So you’ve done all the research, activated your contacts, and secured media placement opportunities for your client. What happens when you realize your client has cold feet or isn’t quite ready for ‘prime time’? 

Is it really worth running the risk of sending them out into the wild west and tanking their media appearance? 

Maybe your client is a highly gifted writer and just published her book, but when it comes to public speaking and staying on point during an interview, she needs help. Common issues that can come up include an underlying fear of public speaking and stage fright or loving the limelight so much that she just rambles on in a long, unfocused stream of consciousness response. 

Your client may or may not be aware that she isn’t ready for what one used to call ‘prime time.’

Chances are, the speaking opportunities you’ve secured for your client to share her story and promote her book range from being a guest on a podcast to being invited as a summit speaker (virtual or in person) to appearing in a short television segment. Some might be pre-recorded segments while other opportunities will be live.

So you’ve invested a lot of time and energy into finding these opportunities only to find that your client needs support. Even if your client is not afraid of public speaking, staying focused and keeping her message on point might be challenging. But what if you don’t have time to prepare your client for her media interviews–what’s a publicist to do?

In Search of Synergy

Forming a strategic partnership with a media trainer can be a game-changer. Gregory (‘G’) Wright, co-founder, producer, & media trainer at All Things Relax Studios compares this strategic partnership to artist development companies that work with up and coming music talent in tandem with record labels. Record labels don’t necessarily have the time or interest in doing all of the behind the scenes work to get an artist from unknown to super star status, especially when it comes to dealing with press junket tours. 

As the Queen of Podcast Zen and host of the All Things Relax with Sandi D. podcast I interview inspiring women–-authors, coaches, creative entrepreneurs. While creating this empowering platform for women, I discovered the opportunity to support guests and joined forces with G. Wright. Tapping into G’s 25+ years of music industry experience, we created Rock Star Speakers for coaches, creative entrepreneurs, and authors. 

When your client joins our program, she becomes a member of ‘The Band’ –  a supportive community of women who have a story to share. G's experience, ranging from working with artists (lead singers/bands) just on the cusp of being discovered to well-seasoned, well-known bands, has given him insights that he shares as a media trainer. 

As a podcast host, I identified recurring themes when working with guests and combined what I learned with G's expertise. Many times authors are also introverts, like myself, so I developed tips to support introverts and extroverts alike who may find public speaking stressful. Our main goal is to show our clients how to step into their power, share their story, and ROCK their interview.

When working with clients we cover the following:

• Sound tech: Listen to clients go from sounding like they are underwater or in a cave to sounding crystal clear. They gain access to G's experience as a live sound engineer–he’s mixed everyone from the Queen of Soul (Respect!) to the Queen of Podcast Zen.
• Crystal clear messaging: Our clients dig deep and explore their ‘Why’ to discover their strengths or STAR power. We help clients create sound bites based on their top ‘stories’ or experiences. 
• Vocal techniques: G again taps into his music expertise to show clients how to warm up their voice. G and I show our clients how to create their ‘signature sound’ and speak with confidence.
• It’s Show Time: Similar to how a band creates a setlist of songs, clients create a setlist of stories they can tap into for an interview. We emphasize NOT using a script so that the interview flows like a conversation. 
• Connection: The magic happens when our client channels her inner ROCK STAR in a great interview and connects with both the host and the host’s audience.

As G says, in the music business, "You’re as good as your last show." When a client has a successful media appearance, she develops her authority as the ‘go to’ person and other opportunities will open up.

So whether you’ve booked your client on a podcast, television appearance, YouTube, or summit (in person or virtual), if she needs extra support to prepare for these amazing speaking opportunities, learn more about Rock Star Speakers. 

Sandi D., “Queen of Podcast Zen” & Host, All Things Relax with Sandi D. podcast

Article originally published on the All Things Relax Studios LinkedIn page.