Anyone have successs with the 'Interview an Expert' model?

[phil.wheatley]

Hi Gang

I've always liked to create full scale products, whether it Ebooks or Videos etc. But, some marketers say you can just interview an expert (from guru.com or wherever) and then sell it. I'm wondering has anybody had any real success with that model, or whether you think it is worth pursuiing?

Cheers,
Phil

[thenewevilisgood]

yes, I am interested in hearing about this because I would like to start interviewing experts

[MichaelHiles]

Larry King... Oprah... Johnny Carson....

[phil.wheatley]

Originally Posted by MichaelHiles

Larry King... Oprah... Johnny Carson....

haha, ok, maybe I should've been a bit more specific with my question

Any other takers? I wondr if people just use it as a cheap entry level product / opt in giveaway, or is anybody make decent front end cash with this too??

[Louise Green]

It's a fantastic way to enter product creation.. saves so much time too. It's one of the core factors I teach in my info products - because it works so well.

Once I spent around 7 hours JUST TALKING to an expert on skype.. turned it into a digital download product and made around $10,000 in sales. I don't think you can go wrong with using that model.

[Brad Gosse]

I am an expert in food tasting, wine drinking, and being lazy if anyone wants to interview me I am available.

[mgkimsal]

Originally Posted by Louise Evans

It's a fantastic way to enter product creation.. saves so much time too. It's one of the core factors I teach in my info products - because it works so well.

Once I spent around 7 hours JUST TALKING to an expert on skype.. turned it into a digital download product and made around $10,000 in sales. I don't think you can go wrong with using that model.

This is the one question I keep wrestling with - if you're going to potentially be making money from talking to someone, do you pay them for their time? Have they ever wanted a cut of sales?

[mgkimsal]

I've been doing a podcast series for about 4 years, and it's turned in to a 'interview experts or cool people' sort of thing. Not monetizing it, but it's given me some access to people and places simply because it demonstrates I have some expertise in particular topics. I'm planning on doing another series which I will use to more directly promote some other products. I don't know if I'll ever monetize them directly - can't think of any way to do that, but I might just be too limited in my thinking.

[Louise Green]

Originally Posted by robbie foster

@Louise evans, Thats very good model you found from skype. Thanks for advice, any tips on taking interview. How to approach experts ?

Flattery works. Giving them a mention on your blog a week or two before approaching them can help.. let your visitors know the expert is the authority and to be honest most experts will jump at the chance of more exposure.

Originally Posted by mgkimsal

This is the one question I keep wrestling with - if you're going to potentially be making money from talking to someone, do you pay them for their time? Have they ever wanted a cut of sales?

I always offer them a healthy cut. Don't approach them straight away with the intention of making money.. it puts people's guard up. Instead build a relationship with them, let them see that you're an honest and decent person, and when they know that you're trustworthy it will be easier to start a business venture with them.

[LegitIncomes]

Originally Posted by phil.wheatley

Hi Gang

I've always liked to create full scale products, whether it Ebooks or Videos etc. But, some marketers say you can just interview an expert (from guru.com or wherever) and then sell it. I'm wondering has anybody had any real success with that model, or whether you think it is worth pursuiing?

Cheers,
Phil

I've done this several times....it always turns out very profitable.

[phil.wheatley]

Hey, thanks very much guys for your input, Louise especially. Well, I think you've answered my question.

As for approaching people, of course you can always pay people over at guru.com and elance.com - I understand that if you offer them a cut of profits rather than up front payment, they are often more motivated, just depends.

Of course, you can also just interview people you know or local experts.

Thanks
Phil

[jhornung]

Ryan Deisss and Jimmy D. Brown have a great product on how to approach experts, where to find them for FREE, and how to monetize it.

It's worked for me. You can find people on RTIR.com I set up a three part auto responder sequence requesting the interview. Just tell them your story and what you are trying to do. Tell them you'll give them a copy of the recording when you are done and they can do what they want with it.

I have used the recordings in my podcast that is available to the paying members on my site. I started doing this at the end of September and have been interviewing 21% of the people I send requests to.

I've also used the recordings as part of a give away package for opt ins.

Hope that helps

Jason

[jaykoebele]

Someone that is a straight shooter and great at using audio to market interviews and more is Michael Senoff.

Recently I worked with him on a project, and he was one of the easiest people I've dealt with in awhile. Very willing to help others, geniune guy in the marketing arena in my opinion.

You can find out more (and he's not hard to get a hold of on the phone) at
hardtofindseminars.com/Audio_Interview_Secrets.htm

And no this is not an affiliate link, this is the direct link to one of his sites.
His contact info is at the bottom of the page as well.

[Louise Green]

Originally Posted by phil.wheatley

Hey, thanks very much guys for your input, Louise especially.

You're welcome Phil

[Microbusiness Media]

Here is a report on interviewing experts

[phil.wheatley]

Hey Guys

Louise, I bought the product from your link, it's very good and interesting, thanks!

Jason and Jay, great information, thanks very much, I will look at all that today.

Micobusiness Media....wow, that was a short report, hehehe. It seems like it didn't allow you the link, maybe becuase you don't have enough posts yet? COuld you PM with the link, or ust type in here where I can get that report?

Many thanks,
Phil

[marciayudkin]

This is the one question I keep wrestling with - if you're going to potentially be making money from talking to someone, do you pay them for their time? Have they ever wanted a cut of sales?

I agree with the person who said to head over to Michael Senoff's site, Free Business Audio Seminars | Internet Marketing Secrets And Business Marketing Strategy | Michael Senoff Interviews The Masters Of Selling, Advertising And Internet Marketing. He has made a science out of interviewing experts, and he has some very interesting ideas on how to monetize the process.

I myself have done audio interviews with more than 30 authors and other experts and have never had anyone refuse me. I have never paid anyone or given them a cut of the revenue, either. Everyone, including Alan Weiss and Jay Conrad Levinson, agreed to do the interview in exchange for a copy of the recording and the right to use it however they wanted.

For the expert, it's a quick way to create a bonus or giveaway product as well as a route to greater visibility.

Before going into marketing, I wrote articles for national magazines and interviewed more than 400 experts for those articles. I can remember only 2 or 3 times anyone refused my interview request.

It's all in how you pitch the expert and in the credibility you bring to that pitch.

Good luck,
Marcia Yudkin

[ShortcutPublications]

In our monthly newsletter, Shortcut Confidential, we have a "Expert Interviews" page every month. Usually it has 2 different experts that have a similar theme. For instance last month it was gambling. It always gets great feedback from readers since we started doing it in the summer so it's something that we'll continue into the future.

If you work with some people then doing these interviews and then mentioning their business can be a great way of keeping them in touch and they will keep you in mind for any future business.

[phil.wheatley]

Thanks Marcia and 'scpublications', great info!! I've just purchased Michael's product and yep, it's pretty good so far.

Thanks,
Phil

[Lance K]

Originally Posted by mgkimsal

This is the one question I keep wrestling with - if you're going to potentially be making money from talking to someone, do you pay them for their time? Have they ever wanted a cut of sales?

You can pay them an up front fee. Ask them what their hourly rate is and pay them accordingly.

Or you can both have rights to the material. And you can each use it on your own as you wish and keep all profits, subscribers, etc. to yourself. Which is a lot less hassle than trying to split things 50/50 in a partnership type arrangement.

Either way, make sure you ask questions the audience wants answered. And take the time to prepare for the interview. Don't just wing it.

[mrmatt]

This is totally going against the grain of everything being said so far, but if you have experience and a track record why not charge them to do the interview.

I have paid radio stations about $150 for a 20 minute interview/infomercial. I did this not for the advertising but so that I could say I was a featured guest on such and such radio station. I also used the interview on my site as well as including it as a CD in the free reports I mailed out to leads. It makes me the obvious expert.

Your time and expertise is just as valuable as theirs and if you know how to get that interview into the hands of thousands or hundreds of thousands of people why wouldn't they pay.

Matt

[Scott Million]

Yes, that is what really launched my income starting out. With that model you get to leverage other people's name/brand, traffic (their list), and if you do a good job they'll generally refer you to others in their field.

This is the quickest way to build a list for free (actually, getting PAID to build a list) and generate some serious revenue fast.

I started off by charging for webinars upfront and then having "no pitch"... but it's much more profitable to give free access and sell a more high end product/service at the end. Don't sell yourself short with a $27 - $97 product. Come up with a really good $197-$497+ product (depends on your niche, of course).

Don't have a product idea? Sell them two 90 minute group webinar sessions, with a tight group where they get to talk/ask questions over the phone. Coaching/Live Training, etc. are good ones.

You don't even need a long sales letter and you'll have tons of hot buyers (if you presold well in your webinar and offered a lot of value). Seriously, just a headline "Grab XXX from the Webinar before it goes back to $XXX at 12:00 PM EST 5/10/09"

-> benefit 1
-> benefit 2
-> benefit 3

Buy now button

Seriously, the first time you do this with even 40 people listening you'll be shocked at how many will grab whatever it is if you pick the right interviewee, provide value but tease them a bit, and then end with a limited time offer for a big package. After you deliver the price blow don't end the webinar. Stick around and reinstate the value you're offering. Then make sure to answer some questions (write some down yourself before the webinar that you want to answer which help support the value of your offer)

Yes, this works! And VERY well.

As you do more of these in the same niche you'll be building a huge list of loyal buyers who enjoy receiving content via the webinar approach. This is such an asset, and will give you leverage... to a point where experts will be contacting you just to get the exposure.

That is... if you keep it going, every week if possible. Mix in some freebie reports/videos in between sessions.

Instant Teleseminar and GoToWebinar are the most cost effective solutions I've found for this model. There might be others out there now that are better, but I've always stuck to these.

Note: This is For Live Webinars/Teleseminars... Selling Interviews Works, but Not As Well As Live!

Make me some tea!

[Lance K]

Originally Posted by Brad Gosse

I am an expert in food tasting, wine drinking, and being lazy if anyone wants to interview me I am available.

Sounds great! Will you be drunk, laying on the sofa, with a mouth full of food the whole time? Just want to know how much editing time to set aside.

[marciayudkin]

This is totally going against the grain of everything being said so far, but if you have experience and a track record why not charge them to do the interview.

No expert who regularly gets interviewed on traditional media (radio, tv, newspapers, magazines) would ever pay you for your interview.

It goes against what was said because what you suggested is a strategy that would never work for genuine, recognized, admired experts. Sorry.

And as I said above, I have interviewed hundreds of nationally known experts and been interviewed dozens or maybe hundreds of times myself, so I do know what's realistic and what's not.

Marcia Yudkin

[Brad Gosse]

Originally Posted by Lance K

Sounds great! Will you be drunk, laying on the sofa, with a mouth full of food the whole time? Just want to know how much editing time to set aside.

That sounds awesome LOL

[Wally Conger]

Related question:

What methods are some of you using to record phone interviews?

[Brad Gosse]

Originally Posted by wconger

Related question:

What methods are some of you using to record phone interviews?

Skype has some great recorder plugins that even grab video.