1. Is your product better suited for a TV commercial or a radio spot? Does it need to be seen to be understood? Consumable products are usually in pill, powder, cream or liquid form—things that don’t need to be demonstrated to be sold. That being the case, consider using radio, a convincing and affordable way to go. Next…
2. Does your product meet the correct direct response formula? Successful DR products have ratios of 4 or 5-to-1, that’s hard cost to retail price. In other words, if you see a product selling for $19.95 the hard cost to the company should be around $4.00. Most consumable products have no problem meeting this ratio. Does yours?
3. Can you make the “ultimate” TV or radio offer? Give away a free sample! Most companies with consumable products, believe it or not, can afford to do that for virtually the price of shipping. Here’s an example: If your product’s hard cost is $3.00 and the actual shipping is about $2.50, you could give away a free sample for a cost of $5.50 or even more, if necessary.
4. So if it looks like you can, the question then becomes, why do it? Why give away free samples like the makers of IcyHot did? Because these are consumable products and when customers use up the free sample, they must order more!So, it’s the revenues generated over the lifetime a customer uses the consumable products that makes these products so ideal for direct response.Free samples can be one of your greatest marketing strategies ever. It was this strategy that made IcyHot so successful.

Another Ratio You Need to Know

1. Success in DR is measured by another ratio: the cost of airtime to sales. Generally you’re looking for 2-to-1, that is, if you spend $1000 in airtime you’re looking for $2000 in sales. Consumable products can make this ratio dynamic because, as I said, you need to take into account all reorders and the “lifetime” purchases of the product your customer will make.Want an example? You spend $1000 on airtime, did $1000 in sales, and think you broke even. But, as each month passes, re-order after re-order raises that ratio. Some companies even prepare to lose 20% or so, on their initial airings knowing that continuity programs, cross-sells and up-sells will easily make this “expensive” advertising well worth that initial investment down the road. Next…
2. I mentioned up-sells and cross-sells? Not every marketer knows what those terms mean (let alone practices them). Fortunately, at EMSI, we do. And we can help you with up-sells (“You bought product A for $19.95…how about a three-month supply for a heavily discounted $49.95?”) and cross-sells (“If you like product A you may also like product B…and you can try both at this discounted price.”).

Direct Mail – Paid For By Your Customer

1. Package inserts often go wasted at most companies, and here’s why: Let’s say you’re sending an order in a package to your TV or radio-generated customer—why not add in a free sample, an insert, a catalog or a bounce-back, while the shipping & handling is paid for by your customer?It’s ridiculous not to do this. And, since studies show customers are never more prone to buying from you than when they get an order in the mail from you, package inserts can indeed lower the cost of your advertising.

Finally…

As the goal of most consumable product companies is to take their product to retail, that’s where direct response radio and TV can play a big role. DR advertising not only gives you brand name recognition but also good, hard facts—you’ll have your actual advertising costs and the resulting sales figures—two things hard-to-convince buyers need to see.

Usually, they’re characterized by Hollywood as slick-talking flim-flam artists who promise the universe and deliver next to nothing.

And there’s a reason why Hollywood zeroes in on that rendering of PR pros – because our profession does have its share of people who are just like that. I wish it weren’t true, because the vast majority of PR professionals have integrity and work hard to earn their clients’ trust. But the bad apples do exist, and every time I hear real life stories about those kinds of PR people, it infuriates me.

I received a call the other day from a potential client who described to me her campaign that was executed by a retainer-based PR firm (and they charged a bundle) that was so shoddy and mismanaged, it cast a dark shadow over the entire profession in her mind. And, just in the past month, I had similar conversations with two other companies who also had bad experiences with PR agencies.

The sad thing is these bad experiences could have been prevented or foreseen if only the client knew what questions to ask during the hiring process. As I care very much about my profession and the people we serve, let me share some insight about what questions you should ask your PR agency BEFORE you sign on the dotted line. If you get satisfactory answers to these questions, you’ll be well along the road to a successful campaign.

1. Do you have experience in my industry? – All PR agencies are not alike, and agencies that tell you they can handle anything aren’t necessarily telling the whole truth. An agency doesn’t need to be a specialist in your particular industry, but it’s important to know something of your industry in order to understand your business. It’s essential for being able to understand the underlying news angles prevalent in your industry and in the news, and for being able to write strong pitches that represent you well to the media. You don’t want to pay for your agency’s learning curve, so make sure they have experience in your industry.
2. What mediums do you specialize in? Print? Radio? TV? All of the above?– More than 95 percent of all PR firms tend to specialize in print media. But, if your company’s message also plays well on radio or television, make sure the agency can deliver that as well. And the issues go deeper than just the type of media, but also the size of the outlets. If you want to be interviewed on talk radio shows, does the agency have contacts with high powered stations in top 100 markets, or will all your bookings be at LP (low power) stations in sparsely populated areas with few listeners.Ask what media they specialize in, and also ask for samples of past campaigns. If they can’t show them to you, chances are you won’t get the coverage you are paying for.
3. Are you a pay for performance or retainer-based agency? – This is an important question, because retainer-based agencies work on a “best-efforts” basis, meaning you are paying for their time and skill. Your risk is that you pay their monthly fee with no guarantee you’ll get the coverage and results you were hoping for. With pay for performance agencies, you’re guaranteed the media you pay for and in some cases you’re billed as you receive coverage, mitigating your risk as the client. A pay for performance agency doesn’t make money unless you get coverage so it’s a win-win situation.
4. Can you provide samples of current client campaigns? – This “look-see” will provide you the documentation to support the agency’s promise that they are actually capable of delivering against their promises. Compare your needs to their current clients, so you can assure yourselves there is a fit. Remember that good client case studies aren’t a guarantee you’ll get the same results. However, chances are that if the agency achieved success for other clients, the odds are decent that they’ll achieve comparable success for you.
5. Are you a local, regional or national agency? – Local agencies may feature lower costs, but their media contacts are limited to their own city. This is fine if all you need is local coverage. But if your company does business nationwide, you want to hire an agency who is speaking to national media every day. An agency with national media contacts is far more preferable than an agency with a media database service that they use to “dial for dollars.” With that in mind, don’t choose an agency just because they’re located in your city and you get “face-to-face” time. What matters more is whether they meet your criteria for getting the job done.
6. Who will be managing my campaign? – With many agencies, the role of senior management is to bring in new clients, not actually execute the work. So, before you choose an agency ask about the level of experience of the person or people who will be working on your campaign. In some agencies, Account Managers are rookies fresh from college or interns playing a key role in the execution of campaigns. As an insider, I highly recommend that you ask questions about the qualifications of the team who will be handling your account.

In addition to asking these questions, make sure to choose a firm that understands your topic, has enthusiasm for your message and can communicate about it intelligently. In the end, you want a firm that you feel comfortable and confident with so you can establish a long-term working relationship.

But as good as these interviews are, they can be made even more effective.

As with most things, there are insider techniques that can help radio and TV interview “first-timers” do a powerful job. In fact, here are eight:

1. Like the Boy Scouts, “Be Prepared.” Before going on, make sure you’re fully prepared with facts, figures and anecdotes to talk about when you’re on the air. Use a “cheat sheet” with your best info. The audience can easily detect the difference between a guest bursting with knowledge…and one who’s “knowledge well” is quickly drying up. The latter will lose the audience’s attention and any credibility they had been building.
2. Practice makes perfect. One of your key challenges is staying “on-message.” Radio/TV hosts and audiences have a way of yanking you off course. Your challenge will be to know how to keep your on-air balance. If you’re new to the media game, consider getting a media coach. If you already have media experience and just need to sharpen your skill, practice mock interviews with friends or associates. Be sure you’re fully prepared to handle ANY questions that come your way.
3. Year-round Strategies. Publicity campaigns should be viewed as a long-term commitment with the goal of developing as much national media exposure as possible. After all, the longer you’re “out there,” the greater the likelihood you’ll be recognized by the media as an expert in your field.
4. Keep the interview pipeline full: You should conduct as many media interviews as possible. Talk radio interviews can be an unsurpassed way of informing millions about your product…without leaving the comfort of your home or office.
5. Be available at a moment’s notice. Media appearances should be thought of as “instant promotional opportunities,” and you need to be available when they are. That means day or night. Being on the air, often and at any time, will boost your company’s visibility… and sales!
6. Sparkle on air. Enthusiasm speaks loud and clear. To keep the audience attentive, you need to maintain a high level of interest through the interview. No matter if it’s your first or hundredth!
7. Keep the audience listening. Always remember that media is about entertainment first. The trick, of course, is to be both informative and entertaining. Do that and you’ll often find the host jumping in to help you promote your message!
8. Good time management. Key to success with media interviews is how effective you use air-time. A great interview-or a complete bust-will hinge on how well you keep these three things in mind:
   1. Be entertaining,
   2. Be informative, and
   3. Educate.

While national media exposure is ideal, there is great power in local media exposure as well. By focusing on your hometown media outlets you will be able to build a solid base of fame and recognition from which to grow on. Creating as much “buzz” as you can locally will compliment your national campaign to no end and it also gives you invaluable media experience when the national media starts to knock on your door.

Fortunately many local journalists and on-air personalities enjoy interviewing local businesses and experts like yourself. This gives you an upper hand in grabbing their attention, and you will also gain their support in spreading the word about your company, products or services!

If you want to create solid “buzz” in your hometown, I recommend the following:

• Talk Radio Interviews and Television Appearances: Generally speaking, every city has radio and television programs that have a format for guests. Do your research on the web to find the main stations that broadcast in your hometown. Then go to their website where you will find information about the shows they broadcast. Look for those with a format for guests and find the contact information for the producer. Then call and pitch yourself as a guest. How many should you aim for? AS MANY AS POSSIBLE!
• Local Newspapers and Magazines: When it comes to the print media, at my firm (EMSI) we find that “Tips” type articles have an extremely high pick up rate with newspapers and magazines. If your topic offers any sort of solution to a problem, then a “Tips” article is what I would suggest. Write an article that gives 5-7 helpful, quality solutions (or “Tips”) to a problem that many people face.

Next, identify the newspapers and magazines in your local market, go to their website and find the right “beat” your topic falls in – for example – religious, business, health, lifestyle, etc – and send your article to the journalist that covers that “beat.” If there isn’t one person in particular that you can identify, “as you’ll find in smaller weekly papers” send your article to the editor – in – charge.

Make sure that the article is professional and print worthy, if so some publications will print it “as is.” And once again, get as many print placements AS POSSIBLE!

Although the above just scratches the surface, the takeaway is : when it comes to promoting your company, start locally and aim to get as much coverage as possible!

Women influence 95% of all purchases and control 80% of all household spending.

She specifically points out their spending habits in these categories:

• Domestic Products

“Buying the ‘small stuff’ has always been in the woman’s domain. Part of her domestic duties as wife and mother has been to keep the family healthy, warm, and well nourished. From the family meal to the family doctor, from shirts for her husband to shoes for her kids, chances are those choices have always been hers.

“What many marketers haven’t caught onto yet, though, is that women’s spending power now extends far beyond shoelaces and shirts.”

• Big-Ticket Items

“In the past, the big-ticket items like cars, insurance policies, and major appliances were historically bought by – and therefore marketed to – men. Things have changed! Nowadays, women need their own cars, their own computers, their own cell phones, and their own investment accounts – among many other new big-ticket items – and so manufacturers are facing a whole new market.”

• The Buying Power of Single Women

“Get this: Single women head 27 percent of households in the United States. Did you register that? More than one out of four U.S. households! Thus, a substantial portion of the market for cars, computers, and cell phones, for instance, is dominated by women serving as sole decision makers.”

• The Buying Power of Married Women

“Looking at married households (55 percent of U.S. HH), the fact of the matter is that the woman of the house spends not her own paycheck but a good deal of her partner’s as well. She still handles all the domestic spending. And when it comes to the big-ticket items, not only is she buying her own products – like the single women above – but she also has a disproportionate say in the shared decisions, such as cars, investment accounts, and family vacations.”

So, what’s the “take-away” from all this information? Again, it’s that – Women influence 95% of all purchases and control 80% of all household spending.

As it’s important to me that our clients are groomed to do their best, we provide them with helpful tips they can study and apply. Let me share a few of these tips, in case you’re also using this medium as a means of promotion. These particular tips relate to your appearance: how to dress, which colors show best, make-up (that includes you guys as well) and more. I hope you enjoy them!

1. Wear something that conveys your personality and your message: You don’t want to be judged by your appearance, but knowing that happens, prepare for it. You want to appear confident and professional, so make sure you are comfortable in what you wear and that the color and fit compliment you. Keep in mind that not every camera angle is going to be close up. Your whole outfit will show, including the shoes. Make sure that your shoes are polished and that laces are not frayed or missing all together. Remember, you want to give a good impression so that your appearance speaks to your credibility!

2. Be choosy about color and pattern: Small, tight patterns do not come across well on TV – they tend to shimmer, so solids are better. Certain colors are overpowering on TV or tend to bleed. Black, white and red fit this category. Blue works very well on camera. You want the audience to focus on your message, not your clothing, so keep it simple and classy.

3. Jewelry: Microphones are very sensitive, so although those dangling earrings and that big chunky necklace go beautifully with your suit, you will want to remove them so they do not make any distracting noise. Keep it tasteful and simple; a nice necklace, a ring or two and classic earrings are a good choice.

4. Manicures: Manicures are not just for the ladies anymore. Clean, buffed, trimmed nails are important for men and women alike. When the camera zooms in for a close up on your book or product, your hands will reflect your level of professionalism. For the ladies, if you choose color for your nail polish, tone it down so it doesn’t detract from the cover of your book or product.

5. Put on your face: Not all shows have make-up artists. You should make sure you are made up in an understated and professional manner. Some base and some powder should do the trick. Base will help keep your pores from showing and powder will keep you from looking shiny. This goes for the men, too. Yes, you are going to have to wear make-up, and you may have to apply it yourself! Make sure, gentlemen, that you cover your face and your forehead with powder; you want your message to shine, not your forehead! If the show has a makeup artist, they can then enhance what you have done. If they don’t, then you will look good anyway. Remember…less is more.

Now you can be more prepared for that close-up!

1. THE RIGHT DEMOGRAPHICS. Every year Talkers Magazine does a research project to profile who’s listening to talk radio. And, every year their survey confirms that the talk radio listener is, “diverse, educated, attentive, active and affluent…” If this describes your customer – it’s a perfect match!
2. TARGET AUDIENCE. Not only are the demographics of talk radio great – but with specialty talk shows on politics, health, relationships, lifestyles, finance, consumer advocacy, sports, etc., we can identify shows that are a perfect match for your service, once we know the audience you’re trying to reach!
3. EFFECTIVE SALES TOOL. Publicity is definitely not paid advertising. But it can be far more effective. Just ask Dr. Arnold Goldstein, well-known financial advisor and author, “The interest in our books from radio interviews has far exceeded the response we’ve seen from our advertising campaigns. Dollar-for-dollar, talk radio interviews has shown a much better return!”A compelling radio interview can promote your product or service without the audience even realizing it! And, as hosts don’t want to be bombarded with phone calls with questions about your company, they’re highly motivated to frequently mention your website or toll-free number.
4. THIRD PARTY ENDORSEMENT. Talk radio hosts have loyal followings – that’s how they maintain their ratings. And listeners tune in daily to hear what their favorite host is talking about. As that host is often thought of as an old friend or even a trusted advisor, when you appear as a guest on their show, listeners hear an implicit endorsement of you, your service and your message!
5. CREDIBILITY. This is a crucial ingredient in every marketing campaign – and talk radio supplies it in abundance. One of our clients told us, “…every show I’ve appeared on – the host tells his listeners about my great expertise, my many accomplishments and how proud they are to have me as a guest! Of course, the more important I am, the more important the host appears to be. As far as promotion and credibility goes – it just doesn’t get any better!”
6. TIME TO TELL YOUR WHOLE STORY. As a guest – you get not just 60 seconds, but ten to sixty minutes of quality time with a very targeted and attentive audience. You have enough time to talk about your service and in many cases you have a chance to answer questions from callers. It’s a perfect way to get your full message heard and understood by the audience!
7. COST-EFFECTIVE PROMOTION. Talk radio interviews are all done by phone. So without ever leaving your home or office you can have a direct and oftentimes live conversation with consumers around the country. Plus our fees for this publicity service are minuscule compared to what you’ll spend in advertising dollars to buy the same amount of air time!
8. IMMEDIATE EXPOSURE. You can be on the air within two to three weeks! And, because talk radio keeps up with changing times and topics, we can continuously create new angles for your topic that reflect current events, to keep you on the air and in the news on an ongoing basis.
9. BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK. With probably 1,000 + talk radio interviews under his belt, nutritional products spokesperson, Dr. W. Wong says, “Talk radio is the greatest way to get your message across to a large group of people at one time. There’s a captive audience during morning and evening drive times, in the middle of the day with stay-at-home moms and people in the workplace and for those folks awake late at night. It’s better, cheaper and faster than TV appearances. Without question – talk radio provides the best bang for the buck!”

And what about the 10th reason? You tell me! In the comment field below share with everyone your success stories using talk radio and other reasons why talk radio really is a terrific promotional tool.

The face of radio has changed quite a bit over the past decade here are just a few of the changes. The hosts of major-market radio shows, which had extremely attractive audiences, used to bring guests in the studio for long chats. Not three or four minutes, but how about half an hour or longer! This was a time when a guest could knock off a couple radio interviews and send sales soaring. What has changed? First, there are not as many big stations that accept guests – many have changed to a music format or don’t accept guests that have a product or service to sell. Another change is that the amount of guest air-time has been greatly reduced. Radio talk shows nowadays find that listeners are more likely to stay tuned if they have three 10-minute guests per show rather than one guest featured for 30 minutes.

Unless you are a big name, the chances of hitting pay dirt with a couple of large radio interviews are pretty slim.

As a public relations expert who has been in the industry for over two decades, I believe that in order to get your book, product or service the exposure that it deserves, it is crucial that you know what the playing field is like. Now that you are aware of the competitive nature of this media marketplace, let me share a suggestion for anyone who is just starting out with their book promotion: small radio stations.

Below are some great reasons why small stations can really make a difference in the promotion of your book!

The More Interviews You Do…

When it comes to publicity, and in this case radio publicity, quantity is very significant. This means that you shouldn’t scratch a radio show off of your hit list or reject their booking request just because they doesn’t have the hottest host or the highest wattage. Every show counts! The more interviews that you do the more buzz you are building. Although it would be awesome to exclusively book yourself on shows in the top 5 radio markets that are 50,000-watt stations and hosted by a celebrity…but this no longer the norm. Don’t let this be a mental block, there is power in numbers…meaning quantity!

Think about it: even with a 1,000-watt station, you are still reaching an audience. So say a 1,000-watt radio station has around 100 listeners, it’s a waste of time right? Wrong! What if you had the opportunity to speak to an auditorium full of 100 people about your business? Would you go? Of course you would! Keep this in mind when looking at stations. Every small station has value and adds to your overall quantity which fuels the buzz.

Practice Makes Perfect

Imagine it: getting booked on your first show in a major market with a top host. You probably have never even given an interview in your life. Possibly you may do a few practice runs with a friend or colleague, but nothing live on the air. So you get on the air, the host throws you off your topic, you get lost, agitated all resulting in a very unprofessional start.

I have seen it with numerous clients; it takes at least 10 radio interviews before most guests get comfortable behind the microphone. This is the beauty of small stations. With a substantially smaller audience they give you the real live feel without the fear of massive embarrassment. At the end of the day small radio stations allow you to practice how to be not just a focused guest, but one that sounds like a “radio pro”.

No Fear, No Errors

Not everyone is a natural born communicator, and if you are an author whose expertise is in the written word it is rare to find a great author who is also a great verbal communicator. First time authors are especially prone to stage fright – yes, even on radio!

Stage fright on the radio has one major result: errors! Typical errors for first time guests on talk radio include not giving out the web site address or 1-800 number. Or giving them out too much or not enough! A huge mistake is to mention your web address and phone number too often and in turn upset the host, who will let you know in no uncertain terms that this is their show and not an infomercial.

Technical guests have a tendency to slide into techno-babble, and even good guests inevitably walk out of their first few interviews knowing they could have been better. Wouldn’t it best if you are new to the radio game to make your mistakes in front of a smaller audience? Getting your feet wet in on 1,000-watt radio shows will help you remove your fear factor and reduce the amount of error for when you get on the big-time shows!

Give Your Message a Tune-Up

When you are just starting out promoting on talk radio it can be pretty tough to know what your true message is. You know what your business is about and the passion that you have for it, but everything seems relevant! How do you cut it down? This is yet another great function of starting out your campaign on smaller channels….you find ways of trimming down your book’s message to a few powerful words.

The more you get to talk with interviewers, even though the audience may not be huge, will enable you to crystallize your thoughts on your topic. Hey, it may even give you new ideas about your topic that you never realized before the interviews!

Don’t Let Size Fool You: Be Prepared

Booking small stations can be an adventure. Be prepared to run into some hosts who are unprofessional. To beat this make sure you confirm an interview at least twice before you are scheduled to appear on the air. These hosts may also not be as prepared as their big-time counterparts (meaning they probably have not read you book). So you will need to be ready to walk them through your major topics.

The best idea is to prepare for these interviews by considering how you would explain your book to a stranger on the street that you have met for the first time. Just know that some very bright people listen to some very small radio stations; make sure not to talk down to your audience.

Last week I sent you Part 1 of my interview with Lee Habeeb, a friend and business associate who is a “Talk Radio Coach to the Stars.”  To refresh your memory, Lee currently coaches 7 of the top 10 talk show hosts in America; people like, Michael Medved, Mike Gallagher, Dennis Prager, Hugh Hewitt and Bill Bennett.  He also developed “The Laura Ingraham Show” and was Laura’s Executive Producer for many years.

Below is Part 2 of my interview…I hope you enjoy the information!

Warm Regards,
Marsha

My Interview with Lee Habeeb: Part 2

Marsha Friedman: One thing I regularly tell my clients is the importance of not only being interested in the talk show host who is interviewing them, but also demonstrating a caring for him, his show and his listeners.  In your opinion, how important is this?

Lee Habeeb: In my opinion listeners are attracted to this sort of caring.  Take the case of Click and Clack, the two car brothers.  I don’t really care about car repair or cars, but every time my wife and I are in the car and those guys come on, we tune in because there’s such energy there.  You get the sense that they live, breathe and love cars.  But furthermore, they love each other.  The audience loves them!  The show is so rich in detail, in warmth and humanity, you can’t help but tune in whether you like cars or not.

The best performance comes from those who are relaxed.  These brothers are so relaxed because they prepared for so long, they’ve got the details down so well that when they get on the air, they are ready to go.  And this is what happens as you can probably imagine for most guests doing a radio tour.  The more prepared they are and the more interviews they do, the better they will get!

MF: That’s a great example of how to manage the expectations of a guest.  After booking guests for 20 years, I know that by their 15th interview, that’s when they start hitting their stride.

LH: Yes. The staged interviews you do in a room that aren’t real can be a real waste of time.  It’s like scrimmages.  If you ever coached college basketball and said, “Hey, let’s scrimmage and then we’ll play one basketball game” no one would ever get better.  That’s why there’s lots of practice, but then you get right into the season and you start playing games.  And luckily, there are a lot of games before the NCAA tournament so you can get really good.

It’s the same with radio interviews.  There’s generally a progression.  In the beginning – you’re awkward, not sure what you’re doing, and after all, it’s your first time.  Then step by step, interview by interview, you get better at it.

MF: I often try to explain to people that this is an art – a skill that you develop.  It’s not the same skill as being a public speaker or being a professor.  Just because you’ve done hundreds of public speaking engagements or talked in front of groups, it is not the same thing.  It’s very different, and that difference really needs to be understood.  I emphasize the fact that there is a skill attached to this kind of activity.

LH: Well, look at E.E. Cummings – I think if you had stuck him in sonnets, I don’t know how good he would have been.  So even with poets or even actors who are great on the stage, they just may not be as good in front of a camera.   A good 100 meter sprinter is a different runner than a 440 or a 400 meter.  And I get this all the time.  “Man, he’s such a good guest.  He should host a radio show.”  My response is, “Oh, no, no, no, no.”  Most people who are good guests can’t host a show because they’ve been so good at reducing stuff to six minutes that the idea of carrying a show for 15 hours a week doesn’t work as well.  They’d rather spend 15 hours in a week to get six solid minutes.

So if you’re a professor and you have an hour a day, three days a week, 15 school hours, and you’ve had 8 years to prepare this, that’s a lot of time to make your point, get those ideas across, and do all the goodies and magic you do in that classroom.  But it has nothing to do with coming on a radio show and having seven minutes to impress the listeners.  It’s a totally different format.

MF: You know you’ve really sent home the point that being a good guest is a craft.  You’ve got to study, prepare and drill.

LH: I can go to a basketball game and during the practice, I can pick out who the captain is by how he walks around.  He’s not the guy slamming the ball down and trying to impress the cheerleaders.  No, he’s the guy in a quiet conversation over here because he’s actually the leader.  He’s acting like it; he’s talking like it.  The best way to credibility is to be credible.

The best way to be credible is not to talk about yourself.  Talk about the problem and the solution.  Talk about the audience’s problem, the host’s problem, not your own problem.  Here’s the solution.  I’m not the solution.  This is the solution.  And then your credibility goes up the more comfortable you are in your own skin.  The more you try and sell yourself, the less credible you sound.

MF: That brings up the question about how someone should pitch themselves as a good guest?

LH: For starters, don’t pitch yourself.  Talk to the host, engage him and then through him, define a problem and offer the solution.

These hosts and producers could care less about you…they care about their show!  Every day they look at the pitches they get and think, “Hmm, what would make this show work today?”  And in the timing of the news cycle, what would make the show work.  No matter what business you’re in, there’s a news cycle.  If you’re in the vitamin business, it’s vitamin news.  I’m just trying to make the point that there’s always news you can tie your message into.

MF: Lee, you’ve given us so many nuggets.  Is there a final piece of advice you would like to share?

LH: Get with a professional media coach.  You’re not going to get good as a talk radio guest by yourself.  And, if you’re going to spend x amount of dollars on a PR campaign, make sure you’ve got the coaching.  And make sure you get coached from a seasoned professional who’s actually done it as this is a specialty.  If you’re going to get out there, be prepared.

MF: Lee, thanks so much for taking the time to sit down and speak with me today.

LH: It has been my pleasure Marsha!

###End of Part 2###

Click here to read Part 1.

I sincerely hope you enjoyed my interview with Lee and found some interesting points to consider when thinking about your own talk radio publicity campaign.

As Lee is one of the top “go-to” guys for helping national talk show hosts be the best at this medium – who better to give you advice on how to effectively use this medium when appearing as a guest!

I’ve separated the interview into two parts – below is Part 1 and this link will take you to Part 2.

I hope you enjoy the information!

My Interview with Lee Habeeb: Part 1

Marsha Friedman: Lee, why do you think being a guest on talk radio is such a good marketing vehicle for promoting a product, book or service?

Lee Habeeb: There are a few reasons why being a guest on talk radio is superior to every other medium.  First and foremost, when you’re on a talk radio show you’re getting the implicit endorsement of the host.  And what makes talk radio so powerful is the fact that the relationship between the host and the listeners is very intimate.  This differs from TV where pictures and action distract the audience’s attention and the segments are very short.  The speed of television is – four minute segment, commercials, four minute segment, and commercials again.

With talk radio, the hosts are on with the audience three hours a day (every day) and people become addicted.  They listen in their cars and online.  That three-hour session with that host over a long range of time builds a strong bond.

And these bonds are lasting.  This is evident in the career span of the average radio host.  Look at Gordon Liddy, Rush Limbaugh and Michael Savage, they have been doing it for decades and continue to go on and on.  The life of their careers is longer than most television hosts.  Television tends to chew up hosts and spit them out.

And so, the intimacy between the host and listener is powerful.  When you’re a guest, you become the expert the host is endorsing because he’s carving out some of his show time for you.  And I think that is the true power.  It’s the testimonial power and the implicit endorsement that you’re getting from this host.

MF: I couldn’t agree more.  What qualities would you say are the most important for somebody who wants to make the most of their air time when being interviewed as a guest on a talk radio show?

LH: The most important thing to think about is… “Who cares?  Why should I be listening to you?  What are you going to do for me?”  That’s the voice of the audience and they’re brutal.  Just think about when you’re the audience.  If the program doesn’t either pull you in emotionally or provide quality information…you hit that clicker button.  And how many times a day do we hit our clicker buttons while watching TV?  I would say 95% of our choices in television are choices away from certain programs seeking something we like instead.

MF: To reiterate your point, when prepping for the show the question most important to ask yourself is “Who is your audience and why should they care?”

LH: Exactly right.  The most important audience is the host.  If you can engage him, he by proxy is the entire audience.  The only reason most people gather around “The Savage Nation” is because they’re interested in what Michael Savage has to say and what he is interested in.  So by proxy, you don’t have to worry about entertaining Michael’s audience, you simply have to engage and entertain Michael.

The beauty of radio is you’ve got no one to look at, so all you have to do is engage the host.  You’re rarely even in the same room with them.  Moreover, since the host booked you on their show, your message is something they are interested in.  But if the host doesn’t like your interview, you are out the door!

MF: You mean a host will cut the interview short?

LH: Absolutely.  Your job as a guest is to entertain the host, share good insights and provide quality information.  In other words, provide good content for the host…which is what they want more than anything else.  After all, in many cases they could have three hours to fill per day!

MF: You’re really hitting on something which can be an obstacle for talk radio guests to overcome – making the most of their time on air.   The natural inclination for guests is get on the air and start selling.  But the problem is that they end up sounding like an infomercial!

LH: It’s crazy to think “I’ve got to say the name of my book 14 times!”  I’ll never forget, one author we had on Laura Ingraham’s show, who had obviously been coached by a consultant who said, “Name your book 12 times.  When you’re saying a sentence, name your book.”  And so he kept on saying, “Well, in my book “Blah Blah”…in my book, “Blah, Blah.”  Finally, Laura said, “Hey, this interview’s coming to an end right now if you say the title of your book one more time.”  He couldn’t just have a conversation with her and, of course, he only got five minutes and we didn’t book him anymore due to his shameless self-promotion.

The important thing to remember is his time on the air was not his time.  The host has loaned you the airtime, whether you paid for it or not.  As the host, I have given you good grace to invite you into my house.

Ask me about my family before you sell me your book, product or service.  Develop a relationship with me.  If you can do this, I will give you more time, plug your book or product, push you towards success…all without even thinking about it.  Even when you leave the studio, I’m going to say, “Wow, what a great guest.  Don’t forget, you’ve got to go out and buy so-and-so’s book.”

To help this along, be prepared before you are interviewed.  Have your five funny bullet points, a personal story and a flattering story about the host.  The best way to achieve this is to research the host.  Listen to a podcast of a recent show and find out something special that happened and say, “Before we get into the book, I listened last Thursday and that segment you did with so-and-so on sailing, even if you’re not a sailor, you had to love that segment.  Just thank you for doing what you do.”

You’ve got to care.  I think too many people don’t care, and to me pre-show preparation represents caring.

MF: Great point Lee.  It may seem like a lot of research before each show, but the payoff has got to be worth it.

###End of Part 1###

Click here to read Part 2