“But I don’t feel comfortable selling on a podcast show,” was a recent response from a friend when I mentioned how great podcast interviews are for growing one’s business.
“You don’t sell directly. When you create value, share ideas, insights and stories, people are likely to check out your website, social media platforms and blog,” I responded.
Apparently, my friend has been asked several times to be on podcast shows, but mistakenly believed if she didn’t overtly sell on the show, she wouldn’t make money. With her aversion to that kind of selling, she turned down the invitations.
The fact is, if you see a show as a way to pitch something, anything, it tends to be a turn off. On the flip side, when you create value to the viewers and listeners, that is when they want more of you.
Whether you sell a training course, a physical product as in the case of my recent guest, Tim James, founder of Chemical Free Body, a nutritional product, or you’re a health trainer like pro-bodybuilder, Zack Belknap, when you deliver, people want more.
When I work with clients who want to appear on shows, the first place we start is making sure their foundation is in place. I evaluate their website and social media platforms to make sure they are “visitor ready.”
Is their site easy to navigate? Do they have a way for people to subscribe? Is it easy for people to join a Facebook or LinkedIn group they run?
Actionable Ideas
In addition to delivery a good interview, a wonderful way to engage the listeners is to give them a couple of easy takeaways they can implement right away. For example, let’s say I’m on a show talking about plant-based eating.
I can easily share stories my own journey into the plant-based lifestyle. I can talk about why I chose to get my certificate of completion for plant-based nutrition from eCornell University at the age of 65. I might share the health benefits or how my energy has increased.
At some point, the host is likely to ask, “So what can people do to start eating plant based. This is my opportunity to give two solid action steps.
1) Get the book, Eat to Live by Dr. Joel Fuhrman 2) Watch the documentary, Forks Over Knives.
Both of these are high value takeaways and not in any way self-serving.
When the host asks for a CTA – Call to Action – this is where I can direct people to visit my blog or Facebook group. This is a very soft sell on getting listeners to be part of my community. From there, I continue to create value which makes future offers much more likely to convert into buyers.
No Direct Selling
Podcast interviews are not about direct selling. Again, they are about piquing the interest of the listeners and viewers.
For example, author Margaret Mary O’Connor has a fascinating story about why she wrote, Scandal in the Shadows. A book about women priests and the oppression of women in the Catholic Church, Margaret Mary loves sharing the process she went through deciding to write a book that is often viewed as very controversial. She talks about they research that went into the book as well as oppression of women.
Her interview style is very low-key, but her passion is evident with every word she speaks. So much in fact, people can’t help but head over to Amazon to get her book.
Then there is food intuitive, author and speaker, Lana Nelson. With her vast knowledge on how one can intuitively know 
which foods are best for them, Lana is a popular guest on dozens of shows. She told me on more than one occasion that her book sales increased for every show she appeared on. “I don’t sell my books, but I do talk about what’s in the book.”
Then there’s Laura, founder of Notes to Self, a company that sells socks with “I am” statements on them. 
I am confident, I am healthy, I am compassionate are just three of dozens of choices visitors to her site have.
Yet, when she is being interviewed it is not about her saying, “Get my socks.”
Nope! When people hear the reasons behind why she started the company or of customers who bought the socks to remind them of how powerful “I am” statements are, they’re likely to head over to her site while they listen to hear share her story or stories of people who have her socks or gave a gift box to a sick friend, a co-worker, a staff member or simply as a way to say thanks to someone.
Need a fun idea for a gift or want you own I Am reminder? Check out all the choices from Notes to Self. www.notestoself.com/powerup
For my plant based, vegan friends, a pair that reads, I Am Healthy, speaks volumes. But I digress.
The power of intervie
ws resides in the amount of value you bring to the audience. Again, it’s not about making an interview a pitch-fest. Just the opposite. It is about giving listeners and viewers answers and solutions to problems, sharing stories, and leaving the audience feeling like the time they invested in listening to you was the best choice they could have made.
To streamline your process, I’ve created a power-packed checklist. Access FREE at http://www.powerupforprofits.com/checklist
