How to Be a Good Podcast Guest
There are several exciting careers awaiting healthcare providers who want to transition out of patient care (see How I Stopped Being a Dentist). The challenge is letting the world know you’ve got expertise and are ready to explore your options.
You absolutely should engage in what I call “Power Networking” (see How to Launch Your Career as a Professional Speaker for what that entails). Another strategy is to self-publish your expertise by starting a podcast, a blog (like Substack!), or a YouTube channel.
Podcasts, blogs, and YouTube have democratized media. Our limited attention spans are no longer in the hands of a few newspapers, radio stations, and TV channels. I’ll leave it to the philosophers and economists to discuss whether unregulated and seemingly infinite sources of content are a net positive for society, but if you’re an aspiring healthcare Key Opinion Leader, then these new formats can be your fast track to fame.
Emphasis on “can be.” I don’t know anyone that has “gone viral” with a single post or video that has had lasting success. Building your audience in the new media is a significant time investment— it’s a grind.
But I digress. What I want to talk about here is podcasts or, more specifically, other people’s podcasts. You can get a fast brand boost by tapping into an audience that someone else has lovingly nurtured and cultivated. And if you’re investing the time to create your own media channel, like a Substack blog, then doing a guest appearance on a popular podcast in your field is a smart way to get subscribers.
Getting an invitation
Dentistry probably has one of the more thriving healthcare podcast communities. My first guest spot was about 10 years ago on The Dental Hacks podcast with Drs. Alan Mead and Jason Lipscomb. Alan was an early adopter of the medium and had geeked out on the tech. For a few years, Alan and Jason, along with Dr. Justin Moody (Dentists, Implants and Worms) and Dr. Mark Costes (The Dentalpreneur Podcast) even ran a dental podcast conference called Voices of Dentistry. Today, Alan is still active in the pod community and runs the Very Dental Podcast Network.
Start by getting a short list of topics you want to talk about. In what areas are you a subject matter expert? Even better, is there a super niche issue that you and only a few others can talk about? Podcasters have to put out regular shows (often weekly) and they’re hungry for new and interesting content that will stand out in their show notes.
Next, make a list the podcasts in your field. Now it’s Power Networking time. Leverage your network for introductions or, failing that, just reach out directly and express your interest in appearing on their show. They may receive these requests frequently, so be clear about your topic pitch.
Preparing in advance
Congratulations, you’ve booked a gig! Now the real work starts.
Some podcast hosts will send you a list of questions in advance. This is a gift. As a guest, I want to offer my gracious host interesting insights and provocative takes on issues, not some incoherent wading through a word soup. I’ve been a public speaker for a long time, so I can riff on just about any random dentistry topic you throw at me. But I want to really nail my guest spot, so I appreciate getting a sense of the direction of the conversation in advance so I can prepare some juicy morsel soundbites.
If you don’t get questions in advance, then make some up and answer them. Please don’t make the mistake of just showing up without any prep work. You want your guest spot to create a little buzz. You want to proudly share the result on your social media feeds and get positive feedback. We earn that right by crafting soundbites in advance.
Go back and listen to a few episodes of the podcast. If they record video, watch the episodes. Get a sense of the host’s interview style, tone, and pace. Form an opinion on which guests had a better vibe with the host and see if you can adopt elements into your style.
Performance
Now it’s showtime.
You can find lots of great advice online about finding good locations, lighting and background, etc. If you’re nervous, get your set up ready to go early on and practice a few times. You can record yourself with your smart phone and critique yourself.
The vast majority of times you will not be in the same room as your host. When you record by yourself in your office, there’s a risk that your energy level will be lower than if you were in person and in front of an audience. You need to fight any instinct telling you to speak quietly or slump in your chair. In fact, stand up for the recording if that’s what works for you. Pretend a group of your friends and colleagues are standing a ten feet in front of you and adjust your voice accordingly.
If you got questions in advance, be ready to abandon your prepared responses and just go with the flow. It’s okay if you don’t get to all of your talking points; what matters is that the conversation was interesting.
And whatever you do, please do not write out your answers and read them. Trust me, the audience can tell.
I usually have my notes on a screen that’s in the eyeline of the camera. The notes are just the briefest of reminders of my prepared remarks; I don’t write full sentences because I don’t want to accidentally start reading. I typically have one or two snappy soundbites that I want to get into the recording, but I will never crowbar them into the conversation.
Happy podcasting!
If you want to be a guest on a podcast to boost your personal brand, become an avid listener of your target shows. Find your favorite guests and study what made them so successful.
I’ve been honored to be a guest on many dental podcasts over the years. Here’s a few selections:
The Dental Hacks from 2015. My first ever podcast. This was very conversational and my only advance warning of topics was that they wanted to hear the story of how I landed the role of Chief Editor at Dental Economics the year prior.
A Tale of Two Hygienists from 2017. Andrew Johnston and Michelle Strange are both hygienists and KOLs in their field. Dental Economics has a sister publication, RDH Magazine, which is how I became acquainted with them. I didn’t have any advance notice of questions. We arranged to film this live at a dental conference, and I think you can hear the big difference that comes with in-person recording. We’re able to interact much more naturally and read non-verbal cues, elevating the energy of the conversation.
Dental Student Vibes from 2020. This entrepreneurial group created a powerful media brand while they were still in dental school. They had heard me speak to students and recent grads at conferences and asked me on. We recorded this during the COVID lockdown. Their focus is on the first critical years after graduation, so I had a good idea about what questions they’d ask.
Dentistry Unmasked from 2023. Drs. Pamela Maragliano-Muniz and David Rice are long-time friends of mine. Pam took over as Chief Editor of Dental Economics when I departed four years ago and David is the Chief Editor of DentistryIQ.com, which is part of the same publishing group. They had a topic that they thought would be a good fit for me and shared some potential questions in advance.
The Group Dentistry Now Podcast from 2025. This was arranged by Ivoclar, a dental materials company. I’ve worked as a KOL with Ivoclar in the past and now we use their products at my group practice. Bill Neumann and his team sent some prep questions in advance and the conversation flowed from there.