Don't Wait For Perfect – PTC 311
11/22/20 • 31 min
Let's look back over the past 12 months. What are you working on that isn't quite yet launched? Don't wait for perfect. Ship it.
Some of my greatest accomplishments happened when I was pushed along before I felt I was 100% ready.
TRY ITIt was August 1994. I was working at the big rock radio station in my hometown. The gig was only overnights. But, it was full-time and in the big city.
That night, we were having our annual birthday bash for the station. This was a big concert to celebrate the 16th anniversary of the station.
This particular concert featured REO Speedwagon, Starship and Cheap Trick. Three bands that were a bit past their prime, but still big staples on album rock radio.
At this point, I had been in radio for about 6 years. I have been to plenty of concerts. However, this was our show. And it was at the 8,000-seat arena in town.
Starship had just got off the stage. REO was the only band left to play. That's when the program director said, "Let's go. We're going to welcome the crowd and introduce the band."
Now, I have never had the desire to be on stage. I've never wanted to be a public speaker. In fact, speaking in front of a crowd made me incredibly nervous like it does with most people.
My boss grabs the entire on-air staff, about 12 of us, and we head on stage. The crowd sees us and goes crazy.
The morning show takes the mic and says hi. Another roar from the crowd. They thank the rockers for coming out on that particular night to help us celebrate. Another cheer.
THE BIG CHEERThat's when it happened.
The morning guys begin to introduce the entire staff. One by one, they go down the line pointing out the DJ and getting a cheer from the crowd.
My show is on the radio right before them. They have kind of taken me under their wing.
As they get to me, they give me a little longer intro with some brotherly kind of love and the crowd gives me a cheer a bigger than I expected.
That felt good. My butterflies went away. My chest puffed up just a bit.
That's when I realized what I had been missing. There is a point where my anxiousness turned into exhilaration.
Where I had once feared speaking to a crowd, I learned that it might just be something I would come to love.
Sure, the butterflies are still there before I step out. But, it is more like the butterflies you experience right before you get to the top of the rollercoaster hill. You know what is on the other side, but it's still a little scary.
Suddenly you're in the middle of it absorbing it all. Taking it all in. You just need to get over the top of the hill.
This year, give something a try that you've been avoiding due to fear. You won't know you love it until you try.
So few people are willing to push past the top of the hill. You can discover a whole new world if you just push yourself to try something new.
JUMPNext, jump.
It was April 2013. I was just launching Podcast Talent Coach. The show was still a blog and not yet a podcast.
I was writing for New Media Expo. They were using my posts on their website as part of their podcasting section.
The whole business was still coming together. The gurus all made it sound so easy. Create all of these multiple streams of income and you'd be rich before you knew it.
Unfortunately, I didn't know much about the tech. I was a radio guy. I knew content. Figuring out an RSS feed and a funnel and a shopping cart was all a little beyond my reach.
My blog posts contained my e-mail address and an offer for coaching. I didn't yet know what that coaching would look like. I just knew I could help people shape their content and create stronger shows.
Then one day I received an e-mail.
Ken reached out and told me his wife found my blog. Ken was on the radio and needed help improving his show.
He and I agreed to jump on a Skype call and devise a plan. We chatted for about 90 minutes. At the end, we had a plan to help him reach his goals.
The next day, I e-mailed Ken an agreement recapping what I would provide and what he would pay. He sent me that first payment as a money order. We started coaching.
Was it perfect? Was the funnel optimized? Heck no. I didn't even know what a funnel was at this point.
We just made an agreement, he paid me and we got started.
Don't wait until it's perfect. Jump. Perfect is a pipe dream.
THE SHARKSFinally, get started.
Last weekend, I had the pleasure of attending Collaborate. It was an amazing event where I made a ton of great connections.
Two weeks before Collaborate, the organizers were recruiting people to participate in Shark Attack.
During this part of the event, five people will make their pitch to a group...
Let's look back over the past 12 months. What are you working on that isn't quite yet launched? Don't wait for perfect. Ship it.
Some of my greatest accomplishments happened when I was pushed along before I felt I was 100% ready.
TRY ITIt was August 1994. I was working at the big rock radio station in my hometown. The gig was only overnights. But, it was full-time and in the big city.
That night, we were having our annual birthday bash for the station. This was a big concert to celebrate the 16th anniversary of the station.
This particular concert featured REO Speedwagon, Starship and Cheap Trick. Three bands that were a bit past their prime, but still big staples on album rock radio.
At this point, I had been in radio for about 6 years. I have been to plenty of concerts. However, this was our show. And it was at the 8,000-seat arena in town.
Starship had just got off the stage. REO was the only band left to play. That's when the program director said, "Let's go. We're going to welcome the crowd and introduce the band."
Now, I have never had the desire to be on stage. I've never wanted to be a public speaker. In fact, speaking in front of a crowd made me incredibly nervous like it does with most people.
My boss grabs the entire on-air staff, about 12 of us, and we head on stage. The crowd sees us and goes crazy.
The morning show takes the mic and says hi. Another roar from the crowd. They thank the rockers for coming out on that particular night to help us celebrate. Another cheer.
THE BIG CHEERThat's when it happened.
The morning guys begin to introduce the entire staff. One by one, they go down the line pointing out the DJ and getting a cheer from the crowd.
My show is on the radio right before them. They have kind of taken me under their wing.
As they get to me, they give me a little longer intro with some brotherly kind of love and the crowd gives me a cheer a bigger than I expected.
That felt good. My butterflies went away. My chest puffed up just a bit.
That's when I realized what I had been missing. There is a point where my anxiousness turned into exhilaration.
Where I had once feared speaking to a crowd, I learned that it might just be something I would come to love.
Sure, the butterflies are still there before I step out. But, it is more like the butterflies you experience right before you get to the top of the rollercoaster hill. You know what is on the other side, but it's still a little scary.
Suddenly you're in the middle of it absorbing it all. Taking it all in. You just need to get over the top of the hill.
This year, give something a try that you've been avoiding due to fear. You won't know you love it until you try.
So few people are willing to push past the top of the hill. You can discover a whole new world if you just push yourself to try something new.
JUMPNext, jump.
It was April 2013. I was just launching Podcast Talent Coach. The show was still a blog and not yet a podcast.
I was writing for New Media Expo. They were using my posts on their website as part of their podcasting section.
The whole business was still coming together. The gurus all made it sound so easy. Create all of these multiple streams of income and you'd be rich before you knew it.
Unfortunately, I didn't know much about the tech. I was a radio guy. I knew content. Figuring out an RSS feed and a funnel and a shopping cart was all a little beyond my reach.
My blog posts contained my e-mail address and an offer for coaching. I didn't yet know what that coaching would look like. I just knew I could help people shape their content and create stronger shows.
Then one day I received an e-mail.
Ken reached out and told me his wife found my blog. Ken was on the radio and needed help improving his show.
He and I agreed to jump on a Skype call and devise a plan. We chatted for about 90 minutes. At the end, we had a plan to help him reach his goals.
The next day, I e-mailed Ken an agreement recapping what I would provide and what he would pay. He sent me that first payment as a money order. We started coaching.
Was it perfect? Was the funnel optimized? Heck no. I didn't even know what a funnel was at this point.
We just made an agreement, he paid me and we got started.
Don't wait until it's perfect. Jump. Perfect is a pipe dream.
THE SHARKSFinally, get started.
Last weekend, I had the pleasure of attending Collaborate. It was an amazing event where I made a ton of great connections.
Two weeks before Collaborate, the organizers were recruiting people to participate in Shark Attack.
During this part of the event, five people will make their pitch to a group...
Previous Episode
How To Develop Your Podcast Personality – PTC 310
There are three legs to the podcast stool if you are trying to grow your audience. Those are programming, promotion and personality.
Personality is critical to keep your listeners coming back episode after episode. Your personality is what makes you magnetic.
In order to grow your podcast, you need to retain the current listeners you already have. It will do you no good simply bringing in new listeners if your current listeners are leaving. Your show won't grow.
Building a relationship with your audience will keep them coming back. You build that relationship through the stories that you tell and through your personality. This is how your listeners get to know, like and trust you.
CO-HOSTSDave Jackson and I do the Podcast Review Show together. Each episode we invite a podcaster on the show for a critique of the entire business from content to website to revenue opportunities.
If you would like to be featured on the show, visit PodcastReviewShow.com.
Being part of a two-person show highlights the importance of a defined personality. If there are multiple hosts on the show, you each need to have a lane. Your personalities should compliment each other.
If the two co-hosts on a podcast are cut from the same cloth, one isn't necessary. A discussion between two people with the same opinions on everything isn't a very compelling conversation.
There are four steps to develop your personality.
Most of these tips apply if you are a solo podcaster or only have guests on your show just as much as they apply to shows with multiple hosts.
DEFINE EACH ROLEYour first step is to define your role. Describe the persona you want to project on your show. Describe how you want to be perceived by your audience.
Most importantly, be yourself. Don't try to be something or someone you are not.
List as many of your personality characteristics as you can.
If you have a co-host, select your partner carefully. If you are the same, one of you isn’t necessary.
You then need to determine what each is expected to bring to the show. Define your duties, so there is no animosity or confusion.
PERSONALITY FOUNDATIONOnce you have an exhaustive list, select three to five that you would like as your foundation. These three to five personality traits should be those that you would like to represent your brand.
Many think an over-the-top personality is necessary to get noticed. You don't need to be like Gary Vaynerchuk or Howard Stern or Tony Robbins to be a big personality. There are plenty of other styles.
You could be warm like Dr. Phil, funny like Jimmy Fallon or tell-it-like it is like Dave Ramsey. Your personality could be energetic like Russel Brunson or motivate like Brendon Burchard or optimistic like Dan Miller.
The fun part is you get to decide. Again, be yourself.
BE PRESENTNow that you have decided on your primary traits, focus on these. Make sure they are present in each episode.
Let your personality traits come out through the stories that you tell.
Start with the point you want to make or the lesson you want to teach. Next, find a story that will highlight that point or lesson. Finally, include a little of your personality in that story.
Remember, a little goes a long way. You don't want to be the person that tries to make everything funny. You don't want to be up in the face of your listener with everything. Just add a little here and there as role work.
In order for your audience to appreciate your personality, it must be contrasted with other complimentary traits. When you yell at your kids for everything, they eventually stop listening. Players stop paying attention to coaches who scream about everything.
On the other hand, if a typically mild mannered coach blows up about a blown play or a parent who is normally nurturing suddenly explodes over bad grades, they are taken seriously. Timing is everything.
If you are naturally funny, let it shine when the time is right. Your show doesn't need to be a comedy routine. It simply needs to be funny when the time is right if that is your personality.
TAKES TIMEFinally, give it time to develop. Do consistent role work episode after episode and let your personality develop.
This will not happen overnight. Your listeners don't develop a relationship with you after two episodes. Give it time.
Add personality to each episode. Over time, your listeners will get to know who you are and what you are all about.
This is where true friendships develop.
In order to be sure your personality comes out in each episode, plan your show before you begin. If you are already creating content, it is never too late to start. Start planning today and let it shine.
Let's turn your info...
Next Episode
Your 2021 Podcast Roadmap – PTC 312
When podcasters come to me for guidance, we start with a free strategy session to see if and how I can be of help. During this session, we develop a roadmap for the next 12 months. If it then makes sense to work together, we discuss what that could look like.
Today, I want to help you create your 2021 roadmap. This roadmap will be a fill-in-the-blank roadmap, because you and I aren't sitting down to discuss your specific show and goals. You'll need to do a lot of the work on your own.
YOUR STRATEGY SESSIONIf you have created at least 25 episodes and would like to apply for a free strategy session with me, visit www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/coaching. You can apply right there.
If you are disappointed with all of the work you've been putting into your show but seeing very little ROI, and you would like 2021 to be different – the year you begin making money with your podcast – apply for your strategy session. We'll see what is possible.
This could be your opportunity. I'll show you how you can get more reach and visibility. Plus, I'll show you how to leverage the work you've already done to grow a business around your show.
www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/coaching.
Let's talk about your roadmap. Get a sheet of paper and a pen.
Yes, go old school. The physical act of writing does something to the brain as you are creating. It activates the brain in a way that typing does not.
FOUR STEPSThere are four steps to create your roadmap. We will go through each.
On your paper, draw a line straight down the middle of the paper from top to bottom. Now, draw a line right across the middle of the paper from side to side.
You should now have four quadrants on the page. We will fill each of the four quadrants with different ideas and evaluations.
TOPICIn the upper left corner, write topic. This is the first step.
To be a podcast success, you need to create your show around a topic that you love. This needs to be something you can talk about for days and never get tired.
I know. You're saying, "Erik, of course this is my favorite topic. Why else would I be doing the show?"
Well, maybe. I'm not talking about a topic you think is cool. This needs to be a topic that really gets you excited. People should be saying, "Enough already – can't you talk about something else?"
You talk about this all the time. You eat, drink and sleep this topic.
Here is how we find out. Set a timer for 10 minutes. In the topic quadrant, write as many show topic ideas as you can. Don't evaluate the topics. Just write as many ideas as you can in 10 minutes.
Pause the episode, set the timer and write. Then come back and push play.
HOW MANY TOPICS?Ok, count the number of topic ideas you've created. If you wrote down over 50 ideas, you are on the right track. This topic comes easy to you.
If you created between 35 and 50 topics, there is a good chance you have a topic you love. Your creativity or self evaluation might be holding back the ideas. Still, 35 is pretty good.
If you were able to only come up with 20 to 35 topic ideas, you may want to try this exercise again. You are walking on thin ice. Struggling to come up with topic ideas will create what appears to be writer's block.
Passion kills writer's block. If you love the topic, you have no issues creating topic ideas.
Think about what new people in this niche need to know. Discuss terms, resources, thought leaders, how to get started, where to find the best tools and other similar topic ideas. Now, try the exercise again and see what happens. If you still struggle, you should consider a different topic.
Now if you came up with fewer than 20 topic ideas, you are in the wrong niche. I don't want to be the one to call your baby ugly. However, you are going to struggle every week trying to create your show.
If you have trouble deciding were to start, you won't start. Your podcast will fade away quickly. Then you are going to proclaim podcasting doesn't work. No, your topic didn't work for you. Don't start down a path that you don't love. It is too much work.
BUILD THE AUDIENCEIn the upper right quadrant, write audience. Once you have a topic, you need to build an audience.
When I have a strategy session with a podcaster, we talk about goals. Most of the time the goals will always include "grow my audience".
You need to understand that size is relative. It is more important to have a passionate audience who wants what you have to offer rather than a big yet passive audience.
People search out the Apple store. Those fans are passionate. Many more people shop at WalMart. However, very few people have a WalMart sticker on the back window of their car or on their laptop.
You want to create fa...
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