Influential Introvert: Communication Coaching for Professionals with Performance Anxiety - How to Find Guests for Your Podcast (and Get Them to Come on Your Show)

Episode Date: May 13, 2019

So you want to host an interview podcast. You know what you want to podcast about and the ‘why’ behind your show, but how do you find guests? And why would they want to come on your show? I cover how to find great podcast guests -- and how to get them to say yes to coming on your show -- on episode 9 of Podcasting Step by Step.   Visit sarahmikutel.com for more articles on how to podcast. Ready to start podcasting? Download my free guide: “8 Mistakes New Podcasters Make and How to Fix Them.”   I’m your podcast coach,Sarah Mikutel. Did you know that I also host the Postcard Academy travel podcast? Check it out if you’re the ‘experiences not things’ kind of person who believes travel goes deeper than a fantastic meal (though that is pretty great). Every week, I interview people who packed up everything to start a new adventure in another part of the world. You’ll learn how they did it and get their best insider food and culture tips.   Thank you so much for listening to Podcasting Step by Step. I know you’re busy and have many listening options, so it means a lot to me that you’re here. You are the best.  Do you ever go blank or start rambling when someone puts you on the spot? I created a free Conversation Cheat Sheet with simple formulas you can use so you can respond with clarity, whether you’re in a meeting or just talking with friends.Download it at sarahmikutel.com/blanknomore and start feeling more confident in your conversations today.

Have you been wanting to start a podcast for a while now, but something's holding you back? Maybe it's fear of putting yourself out there or confusion about the technology. I'm Sarah Mikital and on podcasting step by step, I'll break down how to podcast with a little loving motivation to give you the skills and the confidence you need to finally launch that show of your dreams. Let's get started. So you want to host an interview podcast. You know what you want a podcast about and the why behind you?

your show, but how do you find guests and why would they want to come on your show? On this episode of podcasting step by step, I will cover how to find great podcast guests and how to get them to say yes to coming on your show. Before you go out searching for guests, you first have to think about what you want your listeners to learn. So before you start Googling, ask yourself what your ideal listener wants to learn more about. What excites them? What scares them? What are they struggling with right now? Spend about 20 minutes brainstorming ideas and then start looking for guests who can speak to what your ideal listener wants to hear about. Once you have that list, then it's time to go and find podcast guests. So where can you find these people? Well, my number one way is to listen to other

podcasts. I have booked several podcast guests after hearing them on my favorite shows. And this is one of the best ways to find podcast guests because you've already listened to them and you know that they're interesting. They can deliver something of value. And you also know that they are up for coming on podcasts. On your phone, keep a running list of people you'd like to invite to be on your show as you come across them. So you hear a great podcast and you think, oh, this guest is perfect. Make sure you jot down their name for later and also the name of the podcast. You can go back and reference that. Facebook groups are another way to find guests. Who's moderating your favorite Facebook groups related to your audience? They might make good guests and they would also likely share your

interview with the entire group. Or a member of the group might share a story that really resonates with you and you think could really serve your audience. And there's also Facebook groups dedicated to podcasting such as She Podcasts that have specific days. in which podcasters can pitch themselves to be on other shows. You can also read articles. So subscribe to newsletters that offer a roundup of interesting general news, and then also newsletters that are related just to your podcast theme. So who is being interviewed?

You can make a list of these names and then also make a note of the article links. So if the guest agrees to come on your show, then you can go back and reference these articles to help craft your interviews. questions. And same with making a note of the people who you hear on other podcasts. Make a note of who these potential interviewees are. And then you can organize this more in a spreadsheet later if you want. But just as you're going along with your day, just jot down these ideas as they're coming to you. PodcastGest.com is a website that has a free and a paid version. And that helps hosts and guests find each other. So if you are interested in being either of those, you can sign up

for that newsletter. Authors also make really great podcast guests. So whatever your topic is, you can look up books related to your topic on Amazon. And this is a great resource to find experts in their field who are usually happy to promote their work. Your friends might know somebody who would be perfect for your podcast, especially if you share similar interests that are related to your show. And if you have a dream guest, maybe there's some sort of six degrees of separation going on there where you can make connections that lead up to that person. Or maybe you can level up by interviewing their friends or their former colleagues. And p.S.

Your first interview should not be with your dream guest. You will be too nervous. Get some practice interviews in there first. And then your own podcast guests could be a great resource to finding new podcast guests. So when your interview ends, ask the person you just interviewed, who else do you think I should talk to? Who would make a really great guest for this show? Okay. Once you have your list of potential people you want to come on your show, how do you get them to say yes?

Here is an email structure that I've used that I have had a lot of success with. So it's no more than two or three short paragraphs. And what you want to do is introduce who you are, what your show is about, and what your listeners get out of this show. So really give the guest a feel of what your show is about. And then let them know how you discovered them. Maybe you heard them on a certain podcast. You read about them in an article.

And then say why you think they'd be perfect for this specific episode that you've got. planned. So for instance, in an email, if I wanted to interview somebody on Rikeevick, Iceland, I would say, oh, you know, I came across your blog, you had such great information, I have a travel podcast, you know, and I've already told her what the podcast is about, and then say, you know, you would be perfect for this. And then just give a brief sentence about what you're going to talk about at a very high level. So for my podcast, Postcard Academy, I would say, well, talk a little bit about your expat story and then you can share your best insider recommendations for Reykjavik and the rest of Iceland. Then share a little bit more background on yourself to help build

your credibility. This could be about your podcast experience or your career or how long you've been doing a certain hobby if that's what your show is about. It's totally okay if you're new to podcasting or if you haven't launched your show yet. This is just an opportunity to showcase who you are, what you know, and what's driving you to do this show and why you're good at it. So whatever experience you can throw out there, just share that with your guest. And finally, make the ask. So give the potential guests something to say yes to. At the end of the email, say something like, so what do you say?

Are you up for coming on the podcast? End your email with something like this. And you might be wondering, how do I find these email addresses? Well, if your potential guest has a website, the email address is likely. there. Failing that, I have reached out to people on Instagram by a direct message. I've sent Facebook messages. I've connected with people on LinkedIn. There's also a website called hunter. I.O. And that helps you find the email addresses of people who work at companies. So if there is a business email that you're looking for, you could try that website. It's not always 100% accurate,

but it could help you find what you need. Once your podcast guest says, yes, it's time to book them in. Until recently, I managed all of my podcast invites through Google Calendar, and it worked perfectly fine for me. I've heard a number of people say that they've struggled with the back and forth of scheduling interviews, but for whatever reason, I didn't have that problem. However, I'm currently testing out Acuity because someone sent me an invite that way, and I really liked how slick it was. So Acuity has a free and a paid version that lets you set up certain hours, of availability. And so your guests can choose whatever works best for them.

It also lets you create a form for your guest to fill out with useful information. So you can get their Skype handle. Then you can get their social media handles. Whatever other information you'd like up front, they can upload photos. You can also include info that you want them to know, like tips on how to record quality audio with Skype. So reminding them to turn off notifications and things like email to turn off their air conditioner and fans so you can prevent that noise. You can put all of this advice in acuity.

And acuity will automatically send your guest a reminder about the interview 24 hours in advance, which is pretty cool. And that's it. Podcasting is really hot right now and people are quite keen to be interviewed. Podcasting definitely has the cool factor going on. Chances are not everyone's going to say yes to you, but many of them will, especially if you did your homework, to explore what your ideal listener wants to hear about and then found guests who want to speak to them and can provide a lot of value to them. And it's a chance for you to have a great conversation with somebody you've been wanting to talk about. Maybe it's somebody that you admire, somebody that you know you can learn a lot from, maybe it's somebody you want to do business with. So I love interviewing.

If you've got any cool interviews lined up, send me a message on Instagram. I'm at Sarah Micatel. I would love to hear what you've got planned. On the next episode, I will talk about how you can take your interview skills to the next level for your podcast. Thank you for listening to podcasting step by step. You are now one step closer to launching that podcast you've been dreaming about, but I want to get you even closer. I created a free guidebook for you with actionable worksheets called Eight Mistakes New Podcasters Make and How to Fix Them. To find that, head on over to sarahmicatel.com slash fix. Do you ever go blank or start rambling when someone puts you on the spot. I created a free conversation cheat sheet with simple formulas

that you can use so you can respond with clarity, whether you're in a meeting or just talking with friends. Download it at sarah mygatel.com slash blank no more.