Hey Reader,

I’m downright honored that you chose to open this!

Got some good stuff today. Let's get into it…

Stop asking what people DO!

Here's what happens at every networking event ever: Someone asks you what you do, you tell them, they nod politely, and then you both scan the room for literally anyone else to talk to. (or free snacks)

But here's the thing. We're weird about this in the West. In England or Japan, asking someone "What do you do?" right off the bat is considered RUDE.

Like you're trying to figure out if they're worth your time based on their job title.

Which, let's be honest, we kind of are.

The result? Canned answers. Boring conversations. And a whole lot of people who forget you existed five minutes after you walked away.

Want to be the person people actually remember?

The one who made them feel heard instead of interrogated?

Stop talking so much.

I know, I know. Counterintuitive. But the secret to being memorable isn't having a great "elevator pitch".

It's asking questions that get people to open up about their favorite subject: themselves.

Not "What do you do?" but “How” or “What” questions!

Here’s some examples to get you started…

"How did you get into that?"

“How hard was that to learn?”

“How do you feel about that (or the industry)?”

“How has that changed your view?”

“What are you excited about these days?”

“What got you into that?”

“What do you love about your work?”

"What's something about you I couldn't guess?"

Suddenly, you're not just another person at the networking event Reader...

You're the one who actually listened.

The one who made them feel heard.

The one they remember.

This works for podcasters too, by the way.

Ditch the "Tell me about yourself" opener!

Ask something specific that shows you did your “homework”.

Like "How hard was it to learn mosquito sorting for the Department of Agriculture?"

Now your listener's thinking, "Wait, did they just say mosquito sorting?"

and leaning all the way in.

If you want to get better at asking questions that make people remember you, whether you're hosting a podcast or running meetings, let's talk about it.

I'm offering free discovery calls to dig into what's holding you back from keeping your audience hooked.

No pitch, no obligation. Just actionable stuff you can use right away.

(Link below)

Stellar Marketing Quotes

“Trust is built faster with relevance than repetition.”

Ann Handley

“The best interviews feel like conversations, not questionnaires.”

Terry Gross

The “Request line” taught me this…

First, it never stops ringing.

Literally. From the second I hit the airwaves until I signed off, that phone would light up like a Christmas tree.

Anyone could call in. Request a song. Win concert tickets. Whatever.

Except most people didn't call for any of that.

Most people think a Radio request line is just about playing "Free Bird" for the millionth time, let me tell you what it REALLY was… a front-row seat to humanity in all its weird, wonderful, and occasionally terrifying glory.

There were the sweet callers who just wanted to chat.

The lonely ones who needed someone to listen.

The angry ones who'd waited on hold for twenty minutes just to tell me I was ruining their commute... “You Suck!”

(If I'm ruining your day every single day, buddy, I'm doing something right.)

Then there were the restaurants begging us to try their new menu, local bands desperate for airplay, and businesses hoping we'd mention their grand opening. Many people had an “angle”.

They called to describe – in medical dictionary detail – exactly how my brain was going to explode.

One guy knew our studio layout so well, the cops had to set up an actual stakeout.

And women. Lots of women. Asking for dates or just looking for some late-night style conversation that would make a sailor blush.

One regular called herself "Dr Head." I'll let you fill in those blanks.

That request line taught me something huge… “Trolls” don't matter.

Haters gonna hate.

Here's the thing, though – when you've got 100,000 people listening, why would you lose sleep over the 10 who hate your guts?

You wouldn't.

The callers who loved me? They tuned in every day. The ones who hated me?

Also tuned in every day. Either way, I had their attention.

And trying to please everyone is a recipe for pleasing exactly nobody.

That's boring Radio. And it's boring Content.

Because the world doesn't need another bland, people-pleasing voice.

It needs Yours.

Diversions

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