How to Get Booked as a Guest on Podcasts with Alex Sanfilippo: An EOFire Classic from 2022

0:01John Lee Dumas:Boom, shake the room, Fire Nation, JLD here and welcome to Entrepreneurs on Fire brought to you by High Level, the all-in-one sales and marketing platform. On today's classic episode, we'll be breaking down how to get booked as a guest on podcast. And to drop these vibe bombs, I brought Alex Sanfilippo into EO Fire Studios. Alex is a software founder focused specifically on serving the podcasting industry. He's a creator of PodMatch, a service that automatically matches podcast guests and hosts together for interviews. And today we talk about how to be a person of value, not just profit. It benefits both you and the world.

0:32John Lee Dumas:People buy from those they know, like, and trust. End of story for always and forever. And a huge thank you for sponsoring today's episode goes to Alex and our sponsors. Fire Nation, if you have a high ticket offer and need more quality leads, Nexus Install is designed for you. We'll book you eight to 20 qualified calls each month, then train you to run the system yourself. Email my team at john at eofire.com to learn more and see if Nexus is the right fit for you. Stop duct taping your business together. High Level runs your website, your funnels, email, automation, scheduling, payments, and memberships all in one place.

1:06John Lee Dumas:And when you sign up at highlevelfire.com, you get a 30-day free trial plus my exclusive bonus stack that includes weekly office hours with me and much more. Visit highlevelfire.com. highlevelfire.com. Alex, say what's up to Fire Nation and share something that you believe about becoming successful that most people disagree with. John, after interviewing you four separate times on different platforms, I have to say it's an honor to be with you on this side of the mic. Fire Nation, what's up? I'm so excited to be with you all today. So to answer this question, actually, John, I listen to Entrepreneurs on Fire and I typically hear this answered from a business standpoint.

1:46Would you be okay with if I answer that from a personal life standpoint? I'd love that. Yeah, do it. So I've found that success as an individual is determined by the margin that we create. And I find that that margin needs to be created outside of the work that we do. So many of us, we sacrifice our weekends, our friendships, romantic relationships, travel, just basic life enjoyment for the sake of our entrepreneurial venture. And people just say, it's a luxury I can't afford right now, or maybe later I'll be able to do that. But I've just found that as we grow as entrepreneurs, those things become a maximizer, not a minimizer.

2:17So the best thing to do now, wherever you are in your business, no matter how far along you are or lack thereof, is to start building in margin now. And the thing that I've actually found is that when you create this margin of the self-discipline to do that, your business actually succeeds more because of it. So my advice is this. Take the time to build that extra margin for yourself. I believe it really leads to success.

2:38John Lee Dumas:I love the angle that you took on this question. And I also love the topic of our conversation today, which Fire Nation, as you already know, is how to get booked as a guest on podcasts. This has been something that I've been focused on for literally 10 years. I mean, obviously, I look to have guests on my own show, Entrepreneurs on Fire, but I know for a fact that one of the major reasons for my business growth has been because I've been a guest on thousands of other podcasts for sure. So let's talk, talk, Alex, about why being a guest on other podcasts has become such a powerful form of both marketing and lead generation for you?

3:19Yeah, sure thing. The first thing I think of is kind of like the bullet point reasons, if you will. Like, listenership, one, is growing on average by 6 million people in the United States alone every single year. And I believe that podcasting is like a future stage. So it's like a modernized stage. And it's just like talking to people in seats. There's the SEO boost from it because you're getting backlinks from websites like Amazon, Spotify, Apple. Whenever you're on a podcast, people are linking out to you. So you're getting backlinks from there. So that's a huge thing. And then also, it's just a credibility boost.

3:48I mean, TV and movies, they're talking about podcasts in these things now, which is crazy to me. And just a real quick example. I was recently talking to somebody about the business that I'm in and stuff like that. And she's like, oh, you go on podcasts sometime? I'm like, yeah. I'm like, hey, open up how you listen to podcasts. She opened up Spotify. I said, type in my name. I had to spell it for her, right? Alex Hanfleet, but it's not easy to spell. So I spelled it and she just started scrolling. And I've not been on, I don't know how many podcasts you've been on, John, but I've not been on near that many, but I've been on enough that she was scrolling and 30 seconds later she goes, oh my gosh.

4:19She's like, this is all you? And I'm like, yeah. And I do hope she listened because if she didn't, that kind of defeats the purpose. But nonetheless, it's a credibility boost instantly of like, wow, people want to hear what this guy has to say. So those are some of the basic reasons, but to take it a little deeper, However, I believe the human condition has changed. I mean, we're not buying the way we used to. We don't make our decisions the way that we used to. And I just realized now that we live in a world where people do business with who they know, like, and trust. And to share a story about how this happened to me, actually, more recently, I was looking to get into some SMS marketing, which just means text message marketing instead of like email marketing.

4:54And I knew nothing about it. So I went to Google, right? Like we all do. I found three companies that do it. And I was like, okay, before I sign up, I'm going to go to the podcasting and see if I can find any of these three companies mentioned. Out of the three, only one of them was referenced. I started listening to the podcast episodes they had and also where they had, I believe it was probably their chief marketing officer who was going on shows and just listening to how they do it. I learned from that company. So I went back and bought that product. And then just out of curiosity, I went back and I was like, let me see where they fell on price range.

5:22They were by far the most expensive of the three, but I didn't care because I developed this sense of know, like, and trust with that individual and that company. And because I made a buying decision, And to me, that's why I believe that podcasting is becoming very powerful from a marketing standpoint and lead generation point.

5:37John Lee Dumas:I think that's a fantastic example of a real world application of what you're talking about. And kind of going back a couple of things prior to what you were talking with, what you were sharing kind of made me chuckle a little bit was, you know, how podcasting like 10 years ago was kind of on this unknown thing. Even the word podcast wasn't that well known. And then I remember like in 2013, 14, 15, like whatever Kate and I would like, hear the word podcast on like a TV show or a movie would be like, Oh my God, did you just hear that? And it'd be like very rarely. And every now and then you hear it mentioned, you'd be like, I can't believe they're talking about podcasting, like on actual television.

6:13John Lee Dumas:That's insane. And then like, in like 16, 17, 18, it was like, you'd hear it more often, but it's be, they were like making fun of podcasts. Like, Oh yeah, that person must be at home in his basement podcasting or something. And it was like, they would make fun of it. And then as this like in 19, 20, 21 and beyond. It's just like, it's kind of like now just part of culture and people are talking about it because it is taken seriously. And it's a real form that people are actually enjoying on a daily basis. And like you mentioned, growing by$6 million in the, uh, 6 million people in the U S every single year.

6:43John Lee Dumas:So it's kind of like one of those quotes you hear all the time from, I think it was like Mary Angelou, which is like, you know, first they ignore you, you know, then they laugh at you, then they fight you and then you win. And it's kind of like, We're actually at that point, I feel like with podcasting, we're like, we're winning and we're just going to kind of continue to win going forward because it has officially arrived. And you, Alex, have perfected the art of creating one sheets so that hosts can quickly learn about you and the unique value that you will bring to their show. And by you, I mean, Fire Nation, you as the guest, like the value that you're going to bring to the show that you're going to be a guest on.

7:21John Lee Dumas:and I think this is really powerful because somebody that gets over 400 applications every single month for people wanting to be on my show, like if I don't have some kind of concise, cohesive one sheet that I can glance at and see if this person's a good fit, they're already out. So that kind of like throws out 300 of the 400 applications right away. So 75 % of people are disqualifying themselves because they don't have something like this. Expound upon this art that you've created. Yeah, so a one sheet, just an example, basically what you're just saying, John, is it's really the purpose of it.

7:54The point of it is to basically give all the details that a host would ever need or want to know about you in one place. And the bonus here is that there's not 10 emails back and forth of like, hey, I need a picture of you. Hey, I need this. I need that. Right. Like you can get it all into one place. But also kind of the hidden one that a lot of people don't talk about is when you develop this one sheet, which again, is just everything about you. And I'll dive into that in a moment. What it does is it actually helps the host know the direction to go in with you. Because if you give them nothing and they decide, yeah, I'll have this person as a guest anyway, for all you know, they're going to go to Google.

8:23They're going to find something you did 20 years ago or 10 years ago, right? And say, this looks great. This looks really interesting. We'll talk about this. And then you get on the show and you're like, man, I really didn't want to talk about that. The thing is, if you don't give them a direction, they don't know what to do. So one sheet, again, helps you avoid the back and forth and also gives them the host a direction as to where you would probably want to go with the conversation. So there's a few different types of one sheets I've seen out there. the most common of which is a PDF. I personally don't love the PDF one sheets because it's hard to copy paste.

8:52You have to still ask for things like it doesn't always work. So I took a more modern approach and we built that with Podmatch, which we'll get into in a little bit here. But I want to just quickly, John, if you're okay with it, just talk about 10 things I think should be on every one sheet. Yeah. So, uh, and just so anyone like, I'm going to kind of go through this stuff real quick. If you just want to see an example of this, you can just go to alexsanfilippo.com. It's literally just my one sheet. Uh, and so you can kind of follow along if you want, if you're driving or something like that, please don't do that.

9:16So the 10 things that I think are really important are, here they are, ready? Number one, your tagline or title. I think it's important that you give a host like how you like to be addressed. So have a tagline or title. Next thing is about you. This is really just for the host and it can be as long or short as you want, right? Based on your personality. Next is your approved photos. So pictures that you want the host to use. If you get some good pictures, that's a bonus, by the way. So get some nice pictures taken. And next up is your social media links and website links so that they know that they're actually looking at the right person, right?

9:45Send them where you want them to go. And then this one's really important, your bio. The bio should be really short. Make it fun because most hosts are going to read this, many of them word for word. You don't want a host reading something about you for two minutes because that bores everyone who's going to be listening. So keep it really short, but have that bio so that you, again, can direct what the host is saying about you. Next up, have your main areas of focus. So I like to make topics, but I like to do it in titles. So basically, a podcast host could say, okay, this is Alex's main areas of focus.

10:14But what I could do with these, I could also use them as a podcast episode title. So I kind of do that hard work and heavy lifting for them. And the next thing is questions that you're always ready to answer. Not like, how did you get started in business? Go deeper than that. What made you shift from doing X to Y? What was that like, that emotional journey? Go deep with these questions, but make them ones that you are ready to answer. Most hosts won't go through them word for word necessarily, but what they'll do is they get stuck. They always know they can fall back on that and you're ready to answer those.

10:42Next thing here is past media appearances. So if you've been on other podcasts, have those available so people can go take a look at how you speak, what you look like when you're talking, if you have videos and stuff like that. And then the next thing, which is not very common, but I think it's really important, is past reviews from other hosts. So if you've been on other shows, have a host show, say something about you and put it on a page where they can see it. So that way a new host can be like, oh, wow, they got a really good review from this person. That makes me feel better about having them on my show.

11:08And then the very last thing is to have a desired call to action. Where do you want the listeners to go? Hosts will likely mention this. They'll likely link to it. Again, going back to SEO, right? You want them to mention the link that you want them to mention, not what they find. I find these to be the best 10 things to set up a really good one sheet for podcasting.

11:24John Lee Dumas:I mean, Fire Nation, again, I can tell you as somebody who gets 400 applications a month, If I would see a one sheet like that, it would definitely go into my let's go over this file where the other ones are like, let's go into my trash file. So it would definitely make the cut. And then of course, what kind of content are you going to share? The value you're going to bring? All this stuff doesn't fit into what I'm looking to do. Those are all going to be factored in, but at least you get to the table, which is so key. And we're going to be talking about a five-step process you're not going to want to miss and so much more when we get back from thanking our sponsors.

11:57John Lee Dumas:Fire Nation, ideas are exciting, but systems will allow you to create freedom. That is where High Level comes in. High Level allows you to build and run your entire business from one platform. Website builder and hosting, funnel and landing pages, email marketing, automation and workflows, calendar booking, payments and subscriptions, even course and membership hosting. Everything works together seamlessly. Plus, award-winning 24-7 support, so you are never stuck. And when you go through my link at highlevelfire.com, you unlock my full bonus stack, a 30-day free trial of High Level with full access, a private 50-minute coaching call with me, weekly live office hours with me, a digital copy of my book, The Common Path to Uncommon Success, my 50 Days to Something execution roadmap, and more.

12:43John Lee Dumas:Stop piecing tools together. Start building momentum. Visit highlevelfire.com and start building your something today. Fire Nation, if you have a high ticket offer, but you are not getting enough quality sales calls on the calendar, Nexus Install is exactly what you need. This is a custom LinkedIn client acquisition system built to help you connect with the right prospects, start real conversations, and turn those conversations into booked calls. Here is what makes it different. We do not just hand you a bunch of theory and tell you, good luck. We build the system with you, dial in your audience, sharpen the messaging, run the outreach, and aim to book you 8 to 20 qualified calls each month.

13:24John Lee Dumas:Then once the system is proven and installed, we train you on how to run it yourself so you are not dependent on another agency forever. If you have a strong offer, a clear result, and are ready for more quality conversations with real prospects, email my team at john at eofire.com, and then we'll set up a call to see if Nexus install is the right fit for you. Simple, focused, and built for predictable, long-term, quality lead flow. Alex, you're back, and you have a five-step process on how to create a pitch that gives you the best chance of the host saying yes. Break down these five steps. Sure thing.

14:03So real quick, I'm gonna mention that one sheet that we just talked about. Seeing that you've done that, again, you can check out my example, build your own, you don't need to mention all those details. else. So the idea of a really good pitch is to keep it as short as you possibly can. I can tell you as a host who doesn't receive as many as John, but I receive between 50 and 100 a month, I'd say. I don't like to read books from people, right? I'm not saying they're actual book. When they send me an email that's four chapters, basically, I'm like, oh my gosh, here we go. So what you want to do is keep it short and the one sheet helps you do that.

14:31But once you've created that, I'll kind of talk you through the five different things I think should be on every podcast pitch if you're trying to be a guest on their show. So the first thing that I think all of us need to do is we need to lead with value. So number one is to lead with value. Now, a great way to do this is to listen to the podcast and mention to the host in the email, say, hey, John, I listened to your podcast. I really enjoyed it. Point out something specific. Don't make it general because some people are going to think that you're not telling them the truth. But take that a step further and leave a review and say, I attached a screenshot of the review I left on your show on Apple.

15:04And that's where you're going to want to do that. By leading with value, you know how of the interest of the host. Like at the very least, they're going to read the rest of it. They're not going to just be like, oh, whatever. I don't want to hear this. Right. They're already going to be appreciative because getting a review is a great thing for a podcast host. So after you lead with value, the next thing you need to do is make a meaningful request. So what it means to make a meaningful request is you need to actually have an ask that I want to be on a podcast. I can't tell you how many pitches I get.

15:29John, where the guest, the person wanting to be a guest doesn't even ever ask that.

15:33John Lee Dumas:Right. They beat around the bush the whole time. I'm like, what do they want from me? You know, like I legitimately, I'm like, is there something that they, are they just telling me about themselves? Like, what is it that they want? So make a meaningful request. And by the, by meaningful, what I mean is have something specific to say. So like an example, like I recently pitched to be on a show and I scrolled back through years of their episodes to see if my topic had been covered. And when I found that it hadn't, I said that I said, Hey, I think your audience would really value from talking about podcast guesting, I noticed you haven't covered it since 2015.

16:03And by saying that, I now made a meaningful request. I'd love to be the guest to come and talk about that. So again, we lead with value, we make a meaningful request. The next thing we do is we offer credibility. Now, this is where you can put your one sheet so you can have a link to it. Again, you don't want to just like, I don't think you want to start just copy pasting from it. You can just very easily link to it. But offering credibility, I think can be taken a step further. So example, what I do is I go to the hosts on social media. So I find all their social media platforms. I look at friends we have in common, or if we follow similar people, or if they've ever collaborated with people that I know.

16:36And if I can see where they've done that, I'll reference that person. Obviously, it's got to be someone that I actually know, right, that I've done something with. But I can basically say, hey, I noticed you know so-and-so. I was on their show last week. We had a really great conversation. By doing that, that host can now be like, oh, cool. This guy knows that person. I'm good. I'm pretty much good to go here. So offer that credibility, have something in there. What credibility doesn't mean is three paragraphs about all of your life achievements. That's not credibility. It needs to be really short and concise.

17:03It needs to be something that the host can immediately relate back to. So number four is to mention sharing the episode. Now, don't say you're going to share the episode if you don't legitimately plan on doing it. Now, I understand some interviews might not go well, so you might not share it. But if the interview goes good and you tell someone you're going to share it, please actually do it. So for me, what I actually do is my team has a strategy where we're always sharing all the episodes I'm a guest on. We do it really creatively, but we also link to it from our press page on our website. So when I'm pitching somebody, I say, hey, I'd love to share the episode when it's out with my audience, and I'll also link to it from my website.

17:35John Lee Dumas:And that's all I put. Keep it really short. And then the final thing, which is kind of anti-sales, if you will, and I don't mean for it to be, but I always make it easy to say no. Because if you did the first four things, so you led with value, you made a meaningful request, you offer credibility, you mentioned sharing the episode. Now I want to make it easy to say no, because the host at this point wouldn't want to break my heart. They almost feel somewhat obligated to say yes, but I don't want them to just ignore me because many hosts will just be like, man, it's just not right. I'm just going to pretend like I didn't see it.

18:00No, make it easy for them to say no so you can build that relationship. So you can be like, you know what? Well, who else do you know that might be a good fit? And then I say, hey, not my show, but try this one. Or sometimes a no is just not now. So I found these five steps have been the most effective way for me to become a guest on podcast.

18:16John Lee Dumas:Fire Nation, powerful steps. And again, if these are the type of steps that someone was to take when they were approaching me and entrepreneurs on fire to be on the episode, it would increase the chances exponentially. And I mean, I just love the, at the end there that make it easy to say no, because listen, you got to be honest, like you are making a big ask by doing something like this. So let that person know that, Hey, no harm, no foul. Maybe the future is a better time. You know, maybe there's a time where it will make more sense. And I also love that part about connecting the dots as far as like, oh, I see, you know, that you just had, you know, Anthony Trucks on the show.

18:55John Lee Dumas:Like I literally just was on an Instagram live with him yesterday. Like that's really cool that we know the same people like that kind of mention and connection can really go a long way. So I want to hear about your company pod match.com. You're an entrepreneur. You launched this company. I remember the early, early days when you were thinking about it, you actually sent me an email. We went back and forth a little bit about it. And, you know, I knew it was a good idea. But, of course, execution is everything. So what is Podmatch.com? Tell us about the evolution. Yeah, sure, man. And I appreciate back then, you just challenged me to take action back then.

19:28As someone who's been listening to Entrepreneurs on Fire for years, the podcast helped with that conversation with you, man, really just, man, it put a fire under me, man. And caused me to really go after it.