3 Rules for Podcast Guests (and Those Who Book Them)
If you’ve been podcasting for more than a couple of months, you’re likely getting a lot of pitches from potential guests (or people who represent them). These often come in via the email address listed within your RSS feed, which is how this message was sent.
Hi David!
I am the P.R. Manager for a $6 million/year coaching company for Entrepreneurs and seeking opportunities for our CEO, [NAME REDACTED], to speak at. I came across your podcast and thought this would be the perfect fit! [NAME REDACTED] teaches on a variety of different subjects and we can discuss what would be the perfect fit for your clients. I've attached [NAME REDACTED]'s bio for a background on her and her experience.
I would love the opportunity to get to know you better and connect further on this to see how we can best service the business world.
Thank you!
[NAME REDACTED]
[WEBSITE REDACTED]
[PHONE NUMBER REDACTED]
I do my best to respond to everybody who reaches out to me. I do this because, having been on the other side of a pitch, the “pitching” side, I know how frustrating pitching (and being ignored) can be. I also have a soft spot in my heart for “imperfect” pitches, as I often assume the person reaching out has never actually made a podcast or otherwise doesn’t know what’s involved in the decision-making process when booking guests.
In short, I’m willing to cover for unskilled people and a bad process, especially if I think a story might be there. That’s the bottom line for me—I will do a lot to get a great guest on tape.
But I don’t have all the time in the world to chase down a single guest who might be good. This is why I have a process in place to help me efficiently evaluate potential guests.
So I emailed back with a request for more info, sent to me in a very specific way ...
Hey, [NAME REDACTED]. Sounds like it might be a good match. Please have her go to BigPodcast.com to get us the required info.
Thanks!
People who are serious about being a guest on my podcast fill out the form and get me the info I need to make a decision. I then review what they’ve submitted and we go from there.
But that’s not what happened ...
Hi David!
Great! First I need to know about how many listeners do you have, on average, for each podcast? And how many downloads have you had in total?
[NAME REDACTED]
I didn’t see this email, before she sent me this followup ...
Hi David!
I am following up on my previous email to learn more about if this is a good fit for [NAME REDACTED]. How many listeners do you have for your podcast?
Thank you!
[NAME REDACTED]
[PHONE NUMBER REDACTED]
I ignored this, for reasons which I’ll explain below. Then I received a third followup ...
Hi David!
I'm sure you're super busy and I apologize to be a bother but I need to confirm that this opportunity is a good fit for [NAME REDACTED]. How many downloads have you had for Big Podcast?
Thank you!
This email was also ignored. But I’m posting the entire interaction here for you, in the unfortunate event you’re trying to book interviews in this way or you’ve hired somebody with a similar pitching philosophy. You’ll also find it helpful in determining which podcasts are important enough to be a guest on.
Podcast Guesting – The Foundation
Anybody booking a guest, whether you’re booking for somebody else or booking for yourself, needs to understand that neither the booker nor the potential guest is in control in this situation once you reach out. At that point, the person with the podcast is in control.
Should you actually book yourself (or a guest) on a podcast, you should also keep these things in mind:
The podcaster is in charge of what information is needed to make a guest appearance happen.
The podcaster is in charge of how the interview is recorded.
The podcaster gets to choose the topic of the interview and the questions that are asked.
The podcaster picks the time and date of the interview (even if via a limited choice of options given to the guest).
Once you approach a podcaster about an interview, it’s you trying to win that podcaster over, not the other way around—if you weren’t sure the podcast was a good match for you, you shouldn’t have approached the podcast about being booked.
The last one is why I didn’t respond to the person above. She approached me, specifically asking to be part of what I already have going on. She needs to prove that what she's doing matches what I already have.
The same goes for interview topics. Her offer to talk about a “variety of different subjects” isn’t helpful. Yes, it’s up to the podcaster to pick a topic, but as somebody making the pitch, it’s up to you to come up with (and suggest) something that’s relevant for that podcaster.
To sum things up, if you’re aiming to be a podcast guest or are responsible for booking someone else, always remember the following:
Respect the Podcaster’s Process: Once you’ve reached out, understand that the podcaster sets the rules. Follow their instructions and protocols without trying to reverse the roles.
Be Prepared with Relevant Information: Make sure you have all the necessary information ready and provide it promptly. This includes understanding the audience and ensuring your pitch aligns with the podcast’s focus.
Suggest Specific Topics: Instead of offering a broad range of subjects, propose specific topics that are relevant to the podcast. This demonstrates that you’ve done your homework and are genuinely interested in contributing valuable content.
By adhering to these rules, you’ll not only increase your chances of being featured but also build a reputation as a respectful and professional guest. This approach benefits everyone involved and leads to more successful and engaging podcast episodes.
WANT MORE “RULES” OF PODCAST GUEST PITCHING? Read Why Your Podcast Guest Pitch Was Ignored.
