How to Go from Obscure to Acclaimed with Podcast Interviews – In Just 7 Minutes with Tom Schwab

Resources/Links:

• Visit https://interviewvalet.com/theinvisible/ to learn more about the huge long-term potential of podcasting and get FREE access to the resources mentioned in this interview

Summary

Tom Schwab is the author of Podcast Guest Profits: Grow Your Business with a Targeted Interview Strategy and founder/CEO of Interview Valet-the concierge-level podcast guest marketing service providing the fastest way for executives, businesses, and thought leaders to maximize the benefits of podcasting.

In this episode, Tom shares how to speak directly to ideal customers and turn listeners into leads with podcast interview marketing.

Check out these episode highlights:

• 01:42 – Tom’s ideal client: authors, coaches, speakers, brands, anybody that has a product or service and just needs more customers
• 01:56 – Problem he helps solve: Obscurity
• 02:31 – Typical symptoms that clients do before reaching out to Tom: Frustration, I think that’s the biggest thing.
• 03:45 – Common mistakes people make when trying to solve that problem: Trying to use tactics and technology instead of an old strategy.
• 05:15 – Tom’s Valuable Free Action(VFA): “Serve, serve, serve, ask”. So, serve and then ask the host, how can I serve your audience?
• 06:32 – Tom’s Valuable Free Resource(VFR): http://interviewvalet.com/theinvisible
• 07:15 – Q: What’s the best advice you got? A: “Choose carefully who you drink with because you can’t choose who you work with”. That was his world, that is not our world today. We can choose who we work with. There is an abundance of customers that they want to work with you. They just don’t know you exist.

Tweetable Takeaways from this Episode:

“Do something to start that conversation. To get in on that conversation. Try being a podcast host, try being a podcast guest, or do both .” -@interviewvalet Share on X “Serve, serve, serve, ask.” -@interviewvalet Share on X

Transcript
(Note, this was transcribed using a transcription software and may not reflect the exact words used in the podcast)

Tom Poland: Hello everyone. And a very warm welcome to another edition of marketing the invisible. My name is Tom Poland. Beam me out to as always from on the sand next to the waves a little Castaways Beach in Queensland, Australia. Joined today by Tom Schwab. Tom a very, very warm welcome.

Tom Schwab: Well thank you.

Tom Poland: Where are you hanging out?

Tom Schwab: I am in Kalamazoo Michigan. Yes, it exists. It’s halfway between Chicago and Detroit. And it proves that you can do podcasting from anywhere.

Tom Poland: And to anywhere. Little Castaways Beach all the way to Kalamazoo. I just love the internet. For those of you who don’t know Tom then you’re missing out because the guy, how many podcasts show you’ve been on Tom?

Tom Schwab: I have been on over twelve hundred podcasts interview. So, if you listen to enough podcasts interviews you probably hear me again.

Tom Poland: At any moment now you’re about to get it sorted right. Twelve hundred. It’s extraordinary. And it’s also quite apt because Tom is the author of Podcast Guest Profits. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, service name by the way. So, grow your business with a targeted interview strategy. He’s also the founder and CEO of Interview Valet. The category King of Podcast Interview Marketing.

Tom Poland: Great to have you on this show Tom, can’t wait. Our title is, “How to Go from Obscure to Acclaimed with Podcasts Interviews”. We’re going to show, Tom’s going to show you how to do that in just seven minutes. Tom our time starts now. Question number one is, who’s your ideal client?

Tom Schwab: It’s the authors, coaches, speakers, brands, anybody that has a product or service and just needs more customers.

Tom Poland: Perfect, succinct! Question number two, six minutes 45 seconds left. What is the problem you solve for them?

Tom Schwab: To me it’s obscurity. Right? And I think that’s the biggest problem that we all have today. We live in a world of abundance. Abundant choices, abundant calories, and abundant customers. There’re thousands or millions of people that you could serve with your product or service right now. Just one problem, they don’t know you exist.

Tom Poland: Right! So, question number three. Someone’s living in obscurity, they feel like the world’s best-kept secret. What are some of the typical symptoms that going to be experiencing? Six minutes, just over six minutes left.

Tom Schwab: Frustration, I think that’s the biggest thing. They know they have something that could help the world and they’ve tried so many different things. They’ve tried it with their best efforts, they’ve tried different tricks and tactics that people have told them but it’s just not working. And often I tell people, “Go back to what has always worked”. The strategy behind that. I think a lot of times when people tell you what to do, they’re often telling you a different market at a different time. So, it’s like if I told you, “Go to aisle number two at the grocery store”, I’m not lying to you. I’m trying to tell you, to help you, but it’s a different market at different time. So, what we’re talking about are ageless things. It’s the new version of the old thing.

Tom Poland: Thank you. Just over five minutes left, question number four. Folks are going to be aware that they’re living in obscurity, the world’s best kept secret. And they’ve got a great product but it’s like no one knows they’re around. And they’ve got the anxiety and they got the frustration that you talked about. And they’re going to try stuff before they discover you. They’re going to try things but all of those things aren’t going to work. So, what are some of the common mistakes that people make when they try to solve that problem?

Tom Schwab:I think what they’re trying to do, the mistakes they make is trying to use tactics and technology instead of an old strategy. Right? So, take away all the technology and think of how do we get customers. You know marketing at its heart is starting a conversation with someone that could be an ideal customer. Fifty years ago, it used to be going to the country club and I’d go to the country club and Tom would introduce me to his friends. Right? And that’s what we’re doing today too. Some people call it influencer marketing. Some people call it leverage, is really what we’re doing right here. So, nobody knows Tom Schwab and Interview Valet but they do know Tom Poland and Marketing the Invisible. So being able to leverage that and I think if you want to do this yourself, think about who already knows your customers. Who already has their trust to the respect and then see how you can get in on the conversation. This idea of breaking through the noise, I think it’s laughable today. Most of the time we’re adding to the noise. So, how can you get in on the conversation? How can you get introduced by somebody they already know like and trust?

Tom Poland: Very clever. The digital country club. So, three and a half minutes left, question number five. What’s one valuable free action that an audience member could take that’s going to take them a step closer to solving the problem? They might need Interview Valet for the whole solution but somebody is going to help them on the way.

Tom Schwab:Well I would say everything I teach is not a secret, it’s not a mystery. You mentioned the book will give that away free but just go out there and you know there are people that want to learn what you know. What’s ordinary to you is amazing to other people. And it’s never been easier to share that. For me writing a blog is hard, it’s a homework assignment, but getting on a podcast interview is fun. It’s easy. So, a free thing to do is listen to some podcasts, reach out to the host. Don’t do a cold pitch but listen to the interview, share it, leave a rating and review, the host will know. Gary Vaynerchuk talks about “Jab, jab, jab, right hook”, I say “Serve, serve, serve, ask”. So, serve and then ask the host, how can I serve your audience? I would love to share this information. We don’t have because we don’t ask and I would say it’s never been easier. If you’ve got internet and if you’re listening to this you do. Reach out to a podcast host and say, “How can I get on?”

Tom Poland: Yup. Yeah, great advice. Thank you. So, we’ve got question number six now and two minutes left. So, we’re pacing really well. One valuable free resource that you could direct people to that’s going to help them even more.

Tom Schwab: So I already teased this out a little bit and this is the best practice. Always make a welcome page to send people to. If you want to see what one looks like go to interviewvalet.com/theinvisible and with that, you’re going to see what a welcome page looks like that you can make yourself. I’ll also put a checklist on there that we use for all of our clients. I’ll put a free copy of that book and I’ll put all my social media in there. So, if you want to connect with me you can just go to interviewvalet.com/theinvisible.

Tom Poland: Beautifully done. Thank you so much. And question number seven, we’ve got 80 seconds left. What’s the one question I should have asked you but didn’t?

Tom Schwab: Well, to me it’s what’s the best advice you got. And I always come back and say what’s the worst advice I got. It came from my grandfather. It was the only thing that old Irishman ever told me that was wrong. I was 17 years old going off to be in the Navy. I was having a beer, he thought it was my first beer. He told me, “Choose carefully who you drink with because you can’t choose who you work with”. That was his world, that is not our world today. We can choose who we work with. There is an abundance of customers that they want to work with you. They just don’t know you exist. So, do something to start that conversation. To get in on that conversation. Try being a podcast host, try being a podcast guest, or do both.

Tom Poland: Perfect. Tom Schwab, thank you so much for your time.

Tom Schwab:Thank you, Tom.

Tom Poland: Thanks for checking out our marketing the invisible podcast. If you like what we’re doing here please head over to iTunes to subscribe, rate us, and leave us a review. It’s very much appreciated. And if you want to generate five fresh leads in just five hours then check out www.fivehourchallenge.com.