We are already in December, what happened to the year? If you are like me, you are channeling Alexander Hamilton (the musical) when you say, “There’s a million things I haven’t done.”

But just you wait... because I have a great tool to help you get stuff done before the end of the year.

If you’re like most solopreneurs and entrepreneurs that I work with, you’ve got a huge list of tasks that stay perpetually on the back burner. You know, like fixing the filing system, or doing something with that piece of software that you put up with every month, doing the 10 extra steps rather than just paying for a new version or getting a new program altogether.

Now is a great time to get ready for the new year by doing a business audit so that these things can be addressed without going a whole year of not acting on them. This is where you’ll evaluate sections in your business to see what is working, what isn’t working, what makes sense to keep and ask yourself if it’s still in line with your goals, plans, and initiatives.

In this short video, I give you some examples of where you can start and what I look at when doing my own annual business audit.

Welcome to Systems Sunday, today we are wrapping up our theme of your Podcasting Pre-Launch. I am Lisa Wells, your Virtual Assistant Trainer. 

What lights me up in doing what I do is creating a great system and today I’m going to show you one of my latest and greatest and that’s a solid gameplan for getting guests to your podcast. Even if you’re not planning on interviewing guests at this point in time, keep in mind that experts can add a new perspective to your topic and can provide valuable information to your audience.

In today’s episode, I’m going to show you a solid guest-getting game plan.

First, brainstorm a list of people you’d love to interview, without editing your choices. Second, go through your list and start researching if these people are relevant to your podcast topic and audience. Search their social profiles and websites. Cross off any names that aren’t relevant.

Also, perform a Google search with your keyword phrases. For instance, if your ideal guest is a money mindset coach, search that exact phrase for a list of names. Do your own research into their reputation, expertise, and products to determine if they’re relevant and worthwhile to interview.

For anyone who you deem to be a great guest, search their website for contact information. Sometimes you’ll even find a “Media” page on their site, with information about contacting them.

I recommend that you follow these rules, especially if your guest is a big name in your industry. They and their staff get hundreds of offers/emails every day and they don’t have time to read each one. Very often if someone does NOT follow their rules, their email gets tossed immediately as a way of eliminating offers and keeping their list manageable.

Once you have a starting list, it’s time to reach out to make a connection with an intro email.

Just in case your name doesn’t get recognized by your expert (or their VA who’s managing their inbox), make your subject line memorable and direct. Don’t leave them guessing; be direct in your subject line so they are likely to open your email to read your offer. Even a simple “PODCAST INTERVIEW REQUEST” can go a long way to getting opened.

It’s also wise to connect with your prospective guests via social media. Participating in a conversation by leaving comments goes a long way to getting your email recognized.

Of course, it’s wonderful to have people clamoring to be on your podcast but in reality, finding podcast guests is much like finding new clients: A mix of active marketing and outreach as well as having tools in place to attract your perfect guest.

When it comes to preparing for interviews, think of it as studying for a test.

Review their accomplishments; write a bio to use as an introduction (or take the bio from their website). Learn the basics about their business and their line of products. Write a list of questions you’d like to ask or bullet points of topics to cover. Going into the interview with a written “cheat sheet” will help avoid misspeaking or other flubs during the recording.

On interview day, check your tech, take a deep breath, and hit record! Thank your guest and remind them when the episode will publish.

For the post-interview, along with editing the episode, adding show notes, and publishing, you’ll want to send a thank you to your guest and promote promote promote!

Now, I want to make it easy on you so I do have a free gift for you all – it’s a Mini-Podcast Prep Pack. In this free download, I include a guest interview prep checklist and templates for
a request for interview email, follow-up email in case they don’t reply, pre-interview information email for after they’ve said yes, reminder email to be sent the day before the interview, and a thank you email.

If you’d like even more resources, check out my Podcasting Template Pack. I have email templates, swipe files, best practices, printables, and more. Check it out at VirtualAssistantTrainer.com. 

Join me next time for more Systems Sunday, have a great week!

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