Is getting on the radio one of your goals for your pet business?
Being interviewed live is fantastic for giving people an insight into you as a pet professional but can be daunting too.
Anna Webb is a seasoned BBC Radio presenter and a regular guest on shows like Jeremy Vine, Trisha and Alan Titchmarsh.
Sheโs a dog trainer, canine nutritionist and co-hosts Barking At The Moon on BBC Radio London, and her own show, A Dogโs Life podcast.
Anna explains how pet business owners can give fantastic radio interviews with tips on everything from getting rid of nerves to what kit you need.
Plus what itโs like to go head to head with the Popeโs biographer in a debate over whether itโs selfish to have dogs and not children.
You can listen in on the player link below or read the key points covered as a blog.
HI Anna, can you start by telling us about you and your background?
โI wear a few hats. I train dogs and offer nutrition advice. I also write lots of content and articles for people.ย
“I have my own podcast, A Dogโs Life. And I have Barking At The Moon and I do radio interviews.
โOn the podcast, I cover natural health issues, nutrition, training and the aim is to help people navigate the world with dogs in a modern world.ย
โI speak to people who have taught me or impacted on me through over 50 years of being absolutely mad and passionate about dogs.
โGuests include Dr Rupert Sheldrake and Victoria Stillwell, plus people making a difference for dogs and their humans.โ
How should small business owners go about approaching radio shows?
โLocal radio is about community, they like to hear about local businesses and people in the area.
โIt could be a story about a groomer having groomed a record number of dogs, or if you had a product you could perhaps pick up on a story thatโs in the news and offer your insights on that.
โDogs are on everyone’s radar at the moment. So I would do a two pronged attack, I would actually email the presenter, and do research on the presenter, ideally theyโre a dog lover.
โAnd then find the producerโs details and contact them too, and the address of the station, if you’ve got physical products that you’d like to gift, send in some gifts.โ
If you get a yes, what can you do to make sure the interview goes well?
โPrepare, prepare, prepare. They say for every five minutes of radio you should do at least 20 minutes research.
โIf itโs you and the host itโs pretty straightforward, you might be talking about a campaign or something around your business or something in the news.
โOr you might be on with another guest, where youโre going head to head and debating an issue.
โThis is where itโs really important to prepare your message and have the key points you want to get across ready.
โLast week I went on the Jeremy Vine show with talking about the Pope’s quite radical comments about people being desperately selfish if they don’t have children, and they actually opt to have a pet instead of a child.
โIt was a difficult subject to do, I was doing my best to defend dogs and women who decide they may not want to have children or who are unable to, so it was essential to be prepared.โ
How do you get all the information thatโs going round in your head to actually sound good?
โYouโve got to steel yourself and not show nerves, and not think about how many people are listening.
โBecause weโre on Zoom or on phones rather than in the studio where you can read peopleโs expressions, you donโt have that interaction.
โSo have some stock phrases in your head of what you want to get across and present them.
โPut emotion into it and remember the โfourth wallโ which is your audience. You canโt see them but they are there.
โSometimes, less can be more. The audience can make up their own view.โ
What is your advice if the conversation goes in a direction youโre not keen on?
โThink of it as being like a game of โping pongโ where you are putting across your stance and create a bit of a dynamic.
โItโs like a game of bat and ball. You can either keep going or say, โOh, ok, youโre right then.โ This is why being prepared is vital.
โDonโt be defensive and be polite. Try to think ahead of the other person.โ
Do you have any guidance on how long and answer should be?
โYes, keep it on the short side because what you want is for people to ask you another question.
โAn average radio interview isnโt very long, itโs usually about ten minutes. It goes very quickly and really, thatโs about three questions.ย
โBe ready, imagine youโre having a conversation, and have your three main things to put forward. The presenter will come back on one of the three points.
โYou can talk about that, then you might go to one of the other points, and the conversation goes back and forth in a natural way.โ
Rapport is important isnโt it? How would you suggest people go about building this?
โPut a pitch together thatโs simple and clear, and be affable and friendly.ย
โPeople are listening, you have their attention, and they want to hear your thoughts. Try not to be shy, youโre just having a chat.
โAlso, try not to mull it over too much afterwards and obsess about what you wish youโd said!
โOr how you sound. I heard even Jonathan Ross canโt bear listening back to himself, I think everyone has that.โ
Another thing I learned when I started with the podcast and I had some coaching, was about how important it is to be enthusiastic.
โYes, definitely, you canโt sound dreary or monotone or youโll get cut off. You have to be affable, start positive, be friendly, and that sets the tone.โ
If pet businesses want to focus on radio, is there any kit youโd recommend?
โSometimes you can do an interview just on your iPhone, and I was holding it just with one hand so I was talking above the iPhone as thatโs the best way to convey your voice.
โIf youโre on for a longer time, use a microphone which plugs into your phone or computer, and ideally it will be quite sensitive.
โIt picks up the nuances and depth of your voice.
โYou can experience echo so sound cancelling headphones are helpful too.โ
More information and links to kit can be found in this episode:
How to start a podcast for your pet business with Ant McGinley.
Finally, any dos and donโts on the radio?
โDonโt swear! Donโt mention any brands as it can be annoying if youโre on the BBC.ย
โHave energy and passion about what you want to talk about.โ
Want to find out more about Anna?
Listen to her podcast on her website: www.annawebb.co.uk
Tune in to Barking At The Moon at 11pm on BBC Radio London every Thursday.
Follow her on social media @annawebbdogs on all platforms.
If you found this post helpful, you might enjoy How to prepare for an interview in ten simple steps or How to be the perfect podcast guest.