Alex Carroll says that if you want to get onto radio talk shows, the host or producer probably won't book you for an interview unless you can do one of these 6 things, passed along to us by Joan Stewart:
- Tell listeners how to save time or money
- Give them information that will make them rich
- Tell an amazing story
- Make them laugh
- Share little-known tips or secrets to teach them something new
- Make them angry
Alex should know. His topic? How to talk your way out of unfair speeding tickets. He has done more than 1,200 radio interviews that have generated more than $1 million in direct sales for his book. He's the master at knowing how to catch the attention of producers, shine when you're in the spotlight, and get invited back over and over again.
He also says there are four ways to convince hosts to book you:
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1. Hire a PR firm.
"If you can afford it and you hire the right firm, this can be very effective," Alex says. But it can cost you a minimum $2,000 a month retainer fee.
2. Pay for a listing in a guest resource publication that radio show producers use to find guests.
But these cost money, don't guarantee response, and most calls come from little stations. The main problem is that you end up wasting a lot of time doing interviews on tiny stations with no listeners.
3. Mass mail, fax or e-mail your show idea to producers.
This, too, costs money. Most producers trash junk mail, faxes and SPAM, and what little response you do get will come from little stations that actually have time to read junk mail
4. Call the producers yourself and pitch your show idea directly.
If you want to be on the big shows, this is how it’s done.
Details on these, and many more tips (including a doozy on how to get your phones to start ringing off the hook with people wanting to place orders) are available on Alex's terrific audio CD How to Get On Radio Talk Shows
And here's another resource - Joan Stewart interviewing popular radio personality and PR expert George McKenzie on How To Get On Drive Time Radio Talk Shows
Posted October 20, 2004
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