Expanding your influence is a key factor in increasing your business. If no one knows who you are, or what problems you solve, they won't know to get ahold of you for help.
This is why those who jump from shiny object to shiny object never get anywhere. You see them, five years later, still floundering. They haven't stood for anything, and so haven't become known for anything. Don't become that kind of person!
To make this kind of transformation happen, you must prepare to share your message with people.
And the best way to do this is being an interview guest on targeted radio shows and podcasts!
If you have some experience with a niche, topic or marketplace, you have more knowledge about it than many other people. And lots of these people will be interested in learning what you know about! You do not need to be an in-depth expert on a subject to be qualified to talk about it. Just keep in mind your target audience. Who are they? What level are they at? Who are you best able to help? If you're clear with this up front, your audience will self-select and appreciate it.
I know a lot about selling. But an in-depth interview on Fit like this one is simply not something suitable for newbies to the subject. If the listener was an experienced sales executive or business owner, however, this interview would be a huge help to them.
On the lock picking topic, I don't know a whole lot. But I do know much more than the average person, and so it's interesting for me to share some surprising observations that are matching that newbie level.
So know where you're at and who your target audience is before you take the next step in expanding your influence.
Then do this:
Write a Bio Sheet for Expanding Your Influence
Summarize your Why, your background and your promise in a couple paragraphs.
Keep this short; we'll see why in a minute. This is a hook, not a resume.
Include your name, phone number, time zone, a backup communication method (eg. Skype ID), and email address.
Draft a Sample Questions Sheet
Write seven to ten sample questions people at your target audience's level of understanding would have about your topic.
Prepare answers to them, and rehearse! Don't skip the rehearsal. Live on air is NOT the time to be figuring out your response.
Put Them On a Media Page
Save these files in pdf format. If you have a website, post them on a Media page.
Write some text above them explaining you are available as an interview guest. Then invite the visitor to download the pdf files to consider you as a guest.
Now you have a place to refer hosts to.
Now a caution: you will have to update the bio sheet and questions as time goes on. Personally, for example, I am so bored with talking about cold calling. I no longer want to talk about it. I have done that interview fifty times. So after my first year doing interviews, I changed it up. Pricing, business models, and funnels are currently my interests. And the bio and questions needed to be revised to reflect that.
So why are we doing this?
Radio show and podcast hosts are EAGER for fresh, interesting content that is valuable to their audience.
That's why it's vital to remember that you have value, regardless of the depth of knowledge you have. As long as you know more than your target audience, and you're clear about who you are talking to, you will be welcomed as a guest.
Now the reason we created the bio sheet and sample questions is...to make life easy for the host.
They will likely read your bio word for word at the beginning of their show. So make sure their introduction of you is spicy and memorable! The beauty of this is it's completely under your control: you write the words. Get that perception started off right!
And then they will go through the questions you've prepared. They will skip the ones that don't interest them, or that they think aren't relevant to their audience. Keep track of this behavior. If you find a question is constantly being skipped, replace it with another. If another question is consistently being welcomed with excitement, prepare and amp up your answer for maximum effect.
Yes, they may ask questions that aren't on your list. But only one or two questions, probably; the rest, you'll be totally familiar with.
Where to Find Sources of Expanding Your Influence
Google "Podcast (topic)".
Google "Radio show (topic)".
And go to radioguestlist.com.
Choose your targets carefully. Out of a dozen shows I'm emailed about, I might choose just a single possibility to send my information to.
Remember, these people WANT to hear from you...if what you have to share is aligned with what their audience wants to hear!
So don't ever feel embarrassed or shy about reaching out.
Send a quick email to the producer of the show. Explain that you'd like to be a guest on their program. Give at least one good reason why you believe you're a fit for their audience.
Attach your bio and questions sheets, or link them to your Media page. Hey, all the work they want done is already completed! You've made it easy for them. They appreciate that.
When they reply to confirm they'd like you to be a guest on the show, calendar the time. Make sure you show up. Keep that backup communication method handy...you never know when your primary method will crap out.
Have a "next step" for listeners to take. The hosts will give you a chance for a bit of self-promotion at the end: a website listeners can visit, a location they can buy something from you.
Send a thank you note after the show is recorded.
Start using these show recordings as marketing collateral.
Post them on your site, or at least links to them. Write about them. Post on social media.
The more your target market can hear and see you before they ever actually speak to you in person, the more geared they will be to buying from you.
The Next Method for Expanding Your Influence
Once you've implemented everything up to and including this fifth step, it's time to talk to me.
>> Want Jason's help? If you're already making money competently producing a product or service, we could be a fit. <<
