Tom tells us how podcasts convert 25x better than blogs, how he validated Interview Valet, and why Tom is trying to set a Guinness World Record. 

Today’s guest, Tom Schwab, is Founder of Interview Valet, a concierge-level podcast booking service. Tom helps small business owners, entrepreneurs and solo-prenuers get featured on leading podcasts that their prospects are already listening to. Then he shows them how to turn listeners into customers.

Tom is also the author of CONNECT: Grow Your Business as a Podcast Guest and the creator of the CONNECT Online Course.

If you want to learn more about Interview Valet, receive free training for getting on your first podcast or download the checklist that Tom uses before every interview, head over to InterviewValet.com/GoAndGrow.

We’re going to learn how Interview Valet validated the effectiveness of the service, how podcasts convert 25x better than blogs, and which Guinness World Record Tom is trying to set.

“Marketing, at its heart, is starting a conversation with somebody who could be an ideal customer.” (click to tweet)

“Nobody cares about your product or service, they just want their pain to go away.” (click to tweet)

“It’s never been easier to make a transaction, but it’s never been harder to build a business.” (click to tweet)

“Your net worth is proportional to your network…the people that value you.” (click to tweet)

In this episode, you’ll learn from Tom:

• 5:10 – An overview of Interview Valet
  • When blogs weren’t converting well, Tom saw an opportunity in the world of podcasts
  • Podcast audiences are passionate about the podcast topics, and they can be an effective way to get in front of your ideal customer
• 7:55 – What was the process of validating the Interview Valet service?
• 9:35 – “Nobody cares about your product or service, they just want their pain to go away.”
• 11:45 – The appeal of the service for its clients is simple: podcasts are converting more successfully than other mediums, and they’re also cheaper.
• 15:30 – Tom has found that podcasts convert 25x better than blogs.
  • While blogs convert ~1-2%, Tom has found that the visitor to lead conversions for a podcast interview is typically ~25-50%
• 19:00 – Tom has been growing his business with an emphasis on strategic partnerships.
• 21:45 – Podcast interviews are easy to re-purpose. They can be converted to blogs, tweets, videos and more.
• 24:00 – What does Tom have in store for the future growth of Interview Valet?
• 25:05 – Tom is currently trying to get into the Guinness Book of World Records
  • He intends to be the Most Interviewed Person on Podcasts
• 27:00 – There are ~350,000 podcasts – Interview Valet has relationships with ~4,000 of them
• 27:30 – Quickfire Q&A
• 32:30 – “If you’re listening to a podcast right now, you understand the power of it. You understand the connection you have with Mike and Go and Grow, and it’s only going to increase with time. In the future, your customers are going to be listening to podcasts. The only question is if they’re going to be listening to you or your competitor, and there are two ways that you can address that: you can either start your own podcast or you can be a guest on other people’s podcasts, but either way I think you should take a serious look at that.”

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Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Interview Valet
• CONNECT Online Course
• Thou Shall Prosper by Rabi Daniel Lapin (affiliate link)
• The Science of Success by Charles Koch (affiliate link)

Answers to Quickfire Q&A:

1. If you could chat with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
   1. Marshall Fields, the great retailer from Chicago. “I just love how he focused on the customer.”
2. Name a tool, app, or website that you can’t live without and why.
   1. Rev.com transcription service
3. Tell us something unique and interesting about you that not many may know.
   1. Tom got into the Navy on a technical error
4. What is your favorite business book and why?
   1. Thou Shall Prosper by Rabi Daniel Lapin (affiliate link)
5. What is the top characteristic or trait that you look for in people you work with?
   1. There’s a book called The Science of Success by Charles Koch (affiliate link) talks about how we hire for character – and Tom agrees.
6. What is something you believe, but few others agree with you?
   1. That you need fewer leads. “I think it’s a vanity metric that someday we’ll go back and look at.”
   2. “Today, more than ever, your net worth is proportional to your network, and your network is not how many email addresses you have on your list. Your network is really the people that know you, care about you and value you.”

How to contact Tom:

You can learn more about what we discussed during the episode at InterviewValet.com/GoAndGrow, including free training for getting on your first podcast and the checklist that Tom uses before every interview.

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