Talk radio interviews aren't what they used to be.

Back "in the day", hosts would invite guests into the studio for 30 minute or longer interviews. A talk radio guest could just knock off a couple of those interviews and sales would instantly hit 'turbo.'

Marsha Friedman, Founder of Event Management Service Inc , a national pr firm says, "Sadly, those days are gone. Unless an author is a truly big name nowadays, the chances of hitting pay-dirt with just a couple of big radio interviews are history."

The reasons are two-fold.

The first element is that the number of talk radio shows with a guest format has dwindled over the years. Friedman adds, "Secondly, the amount of 'per-guest interview time' has shrunk." What is to blame for this? The researchers. The result of much research found that the shorter the segment, the more the audience will stay involved.

When it Comes to Talk Radio Publicity, Quantity Still Rules.

Think about it. Marsha Friedman says, "There are thousands of radio stations out there!many just 1,000 watts or so and without a big-name host. But wait! Don't make that decision so quickly!"

Think about this point of view. "If a 1000-watt radio station had, say, only 100 listeners, you'd probably think it wasn't worth the trouble, right?" adds Friedman. "But what if you could go to an auditorium and talk to 100 people about your book, would you go? Of course you would."

See the quandary here? So decide not to pass up an interview, whether big or small. This is a fabulous way of creating a solid consumer base and awareness", adds Friedman

A rookie baseball player doesn't throw his first pitch against the New York Yankees, does he? Of course not!and the same applies to radio.

Marsha Friedman says, "It takes approximately 10 to 12 radio interviews before most clients are comfortable behind the microphone. It is a much wiser decision to cut your teeth on the small stations so that when you get the opportunity to appear on a huge national show you are comfortable enough to really take advantage of the terrific promotional opportunity. The small stations give you a fantastic practice field when it comes to radio pr."

Having a large number of interviews under your belt will definitely give you experience. What is meant by practice is that you will be able to gather your thoughts, your pitch and interview style and sound like a pro in no time.

There are many mistakes made by "rookie" talk radio guests such as not mentioning your product or website enough, or being too salesy. It's also a mistake to mention these too often and upset the host, who will let you know that the show is not an infomercial.

Technical clients have a tendency to slide into techno-babble, and even good guests inevitably walk out of their first few interviews knowing they could have done better. But if you are going out to smaller stations initially, you won't have a national audience hearing your mistakes."

Of course there could be problems using the smaller stations. It is important to get yourself ready because sometimes you will run into unprofessional situations. So make sure that you reconfirm your interview a couple of times before you are due to appear on-air.

But hey, what can prepare you for the 500 watt station in the middle of nowhere that's hosted by a recent college grad. Many hosts won't be as prepared as their big-league counterparts. So you may have to walk them through the major points of your topic.

Marsha Friedman says, "Prepare for these interviews as though you have just met someone on the street for the first time and you're telling them about your book. Don't leave everything up to the host. Always be prepared for the interview. Very bright people listen to some very small radio stations; so don't ever talk down to your audience."

The point: small stations can get your sales going while getting you ready to hit the big time!

Marsha Friedman has been a leading authority on public relations for nearly two decades as CEO of Event Management Services, Inc (EMSI). If you would like to receive her free Ebook "How to Be a Great Talk Radio Guest" visit http://www.emsincorporated.com.