On this episode of Rhodes to Success, I interview Gene Hammett, who proves no failure is big enough to keep you from success, even a failure that costs you millions of dollars! Gene is a business strategist who brings with him the experience of running two multimillion dollar businesses. He is fiercely committed to working with high-achieving leaders who want to lead with confidence and achieve financial freedom. Gene is the host of the Leaders in the Trenches podcast and, during this episode, talks podcasts as marketing tools, downloads and frequency, guest pitches, discovering your most profitable customers, niching down, and getting out behind the curtain.
Main Questions Asked:
- What kept you going, and what has kept you from ‘podfading?’
- How did you come to figure out who your audience is, and how do you bring them what they want?
- How has the podcast been a successful marketing tool for your coaching business?
- How important are podcast downloads to you when you know the podcast is producing results in your business?
- Talk about the decision to go from three episodes a week to a weekly show.
- Why is knowing the most profitable segment of your business so important?
- Can you niche down too much and exclude people?
Key Lessons Learned:
Leaders in the Trenches Podcast
- Prior to launching his podcast, Gene put together an executive roundtable of people he thought would be great coaching clients and spoke to them about what they wanted in a podcast.
- After his research, Gene was confident on what he was here to do, who he was going to interview, the show’s structure, and how long episodes should be.
- When things got tough, having the research prevented Gene from ‘podfading.’
Podcasts as Marketing Tools
- The podcast has been a successful marketing tool to grow Gene’s business and extend it to people who aren’t reading the content or seeing him speak.
- The podcast was designed to bring clients into the business, and Gene had his first client within 3 months.
- The turning moment was speaking at Podcast Movement.
- Podcasting has raised Gene’s authority level, as he is seen as a peer and not just a fanboy.
- You can absolutely start a podcast for business purposes.
Downloads & Frequency
- Gene was falling into the trap of more content is better.
- More content isn’t better. Better content is better.
- When Gene’s podcast moved from a three episode a week show to two, his download numbers didn’t change much. However, there was a shift when he downsized to one episode per week.
- Download numbers only mean as much as you put into it.
- It’s hard to maintain a high-quality of show when you are churning out so many podcasts.
Guest Pitches
- When you get to the point where your podcast is more than a year old, you will get 1-2 email pitches per day requesting to be a guest on the show.
- A lot of pitches are going out to podcasters where there isn’t a good fit between the guest and the host.
- As a podcaster, if you don’t feel curious about someone’s story or expertise, then it’s best to say no to them as a guest.
- If you record an interview that you don’t feel good about, then it’s best not to release them.
Who are Your Most Profitable Customers?
- Most people only aim at the people they ‘can serve.’
- If all of those people want to do business with you, then who do you want to do business with? Who inspires you? That becomes your niche!
- John Lee Dumas says if you’re going to have a niche, you have to have it three levels deep.
- The profitable niche is the people who get the highest value from what you offer.
Authority Approach
- This involves getting out from behind the curtain, niching down, and becoming an authority figure.
- Speaking gigs can be lucrative in building your business, as people are attracted to leaders.
- Position yourself as the expert and speak in rooms, and create content that is directly in alignment with your most profitable customers.
Can You Niche Down Too Much?
- This is a mindset issues of FOMO (fear of missing out) and not wanting to exclude people.
- Uber did not start in every major city in the world. It started in San Francisco; Facebook started in Boston.
- We only pay attention to what is specific to us and directed to us. If you aren’t willing to create the content that speaks directly to the heart of where someone is and connect, then they will ignore what you have.
- Is your goal to reach millions with generic content or build a platform and transform the lives of those that get the highest value of what you offer?
- A powerful way to niche down is to have people apply to your service so you can review them before they pay you.
Subscribe to the show in iTunes or Stitcher Radio!
The music in today's episode was written by The Danger Os and produced by Nick Palmer. Check them out at https://www.facebook.com/thedangerosmakemusic
Links to Resources Mentioned
Leaders in the Trenches Podcast
Leaders in the trenches (Jessica’s episode)
7 Steps to Getting More Speaking Gigs (Video)
Interview Connections
Podcast Movement
