by Sharon Michaels (Read about her here.)

 

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A little over a year and a half ago I began my own Internet radio program called “Women Enjoying Success” on blogtalkradio^sm. My weekly 30-minute Internet radio show now has over 7,000 listeners, and approximately 70 episodes are available on iTunes as podcasts.

I’ve learned that if you are willing to put in time, energy and effort, an Internet radio show can prove to be a powerful marketing tool for your business.

I can’t remember exactly how I came across blogtalkradio^sm. But when I read that it would be easy to begin my own show, and that it was also a free service, I decided to jump into weekly broadcasting with both feet.

During the past 18 months, here’s what I’ve discovered:

1.  The discipline of producing, developing and hosting a weekly radio show keeps me current with what is new and developing within my field, coaching women entrepreneurs.

2.  I now have multicultural and global exposure that I probably could not have gotten anywhere else.

3.  I’ve met women experts in a variety of disciplines and have globally expanded my professional network.

4.  My weekly Ezine subscriptions have steadily increased, and with the new Ezine subscriptions have come loyal clients and customers.

5.  I have developed teleconferences, special reports, e-books, e-courses, articles, blog posts and audio products from the materials I’ve gathered and used on my radio shows.

6.  I have increased my Google rankings.

7.  I am now a sought after expert regarding women in business.

I won’t lie to you. You have to be willing to make a commitment to the success of your radio broadcasts. There has to be a commitment to content-rich programming. It takes time to find guests, create materials and produce a quality show that will have listeners coming back for more.

Here’s what it takes to get started:

1.  Sign up for a free blogtalkradio^sm account.

2.  Think of a good strong name for your show, one that will tell listeners what to expect when they call in and listen.

3.  Decide on the day, time and frequency of your show.

4.  If you like, you can go in with several other like-minded success-oriented entrepreneurs and develop a joint radio show.

5.  Take the blogtalkradio^sm online new-host training. It is conducted at your pace and on your time schedule.

6.  Develop the first few shows and get them on the air.

7.  Begin publicizing your radio show on Twitter, Facebook, in your newsletter, on your business card and places where you connect with your target market.

Producing and hosting my own Internet radio show has proven to be a great business-building and marketing tool. I recommend that you take a few minutes to check out Internet radio, because it may prove just as valuable for you.

Be sure to visit our site, WomensMedia to get Expert Advice for Business Women.

On our website, WomensMedia you should read these excellent articles:

Stop Treating Your Business Like a Hobby! and

Understanding Moneymaking Activities: 5 Tips for Business Owners and

Women in Business: Stop, Look, Listen and Succeed

For quick updates for Business Women you should follow NancyFClark on twitter here, or SharonMichaels here.

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Communication Skills: When Public Speaking, K.N.O.W. Your Listeners!

By Stacey Hanke (Read about her here.)

 

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You are an expert within your industry and feel confident with your level of knowledge. You are frequently invited to share your knowledge with small to large groups and have delivered the same message on numerous occasions. The night before a typical delivery you review your notes, make a few adjustments to the PowerPoint slides and voilà — you’re ready to rock ’n’ roll.

Who really has time to prepare for a presentation with the same level of focus and precision as an athlete uses to prepare for the U.S. Open, Stanley Cup, Super Bowl or World Cup? Well, I can’t imagine that professional golfer Phil Mickelson simply reviews his form and swing the night before a tournament, without having a deep understanding of his success strategy weeks prior to the event.

Just like an athlete, musician or actor, if you want to perform at the top of your game you need to think about how your communication impacts others.

Too often we arrive at a presentation, sales call, or meeting with an “A to Z” plan and are unwilling to veer from that plan. We fear we’ll lose our train of thought or be perceived as inadequate or lacking requisite knowledge. We talk too much, confuse our listeners and become a talking head.

An effective communicator is someone who can change her message on the fly to meet her listeners’ needs and expectations. Although this might seem obvious, most of us tend to be deficient in this skill. The message is not about you! It’s about putting your listeners into your story. When you tap into your listeners’ emotions and what’s important to them, you will influence them to take action.

Prior to a presentation, sales call, meeting, face-to-face conversation or even sending an email, take time to apply the acronym K.N.O.W.

K – What is the knowledge level of your listeners?

N – What do your listeners need to know to take action in the allotted time?

O – What are your listeners’ opinions on your subject?

W – Who are your listeners?

When identifying who your audience members are, ask yourself the following questions:

•  What do they know about the topic being discussed?

•  What do I want them to know about the topic?

•  What are their expectations?

•  How do I want them to feel about the topic?

•  How will the action I want them to take benefit them?

•  What behavior do I want them to change as a result of my message?

•  What preconceived ideas do they have about my topic?

•  What’s their past experience with this topic?

•  What’s important to them?

•  What impact will their decisions have on decision-makers, clients or peers?

•  Why is this message being delivered now?

•  What are my listeners’ goals?

•  Will my message contain more information than my listeners need or want to hear? If so, how do I plan to prioritize the key points and concepts?

•  Why should my listeners be interested in this particular topic?

•  What are three challenging questions my listeners might ask?

When you take the focus off of yourself, you are able to put all of your energy into what matters most: influencing your listeners to take action. Isn’t that what communication is all about?

Be sure to visit our site, WomensMedia to get Expert Advice for Business Women.

For quick updates for Business Women you should follow NancyFClark on twitter here, or StaceyHanke here.

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On our website, WomensMedia you should read this: Women in Business: Stop, Look, Listen and Succeed

and you may enjoy this: 8 Great Strategies for Working Any Room

It may help to listen to:

Business Communication Skills: Less Is More, So Get to the Point!
or read the blog here.

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by Suzanne Doyle-Morris, PhD  (Read about her here.)

 

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As a woman in a male-dominated field, entertaining clients and building relationships through social contact are vital activities, though not always straightforward. For example, as an executive coach who specializes in working with professional women, I have yet to meet a woman who has the interest or time to take a client golfing, a long held networking tradition for men.

Women who want to develop relationships during office hours, through activities traditionally associated with male-dominated fields, such as drinking or at sporting events, are rare in my experience. Equally, women don’t tend to enjoy impromptu after-work drinks that go on late into the night. Most women can engage in after-work drinks now and again if given enough forewarning. However, impromptu get-togethers can be difficult for women with families, or even for women who just happen to value their own social lives and time away from work.

Maggie Berry, Director of womenintechnology.org, agrees. She indicated that, for her members, some of the key draws for her events were the focused attention on career development and the advance marketing that allowed women to plan to attend. She explained, “One of the comments I hear is that women can’t just spontaneously decide to go to the pub after work. They have different interests and responsibilities. If you know your team is going out on a Tuesday, you can plan around that. A woman can get the appropriate childcare and make transport arrangements ahead of time. Our members like to network, but like to set time aside specifically for it, rather than having to make themselves available all the time.”

If you avoid socializing completely, you will not be privy to political discussions, strengthening relationships or hearing about career opportunities that are almost always first discussed informally. Furthermore, you will send out the message that you are an outsider with no interest in becoming an insider. That being said, most women recognize that they need to make time to socialize with clients and colleagues on work trips or dinner out, which, while it has its obvious benefits, also has potential pitfalls. In addition to taking up what precious little time working women have, there is the danger of sending mixed messages to clients or colleagues—especially in settings where alcohol is involved.

This is a potential time to shine, as people promote those with whom they feel comfortable and who will make a good impression on their clients. Tread carefully, though, because if you get it wrong, you can backtrack your career considerably. Breakfast, lunch and coffee meetings are unlikely to be misconstrued, and have the additional advantage of being less likely to make you feel obliged to order alcohol with the meal. For example, you can invent a deadline back at the office if need be.

With dinner, you end the evening when you want to go home, which can be harder to negotiate your way out of if your dinner companions pressure you to stay. During the day, you can always say you have a meeting at the office, which is a more socially acceptable way of curtailing the evening than saying you just want to go home. So network please, but in a way that suits you, whether it be with groups that allow you to plan in advance or with meals at times that suit you. Just make sure you do it in a way that is respected, but can’t be misconstrued.

Be sure to visit our site, WomensMedia to get Expert Advice for Business Women.

Or on our website, WomensMedia you should read:

How to Succeed in a Male-Dominated Profession or

Business Women Can Play in the Boys’ Club or

Communicating With Men at Work .

For quick updates for Business Women you should follow NancyFClark on twitter here.

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