It seems oversimplified, but it’s really no more complicated than that. Podcasting packs power, way more than the megawatts of radio waves to thousands of listeners in that it endures time, whereas radio fades instantly. Radio blasts its content out, second-by-second, and dissipates just as rapidly, fading into the ether, hopefully, but not-likely, making a lasting impression in the minds of listeners who are distracted by many more messages. With a library of recorded episodes, podcast-style broadcasting endures forever and is available for repeated listening, even in one sitting. In fact, it could be said that the distinguishing difference in power between radio and podcasting is a singular simplicity: Podcasting gives you control.

What if you could control radio and its listeners?

Let’s be real. We’re not talking about creating zombies. Control doesn’t have to be all evil-dictator-like in nature. Chiropractors, nurses, coaches, teachers, all of them, control, to a degree, their students, patients and teams to their betterment. Such is the help and advice you give in your content in your coaching, blogging, vlogging or podcasting. You control your clientele to their betterment. Having a radio show, or being interviewed on radio is of limited scope. Listeners must tune in at the exact time and for the exact duration for your to create an effect, and even then there is no rewind, pause or replay. Podcasting gives you the power to let your listers tune in when they wish, stop, start, pause, rewind and replay as they choose, and re-listen as much or often as they prefer. This is the ultimate in audience control, but in a way that is well-received and used by audiences.

Podcasting for me seemed like nothing at all when I found out about it. I had been obsessed with radio since a very young age. From commercials to announcers, talk shows and live broadcast events, format has always been my obsession and I imitated and duplicated it constantly. It carries over into television to, paying attention to advertising, documentary formats and many other genres for that matter. Even thumbing through magazines and looking at layout, copywriting, content and even ads, as well as billboards and other advertising, I feel like I had a full doctorate in marketing by the time I left high school. And it carried over into everything I do now.

The big payoff of my early education: editing

You probably thought I was going to say “content” and may have been surprised with my emphasis on editing. Admittedly, the first few radio commercials I purchased, I not only insisted on writing them myself, but was involved in writing the copy and recording as well. I even watched closely as the editor literally “spliced” the magnetic tape real to edit the content for flow and timing, yes, before the digital age. So I learned to organically produce and create content. So when digital editing came along, I didn’t even have to read a single instruction. What was there before me was obvious. And I edited my first digital content like a pro.

My editing skill has led me to spend hours on some of the shortest episodes, creating sometimes miraculous results in cleaning up errors and mishaps, double-speak and even making nonsensical content make sense. Overall, editing is there to clean up the track and improve flow, but it is also to make sure the overall interview or other content tell a story overall. As a writer and ghostwriter, as well as someone who writes informational and commercial content, I found myself at the advantage to edit.

The lesson to be learned? Editing and format are being done perfectly already. Immersing yourself, not in classes, books, courses and masterminds, but in observing what the big players are doing, and really finding what works best can be the best lesson. Not everyone is in-tune to this, nor do they want to take the time to be. That’s where people like me come in. Studying the at-work habits of the best and duplicating them, or getting the best to do it for you are the best options.

The best podcasts hold this in common. Make it your standard and you’ll have a smash hit, or at least a potential one with the right promotional campaign.

I have created BroadcastWellness not only to make it possible to have a platform on which to spread the word about your expertise, not only build an audience or following but to stay in regular touch with them, all while building credibility in the process. What does this mean to you? It’s a chance to get yourself those repeated contacts, without offering or pitching over and over, especially, if someone showed disinterest or refused you in the first place.

How many contacts does it take to make a sale?

I once heard that it takes eight contacts (on average) to make a sale. From the same source, I heard that the average salesperson gives up after a mere two contacts. I had no way of verifying the accuracy of these statistics, yet form my own experience, it proves out to be true enough by my own observation and experience. But, what do we mean by “contact” in this case? Based on monitoring of hundreds of clients’ contact habits I made a very interesting distinction…

When you contact someone 8 times, what type of contact should it be?

Here is where the rubber meets the road, to be colloquial. Many clients over the years have levelled the argument outright that they are making way more than eight contacts to prospects, to no avail.

This is where the quality of contact becomes important. While it is always a numbers game, efficiency eventually and inevitably becomes a factor. Only so much quantity can be achieved before you need to increase the ratio of closes to promotional effort spent and funded. What clients were calling “contacts” were essentially phone calls or mailings, repeatedly offering the same item or pitch which didn’t fly in the first place. In other words, they made a pitch or offer, if prematurely, and were turned down, only to repeatedly offer the same thing in follow-up contacts via phone, email, DM, etc.

Are you following up or stalking prospects?

There is truly a fine line between stalking and following up. But it is pretty clear-cut and your instincts are probably correct: if you feel like you’re stalking, you probably are.

The issue sums up in the observations I previously mentioned, ones which I made in my own clients’ follow-up habits. When you make repeated contact for the same thing, especially when it is for a sales pitch, it’s stalking, plain and simple. Put yourself in the prospect’s shoes. If you feel like “Hey, I told you NO the first time!” then it’s stalking. If they turned you down once, why would you think asking them the same thing again with no further interven ing communication will change their mind?

Podcasting and other broadcast media are the best, repeated contact

Simply stated, podcasting, as well as blogging, “vlogging” (video blogging) and the like, are kingpin efforts because you are providing desireable (hopefully) content, building credibility and raising awareness in prospective patients, clients, members, customers, etc. And, aiming correctly, you’ll raise awareness toward a state of interest in what you can do for them, without any direct suggestion from you.

You are essentially priming them to say “yes” instead of turning you down!

Continue the conversation and you will have a lifetime, loyal follower…

The main point is that business and practice owners tend to try and make every first interaction count. This is the foremost “Sales 101” faux pas there is. The object of the first meeting with anyone is not, first and foremost, to make a sale, but to establish a longer-term connection, one which sets up at least the next interaction, if not multiple. In doing so, you are extending your ability to communicate on the long term. What better way to do this than to offer a platform or service where, without risk, they can stay in contact, receive advice, and absorb and apply it at a speed they can handle, and work their way up to where someone needs to be to see the light and pull the trigger on whatever the next step is?

As you have probably figured out, you don’t have to be a podcaster to apply this gem. But if you want an ongoing conversation, ad inifinitum, which keeps a connection and builds credibility and trust, broadcasting via podcast is a simple, easy way to make a huge connection, and get referrals in the process too! Build your audience and build your business. You can even use it to educate and maintain existing client relationships and creaste future sales, business, loyalty and referrals too!

Yes, it is a bit of work, but that is why I created the BroadcastWellness production facility and new podcast network. Patients, clients, customers or members are listening. BW Production Network is there to produce it for you so you can create and connect. The rest is up to you.

Contact BroadcastWellness for details on how to have me create and produce your show!