Personal Life Media

Recording Guidelines

 

Show Flow, Interview Guidelines and Do’s & Don’ts of Podcasting Production & Recording

 

The number one rule is to prepare!

 

Show Flow:

Corporate Identity

Show ID – Opener

Welcome to Show Name

I’m your host, Host Name

Today on the show we are talking about theme and story.

Our guest is Guest Name, Affiliation

Show promo teaser snippets inserted here:

          Clip 1

          Clip 2

          Clip 3

Welcome Guest Name

(hi, great to be here)

Guest is known for:

          Attribute 1

          Attribute 2

          Attribute 3

I’m pleased to have you with us today – I think our listeners really care about xxx and want to know more about xxx. Tell your listeners the “game plan” for the show today – format and theme.

Today I want to talk to you about:

          Subject 1

          Subject 2

          Subject 3

Let’s start with a few questions about xxx.

Ask 12 minutes of questions here (see Do’s & Don’ts on questions, bridges and transitions here)

Make sure you unfold a story and delve deeply into their particular expertise. What do they know that nobody else in the world knows? Unfold this revelation…

We’re going to take a short break to support our sponsors. I’d like you to listen to these ads. These are ads created by my sponsors for my show and they help me bring my work to you. If you can support them, I’d really appreciate it. I get credit for anything you can utilize. This is Host Name and I’m with Guest Name and we’ll back right back to talk about “something intriguing.”

5 second bumper with show identity

Break (silence for the count of 5)

5 second intro bumper

We’re back and I’m your Host Name and we are talking to Guest Name about xxx.

Before the break we were talking about xxx. I want to ask you about xxx.

Questions for 12 minutes

Mention other show hosts or shows on PLM if there’s an appropriate spot.

Follow same format for break and return.

Ask listeners to send you email to Host@personallifemedia.com or call 206-350-5333 to leave you a message.

Questions for 8 minutes

We are almost out of time but I would like to ask you one final question – ask something that is a benefit to the listener and leaves them with an inspirational thought or feeling.

Thank you Guest Name for joining us and sharing your wisdom/insight/etc.

(You are welcome.)

Address listeners: join us next week on Show Name when we talk to Guest Name or we’ll be covering theme.

That brings us the end of the show, thank you for listening. For text and transcripts of this show, and other shows on the Personal Life Media Network, please visit our website at www.personallifemedia.com.

This is your host, Host Name

Your signature close here

Show ID – Closer

Personal Life Media Bumper

 

After the interview, think about the highlights of the show. Take notes during the show if you can, this makes it easier to remember the highlights. What is the really juicy stuff that the audience will love? Pick two or three separate things. Then go back and record a pre-roll intro.  Where you say “Hi I’m Host Name. We have an awesome show for you today. We’re going to talk about xxx.” Then edit that into the beginning.

 

Interview Guidelines

The number one rule – be prepared!

 

Prep your guest in advance of the show via phone or in person. Walk them through the flow, your questions, discuss monologues, warn them that you will interrupt them if necessary, warn them about self-promotion, explain your target audience, stay on-topic, answer the question that is asked, ask clarifying questions if your requests don’t make sense to them. Ask them to focus on the listeners and their needs. Tell them no cursing or slander if possible. Thank them for working with you. Tell them you are excited to learn more from them and bring that to a wider market.

 

Test your systems first to make sure the host and guest are recording correctly and volumes are in range. Equalize all audio levels. Record at mono bit rate. Record a test and playback. Adjust accordingly prior to starting.

 

Remove all jewelry that can knock the surfaces or equipment. Turn off all machines in the room that you can. Pass the “shush” around your facility. Get a bottle of water with a straw from which to sip during the show so your gulps don’t get recorded.  Have your notes in front of you prepared in advance and printed in large type. Consider writing your intros out so that they are in front of you.

 

Intro:

 What is the big story here? What is significant about this guest? Why should your listeners care? Plan your three major points for introducing your guest. What is your hope for your listeners?

 

During the interview:

Plan your three main questions, then ask open-ended and insightful, pre-planned analytic questions* that weave a fascinating story.

 

Ask your question and then listen. Be very, very, very concise in your questions. Don’t ramble; get to the point! Do not make comments during their answer. Be totally silent until they are done and it is time to ask the next question. Proactively manage pacing and flow. 

 

When you are done with a subject, keep the momentum going by asking a new question. You don’t have to respond to what the Guest just said. You can move immediately to the next question with one of these transitioning phrases (write your own too!):

          Let’s move to xxx…

          On a related subject, what do you think about xxx…?

          That reminds me of xxx…

          What about xxx…?

         

Probe deeply for nuggets. Ask the “tough” questions.

Tell me more about xxx…

Let’s go deeper here…

There’s something I’ve never understood….

Take that a level deeper for us…

What’s the essence of what you just described?

What’s the single biggest takeaway about xxx…?

 

Practice your bridges and transition questions until they are smooth.

Clarify any technical terms or “trippy” talk. Ask guests to define verbiage clearly for a mainstream audience.

 

Ask for “frames.” Ask them to make sounds. Ask for sensations in their stories when applicable.  Get them to sing, or make funny accents, or add clips of music if they have their own.  Bring life to the audio when possible.

 

 

Ask for additional resources when possible. State URL’s clearly.

Ask guest for special offers, freebies or promos specialized to your audience.

 

Caveat – if your guest is running on too long, give them the “finger across the throat” or “time out” signal if in person. Tell them ahead of time that you are going to do that and they should watch for it. When you give them the signal, they have 10 seconds to wrap up their thoughts and stop speaking.

 

If on the phone, interrupt them and keep talking until they hear that you have interrupted them. Don’t try to break in, stop, break in, stop. It’s hard to edit and makes you sound like you are not in control.

 

When you interrupt them over the phone, it takes a few seconds because of delay and because they are in mid-stream. Say, “that was a lot of good detail, but I want to make sure we have time to talk about xxxx,” then ask them your next question. Your listeners will thank you! And remember, they are the most important!

 

Keep your listeners involved by asking “Sarah” or “Bill” questions. Ask your listener’s opinions. Give them exercises/assignments. Ask them to figure out their position on the subject at hand.

 

Take sides as a host. State your beliefs. Your listeners want to love and respect you. You are more than a “question-asker,” you are an expert.  Subtly showcase that.

 

Be authentic, not fakey. Tone down any tendencies to be a “radio announcer.” 

 

Be a storyteller, an entertainer, get some sound bites!

 

You may tweak your format, but try to remain consistent show to show so your listeners can count on you and be comfortable listening each week.

 

 

Mark the times for commercial inserts…approximately every 12-15 minutes. Figure out about how long your want your show. 24 mins with 1 break? 45 mins with 2 breaks? 1 hour with 3 breaks? Don’t ever go longer than one hour unless it’s a fabulous, engaging moment you simply must record. Think about making a two part series with one amazing guest in a single hour by dividing it into two thirty-minute shows.

 

Focus on your audience. Think of a single listener that is the representative target for your show and name them. Keep “Sarah” or “Bill” in your mind when you are speaking to them.  Make the listener think you are speaking directly to them during your show.

 

Listen to your show.

   

The number one rule is – preparation!

*Open-ended Questions:

Open-ended questions are questions that encourage people to talk about whatever is important to them. They help to establish rapport, gather information, and increase understanding. They are the opposite of closed-ended questions that typically require a simple brief response such “yes” or “no.”

Open-ended questions invite others to “tell their story” in their own words. They do not lead people in a specific direction. Open-ended questions should be used frequently, though not exclusively, in conversation. When asking open-ended questions one must be ready and willing to listen to the response.

 

To illustrate closed-ended vs. open-ended questions, consider the following examples. The topic is the same in both questions, but the responses likely will be very different.

• Did you have a good relationship with your parents? (closed-ended)

• Tell me about your relationship with your parents. (open-ended)

 

Examples of open-ended questions:

• How can I be of help?

• Would you tell me more about ___?

• Could you help me understand ___?

• What are the good things and the less good things about ___?

• What do you think you will lose if you give up ___?

• What have you tried before?

• What do you want to do next?

 

Affirmations

Affirmations are statements and gestures that recognize client strengths and acknowledge behaviors that lead in the direction of positive change, no matter how big or small. Affirmations build confidence in one’s ability to change. To be effective, affirmations must be genuine and congruent.

 

Examples of affirmation statements:

• Thank you for …

• I really like the way you …

• That was a very creative how you …

• You showed a lot of self-control in the way you …

• It may not seem like much, but I think it was very impressive how you …

• You have a real gift for …

Show Host “Mad Libs” Worksheet

 

Welcome to ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­_______________________________________

 

I’m your host _______________________________________

 

 

and story _______________________________________

 

Our guest is Guest Name _______________________________________

 

Affiliation_______________________________________

 

Welcome Guest Name _______________________________________

 

(hi, great to be here)

 

Guest is known for:

 

          Attribute 1 ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­_______________________________________

 

          Attribute 2 _______________________________________

 

          Attribute 3 _______________________________________

 

I’m pleased to have you with us today – I think our listeners really care about _______________________________________

 

 

and want to know more about _______________________________________.

 

Tell your listeners the “game plan” for the show today – format and theme:

 

 

Today I want to talk to you about:

 

          Subject 1 _______________________________________

 

          Subject 2 _______________________________________

 

          Subject 3 _______________________________________

 

Let’s start with a few questions about:­­

 

Ask 12 minutes of questions here.

 

 

 

We’re going to take a short break to support our sponsors. (Add how important to you it is for your listeners to take actions on the special offers they hear on your show.) This is Host Name

 

_______________________________________and I’m with Guest Name

 

_______________________________________and we’ll back right back.

 

Break (silence for the count of 10)

 

We’re back and I’m your Host Name

 

_______________________________________and we are talking to Guest Name

 

_______________________________________ about

 

_______________________________________.

 

Before the break we were talking about

 

_______________________________________. I want to ask you about

 

_______________________________________.

 

Questions for 12 minutes

 

 

(Mention other show hosts or shows on PLM if there’s an appropriate spot.)

 

Follow same format for break and return.

 

We’re going to take a short break to support our sponsors. More detail here. This is Host Name

 

_______________________________________and I’m with Guest Name

 

_______________________________________and we’ll back right back.

 

Break (silence for the count of 10)

 

We’re back and I’m your Host Name

 

_______________________________________and we are talking to Guest Name

 

_______________________________________ about

 

_______________________________________.

 

Before the break we were talking about

 

_______________________________________. I want to ask you about

 

_______________________________________.

 

Ask listeners to send you email to Host@personallifemedia.com

 

Questions for 8 minutes

We are almost out of time but I would like to ask you one final question – ask something that is a benefit to the listener and leaves them with an inspirational thought or feeling.

 

Thank you Guest Name _______________________________________ for joining us and sharing your wisdom/insight/etc.

(You are welcome.)

Address listeners: join us next week on Show Name √when we talk to Guest Name

 

_______________________________________ or we’ll be covering theme:

 

_______________________________________

 

That brings us the end of the show, thank you for listening.

 

For text and transcripts of this show, and other shows on the Personal Life Media Network, please visit our website at www.personallifemedia.com.

 

This is your host, Host Name _______________________________________

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