Just One Tip from Your Podcast Performance Coach

I just got engaged. No silly...to my podcast listener. I've been married for years to the most wonderful woman in the world. She's the best thing that ever happened to me. She's smart, she's beautiful...and oh yeah, she sometimes helps me edit my podcast show notes.  BUSTED!!!! Let's see if she keep this in...but I guess you'll never know. HAH! Look at that. She did. She's the best! Back to my pod...

Don't you hate it when someone get's your name wrong? Introductions can ruin a first impression not only for the introducer but also for the introducee. And when you're hosting a podcast, introducing your guest wrong doesn't look good on you and it certainly isn't going to set you up to knock the interview out of the park. But getting your guest's name right is only one teensy tiny part of having...

Awkward good-byes are the worst. Am I going in for a hug? How about a kiss? Or my fist-bump hits your high-five and suddenly you're gear-shifting me like you're driving a big rig. Don't let your goodbyes be awkward especially when it comes to your podcast. Finish the listener experience by holding their hand right to the end. Okay...maybe that's too much touching already. Before you say goodbye, t...

Podcasters who are trying to build their brand or grow their sales through their podcast can learn a lot from traditional radio. Radio stations work endlessly to attract listeners. Once they have them, they work tirelessly to keep them and turn them into loyal listeners. They know that once they have their loyalty and trust, they can ask them to do anything - like buy from their sponsors. Sounds l...

When you turn on your mic, who do you picture your listening? Who, exactly, are you talking to? If you don't know, chances are your audience isn't as big as it could be. It's time for you to figure it out - even if you totally make it up. In fact, I encourage you to fabricate your quintessential listener. Lie a listener into existence.   I learned this trick in radio. One radio station I worked at...

Call them superstitions, rituals are or just old habits. When you do the same thing before an event, it become part of that event. And, when you skip it - bad things happen. No this is not going to be like one of those 'pass this on or something awful will happen to you' type of things. Let's leave those to the internet and our mom's on Facebook. When I say bad things happen - I mean bad podcastin...

Every couple of months I see this question pop up in podcaster forums and on podcast Facebook groups - How long should my podcast be? Or, What's the ideal length for a podcast. Then the flurry of opinions fly in. 30 mins 60 mins 10 minutes 20 minutes Never more than 90 minutes And my personal favourite: 'Whatever you want, man.' Inevitably, the person asking doesn't get a real answer and they're b...

Picture this. Your listeners are sitting in a basket suspended over the shark infested water. There is a laser that is slowly slicing through the rope holding it up. You have thirty seconds to turn off the laser. Wouldn't you do everything in your power to turn that damn thing off? Your intro is how you save them. It's how you stop them from plummeting away from your podcast (aka hitting stop and...

If you're podcasting naked, I beg you to stop. Not because I'm a prude but because I think you'll sound better when you dress your voice up a bit. Oh, did you think I was talking about recording in your underwear? I'm all for that! Get as comfy as you can. No, I'm talking about leaving your recorded voice raw, nude, naked. For Pod's sake, dress it up a little! In this episode, of Just the Tip, I e...

Tease me. Seriously, tease me. Give me a reason to keep listening. Tell me why your show is worth my time. A tease is an essential part of your show.  If you do it right, you'll keep your fans listening longer and we know what that means - they'll love you more and more. But, you've got to do it right. So, what makes a good tease? In this episode, I explain the power of a good tease, how to craft...

You landed a fat fish of a guest. Awesome. Now they want to know exactly what you're going to ask them. Not awesome. Here's what you should do. There are plenty of podcasters who happily hand over their questions to their guest in advance. They do it because they want to appear like they are prepared. Or, they want their guest to feel prepared and comfortable. What they get is a mediocre and rehea...

I see this a lot in Facebook Groups. Someone is debating whether or not to publish an episode of their podcast despite it having some glaringly wrong issue. So, what should they do? **Spoiler Alert: you're not going to like it! So, you recorded your interview with this really important guest and for whatever reason it sounds like shit or the whole thing went off the rails. Now you're facing the ho...

I say listener instead of listeners - all the time. Maybe you thought I misspoke or , I clipped an 's' in editing. Nope. I did it with pure intention and I think you should too. I've been doing this for years. I do it in my podcast and I do it when I'm on the radio. I talk about my listener to my guest and I address them directly in the singular. Directly - that's the key word. Let's talk about wh...

It's all in the lead up. Great athletes know this. Successful business people know this. And you, fine podcaster, should know it too. Having a good pre-record routine is the key to setting yourself (and your show) up for success. If you're scratching your head and thinking, 'what am I supposed to be doing before I hit record?' - fear not, Captain Podcast is here to save the day. In this episode I...

It's time to stop being a disembodied voice and open up to your podcast audience. Jump on the sharing train and let your listeners get to know you a little. Think about your favorite podcasters. What do you know about them? I mean, beyond the name of their podcast or their expertise? What do you know about them, personally? I bet you came up with something. And that's because good podcasters know...

Numbers. They can be an important part of your point but they can also turn off your listener if you throw too many at them at once. Nix the number overload! I get it. Stats are an easy way to either prove your point or give your listener the scope of a situation. I'm all for have a percentage here and a big number there but not a whole heap of them in a row. Podcast is not the time and place for...

Congratulations! You've got your first sponsor. Before you start dancing all the way to the bank, you better make sure you're handling it right or you'll lose your listeners and your sponsor quick. Here's the deal. Sponsors want to work with you because you've got an adoring audience. And you have that audience ecause you've been paying attention to all of my tips and your podcast is spectacularly...

Whether you're podcasting everyday or once a month, you may find yourself wonder what they heck you're going to talk about next. Don't panic. Even the pros go through this. What I've learned from some of the best producers in the radio biz is that there's always an idea out there. It might not be a new idea but there's always a way to make it fresh. And, inspiration is out there if you know where...

One mistake many new podcasters make is that they 1) think they need a professionally produced intro and then 2) create an intro that doesn't match their brand. Talk about a bad start! Look, I know a produced podcast intro can sound slick and sexy and it makes your podcast feel all shiny and cool. And, when you're starting out it's easy to think that this is a necessary element to a great podcast....

If you have guests on your show - are you stealing their spotlight? Are you treating your show like it's a ventriloquist act where you ask and answer the questions while your willing expert sits mutely by? You might have fallen into the Ask-Answer-Ask trap. I hear this all the time and (confession) I've done it. This is when you ask a question and then before your guest can answer, you answer it y...

Want to know a quick way to lose a lot of listeners? Assume they know what you're talking about. Talk over their heads and they'll be hitting delete lickety split. In this podcast, I explain a few simple ways that you can avoid making your audience feel dumb. Because, who likes to feel dumb? Look, they already know you know more than them - or at least they hope you do since that's why they are tu...

There is no delicate way to say this. When it comes to recording, shit in, is shit out - if you record your podcast with peaking, hot levels it's going to sound like shit and there is nothing you can do to fix it. I see this question come up all the time in the podcaster Facebook groups and forums. Podcasters desperately seeking a solution to that buzzing and hard to listen to sound that sounded s...

Don't be fooled by the podcast gurus who love to throw this out as a way to start the show. "Tell us about yourself" is not a question and it's definitely no way to start an interview! Look, I'm not calling anyone out here - unbunch your panties, folks. There are a lot of podcasters who do this. But that doesn't make it right. In fact, it's flat out wrong! I suspect that someone started doing it a...

Do you have verbal diarrhea or do you tap the power of silence. In this episode, I'll explain why shutting up during your podcast may just be what you need to engage your audience and turn them into raving fans.

It doesn't matter if your voice is a high-pitcher squeaker or a low rumbler, this one little trick will take your voice down a notch on your next podcast. And, reduce the strain on your vocal cords. You won't believe how simple it is to sound sexier, more professional and be easier to listen to...