Interested in Being a Talk
Radio Guest?
By
Marsha Friedman
For years I have told my
clients about the power of radio, and have watched many campaigns
produce fantastic results. Here are just a few helpful tips I share
with my clients about the value of talk radio and how to maximize
these opportunities to connect with their audience.
Work With However Many Minutes
You Have on the Air!
Be careful not to fall into the
negative mindset about short interviews. Even if your interview
only lasts say 10 minutes, these are 10 very valuable minutes of
airtime…just learn how to maximize it! �
-
Develop those Sound Bites.
If you only have 10 minutes to talk about your product or
service you just need to develop your message so that it’s
concise and will grab the audience’s attention. The secret for
doing this is to make every word count in being able to
communicate your message.
-
Know Your Message and Stay
On it. Figure
out what your key message is and stick with it!� You don’t have
time to be thrown off topic by the host or caller. When that
happens, your job is to briefly acknowledge what was said and
bring the conversation back to your message. It can be done as
politely as, “…yes, that’s a good point, but…” (the rest of your
answer would be your message). This kind of response allows you
to keep your manners in so that the host doesn’t feel like
you’ve ignored his comment, but at the same time, you’re in
control of the communication and able to get your point across.
-
Know
the Host and the Show.
If the show is simulcast on the internet, take the time to
listen to it before your interview. This will allow you to get
a feel for the overall tone of the show and host and how he or
she communicates with guests and callers. It will also give you
a feel for the pace of the show. Then when it comes time for
your interview, you’ll know what’s expected of you as a guest
and you’ll be able to stay in stride. I promise you, the host
will appreciate that you’re keeping the same pace and tone as he
or she is!� The benefit to you? The more the host likes you the
more inclined they will be to promote your product or service
for you!
Bottom line? Advertisers pay
hundreds of dollars for a single minute of time on the air.
So, a 10 minute interview is very valuable and can be worth
thousands of dollars in advertising time!
Only Want a Long Interview? Ditch the Major
Markets!�
If you only want
longer interviews, then look to smaller markets. If you are not
sold on the benefits of these seemingly lesser markets, let me share
some terrific facts about these rough diamonds:
-
Get
Your Feet Wet:�
Interviews in smaller markets give you the opportunity to gain
experience as a radio guest providing terrific insight as to the
workings and rhythm of talk radio.
-
Fine
Tune: Knowing
your message and knowing the right way to communicate it are two
different things. These interviews allow you to test your
messages and identify which ones resonate best with the host and
listeners. � �
-
Question Time:��
As a standard rule in talk radio, you always want to provide
hosts with sample questions to ask you - as the host won’t
always have the time or discipline to study your topic prior to
speaking with you. But, after doing a number of small market
interviews you’ll know which questions present the best
opportunity for communicating your message and keeping listeners
tuned into the show!
-
…and a
higher concentration of
listeners! �
Yes, it’s true. In
smaller markets, there just aren’t as many stations to choose from
as in the larger markets. So, what’s the benefit of this for you?
Well, simply put, less choice of stations means listeners aren’t
able to do as much channel surfing. Think about it: in
Gainesville, Florida
there are 3 stations that have a talk show format whereas in
San Francisco, California
there are 10. So even though the population in
Gainesville is minute compared to the population of SF -
it’s very feasible to have a larger audience listening to your
interview in Gainesville, than the
one you conduct in San
Francisco. It’s the channel surfing factor
at play. In smaller markets listeners have less choice of talk
stations to listen to and so they tend to have favorite stations and
hosts they often view as a trusted advisor or friend. So being on a
small market show with dedicated listeners and a host who endorses
your product or service, can be far more impacting on your sales. �
Not In-studio -
Not a Problem!�
With in-studio interviews you
have to:
-
Schedule
time off from work;
-
Be away from your family;
-
Spend time and money on
travel (planes, trains and automobiles…remember?);
-
Incur cost of hotels and
meals while on the road.
And what if you arrive at the
station and there’s hot, late breaking news and the show cancels or
the interview goes short? Yikes!� There goes your time and money
down the drain. What a waste!
Radio phone
interviews are so much more beneficial for you. Travelling isn’t
necessary! Time of day is no longer an issue. For example, if you
have an interview on a popular overnight show, you can still do it,
but from the comfort of your bed!� Just imagine, talking to people
all over the country while lounging in your pajamas! �
And what about those
interviews during office hours? Are you a busy executive? You can
integrate radio phone interviews into your work-day, around client
meetings, staff briefings or in-between those important reports
you’re on deadline to get done. You can even coordinate radio
interviews when you’re traveling on business. We’ve had clients
conduct live interviews from airports and even abroad on an overseas
business trip!
Yes, in-studio
interviews are great for establishing camaraderie between you and
the host - but that same camaraderie can be created with phone
interviews. It just requires that you become more adept at your
communication skills so that your ability to have a quality
communication isn’t hindered simply because the person isn’t sitting
in front of you! �
The Take Away:
Even though the face of radio has changed, in many
ways it has leaned toward your advantage.
Read other articles and learn more
about Marsha Friedman.
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