Pitch yourself for a guest podcast gig (and be careful when you hire someone to do it for you)

Image from Unsplash by Camylla Battani.

Since I started my podcast, Strategic Storytelling, I regularly get pitches for people eager to be my guests. They usually go something like this:

Hi, Cathy. I hope you’re doing well today. I’ve listened to several episodes of your impressive podcast.

I’m Robert the Representative. I’d like to introduce you to Sally Sunshine, an internationally known branding expert, storyteller, and breeder of Siamese cats.

Sally would be the perfect guest for your show. She can talk about the 3 types of press releases your audience can use to build up their presence in the national media.

Would you like to learn more about Sally? Here’s the link to her bio and website, with additional topics she can talk about. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Robert the Rep

My first thought was, “If Sally walks on water, and she’s really a superstar, why does she want to be on my small podcast?”

My second was, “Why do I have to connect the dots?”

Sally may be the greatest thing since sliced bread, but I have no idea how she’ll fit into my podcast.

What I’m looking for is:

“I’ve listened to 3 of your episodes. In Episode #71, you talk about how to use stories to build community. I loved the story of the guy who showed up, clueless about his future, and blossomed into a new, fulfilling career by growing with the community.

“My guest will talk about how she used stories to get community members to become more involved. He has specific examples of people who initially resisted the idea of ‘belonging.’ As they listened to stories, they became active members and sometimes leaders in their community.”

Sure, that requires work for you. You have to listen to a few of my podcast episodes. You have to turn your talents into a specific podcast topic and title.

If you’re not willing to do that, I’ll have to figure out why you’re a good fit for my podcast. And that takes work…