Influential Voices of Authority

5 Questions To Find Your Focus – PTC Episode 077 What are you passionate about? - You will find it much easier to create content on a regular basis if you are discussing something that stirs your passion. What are your unique qualities? - Your unique qualities will separate you from the other podcasts in your niche. What topics tend to occupy your conversations? - If you find it easy to often discuss a topic in conversation, you will find it easy to discuss it regularly on your podcast. What do you like to do in your spare time? - Your passions usually occupy your spare time. If you find those things that occupy your spare time, you may have a solid topic for your podcast. What topics do people ask you about most? - If people are asking you about particular topics, that is usually a good signal there is a problem there along with some interest. 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.

Who Else Wants A Unique Brand? – PTC Episode 076 A memorable brand that becomes a household name. It is like the Holy Grail. So many companies strive for it, but so few achieve it. Why is that? A brand is a type of product manufactured by a particular company under a particular name, a brand name, a particular identity or image regarded as an asset, or a particular type or kind of something. But, when we think of a brand, we think of so much more. There is so much more emotion in a powerful brand. Under those definitions, Honda is a brand. However, it is a much different brand than Harley Davidson. Star Trek is a brand, although a much different brand than Battlestar Galactica. Oprah is a brand. I don't think anyone would equal Oprah's brand to that of Sally Jessy Raphael. Each of those iconic brands were available at the same time their counterpart was making a name for themselve. Yet, the iconic brands became huge, powerful, valuable names. That's not to say the other brands were not familiar or valuable. Those competitor brands simply did not become the astronomical brands of the segment leaders. Why is that? What can you learn from these iconic brands that can help your podcast become a name, identity or image, but a name that evokes powerful emotion from your listener. How can you create fans instead of a casual audience? Here are six steps you can put into use this week to begin to develop your unique brand. Develop Your Style Create everything you do in your own style. Powerful brands have a style all their own. Your style is your way of doing something. Are you friendly? How about challenging or argumemtative? Maybe you are the Everyman. Is your podcast a narrative or instructional? Are you explosive, soothing or euphoric? Do I hear sarcasm in your show? Are you a friend to everybody or the guy they love to hate? Do you take risks or play it close to the vest? Each piece plays into your 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 like Sally Jessy Raphael was doing at the time. 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. If you watch “Private Parts”, Stern's autobiographical movie, one of the classic scenes is Howard trying to recite “W-N-B-C” just like his boss wants everyone to do it. 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. His bland radio name was Jeff Christie. 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. Define Your Character With 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. Iconic brands use their story. Oprah uses her story of her upbringing and career building by breaking down barriers. Her weight loss. Her struggles to cut a new path in daytime talk. Howard's story of defying “The Man” and doing it his way inspires others. Rush was told he would never make it on the air and should consider radio sales. Harley Davidson was a joke in the motorcycle industry. Harley owners had two bikes … one to ride and one for parts. Harley now stands for independence and “take no flack” attitude. Foster a relationship with your listener by revealing things about yourself through stories. Stories will define your character. Don't Just Fill Time You never catch Oprah just going through the motions. She would never have typical guests on her show. When others were interviewing the co-star of some moving, Oprah would interview the President of the United States. Oprah has Tom Cruise jumping on her couch. You never knew what was going to happen on Oprah's show. When you fill time, you waste time. Your listeners have come to your podcast, because you have made them a promise with your brand. They believe they will receive some sort of information and entertainment from your show. Your listener will only give you a few minutes to begin delivering, or they will be headed to the next podcast. Consistently add value for your listener at every opportunity. Either make the show shorter, or prepare better. It is usually a solid rule of thumb to prepare more content than you will need. This will allow you to always deliver valuable information. Seth Godin does a fantastic job delivering brief bits of valuable information with his blog. He even carries this through to the manifestos published by his Domino Project. Seth wastes very little time. Once he has made his point, he wraps it up. Your listener is expecting something from your podcast. Deliver continuously on the promise of your brand. Don't just fill time. Be Memorable When other shows would give away a television, Oprah would give a television to everyone in the audience. Now, everyone does it. 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 the magic. Your listener should remember one thing about your show this week. What will that be? Stir emotion. Make it amazing. Bring your listener back. Be memorable. Move Beyond Information Make your show emotional. That deep connection creates relationships. 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. Risky Stands Out It was a risk for Rush Limbaugh to step out and be incredibly opinionated regarding politics. Now, there are hundreds of shows that do the same thing. It was a risk for Harley Davidson to embrace the bad ass lifestyle. Today you can see middle aged guys riding their bike to the office. It was a risk for Oprah to walk away from the standard daytime tabloid drama that made her successful. You cannot flip through the stations today without finding a dozen copycats of Oprah's style. However, none of them achieved the success of Oprah. 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 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. I'd love to help you with your podcast. Post any questions or comments you might have, or e-mail me at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let's turn your information into engaging entertainment. Let's turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Seven Things Your Guest Won't Tell You (And How It Can Save Your Interview) – Episode 075 If you conduct interviews on your podcast, a solid reputation as an interviewer is critical to the health of your show. Your guests will share information about you and your show. Today, I would like to share with you seven things your guest will not tell you. In the long run, these tips could save your interview and podcast. Our world of Podcasting is not that big. There is a good chance the big players in your niche know each other. Your reputation will typically precede your interview request. Work to make it great. As podcasting continues to grow, booking services will become more and more prominent. These are people that work as the liaison between podcasts and guests. Agents like this are wide spread in radio. They are just beginning to get used in podcasting. (Find guest resources HERE.) Your reputation to these individuals will be critical if you hope to continue to attract great guests. When you send a request for an interview dropping some names of past guests, your prospect will do a little research to see if your request is worth their time. Your past actions will speak louder than your words. Over 25 years in radio, I have had the pleasure of interviewing Mariah Carey, Jason Aldean, Sarah McLachlan, Big & Rich, Lady Gaga, Carrie Underwood, and so many others. With each interview, I have learned something new. I get a little better each time. A few interviewing lessons have been learned the hard way. There have been times I have made a fool of myself. I am hoping I can save you the trouble. Here are seven things your guests won't tell you. Introduce Me Like You Know Me When you bring your guest on your show, your introduction sets up the entire interview. Your knowledge of your guest gives your guest credibility and tells your listener why they should care. By opening the interview with “tell our listeners about yourself”, you are basically saying, “I did not care enough to learn a lot about you, so why don't you handle this part.” Open the interview with a quick elevator speech that tells your listener why they should care about this particular guest. A Quick introduction does three things. First, it tells your guest that you care about them. Next, it doesn't waste the time of your audience or guest. Finally, it sets the tone and direction of the interview. Hit the primary points you want to discuss in the interview to guide the interview. Don't Simply Refer To My Bio Make your guest feel special. Do more research than their About page on their website. Your listeners can read the website of your guest. Take time to go deeper and find other great information about this person that has taken time to appear on your show. Create unique questions. This will keep your audience and guest engaged in the interview. It also shows you are truly interested in your guest, what they have done and what they have to say. Benefit Me As Much As I Benefit You Your guest has come on your show, because there is something in it for them. They could be pushing a new product or book. Maybe they are feel they can gain new audience. The interview does not need to be one big commercial for your guest. However, it should benefit your guest in some way. If your guest gets great value from appearing on your show, word will get around. The benefit you deliver doesn't need to end with the interview. Benefits could include your newsletter, your website, social media and many other possibilities. Don't Ask The Same Questions If you are asking the same questions your guest has answered on every other interview, your interview will most likely be less than engaging. Uninspired questions receive uninspired answered. Build the reputation of asking unique questions that excite both your guest and audience. Actually Listen To My Answers Listening is an art. By listening to your guest's answers, you can ask fantastic follow-up questions. It becomes an engaging conversation for your guest. When you simply ask the list of questions you have written down, your guest doesn't feel valued. You are not listening to anything they say. This would be similar to asking someone a question and then going in the other room while they answer, only to return to ask another question. Incredibly frustrating. Your list of questions is only a tool to guide the interview when necessary. Let the conversation ebb and flow. Find great nuggets in the answers of your guest. Value your guest by intently listening to their answers. You can always edit. If you Say 30 Minutes, Stick To 30 Minutes Keep your promises. Nothing is more frustrating than overstaying your welcome. Your guest is busy. They have planned out their day. When you delay them and negatively affect their schedule, your reputation will suffer. If you need a 30-minute interview, as for 45 minutes to conduct the interview. Leave yourself a little time for small talk at the beginning and a wrap up at the end. If you can end your 45-minute block in 40 minutes, you will get the reputation of being respectful and courteous. Don't Make Me Jump Through A Lot Of Hoops Your guest is doing you a favor by appearing on your show. When you demonstrate the benefits they will receive, the playing field becomes level. This is the ideal situation. If you make your guest do a ton of work before they can be on your show, you are using up any goodwill your benefits may have created. Things that make it difficult for your guest to be on your show are inflexible scheduling, lots of questionnaire paperwork to complete before the show, difficult technology necessary to conduct the interview, the need to provide a lot of background information before the show, and requiring your guest to visit a website to complete forms, upload data or do anything else that takes up their time. The more you conduct interviews, the more your reputation will spread. Become known as the interviewer that is respectful, engaging and caring. When you ensure you have avoided these seven pitfalls, you will on solid footing to attract better guests in the future. I'd love to help you with your podcast. Post any questions or comments you might have, or e-mail me at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let's turn your information into engaging entertainment. Let's turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Here Is A Quick Way To Make Them Care – Episode 074 Making your listener care is the only way to get them to listen and more importantly come back again. I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “what’s in it for me?” Your audience will be asking this very question every time they tune into your podcast. Your introduction better tell your listener exactly how your topic will affect them. You need to hook them right at the beginning with an intriguing introduction. If you don’t hook them early, they will be gone in search of something more captivating. When your audience knows what is in it for them, they begin to care. Lead with an intriguing introduction. Start your podcast with the benefit right up front. Hook them early. 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 the horrible restaurant service you received, lead with it. “When we were out to eat this weekend, I couldn't get the waiter to pay attention to our table if I had been waving $20 bills in the air.” The audience will now have time to enjoy the vivid details of your restaurant story rather than trying to figure out your point. 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 I had some time on my hands. I figured it would be a good weekend to clean out the attic. I dug through the garage to find the ladder and get at it.” Are we telling a story about a mishap in the attic? Is this story just recapping the weekend? Maybe it is about discovering something in the attic. 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. 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. Make them forget. 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 the imagination of your listener puts her 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. Become a great storyteller, take your listener to another place and time to make them forget about their problems, and hook them early by leading with an intriguing introduction. Get the story development worksheet as part of the pack of worksheets available for free online at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. I'd love to help you with your podcast. Post any questions or comments you might have, or e-mail me at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let's turn your information into engaging entertainment. Let's turn your information into engaging entertainment.

How To Take The Headache Out Of Show Planning – Episode 073 Where is your podcast going in 2015? If you don't know where you are going, how will you know if you get there. So many shows discuss goals around this time of year. It is only natural with a new year comes reflection. This is a perfect time to assess your previous year and decide what you want the next twelve months to look like. A goal is a simply a dream with a deadline. What are you dreams for the next year? If you don’t have a map & destination, you’ll only wander. You'll never get anywhere. Let's be specific and set some deadlines. You and I discuss goals quite often. We talk about having an objective for each episode. What is it that you want your listener to take away from each episode. Once you answer that questions, you will know where to take your content in that episode. We also need to answer that question on a larger scale. What is the purpose of your show? How are you helping people? How do you serve your listeners? Once you create the mission for your show, you will have a filter for all of your content. When it comes time to plan an episode, you can ask yourself, “How will I serve my listener this week?” My show is designed to give you more confidence in your content. I want to help you defeat that little voice in your head that is saying, “I hope I don't make a fool of myself this week.” Each week when I sit down to create my show notes, I ask myself how I might share with you a bit that I have learned over the past 25 years in radio that will give you confidence in your content and be more engaging with your listener. MISSION Let's start with the mission of your show. Write down the sole focus of your show. How do you help people? 2015 GOAL What is the one big thing you want to accomplish over the next year? We want to develop little steps to get there. Let's break the big goal into bite-sized pieces. If you create a weekly show, you only have 52 shows over the next 12 months. It may sound like a lot. However, you need to be intentional to reach your goals. Break your goal into milestones. Keep in mind that your progress might not be a straight line. It may ramp up like a curve. Write down those milestones. EPISODE GOAL As we develop each episode, what do we hope to accomplish in each show that will help us move toward our 2015 goal? More importantly, how will that episode goal help us get closer to our milestone on the way to the yearly goal? Each episode should have a strong call-to-action that helps us get closer to our milestone. What is your call-to-action within your podcast? How can we make that call-to-action more effective? Where are you sending your listener each episode to get more info? Be specific and write it down. Are you effectively planning each show before you begin? Sometimes it is difficult to get motivated to record your show on a regular basis. Plan ahead. Download the planning worksheet at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. When you lack motivation, revert to plan you've already created. Do you interview guests on your show? Create a list of guests you’d like to get on the show. Be brave and reach out to those people. Let's get them on the show. Give yourself a goal with a deadline. Let one guest lead to another. Always ask for leads. GET BETTER To improve, you need to review the game tape. Are you reviewing your show on a regular basis? All great sports teams review tape of previous games. You should do the same. Again, get the worksheet at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. Finding someone that can help you honestly review your show will help as well. BUSINESS You should step back from your podcast to look at your overall business. If you are monetizing your podcast, we need to schedule time to help reach that goal as well. Baby steps and milestones. There are many business possibilities stemming from your podcast. These could include books, speaking engagements, seminars, affiliates, products and more. If you have yet to monetize your podcast, schedule your time to create something powerful. Be sure to include deadlines. The next year can be huge for you if you plan. Set deadlines to turn your dreams into goals. Be sure to find balance in all areas of your life. Take some chances. Go for the big interview or launch a product. Dream big. You might just reach your dreams. I want to thank you for a fantastic 2014. It has been quite a success for me. I have met many amazing podcasters. You have given me your time each week as we grow together. I can't thank you enough for that. Podcast Movement invited me to share my knowledge at their event in Dallas. This coming year, I will present at New Media Expo as well. Many have downloaded my worksheets and purchased the Podcast Talent Coach workbook. It has been a blast. I couldn't do it without you. Thank you for being part of this journey. Have an amazing 2015. What would you like me to cover in the upcoming year? How can I better help you? E-mail me at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let's turn your information into engaging entertainment. Let's turn your information into engaging entertainment.

THE IMPORTANT TRUST INGREDIENT – Episode 072 You and I have often discussed the ingredients necessary to create powerful business relationships. People do business with those they know, like and trust. How do we create that important trust ingredient? In order to develop trust, we need to build consistent structure with our podcasts. Structure is necessary to build consistency and trust with your fans. The audience expects specific elements each time they listen to your show. They expect your style to be consistent. Your audience expects the host to be the same for each show. You must deliver to that expectation to build trust with your fans. This trust is where podcast monetization begins. TRUST DESTROYED In a matter of one meal, lack of consistency destroyed my trust in one of my favorite restaurants. My family and I went out to a steakhouse for a family meal. This was a restaurant that we visited frequently. In middle America, steak is a frequent meal. At this particular restaurant, my favorite steak is their filet. It is thick and juicy. Usually medium-well done. Just a little pink in the middle. Oh, so good. If I don't order it medium-well, it is usually too red in the middle. I can't handle steak that does not look like it has been cooked all the way. A little pink and I'm good. A nice baked potato usually accompanies the steak. I'm in Heaven. Perfect meal. On this particular night, I ordered it the way I typically order it. Nice and consistent. That is not the way I received it. Instead, the waitress delivers me a something that resembles a flat iron steak. Not even an inch thick. It looked more like a strip than a filet. If you are not a steak eater, this would look more like a flat chicken breast. A filet is more akin to a square tennis ball. The two are nothing similar. In fact, I don't even think this particular restaurant has a strip steak on the menu. If I were to order a strip, I would order it medium. Anything more than that gets delivered like a piece of shoe leather. Which is exactly what this was. The steak was tough and nothing like I ordered or expected. The consistency wasn't there. The restaurant destroyed any trust I had in them to deliver a meal like I ordered. My favorite meal was gone. That was the last time we had dinner at that restaurant. It was probably a year ago. The trust was gone. I LIKE IT LIKE I LIKE IT Think of McDonald's. When you order a Big Mac at McDonald's, you expect it to taste exactly like the last Big Mac you purchased and ate. This is true whether you purchased your last Big Mac at the same restaurant, across town, in another state or around the world. You expect it to be consistent. If the Big Mac you purchased today suddenly has mustard and sauerkraut on it, you would be a little hesitant to purchase another next time. You know what you want and want what you know. You want consistency. Now, translate that consistency to your favorite television show. It may be a regular, primetime show, the evening news or a variety show. It really doesn't matter. All shows follow the same pattern. Your favorite show opens with some sort of theme. It's the same opening for every show. The show open probably introduces the main characters, actors or hosts. The open lets you know what to expect over the course of the show. If it is a sitcom, you might see a couple outtakes from previous episodes that define the character. If it is the news, you may see a tease for the stories coming up. If it is a variety show, they will probably tell you about the big events on this particular episode. The show will then roll through the content. Eventually, the show concludes in a consistent manner each time. The news will usually end with some sort of lighthearted kicker story. Variety shows may have a musical guest at the end. Dramas end happily ever after. Every successful show follows a pattern. It is a consistent pattern. You want to know what you're getting each and every time. The consistency gained from the show structure helps the audience feel at ease and comfortable with the program. If your listener is new, she is brought up to speed quickly when you tell her what to expect. If the listener is a returning participant, your introduction causes him to say to himself, “Oh, yeah. Exactly how I remember it. This is the right show.” If you are watching the news and suddenly there are two new anchors along with different people doing the weather and sports, you will wonder if you've somehow stumbled upon the wrong channel. It will feel uncomfortable. It isn't what you expected. Consistency helps your audience feel at home. Work to achieve it every time. You can build that consistency by creating a structure for your show that will allow you to fill the time with great content. FIVE Ws Just like a great news story, you can create a solid structure by defining by the Five Ws. Develop the structure of your show by determining Who, What, When, Where and Why. This structure will be the same for every show. The content of the show will vary within the structure and keep the show fresh. Who will the audience hear on the show? Many podcasts are hosted by one or two individuals. These people are the only voices the audience hears. One person as the host is the easiest version. If you are the only person featured on your podcast, you can create the show whenever you'd like. The downside is the fact that you will need to fill the entire show with content while talking to yourself. On the other hand, two hosts pose other problems. With two hosts, there is often no a leader of the show. The direction of the podcast is left to chance. If both are not in the same room, they will often talk over each other without the help of non-verbal cues. It requires much more work and planning to make a show with two hosts sound smooth. There are many other versions of “who”. The host can interview a guest on each show. Callers can be part of your show with the appropriate equipment. The audience could interact with the show via e-mail. Any version of the “who” works. Multiple styles can be combined as well, like a late night talk show. You simply need to select the style that makes you most comfortable and be consistent with it. As you are deciding your “who”, determine what role each voice will fill. If there are two personalities with the same opinion, one of them isn't necessary. You'll just waste the listener's time trying to get each personality mic time while communicating the same message. It would be very similar to debating yourself. There must be contrasting points of view between the personalities to justify the existence of each on the show. What will be on your show? This includes topics, interviews, callers, e-mail, audio clips, highlights, sound bites, articles and other material you might include in your content. Your “what” might be answering e-mail from listeners with questions on your topic. Your “what” might be your comments and thoughts on various articles you've discovered on your topic. You could interview experts in your field. As I mentioned in earlier podcast episodes, using the voice of the person asking the question is much more powerful than you reading an e-mail. That second voice adds depth to the conversation, adds validity to the question and creates a sense of eavesdropping on the conversation by the listener. If at all possible, use audio to make your point. As you determine what will be on your show, find the “what” that excites you. Do not get into a rut. Be creative. Find new ways to say the same thing. When will you record and post your show? Find the time of day when you have the most energy to record your show. If you are a morning person, and you love getting up at the crack of dawn full of energy, record your show in the morning. If you enjoy staying up late long after everyone else has gone to bed, and the creative juices are just beginning to flow, choose to record at night. There is a time of day when your energy is highest. You need to find the right time, because your energy level will be noticeable coming through the speakers. If you are tired, your audience will know. If you are smiling, your audience will be able to hear it. Find your sweet spot, and record at that time. You do not necessarily need to post your show at the same time that you record it. You could record four shows on the same day and post them periodically over time. If your content is time sensitive, you might need to post your show the same day you record it. For instance, if you're discussing the day's news or sports scores from last night, it might be stale if you wait a week to post it. You simply need to be consistent with your posts. If you decide to post your show every Tuesday at 3p, your listeners will expect your show to be there on Tuesday at 3p. You can't post it at 5p. The listener will not come back hoping it is there two hours late. That would be similar to the 6 o'clock news starting at 7:30. That's not when you expect it and you wouldn't tune it at 7:30 hoping the news is there. Deliver on your promise. Post consistently. You also need to decide how often you will create a show. It could be daily, weekly or monthly. It should definitely be regular and consistent to build an audience. Your fans need to trust that the show will be there when you say it will be there. Select a schedule that you can handle on a consistent basis. Do not attempt a daily show if you cannot stick to that schedule. It is much better to post weekly and deliver too much than it is to attempt daily shows and miss a few. Humans are creatures of habit. If you can get them listening to your show as a habit every Wednesday at noon during their lunch break, use it to your advantage by posting consistently. Where will you create your show? This is an important detail. Each episode of your show could come from your “studio”. You could also record your show on location if you are incorporating guests. The technology available today will allow you to record almost anywhere. Find a place where you can focus on your show and control the surrounding ambient noise. You want the sound quality of your podcast to be as good as possible. However, don't let that restrict your creativity. Strive to make it good, but do not let perfect get in your way. Location is an important factor to the professional sound of your show. Content is as well. Balance the two. Why are you creating a podcast? You need to find your passion. If you are creating a podcast for reasons other than your passions, you will find it difficult to keep up the consistency required to be successful. Find the one thing that you love to discuss more than anything else. That should be the topic of your podcast. Chances are, you already know a ton about your passion topic. You will also find it easy and rewarding to discuss that topic. Money will typically follow you if you follow your passion. Work to create that important trust ingredient by building consistent structure with your podcasts. Create a structure for your podcast that will remain consistent for each show. The consistency will help build trust with your audience. Deliver to the expectations of your listener. That trust is the first step in monetizing your podcast. 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.

Episode 071 – Occasionally Great Podcast How do you create a show that people remember? My theory is simple. If you want word-of-mouth do things worth talking about. That particular phrase is one I learned from Seth Godin. However, I learned that theory years and years ago. Learning From Radio When I started in radio 25 years ago, my goal was to make every break a home run. Creating a show that creates buzz appears to be a daunting task. A typical radio show is four hours. With an average of four talk breaks or bits an hour, a daily show would include sixteen bits a show. At three minutes a bit for a morning show, we talking about 48 minutes of material. That would roughly equal to an average podcast. After a few years in radio, I realized that creating sixteen different pieces of content that are stellar and buzz-worthy is nearly impossible on a regular basis. It is also unnecessary. Your listener will not remember all sixteen things you do on the show this week. People remember one big thing. Create the one killer bit that will create some buzz. You can't manufacture marketing and make people talk. The buzz is created when you do something amazing. To discover what is amazing, you need to continue to try different things. You will be surprised by what moves people. People will mention hearing things on your show that you never dreamed would make a connection. The more you receive that feedback, the more you will be able to recognize it when it happens. Be occasionally great rather than consistently good. You don't win by removing mistakes. You win by giving your audience a reason to listen. Occasionally great bits will give your listener those reasons. If you conduct interviews on your show, you do not need to make every question Earth shattering. You need one or two great questions that people will remember. Your listener will say, “Did you hear what she asked her guest?” The answer will be one great question, not the entire interview. Make your listener remember one thing. Consistently good is admission to the game. Occasionally great wins. Examples of Occasionally Great Let's looks at some examples of both. In baseball, who are some of the players that come to mind? How about Willie Keeler and Jimmy Rollins? They hold the record for most Major League Baseball consecutive games with a hit. Willie Keeler is #2 with 45 hits in 1896. Jimmy Rollins is #8 with 38 in 2005. This means they consistently get on base. Valuable to the team. But hardly memorable. How about Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, and Alex Rodriguez? These are the Top 5 of the list of players with the most Major League Baseball home runs. Other than Babe Ruth at .342, the other four had batting averages between .298 and .305. In comparison, Keeler hit .341 in his career. These home run guys got a hit less than one out of three tries. Less than stellar, yet memorable. Occasionally great. Maybe American football is your sport. Would you consider Chad Pennington one of the most memorable quarterbacks to every play the game? He holds a 66% career passing percentage in the National Football League over 10 seasons playing for 2 different teams. That puts him at #2 on the list. Pennington completed 2 of every 3 passing attempts. Pretty consistent. Not quite memorable. Could you put Bart Starr and Joe Namath on a list of great quarterbacks? Bart Starr was the QB of Superbowl 1 & 2. Joe Namath was also a Superbowl quarterback. Their stories are legends. Starr is #71 on the passing percentage list at 57% over 15 seasons. Namath is #163 on the same list at 50% over 8 seasons. Less consistent, but memorable. Let's talk acting. Christopher Lee has made 276 movie and acting appearances. He has been in Dracula and The Lord Of The Rings. Robert Loggia was in Scarface and made 223 other film and acting appearances. You saw Ernie Hudson in The Crow. If not there, he was in 190 other movies and productions. You wold probably recognize him if you saw him. All three are solid, consistent actors. They are hardly household names. Every heard of Tom Hanks. He has only made 37 films and other appearances. Less than 20% of the number Hudson has appeared in. Less than 14% of Lee. On the other hand, to date, Tom Hanks' films have averaged $96.3M per movie. A few have been occasionally great and won Oscars. Not nearly the number of appearances. His home runs make up for it. Will Smith has made 29 theatrical appearances. His movies average $127M. Fewer films. More blockbusters. Will Smith is also known as a hip hop star. However, he has only released 4 solo albums. Two of his albums went gold. One is 2x platinum. One is 9x platinum. Will Smith actually released more albums as half of DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. That act released 5 albums. Three of those reached gold, one platinum and one 3x platinum. These guys are all huge, because they are occasionally great. Find Your One Thing Don't try to be everything to everyone. Be the best at one thing. What are you known for? What is the one thing you can do on the episode this week that your listener will remember? Find your one thing. Be occasionally 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. 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.

Episode 070 – Podcast Interview Resources Two e-mails came in recently that might help you with your content. This week I would like to share a few podcast interview resources, to help you create better podcast interviews. We will also review the benefits of an outside perspective. The first e-mail comes from Josh. Hi Erik, Really enjoying the show. Question. I've been interviewed on many different podcasts and I'm amazed how often I'm asked identical questions to those asked of every other guest that appears on their show. I understand as podcasters, there's always so much work to do. The research required and creating unique questions can be a scheduling challenge - but this feels so lazy to me to just rely on a one-size-fits-all approach. When I think of some of the best interviewers I know, I can't imagine they would *ever* do this. In addition to your podcast, coaching, and resources, are there any books you would recommend for how to be an awesome interviewer? I'd love to recommend them to many of our peers in the podcasting world - and quite frankly, this is a skill that I would love to grow in. I know you recently covered interviewing - but I would love to hear your take on this practice, in particular, and would love to hear even more on the subject! Many thanks, Josh Elledge - 90 Days to Abundance podcast – SavingsAngel.com Everyone has their own approach. In my coaching, I always encourage podcasters to develop their own style. A “one-size-fits-all” approach to interviewing rarely leads to unique questions or answers. When an interviewer follows a script, they miss the opportunity for great follow-up questions. Let the conversation flow naturally. Don't simply stop at the list of typical questions. If you make yourself truly present in the interview, you will listen to and hear the answers your guest provides. You will then ask the natural follow-up questions your listener would ask if they were sitting right next to you. Remember, you can always edit out the pauses. If you hit a dead end and need to look for another question, a quick edit will make the interview sound seamless. Interviewing might very well be my next book. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find the one perfect resource for interview instruction. Over my 25 years in radio, I have accumulated tips from many, many people. There are a few good radio books that touch on interviewing as part of an overview of radio programming and talent development. Two radio books I would recommend are “Creating Powerful Radio” by Valerie Geller and “Morning Radio” by Tracy Johnson. Both have been influential on my coaching style. There is also much to learn from the greats. I have found wonderful tidbits in the autobiographies and biographies of Dan Rather, Walter Cronkite and Larry King among others. Learn more about the interviewers and reporters that you enjoy. Over the years, I have learned quite a bit about the business and art from two individuals. Dan O'Day is fantastic at creating audio that moves people to act. Mark Ramsey is a brilliant mind that asks wonderful questions about the future of the medium. Two podcasters have provided great content with regard to interviewing on different episodes. Check out “The School Of Podcasting” by Dave Jackson. You will also find great information with “The Audacity To Podcast” with Daniel J. Lewis. Most interviewers have their own style. The commonality amongst the greats is the natural sense of curiosity. You will find that you ask wonderful questions during an interview when you let your curiosity take over. Hi Erik, My name is Rudy Vaughan and I began my podcast several weeks ago. I'm on episode 3 now. It's called the Word Outreach Podcast, which focuses on 'Encouragement for the Christian Walk'. Each episode includes a missions emphasis with missionary interviews. I've listened to your podcast for about 6 months and found you through your buddy, Dave, over at SOP. I appreciate your content, coaching and enthusiasm! Rudy Thanks for the great feedback, Rudy. Congratulations on your launch. Getting started is quite a big step. Many people plan and plan and plan without ever launching. Keep on creating. Thanks for including Podcast Talent Coach as part of your learning. I am honored to be part of your journey. Coaching is an important tool for improvement. Whether you get that from one-on-one coaching, group coaching, podcasts, books, blogs or another podcaster, let feedback help you. Having a partner help you with your podcast can do two primary things for you. First, an outside perspective on your content can help you see things you do not see. Then, coaching can hold you accountable for progress. Dave Jackson and I host The Podcast Review Show. We invite podcasters to appear on the podcast to have their show reviewed and their website critiqued. We also provide feedback on their business. I am happy to hear that you are finding value with my content. Keep publishing your episodes. Let me know how I can help. 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.

Thankful Podcast – Episode 069 We celebrated Thanksgiving here in the United States last week. It is a wonderful time of year when we step back and give thanks for all we have. This week, I would like to share a few things for which I am thankful with the hope that I might help you discover some inspiration. Three years ago, I began my journey to help podcasters refine their art. I was not sure where I was headed. I only knew that I wanted to follow my passion. Podcasting wasn't my original passion. It was architecture. From the time I was 12, I knew I wanted to be an architect. Through middle school and high school, my classes led me down that path. While getting my college degree in architecture, after working two years as a draftsman, I found my way into radio. The architecture degree required a few electives. My younger brother worked at a radio station and also with me as a disc jockey. I thought radio sounded like an entertaining elective. The class was Broadcasting For The Non-Major. The class led me to become the music director of the campus station. After a few months, I had a part-time job at a local radio station. Since I was so close to finishing, I decided to complete my architecture degree. Once complete, I continued to work in radio and pursue my passion. Broadcasting become my life. Architecture and radio are actually quite similar. Both require the ability to be creative within a set of guidelines. Both professions require a combination of creative and analytical skills. After a few years in radio, I discovered my true passion was helping talent refine their craft and content. I fell in love with creating content that captured the imagination of people and created effective calls to action. The world of podcasting is like the new frontier. We are able to create with very few parameters. Along with that freedom comes responsibility. You must set your own rules. That is my passion. Each day, I have the privilege of helping wonderful podcasters hone their craft and create amazing content to reach their goals. For that, I am truly grateful. That is the foundation of this thankful podcast. I didn't get here on my own. There are quite a few people that helped me achieve all that I have. This Thanksgiving, I want to thank those that have helped me. As you continue your journey, you may find some inspiration here as well. This is my thankful podcast. My Family The support I receive from my wife and two wonderful children is priceless. They encourage me with every step I take. Find inspiration in the ones you love. Let that love and encouragement lead you to great things. You You are the reason I do this show every week. Knowing that I help you with your content, your art and your passion drives me to create every week. The fact that you give me 30 minutes of your time every week means the world to me. Please know that I am thankful for that gift every time it comes my way. Dave Jackson When I began down this path, Dave Jackson was the first to reach out to me and offer help. Most of my achievements were partly due to the help Dave provided. Dave runs the School of Podcasting. His knowledge of podcasting and resources have helped me every step of the way. I cannot possibly thank him enough. Jeff Beals Before I even discovered podcasting would be my path, Jeff Beals was an inspiration. As part of my mastermind group, Jeff was my sounding board. His words and guidance always motivated me. Jeff has a great book called “Selling Saturdays”. He interviewed football coaches regarding recruiting, selling and inspiring. The book contains wonderful stories. No matter if you are selling ideas or widgets, this book will help you achieve. Rem Lavictoire When I am stuck in a rut, Rem Lavictoire is always there with a few words of inspiration. I'm not sure how he knows. His e-mail shows up in my e-mail box just at the right time. If you have attended New Media Expo or Podcast Movement in 2014, I am sure you have seen Rem. He is usually the first to the microphone after a session with some of the best questions you will ever hear. Rem has given me inspiration and motivation through his friendship. I am grateful for all the support he has provided over the years. Rem has a great podcast call the Sci-Fi Movie Podcast. Find him at www. Sci-FiMoviePodcast.com. Kenn Blanchard Kenn and I met through Dave Jackson. Kenn Blanchard has a podcast that has really inspired me in my faith and fatherhood. His podcast is called “Black Man With A Gun”. Kenn offers words of wisdom and inspiration every week. His Father's Day show is one of my all-time favorites. Check him out when you can. A few men have inspired me from afar. Through their teachings, they have inspired, mentored and taught me along this journey. Dan Miller inspired me through his “48 Days” teachings. His podcast and books have motivated me to pursue work that I love. Gary Vaynerchuk and his book “Crush It” showed me the way to structure and achieve all that I have. Brendon Burchard helped me launch Podcast Talent Coach through his teaching in the “Millionaire Messenger”. His book and CDs inspired me to share my knowledge with the world. This Thanksgiving, these are the people for which I am most thankful. Without you, I would not be able to do this every week. Thank you for being part of my journey. Let me know how I can help you in any way possible. To you, I dedicate this thankful podcast. 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.

Why Pay For Feedback – Episode 068 Why would you ever pay for feedback? Can't you get that for free from most of your fans/listeners/family? I was reading the comments on a blog post the other. As a disclaimer, I rarely do this. Most trolls that comment on blog posts do so anonymously. They are rarely knowledgable about the subject. And they typically offer little constructive criticism. We discussed the trolls in episode 051 “Why I Ignore Podcast Critics”. This particular blog post was in reference to a colleague. The commenter questioned why anyone would ever pay for feedback (coaching) when they could get plenty of it for free. This misguided individual obviously doesn't understand the value of coaching. Believing your listener can give you quality feedback on your podcast is like believing David Ortiz, home run leader of the Boston Red Sox, can get feedback on his hitting from the guy with a Bud Light in his hand sitting three rows up behind the on deck circle. Is Tiger Woods getting advice on his swing from the two duffers sitting beside the 3rd green? I don't think so. Here are five myths about coaching. 1. I've Never Heard Of You Myth: There is no value of an opinion from someone nobody has heard of. Truth: You've never heard of some of the most powerful, well-paid coaches in the world. How about Hank Haney or Sean Foley or Notah Begay? All three have served as a swing coach for professional golfer Tiger Woods. How about Jim Presley or Elnar Diaz? They are the hitting coaches for the Major League Baseball Baltimore Orioles. Baltimore had 211 home runs in 2014. 25 more than the 2nd team. The Major League Baseball Detroit Tigers hit .277 as a team in 2014. Ever heard of Wally Joyner or David Newhan? Both hitting coaches. Would you pay Brett Manning to coach you? Taylor Swift has. Keith Urban and Haley Williams of Paramore have as well. Most people have never heard of Brett Manning. Just because you have never heard of the coach, that does not mean they are not able to offer you valuable input and advice. 2. I Can Do It Myself Myth: I know what I am supposed to do, so I can do it myself. Truth: Your coach can see things you cannot. Business coaches. Quarterback coaches. Vocal coaches. Violin coaches. Writing coaches. Speaking coaches. Coaches are everywhere. Unless you are in the industry, most people have never heard of these coaches. These instructors are well educated and experienced in the profession. They help the greats become even better. 3. Coach Just Wants Money Myth: The coach is only in it for the money. Truth: No coach does it simply for the money. Most every coach loves to teach. They get great pride by seeing their clients succeed. Coaches who coach only for the money rarely last. If clients are not improving and succeeding by using the coach, words gets around. Do you homework on a coach. Find people that have used their services. If the coach has helped others succeed, there is a good chance they can help you as well. 4. Positive Feedback = More Money Myth: The coach will only give you positive feedback, because they want you to come back again and again. Truth: Constructive criticism is really the only way to improve. A Pollyanna view will never get results. A coach that only gives you positive feedback is rarely helping you get better. If you are not getting better using a coach, you should stop using those services. Tiger's swing coach doesn't stand next to Tiger saying, “Great swing. Keep it up.” I can get my nephew to do that for me. If that is the sort of feedback you want, then by all means use your fans and family. If you truly want to improve, hire a coach. When I coach my clients, I typically look for 3 things they are doing right and 3 things they can improve upon. You cannot improve your show by simply removing the bad stuff. You need to replace it with good stuff. Let's find the good stuff, so we can do more of that. That content can replace the areas that need improvement. 5. Who Pays For A Bad Review? Myth: Nobody wants to pay to hear they are horrible. Truth: Sometimes the truth hurts, but it is necessary. If you want to improve, you need to know where the rough spots are. You are not paying for a bad review. You are paying for the truth. If you don't want to know if you look fat in those jeans, don't ask. However, if you are truly concerned about your look, and you don't want to go out of the house wearing a bad Christmas sweater, find someone who will tell you the truth. A good coach will give you an honest assessment of your show. Someone who has worked with various shows over many years will know the pieces that make a successful show. That coach can help you implement ideas and tactics to reach your goals. Nothing beats the experience of a winner. A good coach is a powerful tool for you. Most people don't know what they don't know. A solid coach can help you identify areas that will help you propel forward. Some people are not comfortable jumping headfirst into the coaching pool. It is a big step. Maybe that is you. If you would like to dip your toe in water, Dave Jackson and I do a show together called “The Podcast Review Show”. Take a listen to the show to see how our coaching styles differ. You can hear how we both work with our coaching clients. You can also get details about getting your show reviewed. Whether you use one of us or another coach, the important part is that you get some objective feedback to help you improve. Find someone with experience to mentor you through your creative process. You will be amazed at the progress you make with your art. 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.