How To Guest On A Radio Show To Promote Your Business

Want to promote your business to a larger audience? Consider appearing on a radio show. Radio shows are fun, interactive, and an enjoyable way for the show listeners to engage with you and your topic.

My friend recently asked me how to prepare to be a guest on a radio show. It can be nerve-wracking, to say the least.

Here's my step-by-step guide on how to be more focused and highly successful when you appear on a radio show. When you follow my recommended these steps, you'll be professional guest and a welcome addition for any profession radio guest spot you might desire.

How To Guest On A Radio Show

1. Show Agreement. Make sure you know what you want to get out of the show, and what you can provide to the radio program audience. Try to tailor your talk slightly towards the show audience, as this matters to the host tremendously. Some traditional radio shows charge you to appear. Make sure you understand what you're getting before you agree to pay for the show. Many Internet radio shows are free, but they want you to bring your audience to their audience. Make sure you can promise this AND make sure you deliver your audience to the show by promoting it properly, too. This is as important as doing a good job on the show, to the host.

2. Choose an ENGAGING TOPIC. You may have done that in advance, as many hosts want to know your topic PRIOR to letting you on the show. So, these two may be interchangeable. I always find a humorous topic is helpful. Also, a topic of "How-to" can be good. Or something controversial. Try all three at once and really wow your audience!

To come up with your topic, pull from your background and what you want to promote the most, right now. If the host wants your background or a specific topic MORE than what you want to promote, don't worry about that. As long as you can tailor your talk to their topic, you'll then get a couple of chances to steer the talk towards what you want to promote during the show anyway. You could talk about losing weight. Maintaining optimum health. Talk about partnering with winners. Talk about being great. Talk about Living Your Dreams and then practical ways to do this. There are a lot of things you could talk about, with your experience. Pick one that excites you and you know people care about.

Well, a radio talk can be extemporaneous, where you answer 8 - 10 questions - write the Q's then the A's, then talk naturally.

OR

You can plan your talk like you'd plan a speech, where you write your Main POINT first. Then three to five sub-points. Under each sub-point, you'll have a joke, a story, a statistic, an anecdote, etc., that backs up your sub-point. Stories are powerful. From each point there is a transition. If you write it well, you'll give your interviewer the transitions, so they look smooth and professional. You want to build in BREAKS to allow your interviewer to ask you questions. Most interviewers will ask you something (or a few things) off your sheet, out of personal interest. This will prove you know your stuff, too. Those are my favorite moments in radio interviews. The difference between a radio show talk speech and in-person talk is that the HOST will say your intro. So, write the intro for them. YOU will say the conclusion, so make sure that you get to that BEFORE the end of the show and in the way YOU WANT. Many guests let the host do this and miss their moment to summarize!

3. Show Description. Make sure to write the description of the show, and the headline, using GOOD COPY. COPY is the key to people dialing in and listening to your show! If you are unsure how to write good copy, study other talks and how they promote themselves. If you need further help, contact a copywriter. I can help, as I've written a lot of copy in the past, too. In the description, you might list three bullets of what show listeners might be struggling with - and the benefit of what they'll take away. For example:

Weight loss problem/benefit:
Stop struggling with diets that never work.... find the one way to lose weight that truly works and will keep the weight off.

Success problem/benefit:
Tired of going from job to job, trying to earn a buck...get a system that guarantees your will be successful and create the wealth and happiness you desire!

Building affiliates:
Wondering which affiliate is best...learn how to choose an affiliate who will make you look better and put big bucks in your bank account.

Use good copy and your show will attract MORE guests!

4. Your BIO. Make sure to give the show host your 1-3 paragraph bio. Trust me, they won't use more than two large paragraphs, so don't give them anything more than that. Make sure your BIO relates to your topic and also highlights the great things you've done in your past. Drop key names, company names, or programs/books you've written, helped write or develop. For AspireNow, I've always said something like "Scott's programs at AspireNow.com help over 300,000 people from over 100 countries around the world." Find your numbers and multiply them and you might be surprised how many ways you can impress others! Your BIO must make you SHINE so don't be overly bashful or shy about your successes. Besides, the host is reading these things, not you.

5. Your Plug. The host wants to promote you and make you the star. Make it easy for them. Write two plug paragraphs with phone numbers, emails, URL etc. for the host to promote you and your business. Make it EASY for people to find and promote YOU and they WILL! Make each sentence a bullet. Use no more than 3 bullets for your plug.

6. Giveaway/Discount Freebie: Many guest speakers miss this opportunity, but the biggest reason many people will listen to a show is because you offer them a GIFT. It's like having a raffle at the end of a business meeting. After the raffle, people leave, but people WILL listen more when you offer a gift or giveaway. Pick something like a book, or discount on a training course, or if you've got the budget, something sexy like an iPod or FLIP Camera phone would certainly get me excited. Only do this for shows that have traffic of at least 40,000 people. Some hosts won't give you their traffic numbers, so choose how you gift wisely.

7. Pre-show Promotion: Prior to your appearance, make sure you promote your show 2 - 5 days prior to appearing on the show to your list via mail, email, social network updates, and so forth. Promote the show again electronically 1 hour prior to going on the air and you'll catch a good number of people in your network listening to the show. If you cannot do this, then at least let people know you're going on the air. The show host really CAN tell when you promote the show to your list and they really do CARE that you do so! They want to grow their audience as much as you want their exposure! Don't blow this step: it is the single most important thing you can do to grow your audience and secure future spots as a show guest on the same show.

8. Post-show promotion: After the show, if you have permission (I suggest you secure this in your agreement) to rebroadcast, you can convert your show to MP3 and then post it to a website, blog, email, newsletter, or as a thank you download for people who sign up for your list. It can be a valuable selling tool, too, so choose where you post it and how you post it wisely. If you need assistance with show placement, contact me. Don't blow this step, either. I've appreciated the traffic that continues to come to my radio shows from online posting of the show on other guest websites and newsletters. It DOES work, believe me. And, you'll be happy when someone hires you after listening to your radio show appearance, as has happened with several of my show guests!

9. Practice & Rehearse OUT LOUD: Make sure you practice your show out loud, and make sure you have time to cover your main points with the stories and everything you wish to share. Leave time for show commercials and the plugs, and then some. Make sure you SLOW your speech down and ENUNCIATE CLEARLY. Many people forget to do this. You want to speak to the lowest guest denominator, not the highest, so you will need to be slower and more clear than normal.

Appearing on a radio show is good exposure and a lot of fun. If you're considering being a guest on a show, can provide a list of traffic, and have an exciting topic, consider contacting me to appear on either AspireNow: Seriously Fun Self Help Show or ARRiiVE: Innovations In Business.

Good luck with your show and let me know if I can help!
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Podcasting as COLLABORATION or BLOG TOOL?

Have you used Podcasting Tools as a COLLABORATION TOOL? Podcasting tools can also be used much like a BLOG! Also, you can MAKE MONEY from broadcasts!

I've been using TalkShoe over the past six months to experiment ways to host my radio shows at AspireNow.com and ARRiiVE.com. I've discovered that Talkshoe can be used for more than just radio:

1. Site introduction files: example - visit http://www.aspirenow.com/, and click on the intro file at the top.
   
2. Conference Calls: Talkshoe gives you the ability to record a conference call (hidden or public) and invite MANY users on the line - for free!
   
3. Audio programs. I'm now converting some of my radio shows at http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/37798 and http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/37792 into CD programs.
   
4. Training and audio webinars. I use Talkshoe for my training programs http://www.howbloggersmakemoney.com/, http://www.coldtogold.com/ and other sites.
   
5. There may be even more uses for Talkshoe I haven't yet thought up - did I miss any?

Get your own Talkshoe set-up by visiting: www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/userCreate1.jsp?affiliateId=57383

Talkshoe also pays you to broadcast. They pay a little for the first and tenth shows, a percentage of show traffic, and also a percentage of show traffic that sign up under your affiliate. If you more details on the money, I'll be posting tomorrow on the subject.

Last, your Talkshoe titles WILL appear high rank in Google search engines and draw traffic to both your show page and referenced sites in show descriptions. Again, long-tails lead to happy trails!

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Post by Scott Andrews, CEO of ARRiiVE Business Solutions.

ARRiiVE Business Solutions helps executives improve sales, launch products and services, and build dynamic, cross-functional collaborative teams. For more information, contact info (at)ARRiiVE (dot) com or call us at 1 (805) 459-6939.

Copyright © 2008 by ARRiiVE Business Solutions. All Rights Reserved. You may republish this article only if you publish in WHOLE with the COPYRIGHT and ALL ACTIVE LINKS intact.

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Great Leaders: Building An Organization Utilizing The Wisdom of King Solomon

Note: this post is copyright protected Copyright © 1999-2007 AspireNow, and used with permission. Do not reprint unless you've been given specific written permission to do so by http://www.AspireNow.com.

In the Old Testament of the Bible, King Solomon, son of King David (who wrote most of the Psalms) demonstrates wisdom rarely seen among today's leaders. Among Solomon's writing credits are most of the Proverbs, Song of Solomon, and perhaps Ecclesiastes. Solomon ruled the kingdom of Israel during the era of approximately 970 – 930 BCE. He is credited in I Kings 4:30-34 with wisdom greater than Eastern mystics and Egyptian scholars. He wrote more than 1,000 songs (or poems), most of which are no longer available to us. Solomon likely wrote Psalm 72 shortly after becoming King. While the book of Proverbs contrasts wisdom with folly, Solomon reportedly spoke 3,000 proverbs, and various kings all over the earth sought out Solomon for his knowledge. And Ecclesiastes contains some of the strongest philosophical insights into the human condition contained in the Bible. Any number of these writings can serve as inspirational texts for anyone aspiring to leadership positions.

Regardless of one’s beliefs and religious practices, Solomon’s ideas about how to build a kingdom form a relevant metaphor that we can easily apply to society’s secular world. Today, special interest groups, in the name of freedom of speech and plurality of all religions, are intent upon corralling religion into certain religious centers and away from government, business, and society. However, the path to building a kingdom, according to Solomon, is quite different. No matter what religion a person may or may not hold sacred, peeking behind the veil of knowledge possessed by Solomon illuminates ways to lead during a time so desperate for true leadership.

This article describes the methods Solomon utilized in taking power, the political savvy he demonstrated in allying with key leaders and countries, and the swift yet fair way he dealt with dissidents. Learn how to build your own organization with the wisdom contained in this Great Leader series article, by AspireNow.

Read more here: http://www.aspirenow.com/leader_0902_king%20solomon's%20wisdom%20to%20building%20a%20kingdom.htm

Crossing A Chasm? Go For It!

I had a conversation with someone today regarding "is it possible to hit higher plateaus for people who are aspiring to higher levels?"

The truth of the matter is this: no matter what you have achieved, how high the plateau you feel you have reached, you will always be somewhat frustrated that there is something that could have been a little better. We always know this. At times, we will do it perfectly, and get it just right. But, nevertheless, there is always a new development, a new way to play, a new design, a new idea, a brighter methodology, whatever, waiting for us around the corner. It is as if no matter how good we get, there is always another level beyond where we are that we can aspire to grow towards.

An example of this for me has been playing the saxophone. When I was in 4th grade, I saw the jazz band come to my school. All the other kids said "I want to play trumpet. I want to play the drums." But not me. I said, "Next year, I'm going to play the saxophone." I always knew I wanted to play the sax, you see. I loved the sound. I thought it looked cool. I just loved the way the saxophone bell curved and how the keys looked so shiny when fingers played them. But, mostly, I loved the sound of the sax and the "voo-voo" sounds the musician made with it.

The next year, I started to play the saxophone. I noticed that in 6th grade, the lead player got to play two solos. COOL. I decided that I would practice so I could be the lead player. I played my saxophone more than any other student, and became the lead player in 6th grade.

In 7th grade, I noticed that there was a Jazz Band. I tried out for the jazz band and got into it. It was so much fun. There was a cocky sax player in 8th grade who told me I'd never be as good as him. He was pretty good. He won the Louis Armstrong jazz award that year for 8th graders. I decided I would win the Louis Armstrong jazz award in 8th grade, if I could. It wouldn't be easy. We had another good sax player, my best friend, and also a good trumpet player and trombone player. It was not a cinch. I'll never forget winning that award how happy I was!

It continued this way, until rather than awards, I started looking at WHO I could play LIKE. This was totally different. I was now listening to music and different sax players, like David Sanborn, Frank Foster (Count Basie's sax player), the guy from Supertramp, and others. I started playing along with records. And, I got better. But there was always someone better than me. I remember trying to play David Sanborn songs for years, until, finally, in college, I told a friend "I can play Sanborn note for note." He said, "you're kidding." I said, "No, I'm not, listen." Then I played a Sanborn song pretty much note for note. He was blown away. He said, "Scott, you JAM on the SAX!!" Coincidentally, this was the same cocky sax player who was better than me in 8th grade. Sadly, he quit playing, last I'd heard. I wasn't though. I knew that Sanborn wasn't as hard to copy as other sax players, like Ben Webster, John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, and Wayne Shorter.

Wayne Shorter, as a saxophone player, is simply amazing. Of all the greats still alive, I rank Shorter as the best. Coltrane died some time ago, and although he was great he doesn't move me the same way that Shorter does. I set, as a goal, to play Wayne Shorter note for note. But after trying to play Shorter's solos year after year I sadly came to the conclusion in my early 20's that such an ability was impossible for me to attain. In other words, that I'd never hit that level of playing. Perhaps, Wayne was impossible to copy. Or, so I thought.

Well, isn't it interesting how we grow? There clearly was a level beyond me then, wouldn't you say? So, in my late 30's, I was playing in a band called BODY, which I still have alive and kicking today at http://www.myspace.com/body. We were playing funk, Afro-Latin, jazz, and other fusion songs. One song I decided would be fun to play was Black Market, a song by Weather Report from the 1975 album of the same name. Wayne Shorter played the sax on Black Market. Well, while practicing for the rehearsal to bring this song into the band, I found myself playing for a friend when I suddenly stunned myself while playing along with the solo Wayne played on the CD track: I hit each note almost exactly the way Wayne played it! Later, in rehearsal, I did it again. I was so excited. I remember my bass player, Joe Duran, saying, "you're not going to copy that, are you?" (Joe and I like to tease each other.) And I just laughed and said, "No, I just wanted to show you that I can do it." He said, "Nice. Now think up your own solo." Which I did. Was it as good as Wayne's? I suppose that was for the listeners at our gig to decide. I remember Matthias, my guitar player, grinning at me more than once and saying, "Awesome solo, Scott," back in those days.

Later that night, I went home and listened to a more recent recording of Wayne playing with Herbie Hancock. I realized that Wayne has grown since the recording of Black Market, and to play like him now would actually be another level or two beyond where I am now (or three or four). The point is this:

No matter what we have accomplished, there is always seemingly another level of skill, knowledge, and growth to be achieved in our future.

If you're reading this and saying to yourself, "Man, that is true!" Then, why not use this as a moment to dig deep and aspire to the next level in your own skill, talent, or vocation?

As somewhat of a polymath, or Renaissance Man, I've always seen myself as someone who aspires to be knowledgeable on multiple subject matters. I remember back to 1994, when I'd been selling for DSI, and my company merged with Bell Atlantic. When we bought BABSS, the new company blended the resources of the old, so that my team now was managed by the former Bell Atlantic Business System Services Group Manager, Dick Bomely. Bomely, or "The Bomber" as his team lovingly referred him by for his brusque manner of managing his team, looked at my business card from DSI and frowned eyebrows. "Senior Account Executive, ha!" he exclaimed. "I'll show you a senior account manager. I want you to meet Bob Wood." He got on the phone at that instant and scheduled me to meet with Bob the next morning for breakfast. At first, I was taken aback. After all, I thought I was a good salesperson. I'd had success with my accounts, respect from my peers, and had won a few large deals in my past. But I knew there were people better than me. I just didn't know who. Well, I was about to meet him.

I recall the next day when I came home from work, and I told Patti, my girlfriend at the time, "I just met the next level today." I was talking about Bob Wood, the Northern California Region's star salesman. When I met Bob earlier that morning, I remember there were several things that impressed me about him. First, he was sharp, dressed impeccably. Second, he was sharp as a tack and funny. He was quite clever. Third, He knew his clients and knew his company well. He was also a little cocky. He'd also gained quite a reputation for signing huge deals with Chevron and other firms in the Bay Area. But, all of that said, he was also human. I'll never forget that Bob put a $20 bill on the table, then freaked out when he thought the busboy took it! I never saw him pull the $20 bill out of his pocket, so as far as I was concerned, it wasn't substantial. But, if a busboy can make off with your Andrew Jackson, you're human, right? But I sure was impressed by Bob, anyway.

Meeting Bob Wood was the event that triggered me to decide to push my sales career to the next level. I went out and bought new suits (not just $300 suits, but $1000 suits). At first, I went into debt to do it. So, at least I LOOKED better than Bob. As Tony Robbins says, sometimes you "gotta fake it til you make it." It's true. People noticed, too. I got compliments all the time in those days for my suits and ties. They treated me with more respect because I treated myself with more respect. I then subscribed to Harvard Business Review and Strategy + Business Magazines to step-up my acumen and skill-set. None of my peers read these magazines. I revamped my sales approach to include starting at the top FIRST. I started learning how to sell at a higher level - even to the daunting C-level of organizations. I was determined to learn how to get in the door of these difficult prospects. Three months later, I had the opportunity to win a large support contract with Tandem. Bob told me that I'd never get it signed, because Tandem wanted us to service equipment without a database of the serial numbers, and BABSS wouldn't approve such deals. I called the Vice President of Operations in our company and asked him if he wanted another $2 Million revenue for the company. He said, "Yes, with who?" Then I explained my problem about the serial numbers. He gave me a solution to survey the assets on the first service call in each location, which was a win for everyone. I won Tandem, my first multimillion dollar deal of that year, and went on to attend every Summit Club the company held from then on. Could Bob have been my inspiration?

Later, I met another guy who was "the next level" through interviewing with Arthur Andersen. he didn't dress fancier than me. In fact, he looked like he was on his way to a night club when I met him. But this guy wrote $20 Million dollar deals on a routine basis. He'd earned the right to dress however he wanted. Wow, here's a guy who is another next level beyond Bob. You see, no matter how good we get, there is always someone a level up the scale who might know something we don't. Even if you are the top-rated cardiovascular surgeon in your country, there may be someone in another country who discovers a breakthrough surgical procedure that makes your skills pale by comparison. There is probably something greater in every person who reads this article.

And that is what I am urging you to go after. Whatever it is you want in life, go for it! Go from being good at it to being GREAT at it. Do what nobody else is willing to do. Go for it with all you've got within you. Because you're the one called to that special interest, that talent, that vocation. If you don't do it, what then? Who will do it? Anyone? And if someone does do it, and you didn't, how would it feel THEN?

I remember a former manager, Greg Ficke, who once said to me, "You know, Scott, you will never regret the thing you try and failed trying to do. You may always regret not trying to do it." I think Greg is right. But I'd go further and say you'll regret not DOING it, for sure. But you might regret failing, too. Learn from your failures, get up, refine your process, again, and again, until you WIN. Don't just TRY to DO it, DO IT.

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The author of this article is Scott Andrews. Scott is the Founder of AspireNow and CEO of ARRiiVE Business Solutions. ARRiiVE helps executives launch companies, improve sales and marketing, and empower the employees within their organization through unique models of collaboration and team-building. If you want to learn more, visit http://www.ARRiiVE.com, or call Scott directly at (805) 459-6939.