Your Podcast Sucks - Another Lesson from Podcamp Ohio

They say a catchy title or headline grabs your customer and the title of this session by Doug Petch caught my attention.  Doug, a long term Toastmaster, spoke to the importance of a script that entertains, educates and is focused to keep your listeners interested.  He created an acronym definition using FORTE to help attendees remember the key components to a powerful podcast:

F:  Focus - clear your mind of distractions before starting your podcast.  Clean off your desk and shake off other issues (and noisy pets) that might take your focus while you are podcasting.

O:  Organize - not only your notes and the questions you'll ask but also your workspace and computer screen so you can quickly access files and tools you'll refer to during the session.

R:  Rehearse - you might think spontaneity makes for a better broadcast but truthfully the best "off the cuff" presentations have been scripted, rehearsed and memorized.  You'll also want to check the technical equipment to make sure everything works the way you expect.  Consider providing the guest the questions in advance so they can be prepared - there's nothing worse than catching your guest off guard making them look less than professional.

T:  Talk - the best part of the podcast.

E:  End - the two most important components of a podcast are the beginning and the ending - make sure you offer a call to action - directions to your site, information about the next podcast, etc.

Check out Doug and his blog for more information.

If you could pick only one thing that makes for a great podcast, what would it be?