Influential Voices of Authority

The Magic of Know, Like And Trust - Episode 067 It never ceases to astonish me how our podcasts create friendships with people we have never met. My family and I were at a hockey game a few weeks ago. A couple came up to us and started chatting about the game as if they knew us. We had a great conversation with them as if we had been good friends for years. When the couple moved on, my wife was a little irritated with me when she asked why I didn't introduce her. I told her I didn't know who they were. These people knew me from being on the radio. I am part of their lives on a daily basis. I share things with them everyday on my show. These people feel like they know me and we are good friends even though we have never met. This happens all of the time. As podcasters and broadcasters, we have a strange friendship with our listeners. That friendship give us influence. How can we develop those friendships with our podcast? Here are five tips. 1. Reveal Things Reveal things about yourself on your show as you would to your good friends. 2. Include Your Listeners Make your listeners part of your show. Don’t distance yourself from your listeners with e-mail and text messages. It is much more compelling to hear the words of another individual in their own voice than it is to hear someone else tell the story (or ask the question). The passion of the message, story or questions isn’t contained in the e-mail. Inflection and meaning are always different when read by another individual. A scripted e-mail lack spontaneity. I believe this is why interviews are so powerful. You can talk about a book, or you can interview the author. Which is more compelling? 3. Make Your Listener Feel Something Emotions are powerful. 4. Be A Companion Make your listener feel comfortable, as if they are spending time with a friend. They will come back time and again. You are their companionship. 5. Help People 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.

Podcast Interview and Co-host Tips – Episode 066 Do you have a podcast that involves multiple people? This week, I'll answer two listener questions to help with podcasts that involve interviews or co-hosts. You can always e-mail your questions to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. We discussed interviews a bit in Episode 059 – Solution to Boring Guests. I offered ideas to salvage an interview that lacks any entertaining value. That content was focused on the guest. Our questions this week focus on you the interviewer. We will discuss podcast interview and co-host tips. Interview Nerves I would love to know if you have any tips on how to curb anxiety when you’re getting ready to interview a big personality. While my big personalities can’t touch yours, I’ve noticed that it takes me a while to loosen up and relax sometimes. Sometimes if I chat with them a little before the interview starts, that helps. But I never want to waste their time, and sometimes you just get the feeling they want to get to it so that they can go about their day. Am I still talking? Thanks, Erik! -Patrick Keller – BigSeance.com This is a great question from Patrick. In fact, it is one question I get quite often. First, understand that interview butterflies are natural. Find some comfort in knowing that most every interviewer feels some nervousness the minutes before the talk begins. It is very similar to public speakers. You're not the only one. There are four things you can do to get over the jitters. These should help you a bit to calm the nerves before the interview. Prepare Make sure you have your interview plan ready. Be knowledgable about your guest. Have at your fingertips any details that you will need. Create a map and know where you are going. Ensure you know what you hope to achieve with this particular interview. Preinterview – Explain the process Before the interview, have a quick chat with your guest. Let them know exactly how the interview will run and what they can expect. This will not only put you at ease, it will make your guest more comfortable and open. Understand you are helping them Your guest is on your show, because there is some value to them. Guests typically do not appear on podcasts out of the goodness of their heart. They are interested in expanding their brand by being on your show. You have something to offer your guest. Podcast guests are marketing their goods or services to your audience. You are putting them in front of a group of people that can expand their reach. This is a huge opportunity and benefit to them. You aren't simply taking from them. Find comfort in knowing that you are helping each other. Really listen and be involved in a conversation Many podcasters get wrapped up in thinking of the next question and fail to listen to the current answer. Have a dialog instead of a lecture. Truly listen to the answers your guest is offering. Those answers tend to lead to amazing follow-up questions. By getting heavily involved in the conversation, you will take your mind off of your nervous butterflies. Bumping Co-Hosts Our next questions involves co-hosts. Hi, On any of your podcasts do you have guidelines on how to stop hosts talking over each other? Cheers - Brian This is another question I hear often. It takes a lot of practice to avoid stepping on your guest or co-host. I have five tips to help you clean up the discussion. Develop hand cues When one host wraps up their thought and is ready for the other to jump in, a simple hand cue can help make a smooth transition. Be aware of each other If you are truly listening to your co-host speak, you will be less concerned with jumping in to offer your point of view. Allow your co-host enjoy the limelight until they are ready for you to speak up. Know who will serve as the director On a podcast with multiple hosts, it is critical that one host drives the bus. With a director, all members of the show know who will call the shots to keep the show moving in the right direction. The Sci-Fi Movie Podcast is a great example of this. Even though all three co-hosts have equal roles on the show, it is obvious that Rem is directing the show. Give it a listen. You can see how smooth their podcast typically runs. Know who is leading If you use a intriguing introduction as I describe and teach with my storytelling worksheet (available at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com), your co-host will know exactly where the story is headed. This leads to fewer interruptions by co-hosts. Respect the story. Respect the mic time of each other Everyone will receive their fare share of mic time. Try to be less concerned with offering your viewpoint and allow your co-host to enjoy the spotlight. Your time will come. If your co-host is on a roll, let them roll. When the podcast is entertaining, you both win. It doesn't matter which host offers the punchline. I hope those tips help clean up the flow of the show. There are many other ways to calm your nerves. When it comes to talking over each other, it comes down to finding a process comfortable for you and your partner. I'd love to help you with your podcast. Post any questions or comments you might have, or e-mail me at Erik@PodcastTalentCoach.com. You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let's turn your information into engaging entertainment. Let's turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Powerful Marketing With Podcast Benefits - Episode 065 I was listening to the biography of Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson the other day. It really got me thinking about powerful marketing and how to create it. The particular section of the book that caught my attention discussed the “1984” apple commercial. The message of the commercial was that apple would save humanity from conformity. It was a nod to George Orwell's novel “Nineteen Eighty-Four”. The “1984” commercial, when viewed by the Apple Board of Directors, was deemed unacceptable to air. The board suggested the advertising agency sell both the 30-second and 60-second time slots they had purchased during the 1984 during the Super Bowl. The ad agency sold the :30, but didn't try very hard to unload the :60. Jobs and a few others found the funds to run the commercial one time. The only other time it was aired was once on a few local stations. With that one airing, the “1984” commercial created millions of dollars in buzz. Network news shows were talking about the commercial. It was the top commercial of the Super Bowl that year. In fact, Advertising Age magazine named the spot one of the Top 50 Greatest Commercials. The commercial was almost never seen nationally. What makes marketing like this so powerful? How can we make our podcast message that strong? You vs. Me Great marketing is like a mirror. It is a reflection of the customer, not of the company. Great products that use great marketing are focused on the needs, wants and desires of their customers. To turn your podcast into a great brand, focus on your listener and not on yourself. Scheels had a great commercial for their snowboarding gear. The commercial was completely focused on the lifestyle of the snowboarder. It didn’t feature all of the great salespeople or wide aisles in the store or sale prices. The commercial was a mirror reflecting the customer. To turn your information into engaging entertainment with your podcast, focus on the listener. Use words like “you” instead of “I”, “me” or “we”. Convey your content from the point of view of your listener. They will feel appreciated. They will be engaged. Your podcast will become a relationship. Success will follow. When it is You vs. Me, always pick you. It's the Snap, Crackle, Pop … Not the Puffed Rice Rice. Sugar. Salt. Malt flavor. Mmmmm. I can't wait to get a bowl of that! Your listeners aren't attracted by the contents of your show. They don't care if your show discusses money or business or politics or sports. All your listener cares about is the benefits they will receive from your show. Here are a few podcast descriptions I found today on iTunes. "Those people that make videos on YouTube now have their own audio podcast. Hope you will stay awhile." "(unnamed podcast) produces original stories each week for families around the world. Each week on the (unnamed podcast), we'll be sharing a free story from one of our original story series." "The world's favorite podcast about old video games reaches its next stage! Join (hosts) and a variety of guests as they discuss the favorite games and topics of yesteryear." I'm sure these are solid podcasts. They were all listed in the "New & Noteworthy". The content may be great, but the descriptions lack any snap, crackle or pop. People get attracted to your show by the benefits, not ingredients. Consumers by the fun of the Snap, Crackle & Pop. They aren't buying the puffed rice. Listeners are seeking the fun of learning life's lessons through stories, not original stories for families. The audience wants nostalgic memories of teenage afternoons wasted in the arcade in front of Donkey Kong, Ms. Pac Man and Dragon's Lair, not discussion of your favorite games and topics. When a listener decides to listen to your podcast, they ask, “What will this podcast do for me?” If the answer is topics and discussions, your listener is probably moving on. If it is nostalgic memories and comedic bits of "name that video game theme", you might just entice him to check out your show. There is a reason the fun of the experience is on the front of the box and the ingredients are relegated to the side. You need to sell the fun. This week, look over your podcast description. What is it telling your listener? Are you leading with the benefits? Sell them the results. Make it exciting. 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.

Can You Make Money With Your Podcast? People love to buy. They hate to have people sell to them. Create interest and desire. Make your fans want to buy. The hard sell rarely makes your fan feel good about making the purchase. How do we use our content to develop the desire to buy rather than the method to sell? I believe it is possible to make money “with” your podcast. To make money “from” your podcast is much tougher. Are You Important In The Life Of Your Listener? The most important marketer in a person's life is someone they know, like and trust. We all know this. I used Dave Jackson's affiliate link to build www.ErikKJohnson.com. This was after I got to know, like and trust Dave and his information at the School of Podcasting. As I started in Podcasting, I hit Google to find information. That is where I originally discovered Dave. Then, I began seeing him in blogs and hearing him referenced in other podcasts. I began listening to his podcast to get to know him. One day, I got an e-mail from Dave. He wanted to chat with me about podcasting to see if we might be able to help each other. It was great. That is where my trust really started. After a few months, I used his affiliate link to build out my website for my podcast. It all started with the relationship. This is the primary reason word-of-mouth is so powerful. The recommendation that comes from word-of-mouth usually only comes from a friend. A friend is someone you know, like and trust. If the recommendation comes from someone you don't know, the message is no longer word-of-mouth. The suggestion is now called “marketing”, or “sales” or “a pitch”. If you want the call-to-action within your podcast to be effective, you need to build that trusting relationship with your listener. From your stories will come self-revelation. This will allow your listener to get to know you. By being yourself and sincere, you will become likable. Finally, if you continually help your listener get what they want by putting their interests first, you will build trust. On the Dave Ramsey Show, Dave helps people with every call he receives. Out of six or eight calls in an hour, he may mention his books, websites or seminars once. He will always mention his “baby steps” philosophy. However, he will rarely suggest people buy his products. Dave reveals many personal things about his past and his family. The listener gets to know him. He is often blunt and honest. Dave's tough love makes him likeable. The help he provides his callers builds trust. These steps make Dave's manta become a true following. His listeners spread the word to the point where The Dave Ramsey Show has around 5 million listeners. If you have built a true friendship with your listener, where they know, like and trust you, your call-to-action will be powerful. Spend time creating that relationship between your brand and your listener. Then and only then can you effectively use word-of-mouth. Are you important in the life of your listener? After you build the trust, you can then create a powerful call-to-action. Is That You Calling? To create a successful podcast, you need to create an effective call-to-action within your show. So, how do we measure success? If we are trying to get our audience to do something by using a call-to-action (listen again, buy our product, visit our website, support our cause), our call-to-action should be our determining factor of success. Measure what counts. When you create your podcast, you should measure your success not by the number of listeners or downloads, but by conversions to whatever you want them to be or do. Let's say your goal is to get people to visit the store on your website. If you have 1,000 people listening to your show, but you only get 2 of them to act and actually visit the site, you really haven't been successful. However, if you only have 200 listeners, but 100 love everything you do and visit your site regularly, I would consider that a success. Having 1,000 listeners may sound better than 200. By closer evaluation, I would much rather have 100 fans than 2. Don't get fooled by measuring the incorrect statistic. Measure what counts. Measure your call to action. Create an effective call-to-action, and measure it. Selling Is Easy, Right? I was listening to an interview CD that accompanies each issue of Success magazine. Publisher Darren Hardy was talking with Founder and President of Piranha Marketing, Inc. Joe Polish. During that interview, Mr. Polish proclaimed great marketing makes selling easy and unnecessary. You may not be selling in the traditional sense of products or services in exchange for money. However, you are making a call-to-action within your podcast. It may be selling for money. It may also be inviting your listener to come again, asking him to visit your website, requesting that she join your mailing list, inspire him to get involved with a cause or any other action. It all involves selling yourself. Polish's statement was bold. As he went on to explain himself, Polish made perfect sense. In fact, his comments were very similar to the marketing and branding information we've been discussing with regard to your podcast. In summary, Polish said great marketing gets people properly positioned, so they are pre-interested, pre-motivated, pre-qualified, and predisposed to do business with you (or act on your call-to-action). Great marketing therefore makes selling easy and unnecessarily. If you have truly engaged your listener and created that strong relationship we've been discussing, the selling should take care of itself. Selling becomes difficult when you are trying to get your listener interested. Selling before your listener is motivated is a challenge. Trying to sell to a listener that isn't qualified is hard work. If your listener isn't predisposed to taking action, you will need to sell hard. When you have taken the time to build the relationship, your listener will be pre-interested, pre-motivated, pre-qualified, and predisposed to do business with you. They will be ready to buy. Selling, in terms of convincing your listener to buy, will be unnecessary. Your marketing and engaging relationship will have them ready for your call-to-action. This week, review your podcast. Let's discover ways to make money with your podcast. Are you building trust and properly positioning your listener to do business with you? Have you developed something to sell (other than advertising within your show)? Have you developed your strong call-to-action? Let me know how I can help you with your podcast. E-mail your questions to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. You can also find other tools including worksheets, a workbook and videos to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let me teach you how to turn your information into engaging entertainment.

When Did Marketing Become Taboo? I was listening to Daniel J. Lewis on "The Audacity To Podcast” Sept. 15th episode “How To Deal With Negative Feedback Toward You”. When did commercials become bad? Here is the comment/quote: "I feel like I just listened to an hour long infomercial. Daniel, I recognize your need to cross-promote and I realize that your income comes from podcasting. I feel overloaded with commercial information and have quite a difficult time separating out the real content from the commercial content. It's just too much. Sorting out the things I would consider using from the things I have tried in the past but didn't work from the commercials just wasn't worth the hour I wasted this afternoon listening to your podcast today.” Daniel goes to great lengths to avoid being self-promotional. He mentions his products at the end or when it is contextually relevant. Hence the “I have a tough time separating out the real content from the commercial content”. If one blends into the other, it fits with the content. Daniel hardly creates his podcast to be one big commercial. On the other hand, why are the product mentions so bad? How do you find out about great products? How did you find out about the last great movie you saw? How did you discover the last great book you read? Didn't someone tell you about it? Regardless if that person was a friend or part of a marketing message, that communication helped you discover new things. That is what marketing is all about. Sure, not every marketing message is going to be tailored to your needs. There will be some that might miss the mark. It could be the mass mailing you received from the pizza joint down the street because you have a family of 4. It could be the political flyer you received because of your party affiliation. Is it that difficult to ignore the irrelevant? Throw it out. So, how do we make our marketing message relevant? How do we make the message valuable instead of an interruption? Are You Shouting? You can't shout your way into a person's trust circle. They only way to gain trust is to add value. Give them something they can use. Building trust is the foundation of revenue generation for your podcast. As you build trusting relationships with your podcast, continue to ask yourself, “How am I helping my listener?” Continue to give, and the trust will develop over time. When you begin every discussion with your product, needs or wants, people will tune you out. You will begin to sound (and be treated) like advertisements for used cars. Shouting doesn't work. Your listener won't care and will rarely return. Daniel does the opposite in “The Audacity To Podcast”. He usually starts by helping his listener. Then, if it fits, he will recommend a product or service to his audience. Serve first, many times over. Then and only then can you effectively sell. Shows like the “Dave Ramsey Show”, “48 Days To The Work You Love” and “The Audacity To Podcast” are all designed to help their listeners first. Sure, they all have products to sell as the end result. However, they never begin with their product. The discussions on these shows always begin with the listener's needs in mind first. Why is it bad to sell? Why must podcasting be only altruistic? If I have something that might help you solve your problems, why would it be wrong to recommend it to you while making a few dollars at the same time? If you loved mowing grass, would it be right to expect you to mow my grass for free? You love to do it. Why should I pay you? If it is acceptable to charge you for mowing your yard, why isn't acceptable to earn some money for helping you with your business? As you prepare for your show, find great ways to help. Your help may come in the form of entertainment. You may serve as companionship for your podcast listener. Help them find other forms of companionship as well. If your podcast is only one hour per week, there are 167 more hours in the week that aren't occupied by your show. Your listeners will surely need more companionship to fill a few of those hours. Help your audience fill those hours, too. Are you building trust, or are you shouting? Develop the friendship by delivering companionship. Are You Delivering What They Seek? People listen to podcasts, the radio and other audio for companionship. They don't want to drive alone. People have an inner desire to be around other people. Companionship is the reason people listen to your podcast, even if you are selling something. Your listener will always ask, “What's in it for me.” Make your listener feel comfortable, as if they are spending time with a friend. When people listen to guys like Adam Carolla, they feel like they know him. Women feel like they could actually hang out with Ellen DeGeneres when they watch her show. Leo Laporte comes across as your friend when you listen to his tech podcast. Each of these shows are about that comfortable connection. When you make your listener feel comfortable, they will come back time and again. You are their companionship. Are you delivering what they seek? This week, start with your listener in mind. Ask yourself, “What is in it for them?” I want you to feel confident about your content. You will not please everyone. Focus on your one target listener you have defined using the Target Listener Worksheet at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. If you upset a few people, they either get over it or they would never be your customer in the first place. At least you are doing something to make them care. Let me know how I can help you with your podcast. E-mail your questions to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. You can also find other tools including worksheets, a workbook and videos to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let me teach you how to turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Get Noticed In The Sea Of Sameness – Episode 062 Being unique is the only way you can make your podcast get noticed in the sea of sameness. There are so many podcasts in your niche. Being memorable is critical. There is one file in your listener's mind that you occupy. You can't occupy multiple files. You must pick one. Define that file and do all you can to support that image. That is the essence of your brand. Where does McDonald's fit in your brain file? McDonald's is probably the “Fast Hamburgers” file? Does it also fill the “Milkshake File”? Probably not. Sure, they serve milkshakes. However, that file is probably occupied by your favorite ice cream shop. Where would Cheetos fit in your brain file? It would go in the “Lip Balm” file, right? Of course not. However, Frito-Lay launched Cheetos Lip Balm in 2005. It failed miserably, because Cheetos occupies the “Cheesy Puffed Snack” file in your brain. Your podcast brand can only occupy one file. Pick the one image your brand can own? Define your brand. 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. Our creativity 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. To create engaging content with your podcast, you need to be unique. Your first idea will rarely be a truly unique idea. That first idea will usually be something you have done or seen done in the past. Keep working the idea. Let it lead to other, more creative ideas. The more often you let your mind explore other options, the more often you will develop truly unique ideas. Don't settle. Always attempt to create something unique with your content. Do not settle for your first idea. Push yourself. Brainstorm. Let one idea lead to the next until you have a long list of ideas. Then, select the best idea from the bunch. You will usually find the best and most unique idea further down the list. If you settle for your first idea, you content will become stale. You will continue to use ideas that have been used in the past. There will be nothing to engage your audience. The unexpected creates amusement, delight and a memorable event. Being direct assumes your listener cares about your marketing message. They don’t. You need to be unique to be memorable. Be distinct, unusual, and unexpected. Congratulations to Dave Jackson over at the School of Podcasting. Dave was recently named the new Director of Podcasting for New Media Expo. NMX will be held April 13-16, 2015 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. It will also be held in conjunction with the NAB Show. NMX is always a great event and should be even better with Dave at the helm. I'm very excited about the show. Dave and I do a show together called the “Podcast Review Show”. You can learn how you can be a highlighted podcaster on the show by clicking HERE. We have added a new option to the show where podcasters do not necessarily need to appear on the show to have their podcast reviewed. Get all the details HERE. Let me know how I can help you with your podcast. E-mail your questions to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. You can also find other tools including worksheets, a workbook and videos to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let me teach you how to turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Transform Your Podcast Into A Powerful Brand – Episode 061 Two presentations I have attended really shaped my understanding and belief in the power of a brand. These two presentations have helped me create powerful radio and dominant brands. One was given by Seth Godin. The other came from B.J. Bueno. A successful podcast is built on a strong relationship with the listener. It could be called a tribe as defined by Seth Godin in his book of the same name. The strong relationships with your listeners begin to develop your brand. You can then monetize your brand and associated relationships with an effective call-to-action. But it starts with the brand. Powerful brands are more than just recognizable names. Powerful brands are full of emotion. A brand is a collection of perceptions, creating emotional connections, while consistently delivering on a promise. The more powerful the emotional connection, the more powerful the brand. Take a moment to think of some very powerful brands and the associated emotions of the rabid fans of those brands. Nike. Volkswagen. Star Trek. Starbuck’s. Apple. Harley Davidson. Fans will go out of their way to interact with their favorite brand. These brands are unique, because they create powerful emotions within their fans that are not found in ordinary brands. Ordinary brands lack emotion. Keds. Buick. Battlestar Galactica. Dunkin' Donuts. Hewlett Packard. Honda. The powerful emotions are not present for most people in these brands. These powerful brands are discussed in an amazing book entitled “The Power of Cult Branding” by Matthew W. Ragas and B. J. Bueno. The book describes the seven golden rules to cult branding. Emotion is the key to all seven. You can use these to transform your podcast into a powerful brand. Social Groups Great brands connect people who want to be different together. Examples include Star Trek and Harley Davidson. Courage Great brands show daring and determination, such as Oprah and Volkswagen. Sell Lifestyle Great brands sell lifestyle. These would include Apple and Jimmy Buffett. Create Evangelists Great brands create evangelists. I am sure you have encountered evangelists of Apple and WWE. Contribution From Communities Great brands accept contribution from communities. The communities around Linux, Star Trek, and WWE are influential in the development of the brand. Inclusive Great brands like Vans and Linux are inclusive and not some exclusive clique. Personal Freedom Great brands promote personal freedom. Apple and Linux let users be unique individuals. All of these qualities are emotional. None are functional. It's not the best, biggest, brightest, loudest, or #1 product. Cult brands are focused on emotion, not hype. If you want to transform your podcast into a powerful brand that you can monetize with a strong call-to-action, stir emotion every time and be unique. Let me know how I can help you with your podcast. E-mail your questions to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. You can also find other tools including worksheets, a workbook and videos to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let me teach you how to turn your information into engaging entertainment.

7 Common Mistakes That Drive Podcast Listeners Away – Episode 060 Listeners have many, many options for their entertainment. When you create your show, you are not simply competing with all of the other podcasts in the space. You are competing with all of the other entertainment options available to your listeners. TV, CDs, radio, satellite radio, on demand video, Youtube, audiobooks. The options are endless. It is only a start to create great content that attracts your listener and is better than every other options available to your listener at that time. You also need to ensure that the things you do within the episode do not drive your podcast listeners away. Many podcasters give their audience reason to leave without even realizing it. This week, we will discuss 7 most common podcast mistakes that drive listeners away. There are many others. See how many of these 7 common podcast mistakes you recognize from your show. Then, let's figure out how to fix them to make your show even stronger. You Focus On Yourself You can have anything you want in life as long as you help enough other people get what they want. Make your show less about you and more about helping your listener. You can tell your story and then frame the result around the listener's perspective. You Are Not Engaging and Use No Stories Stories are powerful. We discussed this power in the past few episodes. Pull you listener into your content by making it personal. Then, turn the mirror on them. How can your stories help your listener? You Are Talking At Me, Instead Of To Me Treat your listener as an audience of one. Audio is a personal medium. People listen by themselves while creating personal visions in their own head. Have a one-on-one conversation with your listener. Talk to your listener and not at them. You Are Unfocused & Unprepared Know your goal. You cannot get to your destination unless you know where you want to go. Develop your goal. Then, be prepared. Gather your material and information before you begin recording. You Open The Door Let your content flow from one topic to the other like a conversation. Avoid “now it's time for ...” When you are having a conversation at a party, you don't say, “... and that is what my kids are doing. Now, it's time to talk about my golf game.” You just flow into the next topic organically. Also, be sure to take the first exit so you do not overstay your welcome. You're Not Interested Be interesting by being interested. Get rid of the stale questions and content. Make your self unique by being curious. You Lack Show Biz This is show business. Use theater of the mind. Make your audio powerful by transporting your listener to another place and time. Add some flavor with creative sound effects, powerful production elements and some audio magic. Let me know how I can help you with your podcast. E-mail your questions to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. You can also find other tools including worksheets, a workbook and videos to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let me teach you how to turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Episode 059 – Solution To Boring Guests Thank you so much for all of the great feedback recently. I am happy to hear this content is having a positive effect on your show. You are truly beginning to transform your information. Congratulations. This week, I would like to share two notes with you hoping you can use the information and answers as well. Hi Erik, Just a quick note of thanks for your latest episode of 'Podcast Talent Coach' where you talked about story telling and using a journal as a tool. Somewhat skeptical that it was something I needed, I sat down yesterday and gave it a shot, using the 5 minute time limit you mentioned and writing my thoughts out using a pen and paper. I did this to capture something personal that I could use in my next episode of 'Evolution Talk'. I am extremely happy to say that it worked. I was able to produce a couple of powerful thoughts for the show that I am certain I would not have captured otherwise. Suffice to say, it's now going to become part of my show preparation for every episode going forward. Just wanted you to know that you are making a difference. Kind regards, Rick Coste Writer,Producer,Podcaster http://evolutiontalk.com http://philosophywalk.com Thanks so much, Rick. If you missed the past two episodes, you may want to check them out as a series. In Episode 057, we discuss the four elements of storytelling. In Episode 058, we explore how to explore your personal connections within your stories and use those connections to build trust with your listeners. It is a common feeling of skepticism. When I first learned the method of journaling to discover my own personal connections, I found it a bit hokey and beatnik. After journaling for a bit of time, it became natural. There is true power in discovering your personal connections. If you would like help creating your journal entries, mining them for personal connections and turning those connections into powerful, engaging content, shoot me an e-mail at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. Hello Erik, I have a question for you about interviews. I'm sure you have had the opportunity to interview many popular music artists over the years in your radio career. Have you ever had to deal with someone who was not very cooperative? Comes across as a bit annoyed or just doesn't put any effort at all into the conversation? Is there anything you can do to get them to actually give a substantial answer without coming across as being rude? Especially when it is an artist that you may be a fan of? I'd love to know your thoughts on this. Thanks! J.D. Sutter | Porchlight Family Media New Media Consultant & Content Producer http://porchlightfamilymedia.com/ Thanks for the note, J.D. This is a common problem. There are times when we have such high hopes for and expectations of our idols. When we finally meet them, they simply are not as amazing and flawless as we had built them to be. When you get a guest on your show who is less than excited, there are a few possible reasons for their sourness. They could be having a bad day. Maybe they just got off a bad interview. It is possible they don't enjoy being interviewed. One thing to remember is that it is your show. You are in control of everything. It is your responsibility to make sure the content on your show is the best it can be. Make your guest the star. Set them up to look good and everyone wins. Here are six suggestions to improve an interview with a troublesome guest. 1. Make sure your interview style is top notch so they see you as a professional. This includes before, during and after your interview. 2. Be sure you are asking unique questions. Know the hot buttons of your guest. Talk about things that stir their passion. 3. Take your guest off guard. Pull something out of left field. 4. Ask your guest “list” questions. For instance, "What are the three most important things to remember when booking a gig?" If your guest simply won't cooperate ... 5. Don't use the interview on your podcast as a traditional interview. Create a narrative and insert drops from the interview, similar to the news shows like “60 Minutes” or “Dateline”. 6. Cut your losses. Sometimes people have a bad day and just need to move on. Cut the interview short, thank your guest for their time, and find a better interview. Let me know how I can help you with your podcast. E-mail your questions to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. You can also find other tools including worksheets, a workbook and videos to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let's turn your information into engaging entertainment.

How To Build Trust – Episode 058 Last week we discussed the four essential elements of storytelling. As I gave that presentation at Podcast Movement, some had questions about turning personal connections into stories that actually had something to do with their podcast subject. In fact. Josh Elledge of “90 Days To Abundance” suggested I do an episode on it. Find him at “SaveingsAngel.com”. Today, we dive into the “how” of storytelling. The use of journaling will help you dig deep into your thoughts to reveal your personal connections to the subject matter. Journaling can be done for a specific length of time or output. You can do it for 3 or 5 minutes, or an entire page of thoughts. Whether you choose time or output, it should be set and consistent. Set a timer and write until the timer goes off. You want to write to the point where if becomes free-flowing without any conscious thought. Understand that no one will ever see this journaling. You can even throw it out after you create the episode. There is no need to keep it once we find the personal connection. After you journal, read over your writing. Highlight the thoughts and personal connections that really jump out and grab your attention. Those are possible starting points. Once we have highlighted our personal connections, we need to pick one to use for our show. We then turn that personal connection into our engaging introduction to our powerful story. I want to show you how we can find great stories for an episode using Journaling. In this example, I want to create an episode that teaches the power of storytelling. The goal of the episode is to have my listeners understand the importance of stories if they hope to have their audience know, like and trust them. Here is my journal entry. These are never shared with anyone. I am sharing it with you as an example. There are some connections here that reveal my vulnerability that I typically wouldn't share with anyone. I'm laying it all out with hopes it will help you find the courage to open up to yourself. JOURNAL. How do I create great stories by journaling. Max's great story about his father. Find deep connections. When we tell these great stories, we reveal things about ourselves. I learned a lot about this from Bill McMahon. I'm sometimes afraid to reveal what I truly believe, because I worry what people think about me. Once Bill instilled in me the courage to recognize what I truly believe and present it on the air, I began creating great friendships with listeners I don't even know. As the public address announcer of the Omaha Lancers hockey team, I often run into people who act like they know me, because they kind of do. It used to really creep out my wife. People would come up to me and start having a conversation about something I talked about on the air. After they would walk away, she would ask why I didn't introduce her. I would tell her that I have no idea who that was. She couldn't understand how I could have these conversations about personal stuff with somebody when I had no idea who it was. That is very common when you talk about personal connections on your show. How do you reveal things? People will get to know you. You never know what will connect. Listeners grab onto the most everyday stuff. It is something that happened with your kid. Or the hockey rink in your backyard. Or the pothole you hit on the way to work today. If you are doing a show about gun control, how do you link potholes to gun control? Journal until you find the link. It doesn't need to be perfect. Journal. There is a connection there. My story here links Josh to storytelling. It was a great conference. I love when people ask great questions. My lectures really get into conversations. That's what it is all about. That's why I do this. I feel like we are developing a relationship. They actually trust me enough and care enough to ask questions. We are beginning to develop something here. The feedback and questions really make me feel like my presentation was validated. Even after the presentation, many came up to ask additional questions. Probably 10 or 12. Which was great, since it was the final presentation of the day. What a great way to finish the weekend. Four different personal connections in that journal entry. Now, let's look at each personal connection and turn that into an engaging introduction. My topic for this episode is the power of great storytelling in podcasts. I want to encourage podcasters to use stories to get their audience to know, like and trust them. What stories can I use to make my point? Before we create our introduction, we need to determine what we hope to make our audience feel. Max's great story about his father. Like many of us, Max couldn't find the courage to share his stories about his father. He didn't feel anyone would care. Max eventually left my station to work at one of the big stations in Chicago. With this connection, I hope to make the audience gain confidence and know that even the radio personalities in the biggest markets in the U.S. have some self doubt. It is natural. Let's begin the story there. "Fearing what people will think about you when you share personal stories is natural. Even radio personalities in some of the biggest cities in the U.S. have that self doubt. I once had a morning guy working for me who would tell me these great stories about his father ...” I'm sometimes afraid to reveal what I truly believe, because I worry what people think about me. This is very similar to the the previous story. I can use the same style. Even I get a little nervous about what people will think. Using this connection, I again hope to give my listener confidence. "Fearing what people will think about you when you share personal stories is natural. Even I encounter that self doubt. At Podcast Movement, I was a little nervous how my presentation would go over with the group of my peers.” She couldn't understand how I could have these conversations about personal stuff with somebody when I had no idea who it was. With this personal connection, I want you to understand that you will be surprised what connects with your listeners. Some of the smallest asides will endear you to your listener. There will be times when your listener will mention things you do not even remember talking about. We can begin our story there. "There are times when listeners will stop me to mention some of the must mundane things mentioned on my show. My wife and I were walking through the arena where I announce hockey games. We were stopped by a listener I didn't know personally.” The feedback and questions really make me feel like my presentation was validated. With this personal connection, I want listeners to see the payoff that comes with powerful storytelling. If you use storytelling correctly, the end result can be very fulfilling and inspiring. I want this story to empower and encourage you to share your stories. Let's start the story there. "Have you ever been unsure about sharing your thoughts and opinions? I was a little nervous about giving my Podcast Movement storytelling presentation to a group of solid podcaster. By the time I finished sharing my stories and real life examples like Lee Brice and Walt Disney, I received some great questions that really validated my process. I was even more excited about helping people with my knowledge and information.” There are four examples of how I journal to create great stories for my show. There are really four steps. Journal for 5 minutes. Find the personal connections within your writing. Determine what you want to make your audience feel and the point you want to make. Finally, turn that into your engaging introduction. Telling great stories within your podcast will help your listener know, like and trust you. The details and personal connections you include will tell your listener about your beliefs, morals, dreams, dependability, experience, reputation, honesty and reliability. As your listener begins to know you through these stories, she will determine whether or not she likes you. It is better to have some love you and some hate you rather than have a bunch of people on the fence. If they rate you a 3 on a 1-to-5 scale, they are basically saying they don't care. Create some passion. As long as you have more “loves” than “hates”, you're on the way to a win. Not everyone loves Harley Davidson motorcycles. There are people who love Harley and wear their colors proudly. Then, there are others who wouldn't be caught dead riding a Harley. It doesn't fit their personality. Nobody goes shopping for a new vehicle and says, “Oh, maybe I'll buy a Harley or maybe I'll buy a Volvo. I'm ok with either one.” Create a passionate tribe. You can then build trust after your listener has had a chance to know you and decide if they like you. By trusting your audience with your personal feelings, they will begin to trust you by the law of reciprocity. When you give to someone, they will feel compelled to give back to you in return. The process sounds easy. However, it takes practice. If you would like my help, let me know. I would love to teach you the process. I'd love to help you with your podcast. E-mail any questions or comments you might have to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. If you would like to have your show reviewed on The Podcast Review Show with Dave Jackson and me, click here. We are looking for great guests who would like to improve their shows. You can also find other tools including worksheets, a workbook and videos to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let's turn your information into engaging entertainment.