Passions  

With BlogTalk Radio on the scene, there are hundreds of programs you could become a guest on but before you get too excited you should know a few things:

Research the Host:  Yes, it’s exciting to get an email or a telephone call inviting you to be a guest on a particular show.  But hold your horses!  Do some homework and find out as much as you can about the host.  Listen to some of their shows and get a feel for their interview style.  Make sure you will feel comfortable being interviewed by that particular person.  For example, if this is the kind of host who likes to play devil’s advocate with his or her guests a lot and that would make you feel uncomfortable, don’t do the show.  Turning down an interview is not a bad thing. 

Know the audience:  With BlogTalk Radio, you can sit inside and get an idea of who listens to the host’s show.  If they have no listeners (and that does happen sometime), you then have to decide what’s more important to you:  getting the interview or having people listen to you while you’re being interviewed.  One of the good things about BlogTalk radio is they archive their shows which you can listen to later.

What kind of Promotion does the Host Do:  Does he or she promote their shows in order to build an audience?  Is the promotion visible on their website, blog or on their homepage of BlogTalk Radio?  Do they already have a steady following?  Do a lot of people listen to their shows—after they’ve gone into archives?  Do you know anyone who’s already been interviewed by them?  Don’t be afraid to get the 4-1-1.

A good talk show host opens the door to a good show, however, it’s the guest who leaves the door open for the audience to come in.

The very experienced hosts know how to work their magic in order to turn a potentially bad guest into a great one.  It takes skill and personality.  Unfortunately, those who are just starting out may not be able to immediately master their guests.

Here are some tips on making sure your guest doesn’t turn your show into a disaster:

1)  Seek out guests who would make a nice fit for your show:  Most radio shows have a general theme by which they follow.  My show, for example, is called Passions, and I look for people who are pursuing their passions at midlife and beyond.  It would be in your best interest to find guests who your audience would enjoy listening to.  If your show’s theme is health-related, it wouldn’t make sense to invite an auto mechanic on to talk about car repairs, would it? 

2)  Know Your Guest’s Personality:  If you don’t know them personally, make it your business to talk with them prior to your show.  When I say “talk”, I mean over the phone---not conversing back and forth in an email.  You need to be able to gauge the personality of your guest. How do they sound over the phone in a normal conversation?     

3)  Reassure Your Guest:  Some guests are very lively and talkative while others come across as timid.  There’s also a pretty good chance your guest may have never done an interview before.  Talk to them and reassure them that they will be fine.  You may even want to do a mock interview with them in advance.

4)  No cell phones:  Yes, we live in the wireless age but you should encourage your guest NOT to use a cell phone if at all possible.  In a worst case scenario, the call could be dropped in the middle of an interview—leaving you to have to pick up the slack until the caller can get back on the phone. 

5)  Don’t Let the Guest Take Over:  Some guests are pros when it comes to handling interviews.  Some of them are extremely good at dominating the conversation and will barely let you get a word in edgewise.  Don’t be afraid or intimidated by cutting into their “rambling” especially if they’ve been trying to answer your question for two minutes or more.  (The same goes for talk show hosts).

It’s always a good idea to give the guest some guidelines to follow so they will know what to expect from you and what is expected of them.  But be nice about it.  You want your guest to leave your show feeling like it was the best interview they ever did and you want them to go out and tell everyone what a great host you are!

If someone were listening to you host a talk show for the first time, how do you think they would rate your performance?

If you’ve been hosting a show for just a few months, chances are you are still pretty green.  Some might say you’re still wet behind the ears.  But don’t feel bad.  They are also some folks who have been doing their thing for a quite a while and they still sound as bad as they did when they first began.

Unfortunately, some hosts haven’t taken the time to work on and perfect their announcing and interviewing skills.  Since internet radio sites like BlogTalk Radio have come onto the scene, more and more people have decided they have something to say.  But if you can’t convey your message in an appealing way, you will find yourself talking to yourself week after week

So how do you go from being green---a novice---to a red hot announcer on the radio?

Practice BEFORE you go on the air.  Practice what you're going to say thoroughly and if you’re going to have a guest, get someone to do a Q & A with you. 

Be Conversational:  It’s OK to have notes but work on trying to improvise more.  When you read directly what you've written it can often sound unnatural.  What you want to do is talk like you would to someone you know.

Listen to other announcers.  Be sure to listen to the ones you like and don’t like and take notes on what’s good and bad about their announcing styles.  Listen to hear how they respond to different situations---when things go right and when things go wrong.

Don’t Apologize for Your Mistakes:  We all make them from time to time.  But the good thing is if you’ve made a mistake, no one has to know unless you tell them.  Just keep going.  The more confident you become, and the more practice you put in, you will become more fluent in your announcing and interviewing style.

Work on Pronunciations:   If you have a guest whose name you are uncertain of, please make sure you spell it out phonetically on a note card.  Also, practice saying the name several times before you actually go on the air.  And even if you still manage to screw the name up, find the humor in it and move on. 

Don't Come Across as a Know-it-All:  While it's good to sound knowledgeable and credible, you may sound arrogant and condescending, if you come across as trying to sound like you know more than your "expert" guest.  

There’s an old saying, “practice makes perfect.”  The more you do it and work at it, the better you are bound to become.  And always remember to enjoy what you do!

Let’s face it.  Some of us have it and some of us don’t.  The “it” I’m talking about is the gift of gab.  Some people can talk and talk and talk and never come up for air.  Others find themselves searching long and hard for the right words to say. 

Even though too much talking as a radio host can be overkill, not enough can label you a dead host walking.  Here are some tips on how to keep the conversation flowing during an interview.

1)  Listen to Your Guest:  Even if you have a prepared list of questions, you should listen very carefully to what your guest is saying.  I believe some of the best questions and responses come from the follow-up questions.  Sometimes it’s OK to move away from the script.

2)  Be Engaging:  Instead of making your interview sound like a scripted Q & A, be conversational and show some personality.  Don’t allow your guest to give quick “yes” or “no” answers.  Encourage them to elaborate of the “yes or no of the matter.”

3)  Don’t leave any idle time:  If you’ve asked all of the questions on your cheat sheet and you still have several minutes left before the show is over, give your listeners a re-cap of the show.  Chances are not everyone has sat through your whole show so by giving a re-cap you’re allowing the new listeners to get up to speed on what they missed.

4)  Add commercials or public service announcements to your show:  If you have a 30-minute show, you may not need one but if your show lasts 60 minutes, it might be a good idea to have a :30 or :60 spot.  You could take the opportunity to promote your own business or have someone to pay you a fee to promote theirs.

5)  Use a music filler:  A music bed opening and close will shave about 30 – 45 seconds off of your show.  A nice upbeat tune will also set the tone for your show.

The important thing to remember is you---not the guest---can make or break your own show.  Keep it flowing with good conversation and always fill in the gaps of dead air.

I know the first thing some of you are probably thinking is, what makes me qualified to tell anyone how to be a good radio host?  Well, I've been interviewing people as a television  journalist and hosting my own radio shows for many, many years and if you don't believe me, I invite you to listen to any one of my shows here on BlogTalk Radio.

Since BlogTalk Radio came on the scene, more and more people have discovered they have something to say.  The internet site calls itself the leading social broadcast network. They give you a microphone and even provide an audience if you can’t get one on your own. 

BlogTalk Radio has given permission to literally thousands of “radio host wannabes” to create their own live talk show.  As someone who has done her share of radio and television talk shows over the past 30 years, I can tell you the majority of people on BlogTalk would never get a job on a traditional radio or television station.  The reason being is they lack the essential skills necessary in order to hold the attention of an audience on a regular basis. 

What skills does it take to be a good interviewer?  Can anyone do it?  Is there a certain formula to doing it right?  The people who interview others well all have similar characteristics.  They may not have they same style but they know how to command an audience with or without a guest.

Here are some tips on how to become a good Radio Host:

1)  “Personality is to a radio host what perfume is to a flower.”  In a nutshell that means you should have some flair about you.  No one wants to sit and listen to a monotone host who sounds like he or she would rather be somewhere else other than hosting their own show.  Listen to some of your favorite hosts.  What is it about them that you enjoy?  I guarantee you one of the things you will say is they have personality.  You don’t have to over the top like Howard Stern or Rush Limbaugh but make what you have to say enjoyable and pleasing to the ear.

2)  Know Your Subject:  The problem with some hosts is they rely heavily on their guests to supply them with information on the topic being discussed.  That can be dangerous because how do you know for sure that what they’re telling you is accurate?  Do your own homework and be prepared to ask questions on top of the ones that were probably spoon-fed to you by the guest.

3)  Don’t DOMINATE the discussion:  An interview is supposed to be a two-way conversation.  You ask a question.  You get a response.  Some hosts get carried away with talking and allow little time for guests to say what they have to say.  Don’t talk just to hear yourself talk.

4)  Always have a back-up plan:  What would you do if a guest canceled the day of your show?  Would you cancel your show or go on the air anyway?  If you choose the latter, always try to have someone waiting in the wings who can be your last minute guest and who won’t mind.  There are plenty of people looking for publicity so create a list and let them know you may have to call on them at a moment’s notice.

5)  Don’t Fly Solo:  Even I, as a veteran journalist, don’t like hosting a one-hour show by myself.  You may think it’s a piece of cake but as time goes on you will either start repeating yourself or you’ll wind up with a lot of dead air.  You should always be trying to build your listener base so that someone listening will call in to help you out.

Being a good radio host takes time and practice.  Listen to the hosts who do it well and then develop your won style and, by all means, enjoy what you do!