Influential Voices of Authority

Should You Change Your Introduction? - Episode 107 Should you change your introduction? Is it time to freshen it up? I get this question a lot when I'm coaching clients. Before we can adequately answer the question, we need to examine the purpose of an introduction. The first thing we learned in speech class was the structure of a speech. A good speech is built with an introduction, a body and a conclusion. Your podcast is no different. However, it may be structured like a series of tiny speeches. Let's just look at the introduction of the podcast itself. Your introduction should set up your podcast. It should be an intriguing introduction that tells the listener exactly what the podcast is all about. What will I get when I listen? It doesn't matter whether your podcast is 10 minutes or 60 minutes long. You need to tell the listener what is to come. "Welcome to the Podcast Talent Coach Podcast. My name is Erik Johnson. Over the next 30 minutes, we will help you transform your information into engaging entertainment and turn your podcast into powerful, profitable relationships.” With that quick introduction, I told you exactly what to expect. You know the name of my podcast. You know the name of the host. You know exactly how long my podcast will run. You know the goal we are setting out to accomplish. I've also put you in the mix by referencing your dreams and how my podcast will help you. In those brief seconds, I've given you who, what, when and why. Your introduction must be intriguing. This is true for the overall podcast introduction and the introduction to your stories. “Today we are going to talk about work” is not intriguing. That will not make anyone want to stick around to hear what you have to say, especially for 30 minutes or an hour. “Do you love your work? Do you think it's possible? Well, you're about to find out.” That is the intro to Dan Miller's “48 Days” podcast. That is a statement that will stir some emotion and make people listen through to the end. It is critical that you tell the listener what your podcast is all about EVERY time. Each week, you will be gaining new listeners. You cannot assume they heard the first podcast, or even one of the first twenty-five. Each time you begin an episode, you have to assume someone is hearing your show for the first time. Your introduction will welcome them into the party and get them up to speed. Even those that have been listening since the beginning will find comfort hearing that consistent opening they can almost recite verbatim. They'll feel like they are in the club. Your introduction tells your listener they are in the right spot. Remember, it is every time. Failing to introduce every time is the one misstep I hear most often with podcasts. Talent get too comfortable with their podcast after doing it ten or twenty times. The podcast gets lucky enough to make it into the top ten. People discover it, and the podcast begins with no introduction as if the listener stepped into the middle of a conversation. It becomes uncomfortable for the new listeners. The podcast suddenly stops growing its audience. Remember, your show will always be new to somebody. You will have new listeners every time you post a new podcast. You cannot assume your audience has heard your podcast before. You need to set up the show at the beginning to let the new audience members know what they can expect while letting the returning fans feel comfortable without being bored. THREE QUESTIONS There are three questions you should answer to help you form your introduction. What do you hope to make the listener feel with this story? Your introduction should stir some emotion. You need to establish the atmosphere right out of the gate. How will you engage the listener with your introduction? Hook them immediately. Make them care right at the beginning. What is in it for them? What will your position for your show? This will help you define the structure of the show and tell your listener what is to come. Are you teaching? Is it an interview or debate? Are you answering questions from listeners? So, should you change it up? If your introduction is doing the job of informing your listeners and encouraging them to listen to the episode, then there is little reason to change. Your regular listeners find comfort in your show open. Many people dislike change. Remember some of these tv themes? Cheers ran for 11 seasons. Friends ran for 10 seasons. M.A.S.H lasted for 10 seasons with the same introduction. The Simpsons debuted in 1989 and has been running for 27 seasons. Over the 27 seasons, the series had two revisions. The first revision was at the beginning of the second season when the graphics were improved. The other revision happened for season 20 when the show moved to HD. Both revisions were necessary to add new characters and a few other updates. The unique quirks in the intro where Bart is writing on the chalkboard and other jokes keep the intro fresh. However, it has basically been the same intro for 26 years. If your introduction is enticing people to listen to your episode, it is succeeding. There is no real reason to change it. Don't change for the sake of changing. You just might make your regular listeners feel uncomfortable. People know what they like and like what they know. I would love to help you with your podcast. E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let's turn your information into engaging entertainment.

6 Ways Stories Make Your Podcast Powerful The art of storytelling can be powerful. A story can pass life lessons from one generation to another. Tales can help people remember information. Stories bring words to life. There have been thousands of great storytellers throughout time. You don't need to be Chaucer or one of the Brothers Grimm to use stories to make your content come alive. Use stories wherever possible, and your information will become engaging and entertaining. It will also be memorable. Here are six ways stories help the information in your podcast become powerful, engaging content. A LAND FAR, FAR AWAY Stories help your listener escape his everyday life. A tale that is told well will transport your listener to another place and time through their imagination. You help them forget their problems. When you tell stories in your podcast, you give your listener hope. Tales of success help your listener see what is possible. Tragic stories make him thankful for what he has. Stories that simply make your listener think help her better understand something. Stories that contain wonderful, vivid words create fantastic pictures in the mind of your listener. When your listener is intently focused on your story, she forgets she is listening to a podcast. She is so engrossed by your story, everything around her has disappeared. Your content has become her sole focus. HEY, I KNOW YOU People trust people they know. If you're selling a product or service, people buy from people they trust. If you hope to make that sale, you need to create strong, meaningful relationships with your audience. Stories will help you develop those powerful relationships. When you tell stories about yourself and your experiences, you reveal things about yourself. Revelation is a natural part of storytelling. Self-revelation allows your listener to get to know you. Your listener spends time with you every week as you tell him more and more about yourself. Then, even if you have never met him, your listener feels like he has known you for years. You're building a relationship without ever meeting. Stories of self-revelation help those friendships develop. A great anecdote helps define your character. Your listener wants to know what to expect from you and your show. The stories you tell help define who you are. Your listener will get to know you. After some time, she will be able to predict how you will react to things. You become familiar. Familiarity is another ingredient to a healthy friendship. HUMANITY Stories are either compelling, humorous or tragic. A great narrative will make your audience marvel at, laugh at or better understand something. Feelings make you human. When you evoke emotions in your audience, your listener feels like you are just like her. Your stories reveal real-life experiences. You are telling her you've had similar things happen in your life. She can relate. She thinks in her head, “You're one of us!” Your relationship continues to strengthen. I REMEMBER THAT Grimm's Fairy Tales are so memorable, because they are lessons disguised as wonderful stories. Over 200 lessons were included in the books from the Brothers Grimm. Cinderella, Rapunzel, and Hansel and Gretel are all stories that are remembered well nearly 200 years after they were written. Stories link words to pictures in order to make the words memorable. Great stories will make your information memorable as well. Use the tale of your latest saga to make your point. It will help your listener remember your content. LIVE VICARIOUSLY Your listeners can live vicariously through you when you tell them a great story. If you tell you listener how you made a fortune with your information, he gets to experience your joy almost as if he made the fortune right along with you. Your words help create the imagery in his mind. Help people dream. Create fantastic stories that people can see in their own theater of the mind. Paint great pictures with your words. Your listener will see your story in his head. Stories allow your listener to feel they joy without experiencing the risk. Your audience can walk through your hardships and feel the elation as you survive without actually living the pain. Delightful stories entertain listeners, because they can experience so much in a short period of time through you. TAKE A CAR RIDE Your podcast is 30 minutes long. That's quite a bit of time to spend with someone. Will your listener want to spend 30 minutes in a car with you each week? When you record a podcast, you are asking them to do just that. Your listener will spend meaningful, personal time with you each week. You better do all you can to create a strong relationship with your audience. Get listeners to like you. When you reveal things about yourself through your stories, people will decide if they like you or not. Be real. Don't force your story or change the details simply to make people like you. Tell the truth. If you bend the truth this time, you may forget next time. The truth will always come out. When it does, your relationship will be tarnished for good. Reveal the truth. People will see you as a real human being. They will get to like you for who you are, flaws and all. The friendship will develop. Next thing you know, you'll be taking a 30-minute car ride with them every week. Stories can make that happen. Stories are powerful tools. They help your audience escape their problems. Anecdotes help your listener get to know you. That's where relationships begin. Your tales will show you are human. You are a real person with real flaws, just like your listener. Stories will make your information memorable, by drawing pictures in the mind of your listener. Your audience can live vicariously through you when you tell them about your experiences. When you create that friendship, your listener will be willing to take that 30-minute car ride with you every week. AUDACITY WORKSHOP I would like to thank Steve Stewart over at MoneyPlanSOS.com. He has created a wonderful learning tool called the Audacity Workshop. This past week, he included me in one of the modules. Our webinar was called “How To Create Killer Podcast Outlines”. We covered all of the steps laid out in the Show Prep Planning Worksheet available in the Free Worksheet Section at PodcastTalentCoach.com. Then, I added another 30 minutes of bonus content exclusive to the Audacity Workshop. That bonus material covers ways to really refine your content in the planning stage in order to deliver killer content. We discuss how to structure your introduction. You'll learn how to effectively tease and promote the content in your episode, how vivid details bring your stories to life, and what content to include in your powerful call-to-action. The best part … that is just one module. The workshop is packed full of great material and guest instructors. It is worth a look. If you would like access to the content, here is my Audacity Workshop affiliate link. Take a look. I think you will be impressed by the depth of the instruction. I'd love to help you with your podcast. Post any questions or comments you might have, or e-mail me at Coach @PodcastTalentCoach.com. You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let's turn your information into engaging entertainment. Let's turn your information into engaging entertainment. Begin creating great stories today, and make your podcast powerful.

How To Improve Your Podcast In 9 Steps - Episode 105 Sometimes you are just too close to the content to recognize the issues. I was recently working with two coaching clients. They were both struggling with the introduction to their episodes. The opening of the shows didn't feel powerful enough. As we dug into the shows with each podcaster, we realized they were missing their “why”. The hosts were not giving their listeners compelling reasons to stick around. We would never have realized the issue had we not performed the show review. In sports, coaches and athletes watch game film. Corporations use the annual review. Scientists incorporate theory evaluation. In the world of podcasting and radio, we call it the aircheck show critique. Review your work. It is the best way to improve your show. Listening to the podcast like a member of the audience will reveal things you don't hear while you're recording the show. Your review will expose areas that need attention and focus. There are a few ways to critique your show. One way is to review the podcast yourself. The other is to have a coach review your podcast for you. Both can be very effective if used correctly. An experienced coach can be very powerful for your show. An experienced coach has mentored many shows. That professional has been exposed to many elements that have effectively attracted and entertained an audience as well as those that haven't. You will also received unbiased feedback from a coach, because they aren't as personally close to the content as you may be. This episode should not turn into one big advertisement for my coaching services. Just know that I am available if you would like someone with experience to review your show for you. If you would like details regarding my coaching services, visit www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. It is affordable and rewarding. You can learn to review your show on your own. It takes time, but is possible. This episode is focused on helping you with the self-critique by providing some critical questions. To effectively review and critique your show on your own, you must be brutally honest with yourself. To help you review your podcast, I've created a free series of Podcast Talent Worksheets. You can find them at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. It is not easy to separate yourself from your podcast. Becoming an unbiased onlooker to something you've worked hard to create is tricky. You will often find yourself justifying things you do on your show because it is personal. To effectively critique your show, you need to ask yourself if the audience truly understands and is entertained by the content. Then, you need to honestly answer the question and be willing to change if necessary. Force yourself to be honest about every piece of content. Not everything works. There will be times you fail. That's ok. That is how you learn. In order to properly critique the show, you need to listen to it in real time like an average listener. A few days after you've recorded the show, when the excitement of the new show has dimmed, go back and listen to your podcast. Play it in real time while taking notes. Waiting a few days will remove many of the justifications you would normally use to explain away things that need to be adjusted. The content won't be so fresh to you. The excuses will fade. You will find it much easier to be unbiased. Actually listening to the audio rather than just remembering it in your head will make your critique more authentic. You never remember a show exactly as it happened. By listening to the audio, you will hear the exact words you used. It will be much easier to honestly review what really happened. Listening to your own voice won't be easy at first. That is alright. Most people do not enjoy the sound of their own voice. That is natural. Listen anyway. You will get more comfortable with it the more you listen. When you critique your own show, you need to know where to look for areas that will make a difference. If you understand what content will engage your audience, you will begin making strides to add more of that content. Determine the goal for the show. Know what content will make a connection with your audience. Then, create a plan to add more of that powerful content. If you have not yet downloaded the Show Review Worksheet from PodcastTalentCoach.com, get it HERE. We walk through the nine questions on that worksheet in this episode. Here are 9 questions you can ask as you critique your show. 1. Did you accomplish your goal for the show? Every show should have a goal. You should have an idea of what you hope to accomplish before you even open the mic. Be specific. What do you hope to make your make your audience feel? Is there something they should better understand? Are you incorporating a call-to-action? Write down your goal before the show begins. A written goal makes the show critique easier and more effective when you return to the show for the critique. As you review the show, find the areas that did and did not help you accomplish your goal. 2. What did you like about the show? What parts of the show really jumped out at you as you were reviewing your podcast? Jot those parts down on a sheet of paper. If you can find ways to recreate similar experiences, you will be well on your way to creating a podcast that is consistently entertaining. 3. What was memorable about the show? Your listener needs to remember your podcast, so they can return and listen again. That is the way to build a following. If each show has a few more listeners than the previous episode, you eventually build a solid audience. It really doesn't matter how many people listen today. What builds a strong podcast is the number of listeners that come back the next time, and the next time, and the time after that. You build your audience slowly with more listeners this week than you had last week. Get your listener to remember to return. Most people will remember one or two things about any particular show. Find the big parts of your podcast episode that are memorable. 4. How did you make the audience care about your topic? Nobody wants to watch our home movies unless they are in them. People will only care about your topic if affects them. How does your topic relate to your audience? The best way to make people care is to first care about them. Show your audience that you have their best interest at heart. They will come back again and again. Start in the world of your listener. If you truly want to engage your listener, put her in your story. This doesn't mean create a fictitious part of your story where she becomes a fake character. Include details that are so vivid that your listener feels like she is right there in the moment. Stir the passion within your listener with great emotion. You create strong engagement with emotion. Find the parts of your show where you made a connection and made your audience care. 5. Where did you surprise your audience? You will delight your audience when you surprise them. When the show is predictable, your audience will get bored. Find ways to make them say “oh wow”. This doesn't mean your show shouldn't be consistent. You can use benchmarks and bits that regularly appear on every show. You should simply find ways to keep them fresh with unique content. Great comedians delight their audience, because the punchlines of their jokes aren't expected. The material takes turns you don't see coming. Great movies do the same thing with their plots. That is what makes movies and comedians entertaining. Find the great surprises in your podcast. Make your audience say, “Oh, wow”. Add that same movie experience to your podcast more often. 6. What did you reveal about yourself? When you tell stories during your podcast, you reveal things about yourself. Self-revelation is the beginning of great friendships. Friends will support you every chance they can. People like to do business with people they like. Find those little nuggets that reveal wonderful details about you. That content will make you more approachable and human to your audience. 7. Where were the powerful words? Storytelling is an important step to revealing details about yourself. Vivid details are a vital part of great stories. Your listener will enjoy your podcast stories more when you include very vivid details. The more vivid the details, the more your listener will enjoy the story. Make your audience see the story in their mind. Draw the mental picture for them. Details help your listener experience the story rather than just hearing it. Details are powerful words. Find those words in your podcast. Learn to recognize them. Then, add powerful words more often. 8. What could have been better? There are always parts of your show that could be better. You need to find those parts. Become aware of your weaknesses. That will be the only way to improve. Your shortcomings could be the introduction of the show. It might be the way you transition from one topic to another. You may find yourself using jargon and cliches most people do not use in natural conversation. Find the areas of your podcast that do not fully support the goal for the show. Those are typically the areas that need work. 9. What is your plan to make the next show better? To improve, you need to develop a plan. Discovering the areas that need adjustment is only half the battle. You then need to figure out how to improve those areas. Put it in a plan. The improvement plan is where a coach can be incredibly effective. A good coach has worked with successful shows. They know what works and what doesn't when trying to attract and engage an audience. A solid coach can review your show and provide you an unbiased opinion. Sometimes that tough love is just the prescription necessary to break through to true improvement. It is possible to critique and improve your podcast yourself. You should learn from others who have done it successfully. You will also need the ability to be extremely honest with yourself. If you have studied successful shows to the point where you can consistently recognize quality content, you may be able to effectively critique your show. Give it a shot. Remember, you can find my free series of Podcast Talent Coach Worksheets to help you at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. If you would like my coaching help and are serious about improving, you can receive a free coaching call. Details are on the coaching page at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let me know how I can help. I would love to help you with your podcast. E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let's turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Have You Tried These 6 Audio Imagination Tricks? - Episode 104 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. Last week, we talked about the element of surprise and delight within your podcast. Pieces of audio can add a wonderful element of surprise. Video typically doesn't stimulate the imagination the way audio does. When you see a car in a video, you know exactly what it looks like. If you and I both see a car in a video, we would both describe it in very similar ways. There is not much left to interpretation. If I describe a cherry red 1968 Ford Mustang to you, I couldn't possibly describe every detail. What does the interior look like? Where is it parked … or was it moving? Is there anybody in it? What kind of tires are on it? Hard top or convertible? There are many details to the story left to your interpretation. Your imagination creates the car in a way that adds the most to your story and vision. That is the magic of recorded audio. Vivid details take your stories to another level of engagement that video cannot. WAR OF THE WORLDS You and I often discuss the incorporation of stories within your podcast. Stories reveal a lot about you as a storyteller. Stories also bring your content to life in the “Theater of the Mind”. Audio simply makes those mental images even stronger. "War of the Worlds” was an incredible radio broadcast in the 1930s that brought mental imagery to life a little too well. The episode by the great Orson Welles changed the way broadcasters approached their on-air responsibilities to the public for years to come. The show became famous for allegedly causing mass panic, although the reality of this mass panic was disputed. Regardless, broadcasters changed the way they presented information on the air in order to keep the government off their backs. The audio was that powerful. "War of the Worlds” was an episode of an American radio drama called “The Mercury Theatre on the Air”. This particular episode aired as a Halloween episode on October 30, 1938 when shows of this nature were performed live. The story is an adaptation of the H. G. Wells novel “The War of the Worlds”. The story was shortened to fit a one-hour performance. It was presented as a series of fake news bulletins reporting an actual alien invasion. The audio and effects added to the realism and the ensuing panic. Later that evening, a few hours after the show aired, Orson Welles was standing in Times Square in New York City. Staring up at the New York Times building, he read the news bulletin, “Orson Welles Causes Panic.” The media and politicians were in outrage the next day. They called for regulation by the Federal Communications Commission that would limit material allowed to be broadcast. They were upset that the broadcast was TOO REAL and therefore deceptive to the public. The production was TOO GOOD. How crazy is that? Over the years, Welles rose to fame as a producer and actor. This particular episode added to his meteoric rise. Audio has that power to supercharge the imagination. How are you using audio in your podcast to spark the imagination? There are different 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”. Here are a few recorded elements you could easily add to your podcast to spice up the listening experience. 1. INTRO/OUTRO This is showbiz. Your podcast is created to entertain just as much as inform. It is just as much “show” as it is “business”. Add some sizzle to your show. A produced “intro” and “outro” for your podcast is easy first step. The “intro” opens the show, as in “introduction”. The “outro” closes the show, similar to a conclusion. At a minimum, find a great piece of music that will open and close your show. You can find many sites on the internet that sell music clips for just a few dollars. Check THIS SITE. 2. INTERVIEWS Guest interviews are a great way to add depth to your audio. A second voice on the show will stir the imagination. Listeners will wonder what your guest looks like. The stories told during the interview will create visions in the mind of your listener. Listeners enjoy eavesdropping on other conversations more than listening to a lecture. By adding interviews to your show, you allow your listener this pleasure. Sure, you could provide the information yourself rather than going through all the work to secure, arrange and conduct the interview. If you are hoping to develop a relationship with your listener using content that will be engaging, go the extra step by including interviews within your podcast. 3. LISTENERS Adding listener audio to your show will add additional depth to your podcast. When you simply read a listener e-mail, the question typically lacks the passion that would come from the listener. The inflection is a little different than the caller would use. The question is also asked in the same cadence, style and voice that you ask every other question. When you add listener audio, a second dimension is added to the show. Though the caller isn't actually there, the second voice almost creates a conversation. Your audience is now listening to a conversation rather than a monologue. The question will also be asked in a way unique to the caller. Similar to the way interviews stimulate the listener's imagination, callers can add to the “Theater of the Mind”. You don't need to include the entire phone call. It is show biz. Use the part of the call that will most add to your show. If the call includes a bunch of details not relevant to the question or the show, feel free to edit those parts out of the call. As long as you are not changing the intention of the caller, or making it sound like they are saying something they didn't say, editing the call is perfectly acceptable. 4. AUDIO EXAMPLES When you make reference to a piece of audio, play a sample. If you are talking about an interview that Jimmy Johnson gave after a race, play a clip of that interview. Your listeners will be further engaged by the additional voice. Audio examples are just another way to add that additional level of production to your show. Additional audio will take your listener to another place. An interview clip will transport your listener to the interview location. An old television clip with create memories of seeing the show. A sample of a classic speech may elicit visions of the orator. Use audio to enhance the listening experience. 5. CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENTS People like to have their decisions validated. That is why many companies hire celebrities to endorse their products. If Michael Jordan wears Hanes, it should be alright for me to wear Hanes as well. I don't feel like I'm the only one doing it when I see Michael Jordan doing it. You can use this concept to benefit your podcast. If you can get a well-known name in your area of expertise to record a quick endorsement for your show, that piece of audio will add an element of credibility to your podcast. Your listeners will feel like they are not alone in liking your show. They will be validated. 6. SOUND EFFECTS Sound effects can easily enhance the imagination. You need to be careful that you don't overuse sound effects. Too many effects can make your show sound amateur. However, a well-placed effect here and there can add to the delight of listening. Adam Carolla has a producer who is responsible for adding sound effects to the show. If you haven't spent time with Adam's podcast, listen to one episode simply for the production elements. His content may not be your cup of tea. However, the production of the show must be admired. The magic of recorded audio comes from the imagination. When you stir wonderful visions in the “Theater of the Mind” of your listener, you will truly begin to engage your audience. You can then begin to build meaningful relationships with your listeners and keep them coming back again and again. Use these ideas to add a little “show biz” to your podcast today. If you have never subscribed to the Podcast Talent Coach podcast, please spend two minutes to do so. I would truly appreciate your generosity. Click the LINK and then the subscribe button in iTunes. Do you need help with your podcast? E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let's see what we can do. You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let's turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Purple Cow Your Podcast Brand – Episode 103 The unexpected is amusing, delightful and memorable. Being direct assumes your listener cares about your marketing message. She doesn’t. Your listener cares about her needs, wants and desires. Attract her attention by doing the unexpected. In his book “Purple Cow, New Edition: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable--Includes new bonus chapter" target="_blank">The Purple Cow”, Seth Godin says, “Cows, after you've seen one or two or ten, are boring. A purple cow, though … ow that would be something.” Phenomenal, counterintuitive, exciting and unbelievable. If you want to get noticed, you need to stand out. You cannot afford to be a different shade of gray. BJ Bueno in his book “The Power of Cult Branding: How 9 Magnetic Brands Turned Customers into Loyal Followers (and Yours Can, Too!) Hardcover - September 24, 2002" target="_blank">The Power Of Cult Branding” describes the same. Oprah, Star Trek, Harley Davidson, Apple, Vans shoes. They are cult brands because they are incredibly different. They are not simply a percentage better or brighter or less filling. They are different. Just a side note, if you would like to support the show, use the affiliate links to both of these books. Physical versions: "Purple Cow" Purple Cow, New Edition: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable--Includes new bonus chapter "The Power of Cult Branding" The Power of Cult Branding: How 9 Magnetic Brands Turned Customers into Loyal Followers (and Yours Can, Too!) Hardcover - September 24, 2002 Get one free by subscribing to Audible.com: AUDIO BOOKS Your choice. If you are considering either book, I'd love to have you use my link. 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. DISTINCT Be unique. If everyone else is interviewing the popular clique in your niche, make your show different. Stand out. Interview different people. Interview the same people in different ways. Create a different interview style. Instead of interviewing, turn it into an expose or magazine style feature. Jimmy Fallon is great at “not” interviewing people. He will do a lip sync challenge. Sometimes he will do a skit. He might turn it into a game show. It isn't the typical interview. UNUSUAL Is everyone doing it the same way? Do it differently. You could add listener calls to the show. Don't wait for them to call you. Reach out to people who e-mail you and ask if you can call and record them. When I did episode 100 and 101, I didn't hope people would call a voicemail number. I reached out and set up a call just like I would with an interview. Be proactive. Apple is unusual. Wikipedia is unusual. Volkswagon is unusual. Stand out. Don't be a different shade of gray. There is a car dealer in Omaha that does things differently. Instead of being a little better or different, they have flipped the car buying experience on its head. The dealiership has a customer parking lot clearly marked. You are not attacked by 15 car salesmen the minute you drive on the lot. They hold the door for you. They help you find the person you need. The dealer also understands that you have a lot of info from the web, so they don't take an entire day to get the deal done. They have eliminated the games. They just want to sell more cars. They don't necessarily need to get every penny out of a deal. They more time they save, the more time they have to sell another car. By doing things differently, this dealership has become the #1 Nissan dealer in the region. On top of that, they've only been open a few years. UNEXPECTED Another dealer took it over the top with my service. My battery wouldn't hold a charge. I figured it was my alternator. So, I took it to the dealership. If you have ever had a battery replaced, you know how painful it can be to reset your radio, clock and other electronic features in your car. When I picked up my car, they had reset my radio, clock and everything else. The first thing the mechanic did when he got into my car was write down my radio staions. Not only was it reprogrammed, it was back on the original station. This dealership does the unexpected. They are also the #1 Ford F-150 pickup dealer in the country. Dave Jackson does the unexpected when he interrupts his interviews with interesting asides. He drives the point home by interrupting himself. Who would think of doing that? It goes against every interviewing standard. Well, it adds unexpected surprised to his interviews. Drop in some audio to surprise your listener. Take the show in a direction that your listener wouldn't expect. If they think you are going right, go left. If you can create unique, memorable experiences for your listener by incorporating the unexpected, you begin to create powerful, meaningful relationships. Are you using cows? I would love to help you with your podcast. E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let's turn your information into engaging entertainment.

How To Define Your Avatar Or Target Listener - Episode 102 As we develop our business around our podcast, we strive to build trust. In order to build trust, we must develop relationships with our listeners. Friendships are created when you truly know everything about a person. This is the reason it is crucial that you define your single target listener. Many podcasters refer to their target listener as their avatar. This person is the single individual around which you create all of your content. To develop your business, you need to define your niche. Your focus on your niche helps grow your community. The ideal customers within that niche gives the focus the power. TRUST We have heard it said many times before. People do business with those they know, like and trust. This trust is what our friendship with our ideal listener is developing. To build trust with our podcast, we need to have a conversation with one person. In order to do that, we need to define that ideal listener. Our target listener. I have created a Listener Development Worksheet. This template will walk you through the development of your target listener step-by-step. Use this worksheet to create your ideal listener. The more you know about your listener, the better you will be able to communicate. Keep this person in mind while recording each show. YOUR AVATAR In this episode, we walk through the worksheet. By the end of the show, you should have your ideal listener well defined along with a visual image in your mind. Download the Listener Development Worksheet along with six others at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. A few characteristics of your ideal listener we will define today include age, gender, income, interests and fears. These are only a few of the 17 characteristics we will examine. Be sure you have downloaded the worksheet. It will be a tremendous help with this episode. Your ideal listener will evolve over time. The more you learn about your target listener, the more you will fine tune your definition. RESEARCH You can learn more about your audience by using a survey like Survey Monkey. Be careful that you ask questions that your audience will be comfortable answering. Specific income might be too personal. A range might be better. Let me know how it turns out. I would love to help you any way I can. You can find these worksheets in the free Worksheet series online at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. I would love to help you with your podcast. E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let's turn your information into engaging entertainment.

What If I Get Too Much Engagement? (Listener Questions Part 2) - Episode 101 THANK YOU! We have made it through 100 episodes. With your help, I have been creating this podcast for nearly two years. Thank you, thank you, thank you. On this episode, I want to finish the special show we began last week. This is part two of the questions I have received from listeners. NEW PATHS I have never had another person on the show. Up to this point, I have simply been sharing my 25 years of broadcasting knowledge with you. For the 100 episode milestone, I invited a few listeners to join me on the show to share their questions about podcast content and creation. The response and questions were so great, I had to split the show into two episodes in order to keep it to about 30 minutes each. This week is part two. If you missed the first half, subscribe to the show and give it a listen. A few questions allow us to dive into some new material. A few help us explore a few topics a little deeper. There are even a few twists along the way. FRIENDS & INSPIRATION Here are the people who join me on this episode and inspire me to do this each week. Kim Slusher – DIStracted Life Podcast “How do I stand out without being someone I am not?” Alex Exum – The Exum Experience “What's the one mistake podcasters are making?” Rem Lavictoire – The Sci-Fi Movie Podcast “How do I include listener feedback if I get too much?” I truly appreciate all of the support you have given me over the past 100 episodes. This podcast would not exist if it wasn't for you. Thanks for being part of this great community. Next week, we will talk about defining your avatar and using that target listener as a filter for your content. Find that worksheet here. -WORKSHEETS- Do you have a question? I would love to help you with your podcast. E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let's turn your information into engaging entertainment.

How Do I ____ In My Podcast? - Episode 100 THANK YOU! Welcome to Episode 100. With your help, I have been creating this podcast for 100 episodes. On this episode, I want to do something special. NEW PATHS I have never had another person on the show. Up to this point, I have simply been sharing my 25 years of broadcasting knowledge with you. Today, I have invited a few listeners to join me on the show to share their questions about podcast content and creation. The response and questions were so great, I had to split the show into two episodes in order to keep it to about 30 minutes each. A few questions allow us to dive into some new material. A few help us explore a few topics a little deeper. There are even a few twists along the way. FRIENDS & INSPIRATION Here are the people who join on this episode and inspire me to do this each week. Dave Jackson – School of Podcasting "How do you get used to talking to the wall when doing a solo show?" Steve Stewart – Money Plan SOS "The impostor syndrome seems to be creeping in. How does somebody get into the right mindset where they actually feel like they can bring some value even though they may not be the best in the industry?" Megumi Takeda – Working on her first episode "Do you have any advice to help smooth out the moments when interviews come to a deadend line of questions and need to transition into another topic?" David Freeman – Authors Pay It Forward "What is the most comfortable level of preparation for a podcast interview? Next week, we will hear from a few other listeners with more great questions. Do you have a question? I would love to help you with your podcast. E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let's turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Steps To Develop Your Show Strategy - Episode 099 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 hat 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. Questions Here are a few questions to help you begin. What are you passionate about? What are your unique qualities? What topic tends to occupy most of your conversations? What do you like to do in your spare time? Use these topics to define a focus for the show. Complete this sentence: I help ___ do ____ so they can ____. Many online marketers use this sentence to define their purpose and focus. You can do the same. You can find these questions on the Show Focus Development Worksheet in the free Worksheet series online at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. I would love to help you with your podcast. E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let's turn your information into engaging entertainment.

4 Ways To Make Your Podcast Different Starting Today – Episode 098 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 an incarnation of the Dodge Neon, 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 would not upset anyone. Unfortunately, the show never took hold. Ray Romano is a great example of success stemming from the stories of real life. Ray used stories of his family in his stand-up comedy. That routine eventually became the hit TV show “Everybody Loves Raymond”. If you are 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 will not be passionate about your show. Speak your mind. Be different. Get noticed. Make people care. Here are four ways to make your podcast different from other shows in your niche. Be real. Be yourself. Do no simply try to be an imitation of another show or host. Above all, tell the truth. It is much easier than remembers a character you have created. All people to know you through stories. The details within your stories will reveal who you are. People do business with those that they know, like and trust. This is the first step. Pick a side. Stand for something. That is the only way to stand out. Avoid shades of gray. Be drastically different. I would love to help you with your podcast. E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let's turn your information into engaging entertainment.