If you’ve been hosting a show for just a few months, chances are you are still pretty green.  Some might say you’re still wet behind the ears.  But don’t feel bad.  They are also some folks who have been doing their thing for a quite a while and they still sound as bad as they did when they first began.

 Unfortunately, some hosts haven’t taken the time to work on and perfect their announcing and interviewing skills.  Since internet radio sites like BlogTalk Radio have come onto the scene, more and more people have decided they have something to say.  But if you can’t convey your message in an appealing way, you will find yourself talking to yourself week after week 

So how do you go from being green---a novice---to a red hot announcer on the radio? 

Practice BEFORE you go on the air.  Practice what you're going to say thoroughly and if you’re going to have a guest, get someone to do a Q & A with you.   

Be Conversational:  It’s OK to have notes but work on trying to improvise more.  When you read directly what you've written it can often sound unnatural.  What you want to do is talk like you would to someone you know. 

Listen to other announcers.  Be sure to listen to the ones you like and don’t like and take notes on what’s good and bad about their announcing styles.  Listen to hear how they respond to different situations---when things go right and when things go wrong. 

Don’t Apologize for Your Mistakes:  We all make them from time to time.  But the good thing is if you’ve made a mistake, no one has to know unless you tell them.  Just keep going.  The more confident you become, and the more practice you put in, you will become more fluent in your announcing and interviewing style. 

Work on Pronunciations:   If you have a guest whose name you are uncertain of, please make sure you spell it out phonetically on a note card.  Also, practice saying the name several times before you actually go on the air.  And even if you still manage to screw the name up, find the humor in it and move on.   

Don't Come Across as a Know-it-All:  While it's good to sound knowledgeable and credible, you may sound arrogant and condescending, if you come across as trying to sound like you know more than your "expert" guest.    

There’s an old saying, “practice makes perfect.”  The more you do it and work at it, the better you are bound to become.  And always remember to enjoy what you do!