Entrepreneur on Fire - My Interview

John Lee Dumas - Entrepreneur on Fire 

I am excited to be a guest on a very popular podcast called Entrepreneur on Fire. John Lee Dumas, the host started these interview series about 2 years ago and it is one of the top rated business podcasts in the iTunes store. He speaks with current and former entrepreneurs. He has an audience of about 400,000 monthly downloads that reaches a big international following.

Since my new book UNRAVELING THE MYSTERIES OF MARKETING, will be available in paperback, it is an exciting opportunity to promote my ideas.

I have been interviewed many times and often serve as the spokesperson for companies where I work. My wife and I were guests on The Phil Donahue Show with the founders of Haagen Dazs as well as guests on on The Charlie Rose Show.I have made my share of interview mistakes and thought I’d share some tips for speaking to journalists, bloggers or podcasters. I call these the 5B rules of interviews. 

Five Interview Tips 

Be yourself. Don’t try and be a hyped-up version of who you really are in an effort to tell your story. Everyone appreciates authenticity. Don't' force the conversation. 

Be prepared. Write down at least one or two key messages you would like to communicate in your interview. In my case, I want to provide some helpful strategies to entrepreneurs based on my experience in business. Although I’d like to sell and promote my book, it is important to be helpful. If people like what I say, they’ll seek out more information about me and my writing. Mention the book or whatever you want promoted if it fits in the natural flow of the interview. 

Be a good listener.  I am amazed at how often people don’t answer a question in an interview. They stick to their scripts without deference to the questions being asked.  In my case, I have a list of the questions in advance so I can be both prepared and responsive to John. But, I want to be careful to hear what he is asking so I don’t go off on a tangent or be unresponsive. 

Be able to pivot.  Sometimes, an interview can lead you down a path that is really off-target or off your message. Can you gracefully pivot to what you want to say without feeling like a hack salesman?

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F3L5BUU/ref=rdr_kindle_ext_tmb

Be happy.  One of the key lessons I learned during years of TV appearances is that the camera (or the voice recorder) loves happy and upbeat people. Bring your enthusiasm and optimism to the conversation. Find an upbeat stride in the discussion and let your own energy natural flow in the conversation.

Testing 1, 2, 3

The interview will occur in December 2014 and I’m uncertain when it will be uploaded to the iTune stores. Usually they show up pretty soon after taping so it may appear near Christmas.

If you are an entrepreneur looking for ideas and insights, I’d urge you to download some of John’s interviews from his library. He has spoken with Gary Vaynerchuk, Seth Godin, Bernadette Jiwa, Pat Flynn, Eric Ries, Guy Kawasaki, Tim Ferris and Jay Baer. It is an honor to be among these marketing thought leaders.

I’m ready to ignite fire nation.