Talk radio is booming. There are now well over 1000
radio stations in the United States programming talk
shows full time. If you count individual talk shows, the
number zooms up to 3000.
This is a tremendous opportunity for small business
people. The promotional boost that talk radio gives you
can be immense and, best of all, it's free.
All of those 3000 shows need guests. Nothing scares a
talk show host more than the idea of having to go it
alone. Hopefully, the telephone rings with lots of
interesting callers, but that's not always the case. Radio
talk hosts everywhere know that you NEED A GUEST
to make the show fly.
That's where YOU come in. A talk show guest gets to
put on display--in front of thousands of ears--their
expertise and business. Do you have to be the best in
your business, or be a good talker? No! All you have
to do to be on a talk show is have some information that
will interest the show's listeners
That can be as simple as giving listeners some ideas on
how to fix their car, save more money, grow a nicer
lawn, stay out of legal trouble, pay fewer taxes, or
anything else that will make their lives easier and
happier. If your business can be related to some current
topic in local or national news (for example: your
employees are helping the mayor clean up graffiti) then
expect to get even more attention from talk radio.
Even if your business is not all that interesting to the
general public, maybe you have another interest that is.
Tom wanted to be on talk radio but didn't feel that there
would be much interest in his wholesale boot company.
But he had been an economist for GM in the 1960s and
had lots of insight into economic issues in the news. He
soon found himself on talk radio, impressing listeners
with his understanding of economics, while getting a
few valuable mentions in for his boot company.
"But what will I say? What if I sound stupid?" people
often ask me. Don't worry. It's the talk show host's job
to make you sound good. Most will help you along by
asking you questions which make it easy for you to keep
your ideas on track. Try to sound alive and energetic
And don't worry too much about aspiring Rush
Limbaughs giving you a hard time. The vast majority of
talk show hosts are very courteous to their guests.
Even if you find one that isn't, keep your cool and the
audience will side with you.
How to Schedule Yourself as a Guest.
It's unlikely that a talk radio station will call you out of
the blue. You must contact them. And don't be shy
about it. Talk radio NEEDS YOU. They can't do their
jobs without the help of guests.
Start by making a phone call to the radio station
receptionist. Ask to talk with the program director or
the host or producer of one of their popular talk shows.
Once you find the right person, express your interest in
being a guest, either live in the studio or over the phone.
Accentuate the useful and interesting information that
you can provide their listeners. This isn't the time to
play up the fact that you want to promote your business.
Follow up with a letter covering what was said, a sheet
of information about you and your business, and another
page with some questions you would like them to ask
you.
The day before your scheduled appearance on the talk
show, call the show host or producer and confirm your
date. If it's a telephone interview, send them the printed
material again. For a live interview, bring several copies
of your material to pass around to those on the show.
The reason for all this repetition and redundancy is that
radio people are notorious for forgetting and loosing
everything you send them. Their schedules are
extremely harried. Don't expect them to be able to keep
the first copies you send them. Keep providing them
with more.
Now here's a touch that will set you apart from 95% of
talk show guests. Send the host and producer a hand-
written thank you note. Not many people do this, and
radio folks really appreciate it. You're twice as likely to
be asked back the next time you call to set up a guest
slot.
Going National.
Now that you've gotten on talk radio in your own
community, go regional or national! You can set up and
do talk show guest shots on radio stations across the US
and Canada without ever leaving your house. Find the
phone numbers and addresses for talk stations outside
your area from the Broadcasting and Cablecasting
Yearbook. It is the industry's standard listing of radio
and TV stations. Ask your librarian to get this year's
edition for you. You can also find hundreds of radio
station home pages on the Internet. Start with the home
page of the industry's trade paper RADIO AND
RECORDS at http://www.rronline.com.
With just a little effort and planning, you can take free
advantage of one of America's most popular big media.
Promote yourself and your business on talk radio.
Kevin Nunley helps small and mid-sized businesses build effective marketing. Reach him at DrNunley@aol.com or at (801)253-4536. Ask for his free marketing report and list of Special Reports and Tapes that make you a marketing whiz in dozens of areas. Also ask how he can help you build your on-line presence.
