The #1 Question You Should Never Ask as a Podcast Host

Larry Roberts [00:00:08]:

What is that in everybody? I'm Larry Roberts.

Sara Lohse [00:00:11]:

And I'm Sara Lohse, and this is Branded: your comprehensive guide to creative branding.

Larry Roberts [00:00:16]:

And on this episode of the podcast, we're gonna talk about the famous question that each of us get asked whenever we go on a podcast that we all hate.

Sara Lohse [00:00:27]:

I'm getting angry just thinking about it. I'm not gonna lie.

Larry Roberts [00:00:30]:

Well, Sarah, before you get into it, do me a favor. Tell us a little about yourself.

Sara Lohse [00:00:35]:

I I really don't want to, and I hate you for asking. No. The at podcast Lohse everywhere. When they bring a guest on their show, the first question that they always ask is tell us about yourself. Which I guess isn't even technically a question. And I hate that question so much. It is the worst question to ask. It wastes so much time. Nobody ever answers it well, and it just makes the host sound super unprepared.

Larry Roberts [00:01:12]:

Yeah. And it's one of those questions that e e or or statements or commands as I had

Sara Lohse [00:01:16]:

mentioned. Mistakes.

Larry Roberts [00:01:18]:

It's a mistake. It's a mistake. There you go. Yeah. But it's one of those situations that puts you as the as the guest in a place that you don't even really know how to respond because, you know, typically the host of the podcast is going to guide the conversation. They should typically have in mind the value proposition of having this particular guest on their podcast So they need to ask questions that are gonna drive that particular value proposition home as compared to having someone on your show and Tell us a little about yourself, and you never know what you're gonna get back.

Sara Lohse [00:01:55]:

I have heard this question get answered so many ways. And I rarely hear it done well. And I'm not I'm even including myself in that because I've listened back to episodes I've on it. I'm just like, oh god. Like, that wasn't great. Like, I should have been more ready for that. And I've now I put, like, a lot of thought into how I would answer that. But there's so many times where the the guest just uses it as, like, I'm gonna go through my resume or Here's everything I went through to get to this point. Like, here's where I was raised, and I was raised by a single parent. And I went to school here. Like, There's just so many ways you can answer that question, and you're gonna lose your audience. Your audience and your listeners, they're not there to hear the memoir of your guest. They're here to get value and to get information and to get stories and to connect. But when you open it just that vaguely, it's so hard to to to direct that value.

Larry Roberts [00:03:00]:

Well, I I think as a podcast host, it's kinda demonstrates a a a lack of professionalism, a lack of preparedness for the episode And, you know, I say lack of professionalism because I can think back to my first interview style podcast. And I used to ask this question all the time. Because I would get a guest. And, typically, at the time, I would also use a booking agency, so they would send me guests, and I'd get a little one sheet or something that I might look at in preparation for the episode, but then I would literally, leave it up to the guest to really guide the conversation. And I was so bad at it that I would literally at times, and there's that word again. I'm gonna say literally a lot this episode, but I would allow them to essentially have their own show just on my platform. And I would even tell him this shows not even about me. It's about you. So you tell us all about you. It's such a I'll I'll just say amateur way to come about a conversation on a podcast because it demonstrates a lack of interest on my part. A lack of professionalism on my part, a lack of preparedness on my part, uh-uh, a lack of understanding how to control a conversation. So there's definitely lessons in this in this, and I hear you taking a deep breath and you're dying to get a word in Edgewest. So jump in there because I just talk all the time.

Sara Lohse [00:04:25]:

No. I it's we're the right now as we're recording this, it is your birthday. So you

Larry Roberts [00:04:31]:

can talk as

Sara Lohse [00:04:32]:

much as you want. Yeah. That is my gift to you. Oh. But, no, what I was going to say is I don't want this to sound like an attack or an insult to host that do this because it's almost it really is status quo at this point. Like, every host does this, that if you haven't taken the time to really think about, like, whether or not you should ask the question, you wouldn't even think not to because it's so, kind of natural to ask. So if anyone is a podcast host listening to this, and they asked this question, this is not an insult. It's a wake up call.

Larry Roberts [00:05:11]:

I just want you to feel guilty want you to feel that guilt winding down on your shoulders thinking back when you Lohse to this episode of Brandon, you went, they told me not to ask this question. And I did it anyway. So I want you to feel guilt.

Sara Lohse [00:05:25]:

Well, moving forward, yes. Because now you know. But Before this point, if you didn't know, you didn't think about it. It's not on you, but now you have no excuse. So Let's talk a little bit about how you should answer this question because if you're going to be a guest on a podcast, And that is something that we talk about a lot as a way to build a brand and a way to build a company podcast guesting is an amazing marketing tool. But if you're going to be a guest, you should have an answer to this question prepared. So that you don't make the mistakes that we constantly hear people make.

Larry Roberts [00:06:05]:

Yeah. Because as a as a guest, you don't even know where to go, and you had mentioned this earlier is it's such a wide open question that you kinda have to pick and choose what you're going to respond with. And typically if you're being a guest on a podcast, you've got a message, you've got a story, you've got something that you wanna share. So you have to be prepared for this conversation and take it in the direction that you want it to go. So you need to have a very focused response to this that drives home that value proposition that you're on these podcasts to demonstrate. And, Sarah, I know you do a lot of coaching in this regard. So what are some of the things that guests can do to be better prepared for this wide open question.

Sara Lohse [00:06:48]:

So I have kind of like a formula for answering this question, and it has three steps. K. So the goal of this question is really to set the stage for the conversation, and it's not to give your resumes, not to give your life story. So the formula starts with introduce yourself. If they haven't already done that, that's the most basic step of it. It's my name is and I am than whatever your title is. So, I'm Sarah Lohse. I am the founder and president of favorite daughter media. Super simple, concise. And then you wanna introduce either your passion or the your expertise kind of give validity to why you're on this show. So in my case, I would say something like I have been producing podcasts for 5 years, and I'm really passionate about helping people use these tools to grow business. Again, short and concise, but it I gave an a number of years, which shows like, okay. She's not new at this. And I tell you what I love doing. And then that third step is kind of giving a hint about what you're here to teach. So it -- puts the pressure back on the host to guide that conversation, but it introduces, like, okay. This is what we're gonna talk about. And it introduces it in a way of this is what I'm an expert in. So you already gave your a little very brief background. And now this is what I'm an expert in. This is what we're gonna talk about. Let's go.

Larry Roberts [00:08:24]:

So how how can we as guests? If the host isn't the most well versed at interviewing. How can we answer this question in a way that drives the conversation forward and essentially sets the host up to ask the next logical question.

Sara Lohse [00:08:40]:

I think it's about it's that third step that, like, giving a hint at what you wanna teach so that it kind of hits it back into their court and hopefully they'll take that softball and kinda run with it. And what I this kinda becomes a fine line because As the guest, you wanna be respectful of the Lohse, and this is their show. So you don't want it to seem like you're trying to take control of the conversation. So it gets super, super tricky.

Larry Roberts [00:09:13]:

No. I laugh because that's exactly what I end up doing when the the race is just kinda sitting there. That's that's a platform for me to just take off. And now I've got my own show just with a different name.

Sara Lohse [00:09:26]:

Yeah. And that might end up end, like, being a really great episode because if you kind of do it better than the Lohse. Like, you're welcome, but also that sucks for the Lohse. Because then they kind of look dumb on their own show. It's it's such a -- Oh, man. Oh, it's such a challenge. It really is.

Larry Roberts [00:09:50]:

So should we as host as host as guest? Should we just kinda suck it up and and not outshine the host if that opportunity presents itself? Should we reserve ourselves? What should we do?

Sara Lohse [00:10:01]:

I mean, you still want to present yourself the best way possible. You still want to position yourself as an expert. So it's really hard to not do that. It's you just this all kind of comes down to choosing the shows you wanna go on. If you're going to pitch yourself to be on a podcast, you want to do research on that show and get the feel for the Lohse. And when people are doing this, they kind of just pitch themselves based on who the audience is, the size of the show, things like that, but they don't really think about the Lohse themselves. And if you can't picture yourself being friends with that host, if you can't picture yourself having just a conversation with them offline. The conversation in the episode isn't going to flow very well. Why are you laughing at me?

Larry Roberts [00:10:51]:

Don't like this cat, but I'm gonna go on the podcast just to get some free press. I wouldn't bother

Sara Lohse [00:10:57]:

with it. -- people, like, Some especially with some of the booking agencies out there, they have a quota. They have to get you on x number of shows. So they're just gonna pitch you.

Larry Roberts [00:11:08]:

And

Sara Lohse [00:11:08]:

if it's a fit audience wise, go ahead, I guess.

Larry Roberts [00:11:12]:

Yeah. Well, I think that's a great point that you're making there because a lot of people do use booking agencies to get on podcasts to grow their brand. And while there are definitely some good booking agencies out there, this is a scenario that you're going to run into more often, probably than not when you're going on these newer shows with less experienced hosts. So this is a scenario while we're painting it as as something that that happens all the time. It really does happen all the time, and you really do need to be prepared for it. Again, especially as you're starting to leverage podcast to grow your brand. So after we answer that question, where can we take it from there? Because odds are, you're you're gonna get back another very open ended, very, just unfocused question for you to continue the conversation. So how can we be prepared to follow-up the tell us a little something about yourself question. To take the next step in the conversation.

Sara Lohse [00:12:18]:

So when I pitch myself to a podcast or I pitch a client to a podcast, I usually pitch it with a list of, like, the key takeaways or the talking points so the host knows exactly what that guest is bringing to the table, even if that's not the way you pitch or even if you didn't have to pitch because you know the person or you met them at an event, and they're like, oh, come on my show. You should have that outline for yourself of this is my topic. I wanna hit on these three key points because those are gonna be what's valuable to the listener. And having that can help you because if you feel the conversation kind of going off the rails, you can grab onto one of those key pieces of value and kind of tie it in so that it goes back to the focus, if that makes sense.

Larry Roberts [00:13:11]:

Yeah. 100%. And and there's another crutch phrase that I use in podcasting. 100%. Yeah. 100%. I totally agree.

Sara Lohse [00:13:20]:

What was the one that in the first, like, 3 episodes, all I ever said was, like, absolutely or something.

Larry Roberts [00:13:25]:

Yeah. I think it was. Absolutely. Absolutely.

Sara Lohse [00:13:27]:

I've gotten away from it. Thankfully. You called me out there.

Larry Roberts [00:13:31]:

I'm trying to get away from 100% because I had somebody pointed out to me the other day. They go, I think you were the first person I ever heard say 100%. And then I started hearing it everywhere. So it's not that I coined the phrase in any way, shaped fashion or form, but I use it so much. That other people that hang out with me or talk to me start to recognize it in other conversations and go, oh, that's Larry's crutch phrase there. So Be aware of that whenever you're going on podcast too. You know, that that whole question of tell us a little about yourself. That's a crutch phrase. It's a crutch question. So take some time to look at yourself and ask yourself what are some of my crutch phrases? What are some of my crutch questions? And be able to redirect your responses in a way that don't rely on those crutch phrases. You have any input for us there?

Sara Lohse [00:14:24]:

I think just -- Oh,

Larry Roberts [00:14:25]:

I was really hoping you'd say absolutely.

Sara Lohse [00:14:27]:

Oh, I'm sorry. I a 100% dropped the ball on that.

Larry Roberts [00:14:35]:

I was really looking for an absolutely there.

Sara Lohse [00:14:39]:

Well, you absolutely didn't get 1.

Larry Roberts [00:14:40]:

I absolutely did not. Happy birthday to me.

Sara Lohse [00:14:44]:

I wanna ask you this question. You ask to me, and I gave a little bit of an example when I was walking through the formula. But if I were to say to you on a podcast, tell me about yourself, with kind of the formula I laid out in mind and knowing that this question is terrible, how would you answer it?

Larry Roberts [00:15:00]:

It really depends on the show that I'm on and my purpose for being on the show. I would definitely give a high level overview of my background, but then I would intentionally steer that conversation and that response back to my reason for being there. If I'm being bought brought on a podcast to talk about branding, then I'm gonna redirect that question in a way that reinforces my branding story. You know, where did the red hat come from? So I'm gonna tell the the backstory there. If I wanted to talk about how I got into podcasting. I'm gonna go back to that point in time way back in 2014 when I first bought that microphone and did a podcast. So that's how I'm gonna steer the conversation. So I'll give a high level overview, but then redirect it back to the purpose of me being on the show. So that I continue to drive forward that value proposition. And I say that because especially when we're going on podcasts to build a brand. We're there for a reason. We have a goal in mind, and that's growing our business, growing our brand, growing our influence, and growing our audience. So if you get asked that question, have a very focused response. Understand why you're there. What the show is that you're on. Is it a business show? Is it a comedy show? What type of podcast are you on right now? And respond accordingly based on that particular audience and your reason for being on the podcast. So that's how I typically do it.

Sara Lohse [00:16:26]:

That's it. You made a really great point there. That I didn't even mention when I was going through my formula. It's this answer does not have to be the same every time. In fact, it shouldn't be the same every time. It's just like when you're applying for jobs and you still alter your resume and your cover letter based on exactly what you're applying for. So you can have different ways of answering this question based on what the show is. And Like, for me, I go on different types of shows, talking about different types of things like other, like so many people do. So like you said, I can go on a show to talk about branding. I could go on a about podcast guesting. I've got on shows just to talk about me. Like, there's some shows that they didn't ask me anything professionally. They're just like, let's talk about you. And I'm like, awesome. I I can do that. Yeah. So the way that you answer that question will vary based on the goals of that show in that episode, but you still wanna make sure that you're hitting those key points. You want to introduce yourself, you want to establish your expertise, and introduce what you're there to talk about. And that whole, like, answer shouldn't take more than, like, a minute. I've had I've listened to podcasts where people spend the first, like, 5 or 6 minutes of the show answering this question. And I am asleep at the wheel.

Larry Roberts [00:17:49]:

Well, I think that's what the Lohse depend on that. That's why they ask the question because they don't have the skill set yet, typically, to steer the conversation in a way that's going to provide value so they use that crutch and look at the guest to do that.

Sara Lohse [00:18:04]:

And in the case of, like, they're just kind of doing it because it's status quo. What Like, what would you recommend doing instead? Like, how can people get away from so tell us about yourself?

Larry Roberts [00:18:17]:

Well, you prepare for the interview for Star you have an understanding of the background of the individual you're having on the podcast. So as the host, that's where we have to do our homework. We have to understand why they're on the podcast. What are their goals for being on the podcast? Because many times too, and this is why I quit my interview podcast. Was because it was a one way street. The guest was coming on the podcast to drive their brand, drive their book, drive their business, and here I was left after the interview just with this content that now I have to produce, that I have to publish, that I have to market and there was no relationship there between me and the guest. There was no mutual value proposition here. So understand as a host that You wanna provide value for that guest, but you also want that guest to provide value for your audience. And the only way you're going to know how to have that guest provide value for your audience is to know their background. And as an interviewer, be able to steer that conversation in a way that your guest is going to answer the questions that respond directly to your specific audience. Does that make sense?

Sara Lohse [00:19:25]:

It does. And I think the formula that I use as a guest to answer this can actually be used in reverse as the host. So if I were to introduce you on a show, I can go right through that same formula, but for you. So that keeps me in control of the direction of the show while still giving the type of introduction that would be useful. So, like, I'm so excited to have Larry Roberts of Red Hat Media on the show. He has been speaking on AI and chat GPT on stages all over the country. And I'm so excited that he is here to talk to us about how we can use AI tools to grow our brand. So that did the introduce who you are, introduced your expertise, and introduced your topic, very concise. It gave you the, like, reassurance that, okay, this host knows who I am, and it just starts off the conversation on what the value is versus how do we get for, like, out of you telling your whole backstory.

Larry Roberts [00:20:34]:

No. You're exactly right. And, again, it's it's a dance. You know, we we both have to dance together. You as the host, you're gonna be leading the dance. But you have to guide your entire show across the dance floor. It's up to both parties, but you as the host, you're the number 1. You're the leader. You know, you're the the yin you're the direction of the yin and the yang of this conversation, and it requires us to come in prepared. So I think the biggest message that I have from this particular episode is to make sure you go into it. If you're a podcast host, be sure you go into it with a direction in mind. That you understand who your guest is and what that value proposition is and how you're going to guide the conversation to deliver that value proposition.

Sara Lohse [00:21:16]:

And when you have that direction established, make sure that you and the guest have talked about it. Because I've seen it also where someone comes down the turn, they're like, oh, that's what I'm talking about. So this is something that you do wanna -- plan in advance, which is why it's what I include when I pitch. But if someone if a a host pitches me to be on their show, I make sure I say, okay. Let me know exactly what you want me to talk about and how I can bring the most value. So think about this when you're on the show, but also think about this before you ever get on it. Make sure you and the Lohse or you and your guests are exactly on the same page with what you wanna talk about. What value you wanna give your audience, and you know who each other is enough that you could do the introduction for them.

Larry Roberts [00:22:03]:

100% and I set it

Sara Lohse [00:22:05]:

on purpose. Absolutely.

Larry Roberts [00:22:08]:

Now before we wrap this one up, would you go through those three steps for us one more time, Sarah?

Sara Lohse [00:22:12]:

So the formula for answering it tell us about yourself is introduce yourself, introduce your passion or why you're an expert in your topic, and then give a hint at what it is you're going to be talking about on that So

Larry Roberts [00:22:27]:

Perfect. And with that, hopefully, you got some value out of this particular episode because we tried to maintain a direct focus make sure that we guided this conversation in the direction that we needed it to go to provide you with some value. And if you did find some value, do us a favor right now and smash that subscribe button on your favorite podcast platform, so we can continue to bring you this amazing content. And with that, I'm Larry Roberts.

Sara Lohse [00:22:52]:

I'm Sara Lohse We'll talk to you next week.