by
John Longenecker
OnAirBest.com
I
love the giants in speaking. My wife and I adore the thought
leaders and inspirational motivational speakers of world class.
I mention them because they
don't do as much talk radio because they have quite a full dance
card elsewhere. Videos, books, public speaking, you got it.
But how would talk radio work for the newcomer who is launching
a speaking business?
Whether you're talking
expertise about peanut butter or how to better pet your dog, you
don't need to have a doctorate in hand or a new book out to be
desirable as a speaker, much less a talk radio guest expert.
Place talk radio first and you might find it easier to obtain
speaking engagements.
Speaking is hard work not in
the fulfillment of your agreement, but in obtaining an agreement.
It's a bear to promote, prospect and market, obtain a contract,
delineate venue details, force majeurs, travel and
hospitality, fees, and that lengthy calendar of working now in
order to speak eight months from now.
A speakers bureau can do the
work, but few newcomers have the creds to be vetted, much less
be represented. That will come later. Starting a speaking
business can be an expensive proposition. What is needed is some
free publicity.
In a plan of article writing
first, then speaking as an adjunct second with talk radio
guesting third, put talk radio in there alongside article
writing first. Talk radio is free exposure of your name, tone,
attitudes, thinking live and responding live, your purpose and
your clear sincerity all wrapped up in an hour or so of your
time. The real benefit of being a guest expert on the radio is
in obtaining authorization to have and to exhibit an mp3 file of
the show you were on.
Would your marketing efforts
at speaking gigs be easier if prospects could audition you and
commit sooner?
Anyone visiting your
professional speaker availability page can click through to an
excerpt of your show which is given you with the producer's
permission. Being a guest expert on an all-talk station can
showcase for visitors your cogency and spirit, your insights and
pace, whether you even make any sense at all; talk radio can
even exhibit your temperament when taking calls or being praised
or challenged.
In short, prospects can
audition you right then and there to see how you sound live in
terms of desirability to speak to them for a juicy fee.
Naturally, these radio clips would complement the counterparts
you've taped at your speaking appearances.You do capture
your speaking, don't you?
Here are two tips
for you:
Tip 1. You
don't have to have a book out to be desirable as a talk radio
guest expert; your values, attitudes and insights are
sufficiently precious to hear for an hour. How you sound is
everything; not voice, but coherence. You'll probably want to be
groomed beforehand to sound as great on the air as you do in
person.
The bottom line is that you certainly can get yourself
booked for your insights without having higher-than-the-topic
credentials to begin with. Look at it this way: the Master
Sergeant knows more about those planes than the General. A lot
of blogger contributors make great guests for their likewise
specialized insights and knowledge, and a 60-second clip of you
on the air live and under pressure goes a long way.
Tip 2. If you
felt you did well - and even if you didn't - be sure to e-mail
the producer of the show with your thanks and best wishes. I
used to ask for an mp3 file of the show and permission to show
it on my website and fully explain my plans for the file. I was
granted permission - and the entire segment as a file - from
many producers, and I would post two 60-second segments of my
most sensible-sounding moments.
If you obtain authorization to that
file of yours, remember that the producer is being extremely
kind and knows darned well the importance of it to you and to
her. Perhaps your message is compelling. Perhaps you're trusted.
It is prestigious for your web presence image that the producer
should grant you the file itself, so be the best custodian of
the material you can be. Set yourself a period of 60-days
maximum usage, then retire the file permanently.
Refer readers always to the
show's total podcast catalog on their own page and post their
URL on a sidebar mention.
Meanwhile, keep talking
sense and earn a new one to replace it.
John Longenecker is an established author and
contributor, and has been
a frequent talk radio guest expert on hundreds of stations large
and small.
He now coaches contributors to be their best on-air persona as a
guest expert. His website is
http://OnAirBest.com
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