7 Reasons not to Stiff on an Opportunity

As someone who conducts interviews and gets interviewed, not to mention places clients into interviews, I have ample opportunity to see first-hand the time and planning that is involved in coordinating such.  There are many moving parts that the listener or viewer has no idea about when it comes to what has to happen for a guest to end up on a show.

In the end, however, it’s all worth it.  There is exposure for the guest, and, the show has more content to deliver to its audience.  Perhaps best of all is that it’s free publicity.  So, why wouldn’t you take advantage of one or more that get extended your way?  Say Yes and get the reps so that you become a pro at being a guest on a show, no matter its length.  And once you do say Yes, make sure you show up!  Here are seven reasons not to stiff on such an opportunity:

1)    It shows that you’re not serious about your career, that you’re willing to pick and choose opportunities, especially, in this case, those that you’ve already committed to

2)    The overwhelming majority of the people will not give you a second chance

3)    I have repeated this point over and over in other blogs and on numerous podcast episodes.  The music business truly is smaller than you think and so you never know who might know who.  Thus, all it takes is one person to mention someone’s name and it turns out that they stiffed you and so you raise a red flag and now that person is going to have second thoughts about doing business or getting involved with that artist.

4)    What if it’s a live television or radio show that you’re blowing off?  Do you think that they will just automatically have something that they can just fill your slot with?  No, they won’t, so, you’re really putting them in a jam.  And now that host has to filibuster for the entire time or the producer has to scramble to find something they can stick in there.

5)    In the event that it’s a recorded interview, such as a podcast or a TV show that tapes in advance, you don’t know that their schedule isn’t dependent on you doing that interview that day.  You don’t know that they do or don’t already have content in the can, meaning, you don’t know that you’re not throwing off their schedule, putting in jeopardy them releasing on-time.

6)    It flat out shows disrespect for the person that you are standing up.

7)    In general it just puts a red flag next to your name.  It’s another case of “you only have one chance to make a good first impression.”  Anytime someone hears or comes across your name they’re going to remember you for something bad.

Fortunately these lists of people who stiff on a particular show are short, but, that’s not the type of exclusive company that you want to be in.  Stick to your commitments.

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