It’s that time of year again – Xmas ads all over the media – and all over the country, pantomimes have reached that final frantic rehearsal stage. There’s even a Xmas ad, of sorts, on our website – so I thought: why shouldn’t we get into the pantomime spirit as well?
So between now and 23rd December, I’m magically turning myself into your fairy PodMother. ‘Oh no you’re not!’ Oh yes I am – and all that.
As this is business, though, I want to do a deal with you: If you can help me out with some research, I’ll enter you into a draw to win your own professionally-produced podcast in the new year. I need your email by 23rd December and I’ll announce the results of the draw on 3rd January. To get involved, just email me your answers to these questions. In the multiple choice questions, just delete the options that don’t apply to you – you can leave in as many as you like.
1 – Do you download business podcasts:
At least once a week?
At least once a month?
Occasionally – if something grabs your attention?
Never?
2 – If not, what stops you?
Not being sure what a podcast is?
Not having an IPod?
Not knowing what’s out there which could help you?
Not knowing how the technology works?
Another reason?
3 – If you download, do you prefer podcasts that deliver:
Business news?
Information?
Inspiration?
Something else?
4 – How long do you like your podcasts to run?
Less than 5 minutes?
5-10 minutes?
10-20 minutes?
20-30 minutes?
Other?
6 – Do you prefer podcasts which are:
Audio only?
Enhanced with pictures?
Available in both formats?
7 – Do you watch or listen to your downloads while you’re:
working?
Travelling?
At home?
Involved in leisure activities?
At any other time?
8 – What do you like best about podcasts?
Finding material that meets your needs?
Accessing the information you want, when you want it?
Listening or watching where you want to?
Listening or watching while doing other things?
hearing directly from experts in a particular field?
Something else?
9 –What is most likely to spoil your listening or viewing experience?
Poor sound quality?
Poor picture quality (if appropriate)?
Poor presentation?
Poor interviewing?
A badly planned programme?
Anything else?
10 – If you download a podcast which includes advertising, does it intrude on your listening or viewing:
Generally?
Unless it’s relevant to the subject of the podcast?
Unless it’s relevant to you?
Less than radio and TV advertising?
Not at all?
11 –What are your 5 essentials for a great podcast?
There’s the opportunity of some free publicity for your business attached to this – but if for any reason you want to remain anonymous, just tell me in the email.
Why ‘5 wishes?’ Look at question 11.
Thanks, in advance, for your help.
Feedback: A painful noise? Or music to your ears?
A couple of years ago, I did a presentation under this title. It was all about the similarities I’d spoted between two apparently completely different kinds of feedback – the horrible, high-pitched whistling noise you get in a studio, or with a PA system, when the mic is too close to a speaker or a pair of headphones and the sound circles around between the two, and negative comments from customers.
I hadn’t thought of it in ages – until yesterday.
I’m currently adapting a series of training courses I normally deliver personally, into downloadable packages. If you’ve never done that, it isn’t as easy as it looks. When I’m face to face with a client or group of clients, although I follow the same basic process each time, their questions and feedback play a significant role in deciding what we focus on and how I deliver the information.. The online version has to include everything and be user-friendly for everyone who wants to use it.
As I’m too close to the subject and the material to judge whether I’m hitting either of those objectives, I’ve asked a small group of people to road-test the course as I develop it. Yesterday saw the first major milestone, when I sent them the first draft of the first module.
To be honest, I was quite surprised how nervous I was – it was almost as bad as when I hit the ‘Send’ button and emailed out the very first draft of the book!
A few hours later, I was sitting in the radio studio, interviewing Caroline Thomas of Sales Scene and Louise Innes of Dotty Hippo Design, about the Thurrock Network Group and their ‘Thurrock’s Den’ project at this weekend’s T-Fest. If you’re in the area, go and check out their stand – there’s a great prize on offer for the best videoed business pitch, courtesy of the Park Inn Thurrock, Sales Scene and Dotty Hippo Design.
The interview went really well – both girls know their stuff inside out and are passionate about their subject – but through the whole thing, I could hear the familiar high howl of feedback in my headphones – OUCH! There was nothing obviously wrong and as we were live on air, there wasn’t much I could do by way of investigation – so I just had to grin and bear it – and solve it at the earliest opportunity (before the poor listener ran as far from the radio as possible, holding their ears!)
So what’s the connection between those two events? Well, as I said at the beginning, audio feedback happens when a mic gets too close to an output source. It’s a nasty noise – it can actually hurt if it’s loud enough – but it does alert you pretty quickly to the fact that there’s a problem which will, if it’s left unchecked, drive listeners away. It’s usually quite easily fixed, by putting distance between the two bits of kit which are annoying each other.
In business, we often fight shy of getting too close to our customers, in case we hear something that hurts, don’t we? I’m twitching at the moment, waiting for my test-drivers to come back to me. I’d love them to tell me my first efforts are wonderful and I should just keep doing what I’m doing – but realistically, I know they’re far more likely to offer constructive criticism. Some of it might even sting a bit – but at least it’ll tell me where the issues are at this early stage and I’ll be able to fix them before the product hits the market – and prospective paying customers vote with their hard-earned!
We tend to see complaints etc as problems – but shouldn’t we actually see them as opportunities to improve? Rather than being painful noises (avoided by putting a distance between us and the critic), shouldn’t they be music to our ears? I’m certainly trying to see them that way at the moment!