Nov 16, 2021
You’ve got a great show idea,
valuable information to share or insightful guests to interview but
your show isn’t quite up to the caliber of your brand. You need a
performance overhaul!
Good news, I’m sharing my top 5
tips for improving your podcast performance as part of this 4-part
series
(check out the first in the series
on the top 5 tips for marketing your
podcast).
If you’re going to market your
podcast, and your podcast is all about showcasing your expertise
and driving interest in your brand then you better make damn sure
you sound good.
Without further blah blah
blahing, here are my top 5 tips to make you a better podcaster
:
- Stand Up! One
of the biggest problems with many podcaster’s performances is that
they sound half asleep. Which translates to bored and boring. You
want to sound comfortable behind the mic but not like you’re
snuggled up on the couch!
Get up and give us some energy. You need to show up behind the mic and that
might mean dressing up (even though I don’t often condone pants,
dressing up might get you in the right professional mindset), bring
some energy and entertain your listener. Add 10%. Imagine
that there is a little gremlin inside your mic that is stealing
your energy. Robbing your personality. Pilfering your enthusiasm.
But, he just takes 10% and the only way to get back to full
strength is to add that 10% back into your performance. And would
it kill you to smile?
- Inject More
YOU. I can’t see you so it’s harder for me to get to know
you. This means that you have to make a concerted effort to add a
little more of you in the mix. Show up authentically, don’t water
down your personality (or create an entirely new personality), and
let us into your real world. A great way to inject a bit more of
yourself in your performance is to remember to add in
personal stories and tell them the way you would around a dinner
table. These can serve as analogies or examples but they also give
the listener a bit of a window into your world. Just keep them
short - remember the show is not about you!
- Be Present During
Interviews. I can’t tell you how much steam comes out of
my ears when I hear a podcast announce the next question after as
they completely ignore what their guest has just said. You know
what I mean… “so that’s how I ended up face to face with a lion”.
“Right. Interesting. So my next question is what’s your favorite
color?” Stay in the conversation.
Be present. Ask the question every single listener wants
you to ask! Follow your outline, sure, but don’t sacrifice the
actual conversation to do it.
- Don’t start at the
beginning. If you want to grab the attention of your
listener and your guest, don’t come out of the gate with a ho-hum
question like
“tell us about yourself”
(which isn’t even a question) or
why did you write this book? Find a nugget, something unique
to start the conversation with (um that means prep) but when you
can capture everyone’s attention with a unique talking point or
question, then we’re all in! You can always
come back to how they
started their career
later. Start strong and that doesn’t always mean at the
beginning.
- Represent!
Being a good host (just like at a dinner party) is important. You
want to
take care of your
listener. Don’t assume
your listener knows a damn thing. Leave no one behind. If your
guest is getting into the weeds with some technical jargon, or an
unfamiliar industry term, jump in and say, “what’s that?” Or
“explain that is for my listener”. This little move keeps your
listener in the conversation because once they don’t know what you
or your guest are talking anymore, they lose context and you lose a
listener. And it’s okay to mention or talk to your listener too.
They’re expecting it. Acknowledge them and represent them when
speaking to your guest. That’s your job (they’ll love you for it).
This is listener centric podcasting.
If you want to be a more dynamic
podcaster, if you want people to love putting you in their ears,
then you need to step up your performance game. These tips will
definitely help.
And, if you still sound like a
wet noodle just slapped the mic, then take advantage of my
free 15-minute coaching call.
Click the link to grab your spot on
my calendar and let’s get your performance pumped
up.
Listen to more 5-minute
episodes, explore my resources and check out my coaching packages
at https://podcastperformancecoach.com/
Got a Question? Contact
me:
https://podcastperformancecoach.com/contact/