right place.

Your audience size is always changing. It is either growing or shrinking. The direction of the movement is your choice. Always work to grow your audience.

Your show will always lose listeners for various reasons. Sometimes they no longer have a use for your content. Sometimes other shows take the place of your show. Maybe they got a new phone and simply didn’t subscribe again. The size of your audience is always changing.

Since listeners are always moving through the “out” door, you need to continuously work to bring listeners through the “in” door. Always work to find new listeners.

As new listeners constantly join your show, treat each episode like it is your first, because it could be the first episode for your listeners.

 

Your Listeners Deserve a “Thank You”

Thanks for listening. I appreciate the help you give me.

It is such an easy way to strengthen your relationship with your listener. Time is something your listener will never get back. She has just chosen to give it to you.

Show your appreciation. If your listeners know you are honestly grateful for their time, you begin to strengthen your relationship. The relationship is a two-way street.

You must be honest and authentic. You can’t thank them in a gas-station-attendant-I’ll-never-see-you-again kind of way. You must deliver it from the heart. It should be the kind of thank you that you would give a stranger who stopped to help when you ran out of gas.

Your listener is your lifeblood. Your audience is the reason you exist. Without your listener you have no show. She has many, many choices when allocating her time. Let her know you appreciate her for spending her time with you.

Thank you for giving me your time. You have done a ton for me just by being here. I truly appreciate you.

 

You vs. Me

Great marketing is like a mirror. It is a reflection of the customer, not of the company. Great products that use great marketing are focused on the needs, wants and desires of their customers. To make turn your podcast into a great brand, focus on your listener and not on yourself.

Scheels had a great commercial for their snowboarding gear. The commercial was completely focused on the lifestyle of the snowboarder. (read more)

 

Be On Their Level

When you’re creating a relationship with someone, you never want to act as if you are better or above the other person. Even if your position allows you opportunities that your counterpart may not receive, you must be humble about those experiences. People like other people who are similar to themselves.

Take the approach of “I’ve been there and know what you’re going through.” You will empathize with your listener. When you come off like “I know everything”, you appear condescending. Nobody likes a know-it-all.

Show respect for your listener and her problems.

Because I am on the radio, I often get the incredible opportunity to meet many musicians. If I were to brag about these fantastic experiences, I would appear arrogant. It would sound as if I believe I was better than you. You probably wouldn’t find it easy to like me much.

Maintain your humility. Keep yourself on the same level as your audience. If you have an opportunity to interview someone famous, be as honored and excited as your listener would be.

You are building a relationship with your listener. Be likable. Be on the same level as your audience.

————

I’d like to thanks Andrew Hellmich and John Hames for their questions included in the show this week.

Find Andrew Photo Biz Xposed.  CLICK HERE

Find John at Sound Commentary.  CLICK HERE

I’d love to help you with your podcast. E-mail any questions or comments you might have to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.

You can also find FREE worksheets and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Where Is Your Podcast Going? – PTC Episode 021

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Where is your podcast going in 2014?

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.

Have a fantastic 2014.

Fastest Way To Improve Your Podcast – PTC Episode 020

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The Fastest Way To Improve Your Podcast

I hesitated to publish this episode.  I don’t want you to think this is simply one big commercial for my services.  Sure, I can offer help.  You can also find help in many places.  I would encourage you to find this feedback somewhere.

Improvement is important to your show.  Continued improvement helps you attract more listeners with each episode.  Improvement is so important, I decided to publish this episode at the risk of turning off a few people.  I think you need to hear it.  The information is that important if you put it to work.

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. Communication is improved through coaching. Most importantly, coaching works, because the goals of your coach are your goals. 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.

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.

 

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.

 

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 accountablily is the goals are your goals. It is your agenda. Your coach is simply helping you achieve the goals you have set.

 

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.

 

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.

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 broadcasters and podcasters over the years. Many have reached the top of their game. Over the last 15 years, 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?

Please understand I cannot help everyone.  My time is limited.  I can only help those that I feel will benefit most from my coaching. A collaborative discussion can help us determine the possibilities.  After talking, if we find we cannot work together, please don’t let that stop you from finding someone to help you achieve your dreams.

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 Find Podcast Topics – PTC Episode 019

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How To Find Podcast Topics

One challenge to podcasting is coming up with topics for every episode.  However, topics are everywhere. You can find them in everyday life.  You simply have to look and be creative.

In this show, we use two unrelated magazine articles to generate show topic examples for Podcast Talent Coach.  You then learn how to use this method to create topics for your show.  Finally, we discuss the importance of digging past the first idea to find the best idea.

To generate topic ideas, I highlight interesting words, phrases and sentences from the first two paragraphs.  I then brainstorm on those words to create topics for my show.

The first article is from INC magazine.  “The More Competitors, The Better” comes from p20 of the Nov 2013 issue.  You can read the article by clicking here.

Here are a few topic examples.

Hybrid cars – What are some of the leading edge innovations in podcasting?

“A bigger field would help jump-start the market” – What are we doing as podcasters to grow the industry & medium?

“If competition is good for a billion-dollar automaker, why not for your start-up?” – The top 8 things you can learn from your competition.  – How to fish where the fish are when marketing.

“… Shown the benefits that competition brings to similar businesses within an industry” – Who are the podcast leaders and what can we learn from them?  – How can other shows help boost our show?

We’ve just generated 6 possible topics from the first two paragraphs of an article.

You may think it is easy, because it is a business magazine. Let’s look at an unrelated field.

The next article comes from USA Hockey Magazine.  “The Meek Shall Inherit the Ice” is on p20 of the June/July 2013 issue.  You can read the article by clicking here.

“When the nation’s top quarted of college hockey teams hook up at a neutral site, only one gets to go home with a shiny gold trophy”  – What makes a winning podcast.  – Examine the winners of the podcast awards.  – What industry events are available to allow us to learn?

“Going back to the 1950’s, when college hockey was a relatively new thing…”  – Explore where podcasting began.  – How podcasting grew from broadcasting and the theater.  – What makes great theater?  – What can we learn from those that came before?

“But, evey now and then, a smaller school … would crash the party.”  – What can we learn from some of the fastest growing podcasts?  – Review some new, undiscovered podcasts.  – Review a show on the show.

Here we’ve generated 10 questions from two paragraphs.  In total, we have come up with 16 topics from 4 paragraphs of two articles.  That would easily last us for a couple months if we were creating our podcast once per week.

This is where you need to push yourself.  Don’t settle for your first idea.  Brainstorm.

Don’t Settle For The First Idea

Don’t settle for the first idea. Work and mold your topic.

It is easy to do an interview exactly like you do every other interview. Just like you’ve heard everyone do every other interview. Unfortunately, it will sound like every other interview.

Do something different. Stand out. Make your interview different. Find new questions. Find ways to ask questions differently. Gain attention by being unique.

On her television show, Ellen DeGeneres asks fun, off-the-wall questions of her guests. She will get them talking about crazy topics you don’t hear on other shows. DeGeneres may even compete with the guest in football throwing or put them in a dunk tank. Whatever it is, her content is always different from her competition. (read more)

 

I’d love to help you with your podcast. E-mail any questions or comments you might have to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.

You can also find tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Powerful Profitable Podcast Stories

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Powerful Profitable Podcast Stories

Our goal is to create meaningful relationships with our listeners. Powerful, profitable relationships. We use engaging content to solidify those friendships.

What did you reveal about yourself on your show this week?

From self-revelation comes friendship. Can you think of a true friend that you know very little about? Friendship become stronger the more you share with each other. People learn things about you through the stories you tell.

How can you use the stories you tell to solidify your brand and strengthen your relationships?

We’ve discussed storytelling in Podcast Talent Coach Episode 002.

-The Power of Great Storytelling

-The parts of a great story

-How to structure a story

Today, I want to teach you about three other areas of storytelling that can help transform your podcast into powerful, engaging entertainment.

What Did You Reveal Today?

When you tell stories on your podcast, you reveal things about yourself. Vivid details are critical elements of great storytelling.

Details are more believable than generalities.

Details reveal specifics about your thoughts, beliefs and character.

Details put your listener in the moment helping them envision your story in their mind.

Garrison Keillor, in one of his “Stories From Lake Wobegon”, describes a woman who endures crushing loneliness and town gossip. (read more)

Memorable Words

American children’s author Dr. Seuss (Theodor “Ted” Suess Geisel) was more interested in telling a good story than he was in telling a true story. He often exaggerated. He always used wonderful, colorful words.

The good story approach is even described In his biography at www.Seussville.com. Dr. Seuss and his wife were unable to have children.

“To silence friends who bragged about their own children, Ted liked to boast of the achievements of their imaginary daughter, Chrysanthemum-Pearl. … He included her on Christmas cards, along with Norval, Wally, Wickersham, Miggles, Boo-Boo, Thnud, and other purely fictional children. For a photograph used on one year’s Christmas card, Geisel even invited in half a dozen neighborhood kids to pose as his and Helen’s children. The card reads, ‘All of us over at Our House / Wish all of you over at / Your House / A very Merry Christmas,’ and is signed ‘Helen and Ted Geisel and the kiddies.’”

Part of the magic that was Seuss was created by the words he used. (read more)

Tease With Anticipation

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.

Your podcast should be 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. (read more)

 

I’d love to help you with your podcast. E-mail any questions or comments you might have to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.

You can also find tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Create Your Podcast Brand – PTC Episode 017

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Create Your Podcast Brand

Own Your Category

Great brands own their category by consistently communicating one focused message. Think of some of the best known brands in America. The best-known soda in the world is defined by “the real thing”. Who serves more hamburgers than anyone in the world? Save 15% on your car insurance. You’re a great athlete … just do it! Coca Cola, McDonalds, Geico, and Nike all deliver focused and consistent messages and thereby become solid brands.

If you study the great brands, you will notice they stand for one specific thing. McDonald’s isn’t simply “food”. It isn’t even “fast food”. McDonalds is hamburgers. Sure, they have other items on their menu. However, they are not known for their apple pies or chocolate milk. McDonald’s is known as a hamburger joint.  (read more)

 

Hey, I’m New Here

Hey, I’m new here. What’s goin’ on?

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. This should happen on each and every show.

A well-crafted introduction serves two purposes.  (read more)

 

Create Your Own Style

Create everything you do in your own style. You can only stand out among all other shows when you create your own unique style. You must then make sure everything you do is consistent with that style.

Many new broadcasters try to emulate the style of their hero or mentor. They attempt to imitate the styles they hear from other broadcasters. Unfortunately, copying doesn’t create a unique style. Copying typically creates a watered-down version of some other style. When creating your content, be yourself and find your own style.

Some of the greatest broadcasters didn’t start the ascension to the top until they abandoned the attempts to broadcast in the style they thought others desired and began being true to themselves.  (read more)

 

Be Yourself

A great podcast is a great relationship. It is just like creating a great brand. In order to develop that solid audience relationship, you must be yourself. You can’t fake it.

When you try to be someone or something you are not, you will not sound authentic. Eventually, the truth will come out.

Have you ever met someone you had admired from afar, only to have them do something that didn’t fit with your image of them?  (read more)

 

I’d love to know hot this podcast has helped you in any way. E-mail a quick comment to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.  Your feedback helps our entire community.

Help our community grow by turning one person onto the show this week.

I’d love to help you with your show.  E-mail your questions to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.  You can also find tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Put the Show in Show Business – PTC Episode 016

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Put The Show In Show Business

In the episode this week, we discuss how to add an element of show business to your podcast.  Let’s raise the bar a bit.

Do you have the magic?

Production elements create the magic of the podcast. If it is missing, your show will sound flat. Solid, well-placed production elements add that element of show biz.

You can add production elements at various points within your show.

The most common production element is the show open. A well-produced show open will make your podcast sound big time. Cliff Ravenscraft has a very strong show open for “Podcast Answer Man“. (read more)

Would the evening news air stories that are not edited?

Why do podcast hosts air a show that hasn’t been edited? No other producer in show business would publish their content without first editing it. This is entertainment. Your show should have an introduction, body and conclusion. The content should lead somewhere. To make your podcast compelling, you must edit your show.

If you do not edit your content, you will sound like an amateur. If you edit it well, the podcast will sound polished and professional. (read more)

 

Delightful details dazzle.

Great storytellers use delightful details.

Great stories reveal things about the person telling the story. It allows the listener the opportunity to discover new things about the storyteller. Stories are how strong relationships are built. (read more)

 

Lead with an intriguing introduction.

This is true for your podcast in general as well as each individual topic. Your intriguing introduction should hook your audience, let them know exactly what to expect, and allow them to enjoy the story.

What do you hope your audience will take away from this particular discussion? Your introduction should spell it out. It should set up what is to come. (read more)

 

Fish for interviews with bigger bait.

To score a guest interview for your podcast, you need to begin by explaining how the interview will benefit your prospective guest. The fact that your audience will love it has no bearing. It really doesn’t matter to your guest if your show or your audience will benefit from the guest’s appearance. When your guest makes the decision whether to appear on your show, they will only consider how the appearance will benefit them personally.

Many podcast hosts use their audience size to lure guests. If you have a reasonable audience size, surely use it to your advantage. However, don’t stop there. You may be overlooking many other ways you could benefit your guest. (read more)

 

Natural is better.

When recording your podcast, use the voice of the individual asking the question whenever possible. Natural sound is always better than a story recreated by the host.

The additional voices will give your podcast an element of show biz. It will add depth to the sound of the show. Your podcast will also sound much more engaging.

There are various ways to include others in your show. (read more)

 

I’d love to help you with your podcast. E-mail any questions or comments you might have to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.

You can also find tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

 

Cliches That Drive Your Listeners Crazy – PTC Episode 014

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Cliches That Drive Your Listeners Crazy

As we transform your information into engaging entertainment, it is important that you connect with your listeners.  Create meaningful, powerful relationships with your audience by being real, personal and natural.

Be Yourself

To be engaging, you need to be human.  You need to be yourself.

As you record your podcast, use your natural voice and your own words. Individuals who are new to broadcasting tend to want to sound like their broadcasting idols. They try to imitate those they have heard on the radio with their voice and clichés. Unfortunately, new broadcasters tend to sound as if they are using scripted drivel done in some character voice that is forced and unnatural. (read more)

That’s Right, Of Course, Like I Said, Obviously

If you find yourself saying “obviously” or “of course”, you are making one of two errors.

The first error is repeating yourself. If you are saying “obviously” because you feel everyone already knows the information, you are wasting your breath. There is no need to say it.

I may say, “The sun comes up in the East, of course.” Everyone listening to me knows the sun comes up in the East. There was no reason for me to point out the origin of the morning sun.

“Of course” gets thrown in, so it didn’t appear as if I were trying to teach you about the sunrise. I didn’t want you to think I just learned that. “Of course” plays it off and brushes it aside. (read more)

And Now It’s Time For …

This phrase seems harmless. It looks like a logical transition from one segment to another during your podcast. Unfortunately, this phrase gives your listener permission to leave the show. It is detrimental to your audience engagement.

When you use “and now it’s time for…” or some similar phrase, it tells the listener that one segment is over and we are moving on to something else. It also signals a natural break in the show and the perfect time to exit. The transition is a lot like a commercial break in a television show. It is time to grab the remote to see what else is available. (read more)

 

I’d love to help you with your podcast. E-mail any questions or comments you might have to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Here is a link to the Podcast Talent Coach Worksheets.

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

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Beyond Defining Your Listener – PTC013

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Beyond Defining Your Listener

You’ve heard many times that you need to define your target listener.  What do they look like?  Who is your avatar?  Who is your ideal customer?

When most people define their target listener, they list age and gender.  If you stop their, you haven’t truly defined your listener.  Age and gender alone are pretty generic.

Defining your listener means moving beyond age and gender.  Discover what they need.  What are the hopes, dreams and fears of your target listener?  Where do they live?  What do they drive?  What is their family makeup?

In the episode this week, we discuss the many facets that make up listener definition.

Age & Gender

We begin with age and gender.  Though it is generic, we need to start with the basics.  You can find a 30-minute, deep-dive video on the differences between marketing to men and women here at PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Men and women are different.  I speak in generalities and stereotypes.  I realize these statements will not hold true in every case.  However, they are most common.

Why They Listen

Next, determine what you listener seeks.  Why do they listen to your show.  I’ll give you the first reason.  Companionship.  People do not want to be alone.  You are their friend and companion.  People have an inner need to be around other people.  You fill that role. (read more)

Make your listener feel comfortable, as if she is spending time with a friend.  When people listen to Adam Carolla, they feel like they know him.  He reveals so much about himself, you feel like you could have a beer and a conversation with him.  He fills that role.

Determine the other factors that bring your listener to your show.

Be Like You

Voyeurism is another reason people listen to the spoken word.  They want to live vicariously through the stories of others with the risk.  By telling stories, you allow your listener to experience the great things you’ve seen in life.  Your listener doesn’t need to put in the time, effort or work to get where you are in life.  They can live through your stories.

Here is a link to the worksheets that will help you go beyond age and gender when defining your target listener.

I’d love to help you with your podcast. E-mail any questions or comments you might have to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.

You can also find tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

I Hate My Voice – PTC Episode 012

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I Hate My Voice

Before I start, I want to give a shout out to Dave Jackson at the School of Podcasting.  Dave provided great help as I was launching my site and podcast.  He also mentioned my show on Episode 374, where he discussed the way we approached the topic of interviews in different ways.  If you need technical help with your podcast, Dave is your guy.

Ok, on with the show.

“I hate the way I sound.”

I hear that complaint quite often. Many people do not like the sound of their own voice. It is quite common.

It is also quite natural to dislike the sound of your own voice when hearing a recorded version of it. When you talk, the bones in your head vibrate adding to the qualities you naturally hear. When you hear a recording of your voice, those vibrations are absent causing your voice to sound different to you.

The natural bone vibrations also make you do some unnecessary acrobatics with your voice when using headphones. The bone vibrations combined with the enclosed nature of your headphones cause you to hear the big announcer voice in a much differently than the way the listener hears it. You tend to speak in ways you do not normally speak during everyday conversation.

There are six steps you can take to make your voice sound more natural and get you on the path to enjoying the sound of your voice.

1. Notes, Not Scripts

When you are interviewing a guest on your podcast, be real. Be present in the moment. Truly listen to the answers your guest is giving. Your next question may come from that answer, and the question may be nowhere in your notes.

As you prepare for your interview, don’t script your questions. When you have a script, you will be too focused on the script and less attentive to the answers your guest is providing. Lose the script. (read more)

2. Talk To One Person

As you are creating your podcast, treat your audience like you are talking to each person individually. This is critical when creating a trusting relationship with your audience.

I hear many shows address their audience as a group with comments like “hello everyone” or “hey guys”. Each person in your audience is listening to you as an individual. Audio is a very personal medium. Many times, they are listening with headphones. It is just you and her. Talk to her just like that. (read more)

3. Headphones

This is a simple trick.  Try wearing only one cup of your headphones leaving one ear exposed.  You will be able to hear your voice in a more natural state.  Your headphones tend to distort your perception of your voice.  Using only one side of your headphones will give you a better feel of how you really sound.

4. Volume

This is another simple trick.  When you turn down the volume of your headphones, you will get a perception of your voice that is more authentic.

5. Sing-Songy

The scoop is that fake announcer voice that you hear quite often. It’s like a slow start with a gradual build.

“Wwwwweeeelllllcom to the big show.”

It sounds like your voice is going up and down as if it is on a yo-yo.

Real people don’t talk like that. You are trying to build trusting relationships with your podcast audience. You want to sound real and authentic. (read more)

6. Review Your Show

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. (read more)

I’d love to help you with your podcast. E-mail any questions or comments you might have to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.

You can also find tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

You can find the workbook that I mentioned here:  WORKBOOK.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Help Your Listener With Your Podcast – PTC Episode 011

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Help Your Listener With Your Podcast

This week we discuss how you can help your listener using your podcast.  There are four questions you can ask that will really help you focus your content.

Zig Ziglar had many great quotes. One of my favorite quotes is, “You can have anything in life you want, if you will just help enough other people get what they want.” How true that is.

As you turn your information into engaging entertainment with your podcast, keep in mind that helping people is part of the foundation of a strong relationship. If you take, take, take, your relationship won’t last long. If you are there to give and help, you will develop friends for life. (read more)

What problem does your listener need help solving?

Everyone has a problem.  You have knowledge.  If you can use your knowledge to help your listener solve a problem, you will begin to build trust with your audience.  You may not know it all.  However, you surely know more than some people.  Your listener is coming to you to learn something.  Teach and help.  Build that bond.

What are the greatest needs of your listener?

The best way to discover the needs of your listener is to ask her.  Before I launched this podcast, many people would seek me out for advice about speaking on the mic.  They could find tons of information covering the technical aspect of podcasting.  Very little was published about the art of the craft.

These people needed to find that confidence to speak into the mic.  Since they found very little help, they would imitate radio announcers they heard in the past using cliches like “Hello everyone in Radioland“.  Real people do not talk using those words.  That is when I knew I could fulfill a need.

What is your listener’s greatest fear?

Many people face the impostor syndrome.  They feel like they are kid playing dress-up amongst professionals.  They feel like they don’t belong.  They didn’t earn what they have.  Success has only come to them through luck.  This is the fear I help crush with my podcast.

Everyone belongs on a podcast.  You know more than most people about your subject.  Have the confidence in yourself to put it forward in a podcast.

Find the fear in your listener.  Help him overcome it.

What is the strongest desire of your listener?

Dan Miller of “48 Days to The Work You Love” book and podcast says, “You can make money selling what people need; you can get rich selling what people want.”  It is so true.  Think of the hot toy around the holidays.  Everyone is buying that, because it is what the kids want.  Everybody needs a toothbrush.  You can find a million of those on any given day.  Find your listener’s desire.

Let me know how I can help you.  E-mail me anytime at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.  I’d love to help you transform your content.

I have FREE worksheets available on the Podcast Talent Coach website.  There is also a workbook available that will walk you through each worksheet with detailed instructions.

Looking over my 4th quarter calendar, I have room to take on two coaching clients. My coaching clients receive a full show review each week.  Each client also receives one-on-one coaching over the phone by me for one hour each week.  Written notes are provide after each critique and call.  I am also available for unlimited e-mail correspondence.  It is all included in a simple, monthly retainer.

If you are interested in the worksheets, workbook or coaching, find further details HERE at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

This week, find your listener’s great desire and start your next podcast at that point.  Let’s see what kind of results you get.

Review Your Podcast For Success

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Review Your Podcast For Success

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.

Find the worksheets by clicking here.

 

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.

Speaking On Mic Or Speaking In Public?

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Speaking On Mic or Speaking In Public?

I received a question the other day from a brand new podcaster.  He was curious to find way to help him be more comfortable speaking into the microphone while recording his podcast.  He asked if he should be taking public speaking classes.

My suggestion was to save his money.  Podcasting and public speaking are different in many ways.  One-on-one communication should be your focus for your podcast.  Addressing the common denominator of a crowd is key to public speaking.

To help you get in a better frame of mind while recording your podcast, in today’s podcast we touch on five key points regarding your speech.

1. The Audience Of One

As you are creating your podcast, treat your audience like you are talking to each person individually. This is critical when creating a trusting relationship with your audience.

I hear many shows address their audience as a group with comments like “hello everyone” or “hey guys”. Each person in your audience is listening to you as an individual. Audio is a very personal medium. Many times, they are listening with headphones. It is just you and her. Talk to her just like that.  (read more)

2. Pretend you’re on the phone

You do not need public speaking classes.  You are not speaking in public.  You are having a one-on-one conversations.  Broadcasting began in the theater.  We are no longer living in that world. This is a New World medium.  It is all about personal communication.  Talk to one person as if you are talking on the telephone.  Post a photo up if you need one.

3. Avoid the scoop

The scoop is that fake announcer voice that you hear quite often. It’s like a slow start with a gradual build.

“Wwwwweeeelllllcom to the big show.”

It sounds like your voice is going up and down as if it is on a yo-yo.

Real people don’t talk like that. You are trying to build trusting relationships with your podcast audience. You want to sound real and authentic.  (read more)

4. Hear the smile

It may sound strange. It may sound hard to believe. But, it is true. Your audience can hear it when you smile.

If you want your listener to have fun and enjoy your podcast, you need to smile as you deliver your lines. The smile will come through in your voice.

Just like you can hear when someone has fear in their voice, you can hear joy in a voice.  (read more)

5. Pregnant pause

Our world today is so busy and noisy. There are thousands of messages hitting us everyday from every direction. In a noisy world, silence attracts attention. Silence is golden.

When you are interviewing a guest during your podcast, don’t be afraid of the pregnant pause. When that long pause begins to feel uncomfortable, let it last a little longer. Don’t create just a pause. Make it a pregnant pause. Not only will the silence attract attention, the break will give your guest time to think of a great answer to your question.

Too many hosts ramble on with their questions fearing the pause that naturally comes between question and answer. Some hosts make their questions go on and on to the point where the question is almost answered before the guest even has a chance to speak. When conducting an interview, avoid the urge to continue talking. Shut up and listen.  (read more)

 

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.

7 Things That Drive Your Listeners Away – PTC Episode 008

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The Top 7 Things That Drive Your Listeners Away

You work so hard to attract listeners to your podcast. Growing the audience is a constant challenge for most podcasters. You do all you can to bring more people to the party.

There are other things you may be doing to reverse all of your work and drive listeners away. If you are not aware of these pitfalls, they could undermine your marketing efforts. Your audience could be shrinking in spite of your hard work recruiting listeners.

There is good news. Once you learn to recognize these repellants, you can begin to eliminate them from your show. You can make adjustments when you know where to look.

There are seven common mistakes podcasters make that drive listeners away. Here is a description of each stumbling block. See if you recognize these within your show. Suggested remedies are provides as well.

1. The podcaster who talks at you (read the blog post)

2. The podcaster that wastes your time (read the blog post)

3. The podcaster that does not make you care (read the blog post)

4. The podcaster that does not get you involved (read the blog post)

5. The podcaster that doesn’t help others (read the blog post)

Zig Ziglar

6. The podcaster that tries too hard to be funny (read the blog post)

Adam Carolla

7. The podcaster who assumes listeners have heard the show before (read the blog post)

David Letterman

Strategy For Each Topic …

Strategy For Each Topic

Developing your strategy involves determining how you will uniquely 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. The method is completely different than every other podcast. This approach will also generate 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.

Once you have your list of topics, develop a strategy to uniquely approach each of those topics. Be original. Stand out from the crowd. Know how you will handle each topic before your show begins.

Structure Will Help Define Your Topics …

Structure Will Help Define Your Topics

Deciding the correct topics for your show is instrumental when creating consistency for your podcast. 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. Select your topics carefully. Creating a show structure will help you find the right topics.

Topics come in many different forms. A podcast will sometimes focus on one topic for the entire show. Other podcasts have an overall theme while addressing a few different topics under the umbrella of that theme. There are podcasts that answer various listener questions during the show. Others interview a single guest. And yet, some podcasts combine many styles into one show. How you approach your podcast 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 be easily followed by your listeners. Structure creates consistency.

An example podcast structure might begin 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 interview 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 a single 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, you would need the show open, the outline, a list of news headlines, the 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.

A structure for your show will bring consistency to your show. Your audience will know what to expect each time they listen to the show. You can then populate the structure with your topics. Structure will help define your topics.

The Goal For Your Episode …

The Goal For Your Episode

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.

Prepare to Battle the Impostor …

Prepare to Battle the Impostor

If you have ever fought the impostor syndrome, being more prepared will help you win that battle. Being prepared for your show will give you focus, make your show more entertaining, and create stronger relationships with your listeners. Most importantly, it will give you confidence to overcome impostor syndrome. You will be able to build that belief in yourself.

The impostor syndrome, or impostor phenomenon, is the psychological phenomenon in which people are unable to internalize 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 phenomenon 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 phenomenon 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. Take steps to build confidence within yourself. Understand that others fight the same battle. You are not alone.

You have every right to create a great podcast.  You have just as much right as the next podcaster.  There is only one expert at your opinion.  That expert is you.  Nobody knows more about your beliefs and opinion than you do.  Develop confidence in yourself.  You have great content and a unique opinion.  Believe in yourself.  You’ll be great.  Prepare for it.

Being well prepared for your show and having the confidence to stick to the plan will help you win that battle against you internal impostor.

Make Your Podcast One Of A Kind – PTC Episode 006

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Make Your Podcast One Of A Kind

In this episode, we discuss steps that will help you make your podcast one of a kind.

Being unique makes you stand out in a crowd.  These are ways to get noticed.  There are four steps.

1. Focus your topic.

When you try to be all things to all people, you end up being nothing.

Focus your topic on what you know best. Be opinionated. Be passionate. Pick a side. Be unique. Most of all, be consistent. (read more)

2. What makes you different?

When you try to please everyone, you end up pleasing no one. Make people take notice.

You are an expert at your opinion. Give it to people. Take a stand. Pick a side. (read more)

3. Connect, inspire & motivate

When you connect, inspire and motivate your audience, you stir emotions within your listener. Those emotions are powerful. Emotions make people come back for more, because they create a bonding relationship. (read more)

4. Sell the results of your product

People don’t buy your product. They buy what your product can do for them. (read more)

 

What Makes Your Podcast Different?

What makes your podcast different?

When you try to please everyone, you end up pleasing no one. Make people take notice.

You are an expert at your opinion. Give it to people. Take a stand. Pick a side.

Some of the nicest people make the worst podcast hosts. They try to please everyone in the audience. Those people tend to blend into the background and go unnoticed.

I once coached a radio host who was one of the best storytellers I had ever met. When he and I would meet one-on-one for coaching, he would tell me some of the funniest stories I had ever heard. He would tell me stories of his dad that would have me crying from laughing so hard.

He once told me his dad was absolutely convinced the PT Cruiser was the best car ever made. As much as my host would try to explain that the PT Cruiser was basically the Dodge Neon chassis with a different body, his father wouldn’t believe it. The two of them would get in these heated arguments in public about this car. Of all the things in life you could argue about, this happened to be the PT Cruiser. The way the story was told was full of fabulous details. The host really had the ability to make the stories come to life.

As much as I would encourage him, the host would not tell those stories on the radio. He didn’t believe the audience as a whole would be interested. Instead, he played it safe. He only discussed vanilla content that wouldn’t upset anyone. Unfortunately, the show never took hold.

If you’re not upsetting someone, you aren’t trying hard enough.

I would much rather have half the audience hate me and the other half love me rather than the entire audience have no opinion one way or the other. If the audience doesn’t have an opinion, they don’t care. I’m doing nothing to stir their emotion if I’m not making them pick a side.

If you haven’t picked a side and really focused your topic, people won’t care. They won’t be passionate about your show.

Speak your mind. Be different. Get noticed. Make people care.

I’d love to help you with your podcast. E-mail any questions or comments you might have to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.

You can also find tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Focus Your Podcast Topic …

Focus Your Podcast Topic

When you try to be all things to all people, you end up being nothing.

Focus your topic on what you know best. Be opinionated. Be passionate. Pick a side. Be unique. Most of all, be consistent.

When you try to discuss an industry in general, your audience won’t know what to expect when they visit your show.

Let’s take Dave Ramsey for example. During the opening of “The Dave Ramsey Show”, Dave says, “Where debt is dumb, cash is king, and the paid-off home mortgage has taken the place of the BMW as the status symbol of choice.”

Dave’s show is a personal finance show. Moreover, it is a show about getting out of debt. Dave helps people find ways to pay off their debt and become financially stable.

“The Dave Ramsey Show” doesn’t discuss particular stocks or mutual funds. It doesn’t discuss how to go about investing other than simply suggesting you sock away 15 percent of your income for retirement and then some for college.

Dave’s show recommends 7 basic steps to financial security. He has been doing a show on these 7 steps for over 20 years. Every show, everyday, every call. It’s all about these 7 steps in some way or another.

When you tune into “The Dave Ramsey Show”, you know what you will get. Dave is focused.

Now, if Dave talked about the benefits of real estate investing on one show and the pitfalls of no-load mutual funds on another, you would never know what to expect. You wouldn’t know what the show would be about on any particular day.

There are times where Dave will focus a particular hour on entrepreneurs. Even these shows are centered around the 7 steps. He helps businesses start and operate debt free.

His show has a focus. “The Dave Ramsey Show” is consistent, but not predictable.

Give your podcast focus. Your audience will appreciate the consistency.

I’d love to help you with your podcast. E-mail any questions or comments you might have to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.

You can also find tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

7 Keys To Interesting Podcast Content – PTC Episode 005

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7 Keys to Making Your Podcast Content Interesting and Not Simply Topical

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.

In this episode we cover …

1. Attracting people with benefits and not simply contents

2. Be well prepared, not scripted

3. Attract people by being creative

4. Fear is the enemy of creativity

5. Listen to your guest, and be interesting by being interested

6. Tell stories instead of reading them

7. Keep it simple

It’s the Snap, Crackle, Pop … Not the Puffed Rice

It’s the Snap, Crackle, Pop … Not the Puffed Rice.

Rice. Sugar. Salt. Malt flavor. Mmmmm. I can’t wait to get a bowl of that!

Your listeners aren’t attracted by the contents of your show. They don’t care if your show discusses money or business or politics or sports. All your listener cares about is the benefits they will receive from your show.

Here are a few podcast descriptions I found on iTunes today.

Those people that make videos on YouTube now have their own audio podcast. Hope you will stay awhile.”

(unnamed podcast) produces original stories each week for families around the world. Each week on the (unnamed podcast), we’ll be sharing a free story from one of our original story series.”

The world’s favorite podcast about old video games reaches its next stage! Join (hosts) and a variety of guests as they discuss the favorite games and topics of yesteryear.”

I’m sure these are solid podcasts. I didn’t listen to them.  I found them all listed in the “New & Noteworthy” section. The content may be great, but the descriptions lack any snap, crackle or pop.

People get attracted to your show by the benefits, not the ingredients.

Consumers buy the fun of the Snap, Crackle & Pop. They aren’t buying the puffed rice.

Listeners are seeking the fun of learning life’s lessons through stories, not original stories for families.  Fun learning, not original stories.

The audience wants nostalgic memories of teenage afternoons wasted in the arcade in front of Donkey Kong, Ms. Pac Man and Dragon’s Lair, not discussion of your favorite games and topics. Memories, not topics.

When a listener decides to listen to your podcast, they ask, “What will this podcast do for me?” If the answer is topics and discussions, your listener is probably moving on. If it is nostalgic memories and comedic bits of “name that video game theme”, you might just entice him to check out your show.

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.

There is a reason the fun of the experience is on the front of the box and the ingredients are relegated to the side. You need to sell the fun.

Show Prep & Review – 004

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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.

In this episode, we cover 5 things …

1. How to properly prepare for your show

2. Is rehearsal really the enemy of spontaneity?

3. Lose the script

4. Review to improve

5. Coaching

Creating Great Interviews – 003

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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.

In this episode, we talk about creating great interviews.  This includes …

  1. Why one of you isn’t necessary
  2. Know your guest, not their bio
  3. Make them look good
  4. Don’t ask that question
  5. Did you hear that?
  6. Fish for interviews with bigger bait

Power of Storytelling – 002

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The Podcast Talent Coach 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.

This episode:

-The Power of Great Storytelling

-The parts of a great story

-How to structure a story

Understand Your Listener – 001

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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.

This episode:

-People buy benefits.

-What’s your “file”?

-Narrow your target and focus.

-Are you delivering what they seek?

-Are you using cows?

Can I Be You? …

ID-100109373

Can I Be You?

Vicarious. Voyeurism. Eavesdropping.

Those are three main reasons people listen to your podcast. Tell stories to help fulfill those desires.

People dream about having a different (and usually better) life. They want to experience those things others are experiencing. The grass always seems greener on the other side of the fence. People crave living the lives of others.

Your listeners want to live vicariously through you. They want to experience your success. They wish they had the courage to do the things you have done. Your fans want to be you in some way or another.

Voyeurism is a reason many people watch the shows they watch, listen to the stories they hear, or read the books they read. They want to experience the lives of others.

People eavesdrop on the conversations of others for the very same reasons. They can experience the life of others without the risk of failure. Eavesdropping doesn’t take the courage required to actually live the life.

By telling great stories about your experiences, you help your audience fulfill the desire to live vicariously through you. If your show contains audio of your feats and experiences, you allow your audience to fulfill their voyeuristic desires. When you interview people on your show, you allow your listener to eavesdrop on your conversation.

When your show is simply a lecture of your content, you fail to help your listener experience any of these three desires. Find new ways to deliver your material to your audience. You will make those important connections that turn into friendships. Those relationships will foster loyalty to your show. Your tribe will follow you wherever you go. That’s a powerful thing.

Tell stories of self-revelation. See where it takes you. You’ll be surprised how many people wish they could be you.

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 also find tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Photo by adamr – http://www.freedigitalphotos.net

The Creativity of Podcast Sound …

MixDJ

The Creativity of Podcast Sound

 

Your podcast can rise above the other average podcasts when you use sound in a creative manner. When you add audio effects to your podcast that add to the listening experience, you add an element of show business to your show. Your effects add another level of entertainment to your content.

 

When a well-placed effect surprises your audience when they least expect it, you will bring a smile to the face of your listener. It also adds depth and context to your story. Great sound brings your story to life.

 

At the end of his podcast “The School of Podcasting”, Dave Jackson uses a school bell sound effect to conclude the show. It is brilliant. The school bell relates to the title of the show. The sound of the school bell creates the mental picture of a real “school of podcasting”. The audio also brings about a bit of emotional nostalgia.  It is fantastic.

 

So few people take the time to add creative sound to their show. Most will have music for an intro to the show. Some may even incorporate that music to the close of the podcast as well. Very few will go beyond that point.

 

To be creative and surprising, you don’t need to add many effects. Two or three sound effects that are well-placed will work. If you overuse effects, you will no longer surprise your audience. One or two pieces of audio that appear at the perfect time will be a delight.

 

Take the extra step to find a few creative sound effects for your podcast. Place those pieces in your show where they will be unexpected yet entertaining. Your podcast will instantly rise above the average shows of your competition.

 

 

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 also find tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

 

 

 

Photo courtesy of office.microsoft.com

 

 

Grab Attention Like Dr. Seuss …

Grab Attention Like Dr. Suess

Dr Seuss Pictures

American children’s author Dr. Seuss (Theodor “Ted” Suess Geisel) was more interested in telling a good story than he was in telling a true story. He often exaggerated. He always used wonderful, colorful words.

The good story approach is even described In his biography at www.Seussville.com. Dr. Suess and his wife were unable to have children.

“To silence friends who bragged about their own children, Ted liked to boast of the achievements of their imaginary daughter, Chrysanthemum-Pearl. … He included her on Christmas cards, along with Norval, Wally, Wickersham, Miggles, Boo-Boo, Thnud, and other purely fictional children. For a photograph used on one year’s Christmas card, Geisel even invited in half a dozen neighborhood kids to pose as his and Helen’s children. The card reads, ‘All of us over at Our House / Wish all of you over at / Your House / A very Merry Christmas,’ and is signed ‘Helen and Ted Geisel and the kiddies.’”

Part of the magic that was Seuss was created by the words he used. Oftentimes, he used words he created himself, like whisper-ma-phone, fiffer-feffer-feff, schloppity-schlopp. His words were memorable and unique. His words have sounds that catch your attention.

If you want to catch the attention of your audience, use great words like Dr. Seuss. You don’t need to create your own vocabulary. Simply use words that stir emotion. Your words do not need to be long, flamboyant words. They simply need to be emotional.

Betraying. Jubilant. Downtrodden. Passionate. Unmovable. Use words that paint pictures.

Great storytellers use delightful details created by fabulous words.

Use delightful details. “It was a muggy, hot lunchtime. We had ducked into the cool, dark shade of the woods where the sun was barely visible through the dense leaves. My eyes hadn’t yet adjusted to the leave-covered path when I lost my footing near the edge of an embankment. I ended up landing on my hip and rolling head-over-feet down the fairly steep, 10-foot drop where I promptly landed on my butt in the muddy mess below. My legs were completely covered in mud as if I had been rolling in it for hours.”

With the delightful details of that story, you can almost feel yourself in the woods. You can see the muddy mess in your mind. You can smell the thick, wooded area. Details help your listener experience the story rather than just hearing it.

Capture the attention of your listener by putting your listener in the moment. Always include delightful details in your story. Use fabulous words that paint pictures.  Grab attention like Dr. Seuss.

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 also get tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Content Isn’t King …

Content Isn’t King …

You’ve heard it often. Content is King.

That isn’t necessarily true. Content by itself won’t gain you an audience. Content isn’t King. Great content is King.

Don’t wander through your content without any pizzazz.

If your content isn’t great, nothing else matters. The production of your podcast could easily be the best available. You could have all the bells and whistles available in your studio. The marketing of your podcast could be incredibly creative and unique. However, if the content is great, no one will care.

Don’t simply go through the motions creating your content. Find a unique angle. Your take on the subject should be interesting. Make your content stand out using stories, creativity, and personal revelation.

Content won’t attract an audience unless it is great content. When your content is great, you become king. Make it happen.

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 also find tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Please, Stop Talking: How to Better Interview Your Podcast Guests

Please, Stop Talking:

How to Better Interview Your Podcast Guests

Have you ever had a personal crutch or cliché that you used more often than you thought? It may have been something you didn’t realize until somebody brought it to your attention. Have you ever said, “Wow! I had no idea I did that all the time”? I’m here to tell you to stop it.

A good coach will tell you what you need to hear rather than what you want to hear. You need to hear this. When you are interviewing anyone on your show, stop talking. Ask the question, then get out of the way. Let your guest shine.

There are three points to remember when interviewing guests. If you keep these in mind, your guests will feel great about being on your show, and you will look like a brilliant host. Just stay out of your own way.

I go into detail on each of the three points in my latest post, “Please, Stop Talking: How To Better Interview Your Podcast Guests“.  You can find it on the New Media Expo Blog.

If you conduct interviews for any reason, there are a few good points in this post to help you improve.

 

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. Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

How Your Podcast Can Ruin Your Credibility …

How Your Podcast Can Ruin Your Credibility.

It happened in all of about thirty seconds. The reading of one e-mail and her credibility was shot.

I was listening to one of my favorite podcasts. The host will occasionally answer e-mail questions from listeners. This particular show was no different.

Until this fateful e-mail came along.

By the end of the e-mail, the host’s credibility was shot.  The most unfortunate part was the fact that it could have been avoided even after the fact.

My latest post on the New Media Expo blog tells the entire story.  Check it out HERE.

Don’t let it happen to you.  The damage is much greater than it appears on the surface.

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. Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Don’t Tell Me Your Podcast Is Funny …

Don’t Tell Me Your Podcast Is Funny.

Fewer things are less funny than somebody telling you they are funny.

When somebody starts a story with, “Ok, this is funny”, the story rarely lives up to its billing.

My latest post on the New Media Expo blog deals with this very issue.  Check it out HERE.

Just be funny, or don’t.  Either way, don’t tell me you’re funny.  That diminishes the humor.

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. Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Six Ways To Produce Listening Magic …

Six Ways To Produce Listening Magic

Imagination. It is the wonderful result of recorded audio. When you listen to the radio, podcasts, audiobooks or other recorded audio, the imagination is in full motion. Your imagination belongs to you and you alone. You have full control. Your imagination is unlike any other.

Your imagination is used for your sole benefit. The characters and scenes created in your “Theater of the Mind” are exactly how you want them to look. The images are created in your mind in a way that gives you the greatest pleasure. It is all to benefit you.

The wonderful details in a story can stir the imagination in magical ways.

There are ways to include recorded production elements within your show that will enhance your listener’s imagination and experience. When you add recorded elements, the imagination of your listener will be further stimulated. You will help create elements within your listener’s “Theater of the Mind”.

There are six ways to include production elements in your podcast to create magic in the mind.  I detail them all in THIS NEW MEDIA EXPO POST.

Avoid The Scoop …

 

Avoid the scoop.

(photo by pemotret)

The scoop is that fake announcer voice that you hear quite often. It’s like a slow start with a gradual build.

“Wwwwweeeelllllcom to the big show.”

It sounds like your voice is going up and down as if it is on a yo-yo.

Real people don’t talk like that. You are trying to build trusting relationships with your podcast audience. You want to sound real and authentic.

When you sound like a supermarket announcer, you sound fake. Your listeners will find it hard to trust you, because they know that isn’t really you. The audio they are hearing sounds like a character you are portraying.

Don’t let your voice bounce like a ball. You can be excited and enthusiastic. You can also be real and natural at the same time. Just be yourself.

— 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. Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

When the inflection of your voice bounces up and down, you will find it difficult to truly engage your listener. Be real. Avoid the scoop.

The Secret Reason People Listen To Your Show …

 

 

There is a secret, primary reason people listen to podcasts and radio shows.

The primary reason people listen to your show at all is companionship.

There are six secrets to providing a high level of companionship to your listener. If you add a little of each ingredient to your show, you will be well on your way to developing meaningful relationships with your audience.

The six secrets to companionship is the subject of my new blog entry on the New Media Expo Blog.

Check it out HERE.

 

Avoid Missing The Great Interview Questions …

 

Avoid missing the great interview questions.

(photo by miqul76)

When preparing for an interview, gather more information than you will ever need. Then, don’t worry about getting to it all.

When you have more content and questions than you will need, you will feel more relaxed and comfortable during the interview. You will be able to spend more time truly listening to the answers that your guest is giving and less time trying to think of the next question. You won’t have the nervous feeling that you’ll be stuck trying to come up with something on the fly.

Some of the best questions are missed during an interview because the interviewer wasn’t truly listening. When your guest gives you a little nugget of compelling information, it is up to you to ask the follow-up question to fully develop the answer.

Let’s say you score an interview with Taylor Swift. You get on the topic of movies. “Have you seen any good movies lately?” Taylor mentions she recently saw the latest box office smash while on a date.

If you are not truly listening, you’ll follow your notes into the next boring question. If you actually hear what she says, you’ll ask her who took her on a date. That is the question everyone will be asking in their head.

You need to be engaged with your guest to catch great follow-up questions. If you are too busy worrying about the next question, you’ll miss the diamonds in the rough.

— I’d love to coach you with your podcast. Post any questions or comments you might have, or e-mail me at Erik@PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Prepare for your interview. Know more than you’ll need about your guest. If you have information left over, you’ve prepared enough. That’s when you can feel confident that you will avoid missing the great interview questions.

3 Steps To The Art Of The Tease …

 

Three Steps To The Art Of The Tease

(Photo by Tiom)

When you want your listeners to stick around and listen to what you have to say, you need to give them a compelling reason. Your listener needs to anticipate what is to come later in the show. You need to excite them. You need to tease them.

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.

There are three steps to creating an effective tease.  You can read my entire post about it here on the New Media Expo Blog.

 

— 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. Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Can You Hear The Smile? …

 

Can you hear the smile?

(photo by eyedear)

It may sound strange. It may sound hard to believe. But, it is true. Your audience can hear it when you smile.

If you want your listener to have fun and enjoy your podcast, you need to smile as you deliver your lines. The smile will come through in your voice.

Just like you can hear when someone has fear in their voice, you can hear joy in a voice.

When Adam Carolla is having fun with a guest on his podcast, you can hear it in his voice. When he is getting angry at the dues he pays the Screen Actors Guild, you can hear the frustration in his voice. When Adam is getting excited about his next opportunity to drive really fast, it is clear in his voice.

The voice is a very special communication tool. The nuances in your speech tell so much about the information being delivered. Your inflection is a critical part of your communication.

If you hope to get your listener excited about your content, you need to first be excited yourself. If you want to turn your information into entertainment, you need to sound like your content is entertaining you. A smile goes a long way.

When you don’t smile, you sound bored. Your content sounds boring. Your information will never become entertainment if you sound like you are simply going through the motions.

Remind yourself.  Smile. Your listener will hear it.

— 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. Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Your emotion will come through the speakers. When you sound excited about your content, your listeners will feel excited about it. That’s when you begin to develop influence.  Next time you are recording your show, ask, “Can you hear the smile?”

Avoid The Shiny Objects …

 

Avoid the shiny objects.

(photo by scantynebula)

In the past, I’ve suggested you incorporate stories in your podcast to truly engage your listener. To make your stories powerful, lead with a strong introduction that tells your listener exactly what to expect. Your first few sentences will tell your audience exactly where you are going with your tale.

Many podcasters find it fairly easy to lead with an intriguing introduction. The trouble comes as the story develops. Storytellers often find it difficult to stay focused on the goal of the story. They often get distracted and sidetracked following tangents that really have nothing to do with the story.

Let’s say the story begins with, “I found the deal of a lifetime at the mall this weekend.” You know exactly where we are going with this story. I’m going to tell you all about a great deal I found at the mall.

If we are in the middle of the story, we get completely derailed if I ponder, “Why do parents think they can just drop their kids off at the mall like it is a daycare?” This has absolutely nothing to do with the great deal I found. We are now running down a rabbit hole and need to figure out how to get back on track.

Your listener has a difficult time following your story when you get off on tangents. Your show becomes confusing. Meandering stories also waste time and limit the number of subjects you can address in any particular episode.  Stay on topic.

— 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. Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Make it easy for your listener to follow and enjoy your stories. Stay focused on the goal of the story. Avoid the shiny objects.

That’s Right, Of Course, Like I Said, Obviously …

 

That’s right, of course, like I said, obviously.

(photo by klikk)

If you find yourself saying “obviously” or “of course”, you are making one of two errors.

The first error is repeating yourself. If you are saying “obviously” because you feel everyone already knows the information, you are wasting your breath. There is no need to say it.

I may say, “The sun comes up in the East, of course.” Everyone listening to me knows the sun comes up in the East. There was no reason for me to point out the origin of the morning sun.

“Of course” gets thrown in, so it didn’t appear as if I were trying to teach you about the sunrise. I didn’t want you to think I just learned that. “Of course” plays it off and brushes it aside.

The second error is lack of confidence. You may want to sound knowledgeable to those who know the information. Yet, you know there is a segment of the audience unaware of the details. In this case, you’re just wasting words.

I may say, “The band will be at the arena Saturday night, of course.” Some may be aware of this performance. Yet, there may be members of the audience who haven’t heard the news. It makes sense to add the information.  “Of course” is meaningless.

The idea is to sound knowledgeable and credible to those that already know, while providing the information to those unaware. You simply need to restructure you sentence and eliminate the cliché.

“When the band is at the arena Saturday night, parking will be at a premium.” This sentence provides new information to both segments. I include the “arena Saturday night” portion for the new listeners while giving those already aware of the concert new parking information. Both receive a benefit.

When you include “that’s right” or “like I said”, you are repeating yourself. Your listener heard you the first time. Most people use these clichés to fill time while they think of the next thing to say. Avoid going in circles. Your listener will quickly become uninterested. Know where you’re going and keep moving forward.

— 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. Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Avoid the clichés. That’s right, of course, like I said, obviously.

6 Steps To Get Your Listeners To Stick Around …

 

I was a guest contributor this week to the New Media Expo and BlogWorld Podcasting blog.  It is an article longer than I usually write here.  However, the length allowed me to dig a little deeper into show structure.

You can read the full post here on the NEW MEDIA EXPO SITE.  I hope you enjoy it.  Be sure to leave a comment or two on the entry.

— 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. Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Talk To Me, Not At Me …

 

Talk To Me, Not At Me

(photo by Albo)

When you are podcasting, talk “to” your listener.  Don’t talk “at” her.  You are not announcing.  You are having a personal conversation and building a relationship.

Podcasting is an intimate conversation with one person.  The conversation is typically one person speaking into a microphone addressing another single individual.

There may sometimes be hundreds of thousands of people listening.  However, they are all listening by themselves.  Even in an automobile with others listening via communal speakers, the members of the audience are listening alone in their own head.  Each listener is developing their own unique, mental images.

Garrison Keillor paints fantastic, mental pictures for his listeners. On his show “A Prairie Home Companion”, Keillor describes Lake Wobegon as “the little town that time forgot, and the decades cannot improve,” and as the town “where all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average.” It is that idealistic, fantasy town where everyone wishes they lived. As you listen to his stories, you get the feeling that Keillor is talking directly to you personally. That approach is the key to personal connections with your listener.

Have a conversation directly with each individual listener collectively.  Put your listener in the moment.  Avoid addressing the group.  Instead of using “hello everyone”, use “hi, how are you?”  Make her feel like you are talking directly to her.  It will make your podcast relationship much stronger.

— 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. Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

When you are podcasting, talk “to” your listener.  Don’t talk “at” her.

Fish For Interviews With Bigger Bait …

 

Fish for interviews with bigger bait.

(photo by Canon56)

To score a guest interview for your podcast, you need to begin by explaining how the interview will benefit your prospective guest. The fact that your audience will love it has no bearing. It really doesn’t matter to your guest if your show or your audience will benefit from the guest’s appearance. When your guest makes the decision whether to appear on your show, they will only consider how the appearance will benefit them personally.

Many podcast hosts use their audience size to lure guests. If you have a reasonable audience size, surely use it to your advantage. However, don’t stop there. You may be overlooking many other ways you could benefit your guest.

Offer to promote the interview and your guest’s information to your mailing list. You may have many people who receive your newsletter who may never listen to your podcast. By including a link to your guests website in your mailing, your guest will reach additional people. Take credit for that.

Play to your guest’s ego by dropping a few names. If you have had other notable guests on your show in the past, let your guest know. Tell your prospective guest they will be among good company. They will feel more comfortable saying yes to your request.

You could offer to give your guest exposure on your website. You may have visitors to your site that do not listen to the show. Promote your guest on the site with a link to their content. This will be an additional benefit.

Mention your guest and interview in your blog. Again, your guest will be reaching additional audience. You are helping them spread their message beyond your podcast.

Your audience for any one of these avenues may be small. However, when you combine the benefit of each distribution method, your proposal for the interview will be more appealing to your guest. Every audience has value.  Use the access to the audiences you have to your advantage.

— 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. Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Be sure to explain every benefit your guest will receive by accepting your request for an interview. Stack your benefits to make them more appealing. Fish for interviews with bigger bait.

First Is Rarely Unique …

 

First is rarely unique.

(photo by alexshebanov)

To create engaging content with your podcast, you need to be unique. Your first idea will rarely be a truly unique idea. That first idea will usually be something you have done or seen in the past.

Keep working the idea. Let it inspire other, more creative ideas. The more often you let your mind explore other options, the more often you will develop truly unique ideas. Don’t settle.

Always attempt to create something unique with your content. Do not settle for your first idea. Push yourself. Brainstorm. Let one idea lead to the next until you have a long list of ideas. Then, select the best idea from the bunch. You will usually find the unique idea further down the list.

If you settle for your first idea, your content will become stale. You will continue to use ideas that have been used in the past. There will be nothing to engage your audience.

— 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. Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Don’t settle for your first idea. Brainstorm until you push past good and find great. First is rarely unique.

Would The Evening News Air Stories That Are Not Edited? …

 

Would the evening news air stories that are not edited?

(photo by ginaellen)

Why do podcast hosts air a show that hasn’t been edited? No other producer in show business would publish their content without first editing it. This is entertainment. Your show should have an introduction, body and conclusion. The content should lead somewhere. To make your podcast compelling, you must edit your show.

If you do not edit your content, you will sound like an amateur. If you edit it well, the podcast will sound polished and professional.

If you don’t edit your interview, your guest will sound less like an expert. Help them shine. Edit out the “ums” and “you knows”. Make them sound great. When you do, they will be proud of the interview and spread the word. (It goes without saying that you should never makes edits that make your guest say something they are not.)

Add elements to your show that create excitement. Remove the parts of the show that take away from the professionalism. This is show business. Your podcast is supposed to be engaging and entertaining. If you are simply airing raw audio, you are delivering lack-luster content that could have been polished. There are too many weeds left in the grass.

— 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. Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Your podcast is a show. Make it sound that way. Edit every show to deliver the best content possible. Would the evening news air stories that are not edited?

Lose The Script …

 

Lose the script.

(photo by sandrarbarba)

When you are interviewing a guest on your podcast, be real. Be present in the moment. Truly listen to the answers your guest is giving. Your next question may come from that answer, and the question may be nowhere in your notes.

As you prepare for your interview, don’t script your questions. When you have a script, you will be too focused on the script and less attentive to the answers your guest is providing. Lose the script.

Instead of scripted questions, follow bullet points. Be prepared for your interview by being familiar with the material. Have an idea of the questions you want to ask. Review your bullet points to the point that you are ready to ask various questions about a single topic that might come up during the interview.

Be sure to make your questions succinct. A long-winded question is hard to follow for both your guest and your audience. Ask one short question. Let it lead into another short question. It may take three questions to get to the same answer as it would with your one long question. However, three short questions will be easier to follow and digest by your audience.

If you are concerned with following a script, you won’t allow yourself to explore unexpected twists and turns presented by the answers of your guest.

Television hosts such as Jay Leno and David Letterman have a list of questions on their blue cards that have been previewed and screened by a show producer. The host may start with one of those questions. They will then let the interview flow on its own. If the discussion hits a lull, Leno and Letterman will revert back to one of the bullet points on the card to restart the conversation.

You will never see either of these hosts ask the card questions in order, in full or in a vacuum. The interview becomes organic and develops according to the answers of the guest. Your interview should do the same.

— 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. Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Don’t script your interview. Instead, use a short list of bullet points, and be familiar with the subject matter. By all means, lose the script.

Is Rehearsal Really The Enemy Of Spontaneity? …

 

Is Rehearsal really the enemy of Spontaneity?

(photo by mibseo)

Many people refuse to rehearse any part of their podcast, because they feel it will remove all spontaneity from the show. Is that really the case?

Think about a speech you have given. When you have only rehearsed the speech a couple of times, anxiety sets in right before you go onstage. Thinking about mistakes makes you nervous. You worry you may forget a section. You simply are not prepared.

On the other hand, when you have rehearsed the speech many, many times, you eventually know it by heart. The anxiety level of presenting the material isn’t as high. When you begin, you feel much more confident. The worry about making mistakes or forgetting parts isn’t present. You relax. This is when 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 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.

If you are worried about how you will answer a question, if you haven’t rehearsed the key questions you intend to ask your guest, if you haven’t scripted an introduction and conclusion to the show, spontaneity will not be allowed to flourish. You will be too concerned about thinking of answers, questions and conclusions. There will be no brain power left for spontaneous things to happen.

— 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. Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

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?

Know The Guest, Not Their Bio …

 

Know the guest, not their bio.

(photo by Mil)

If you are only familiar with the bio of your guest, you will ask the same questions every other interviewer has asked. Your guest will be bored. They will provide the same, lame answers they have given on every other show. There will be very little content here to engage anyone.

Instead, do a bit of research on your guest for your podcast. When searching for your guest on the web, don’t stop at the first page. When skimming articles about your guest, don’t just look at the first few paragraphs. Find the unique material deep within the article.

When you have discovered something of interest about your guest, don’t tell them about it. Let your guest tell you the story. Throw them the easy pitch that they can hit out of the park. You don’t want your interview to sound like the Saturday Night Live bit where Chris Farley interviewed Sir Paul McCartney, leaving McCartney the only option of answering “yes” to Farley’s questions.

Let your guest shine. Just because you know the details of the story, you don’t have to reveal that you do. Ask the question in a way that sets up the story so your guest can tell it. You will both look great.

— 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. Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

The bio of your guest will give you common information. If your listeners know anything about your guest, they will probably be familiar with the content of the bio. Instead, do your homework. Know the guest, not their bio.

What Is Your File? …

 

What is your file?

(photo by Kreego)

There is one file in your listener’s mind that you occupy. You can not occupy multiple files. You must pick one. Define that file and do all you can to support that image. That is the essence of your brand.

Where does McDonald’s fit in your brain file? McDonald’s is probably the “Fast Hamburgers” file. Does it also fill the “Milkshake File”? Probably not. Sure, they serve milkshakes. However, that file is probably occupied by your favorite ice cream shop.

Where would Cheetos fit in your brain file? It would go in the “Lip Balm” file, right? Of course not. However, Frito-Lay launched Cheetos Lip Balm in 2005. It failed miserably, because Cheetos occupies the “Cheesy Puffed Snack” file in your brain.

Your podcast brand can only occupy one file. You need to decided the one image you can own. Define your brand.

— 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. Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Do not try to be all things to all people. Pick one thing for which your brand will be known. What is your file?

Funny Follows Fun …

 

Funny follows fun.

(photo by Pescarus)

Many podcasters painstakingly try to be funny. Stop trying so hard. The funny will come. You are simply focused on the wrong thing.

Spend time trying to have fun on your podcast. If you are having fun, your audience is having fun. Your listeners will be able to hear the fun in your voice. Funny isn’t always necessary for entertainment. Having fun is usually entertainment enough.

Have fun and the funny will follow. It will be natural. If you force trying to be funny, you will rarely be funny.

Adam Carolla is always having fun on his podcast. “The Adam Carolla Show” is sometimes funny. However, it is always entertaining. He doesn’t force the entertainment. He simply does what he enjoys. Adam’s fun is contagious, because he is natural. The funny follows.  Follow his lead.

— 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. Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Funny will usually come along because you are trying to have fun and not because you are trying to be funny. Funny follows fun.

Everyone will get you nowhere …

 

 

Everyone will get you nowhere.

(photo by sergge)

Don’t worry about pleasing everyone with your podcast. As the saying goes, you’ll end up pleasing no one. You will never be able to satisfy everyone. There will always be someone who doesn’t like, need or want whatever it is that you’re selling.

Instead, develop meaningful relationships with your biggest fans. Deliver great content to those who love what you do. If you keep your fans happy and coming back for more, you can leverage those relationships to create additional fans.

Apple doesn’t worry about pleasing every computer user. The company is focused on converting their users into super-fans by delivering great products. Their efforts are creating a cult brand.

In the past, Apple was a niche player in the desktop market. Their market share was small. As the company super-served its audience by expanding into music players and tablets, fans become more engaged and evangelical. Apple now#3 and owns 17% of the total PC market.

The success of Apple wasn’t achieved by selling more desktops to more people. It was achieved by creating wonderful products for their fans. Those carrying iPhones, iPads and iPods became promoters of the brand. This evangelism is the key to the success of Apple. The company didn’t worry about pleasing everyone. Apple focused on their fans.

— 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. Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

If you want to truly engage your audience, and create an effective call to action, don’t worry about pleasing everyone. Focus on creating relationships with your fans. Everyone will get you nowhere.

Keep Yourself Out …

Keep yourself out.

(photo by zen2000)

When you have invited a guest to appear on your podcast, your listener is interested in hearing your guest. Your guest is the star.  Keep yourself out of the interview.

If your listener wanted to hear what you think about the subject, there would be no reason to have the guest on your show. You could simply disseminate the information by yourself. There is no problem if you want to provide the information yourself. Just save your guest the time, effort and dignity by leaving them at home.

Many hosts want to show the guest how much they know about the subject. This will sometimes come in the form of long, detailed questions. The host will fill time with personal stories that display their knowledge.

Unless you have invited your guest to debate you on a topic, as an interviewer, your job is to make your guest look good. Don’t invite the guest to appear on your show if you simply want to show how smart you are. Ask your guest questions that will allow them to tell great stories.

David Letterman, Jay Leno, Jimmy Fallon and the other great talk hosts use their monologue to address any topics they want to discuss. When they bring their guests on the show, they ask questions that will elicit great stories. Then, they sit back and listen.  Learn to do the same.

— 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. Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Do your homework. Ask wonderful, open-ended questions that set up great stories. Then, sit back and listen. When it comes to interviewing, keep yourself out.

Think Like A Fan …

Think like a fan.

(photo by jjmaree)

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.

I recently heard a host on a podcast say, “I don’t do this to grow the audience. I just do this for fun.” It should always be fun AND grow the audience. Rarely is your audience size staying the same. It is either growing or shrinking.

You will always have listeners that go away never to return. If you aren’t doing something to grow new listeners to replace those that are leaving, you will soon have no listeners. You might as well be sitting in a room talking to yourself. There will be no need to record your material, because there will be nobody listening.

Help your new fan get familiar with the show quickly. Make it easy to understand and get involved. Include your listener. If you need to bring up something a new listener wouldn’t understand, explain it. There is never a reason to include an inside joke. A joke that needs to be explained is rarely funny.

— 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. Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Be excited about what you do. Think like a fan.

Turn Over The Interview Rocks …

Turn over the interview rocks.

How do you find great questions for your guest during your interview? Look in unlikely places. If you want to truly engage your audience, you need to ask engaging questions of your guest.

The guest’s website or news release is a decent place to get familiar with your guest. However, if you only use these common sources for the basis of your questions, you will be asking the same questions every other interviewer is asking. Your interview won’t be different and will not stand out from the crowd.

One source I like to use is the people traveling with the guest. Ask your guest’s traveling companion if anything amusing has happened lately. It will sound wonderfully spontaneous when you ask about it during the interview.

Country artist Miranda Lambert once joined me on my show before her performance as opening act for Kenny Chesney. Before she arrived, I asked her record label representative what she had been doing lately. He told me she had injured her leg night hunting a few days earlier.

After Miranda and I exchanged typical interview pleasantries, I said, “It looks like you have a little limp in your step. What happened?” She really wasn’t limping and was a bit surprised that I had noticed.

Miranda now had the chance to tell me a great story about falling down a small ravine while night hunting with her husband Blake Shelton. It was a wonderful question that included a story about her well-publicized relationship with Blake without asking typical interview questions. I didn’t ask, “So, what have you and Blake been up to lately?” I’m sure she gets questions like that often.

None of this would have happened if I had just read Miranda’s bio, website and news release.  If you want great questions, dig a little bit.

— 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. Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Be unique. Be original. Make your interview engaging for your audience and guest. Turn over the interview rocks.

Is That The Right Measurement? …

Is that the right measurement?

(photo by bartekwardziak)

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.

Once you figure out what you want your audience to do, you will then know what to measure. It may be visitors to a specific URL on your website. It could be units sold. You can easily measure the donations to your cause. All three of those events move the needle. Those are the things you should be measuring.

What are you measuring?

— 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. Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Find your call-to-action. Is that the right measurement?

Is Your Pause Pregnant? …

Is Your Pause Pregnant?

(photo by alexey05)

Our world today is so busy and noisy. There are thousands of messages hitting us everyday from every direction. In a noisy world, silence attracts attention. Silence is golden.

When you are interviewing a guest during your podcast, don’t be afraid of the pregnant pause. When that long pause begins to feel uncomfortable, let it last a little longer. Don’t create just a pause. Make it a pregnant pause. Not only will the silence attract attention, the break will give your guest time to think of a great answer to your question.

Too many hosts ramble on with their questions fearing the pause that naturally comes between question and answer. Some hosts make their questions go on and on to the point where the question is almost answered before the guest even has a chance to speak. When conducting an interview, avoid the urge to continue talking. Shut up and listen.

A typical question may start with, “Do you ever take any grief for your unorthodox approach to selling?” The interviewer quickly becomes uncomfortable with any silence at all. He then continues with, “I mean, when you are giving a speech in front of an audience, do they ever take you to task for the ideas you suggest? Or, do you ever get hate mail? I can see where your ideas might rub people the wrong way and how you might get some e-mails from people criticizing your approach.” And on, and on, and on. By the time the guest is able to cut in, his only answer is, “Yes.”

Let the natural pause happen. Attract attention with silence. Above all, give your guest time to consider a great answer without having to decipher the question from all of your babble.

— 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. Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Silence is golden. Is your pause pregnant?

Swing For The Fences …

Swing for the fence.

(photo by rpernell)

Rather than being consistently good with your podcast, be occasionally great.

Your listener will remember one big thing from your show. They will not remember every detail, every comment or every e-mail answer. They will remember that one thing you did. Each show, try to make one big splash that will be memorable.

Swing for the fence.

Many know the great Babe Ruth as one of the greatest home run hitters in baseball. Many also know that Ruth struck out roughly twice as often as the league average. He struck out 1,330 times.

Babe set out to do something exciting. He wanted to be memorable. Sometimes, that meant striking out.

People don’t remember all of the singles Babe hit. Even though he is 2nd all-time with his on-base percentage of .474, nobody talks about all the times Ruth got on base. He had 1,517 singles and 506 doubles to his 714 home runs. That is nearly twice as many singles as homers. Doubles and home runs were just about equal.

Why do people remember all of the home runs? Because they were exciting. Babe was occasionally great. He was great often enough to be memorable.

You don’t have to set records. Simply make your podcast occasionally great. Nobody remembers your strikeouts. Don’t worry about them. When you finally hit the home run, people will remember.

— 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. Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Every now and then, swing for the fence.

Are You Important Yet? …

Are you important yet?

(photo by tofi)

The most important marketer in a person’s life is someone they know, like and trust.

This is the primary reason word-of-mouth is so powerful. The recommendation that comes from word-of-mouth usually only comes from a friend. A friend is someone you know, like and trust.

If the recommendation comes from someone you don’t know, the message is no longer word-of-mouth. The suggestion is now called “marketing”, or “sales” or “a pitch”.

If you want the call-to-action within your podcast to be effective, you need to build that trusting relationship with your listener. From your stories will come self-revelation. This will allow your listener to get to know you. By being yourself and sincere, you will become likable. Finally, if you continually help your listener get what they want by putting their interests first, you will build trust.

On The Dave Ramsey Show, Dave helps people with every call he receives. Out of six or eight calls and e-mails he answers in an hour, he may mention his books, websites or seminars once. He will always mention his “baby steps” philosophy. However, he will rarely suggest people buy his products.

Dave reveals many personal things about his past and his family. The listener gets to know him. He is often blunt and honest. Dave’s tough love makes him likable. The help he provides his callers builds trust. These steps make Dave’s manta become a true following. His listeners spread the word to the point where The Dave Ramsey Show has around 5 million listeners.

If you have built a true friendship with your listener, where they know, like and trust you, your call-to-action will be powerful. Spend time creating that relationship between your brand and your listener. Then and only then can you effectively use word-of-mouth.

— 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. Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Are you important yet?

Did You Really Hear That? …

Did you really hear that?

(photo by mirselena)

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.

— 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. Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

In every interview, intently listen to the answers. Did you really hear that?

Don’t Ask THAT Question …

Don’t Ask That Question.

(photo by icyimage)

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?” “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 of preparation leads 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 your show to promote their latest book or new product. You can help your guest promote 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 your 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 to 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 avoided the mistake of stealing their answer. Best yet, everyone is engaged in the discussion.  Be unique.

Country act 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 the group when they tour. I could have asked, “What are the names of your kids.” How about, “Is it fun travelling with your children?” I’m sure they get asked questions like this all of the time.

By getting a little creative, I instead 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 they always receive.

— 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. Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

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.