Hey Reader,
So grateful for the ‘click’!
Today, let’s get into something we’ve all dealt with. Getting people to shut up! (nicely)
You know that moment when someone starts telling you about their weekend grocery shopping trip and somehow ends up explaining their entire philosophy on organic versus conventional farming?
Yeah, we’ve all been there.
But when you’re hosting a podcast or running an event, you can’t just smile and nod while your guest turns a simple question about their morning routine into a 20-minute monologue about the history of alarm clocks.
The trick isn’t being rude (nobody wants to be the host who cuts people off like a buzzing game show). It’s about what I like to call becoming
“Suddenly Inquisitive” about something else.
Picture this: Your guest is rambling about their third cousin’s dog grooming business when you wanted to talk about their marketing strategy.
Instead of saying “Okay, moving on…” you become genuinely curious about something totally different.
Try phrases like “Oh wait, that reminds me…” or “I’m dying to know…” or
“Before I forget to ask…”
Their brain literally can’t help but follow your new question.
It’s like dangling a shiny object in front of a magpie. They’ll abandon their rambling story faster than you can say, “Squirrel!”
The beauty is you look engaged and interested, not like you’re desperately trying to steer the conversation away from their pet grooming tangent.
Your audience stays hooked because you’re keeping things moving toward the good stuff they actually want to hear.
Stellar Quotes
“Podcasting is about vulnerability. People want to hear real moments, not just polished banter.”
Anna Faris
“Marketing is about values. It’s a complicated and noisy world, and we’re not going to get a chance to get people to remember much about us.”
Steve Jobs
When things go horribly wrong, “live”.
You know that nightmare where you’re giving a presentation, and suddenly you’re naked?
Well, sometimes the audience beats you to it.
Picture this: You’re hosting a live event, interviewing the Mayor, and everything’s going perfectly. Then “Diane”, one of our station’s ‘groupies’, (Believe it or not, DJs have groupies too!) emerges from the crowd.
Being harmless, I wasn’t too worried.
That’s when Diane, only 4 feet away, decided to lift up her skirt!
You guessed it, no panties.
What do you do? Panic? Pretend it’s not happening? Make a joke that could end your career?
When you’re live – whether it’s Radio, a podcast, or standing in front of a crowd – you don’t get do-overs.
Great interviewers don’t just prepare questions. They prepare for everything.
The guest who shows up drunk. The technical difficulties. The person who decides clothing is optional. They have a mental toolkit ready for any situation.
That’s exactly what you get in my book, “How to Keep an Audience.”
It’s not just about asking good questions (though that’s covered). It’s about handling every weird, awkward, or downright bizarre situation that can happen when you’re “live”.
Because when things go wrong – and they will – you want to be the person who handles it like a pro, not the one who becomes the cautionary tale.
You’ll find the link below.
Diversions
Your Thoughts
PS. If you know anyone who’d benefit from being a participant in this ‘journey’ into Marketing and Interviewing skills, hook ’em up!
You can share this link: https://voiceofroyce.kit.com/2fc99b9667
(You’ll feel so gracious!)
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Want to go to the “Next level”?
Grab a copy of my 50+ page ebook…
“How to KEEP an Audience! – Interviewing Skills from a 30-year Radio Pro”
Here’s the link: https://royceblake.gumroad.com/l/lkpru
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