Why is radio important if you’ve got a product or service to sell?

1. Visibility: depending on the show, you can get exposure to a huge audience. (For instance Mancow Madness has an audience of 500,000–that’s half a million listeners!)
2. Credibility: radio hosts read your bio at the top of the interview.
3. Traffic: you get to share your website address on the air. Many shows will post your photo, bio and url on their website.
4. Sales: most hosts want to know if you offer a book or a program to share with their guests.
5. Reach: most radio is podcast. Your show has a global audience.

A year ago I was gabbing with the media promotions director of a major publishing house. She was telling me why she thought radio was better than television for authors: you typically have MORE TIME to discuss your book/program/product.

Even if you have an expensive publicist or a publishing house pulling strings to get you booked on radio shows, most authors/speakers/coaches crash and burn. You know why?

They don’t understand their job.

If you’re a guest on a radio show, you’re expected to do THREE THINGS, in a SPECIFIC ORDER:

1. ENTERTAIN
2. EDUCATE
3. SELL

If you miss a step or get the order wrong, you’ve insulted your host and shot yourself in the foot.

Your #1, most important obligation as a guest is to entertain. Radio is entertainment. Your host needs and audience and sponsors. You are ONLY there to serve the needs of the host and the audience.

I don’t care if you’re Joan of Arc with a message from God. If you’re boring you deserve the hook. Nobody’s gonna listen to you anyway.

Entertain means different things on different shows. “The Goddess Show” on public radio needs something different than “Afternoon Advice” on Playboy Radio. (And if dishing love advice advice on Playboy isn’t your idea of fun, don’t do it!)

You have to find a way to be true to yourself and be okay with the culture of the show, too. You don’t have to agree with everything, but you have to find a way to respect yourself AND respect your hosts.

Whatever the pace, tone or topic of a show, you have to GRAB the audiences attention and keep it. All the while remembering that the host of the show is the star. You’re a guest in his house. Make him look good.

IF you can do all that, then you might get an opportunity to educate. People might even listen. As long as you keep them interested and entertained.

And if you do a really, really good job entertaining and educating, keeping your audience on the edge of their car seats… then, and only then, can you sell.

And people will buy.

And you’ll be called back on the show.

MORGANA RAE is an internationally acclaimed life coach, author, and professional speaker, who is regarded as the world’s top Relationship with Money coach. Morgana’s groundbreaking program for attracting wealth has featured her on ABC-TV, PBS, NPR, United Press International and The Wall Street Journal online. Learn how to become a Money Magnet with her FREE 4-part video gift series. Fill out your name and email at the top of the page. (We promise not to share your info!)