Over the last ten years, I've worked with some of Australia's – and the world's – leading business experts.
I've interviewed many of them on their area of expertise to create audio products for them and for me. For example, I've worked with:
- Matt Church – powerful positioning
- Helen Macdonald – getting "juiced up" employees
- Ed Keay-Smith – Google advertising
- Erica Bagshaw – goal setting
- Chris Gray – property investment
- Candy Tymson – low-cost marketing
- David Faletti – creating multimedia products
- Emma Weber – turning learning into action
- … and more!
I get really excited about helping these experts get their ideas out of their heads, clearly and succintly.
I can interview you, to create instant products to use in your marketing, promotion and to sell for profit.
 "Your natural style and insightful questioning technique made it really easy for me to share my ideas. What I found particularly impressive was the way your questions got me to think and articulate about my own model and area of expertise … conversations. Great self-learning. Looking forward to receiving the audio interview copy for my own promotion."— Hugh Gyton, CEO, Just a Conversation |
Are you making the most of the ideas in your head?
The problem with most experts is that they've got the ideas, but sometimes struggle with getting them out of their heads. It takes too much time, too much effort, and sometimes even too much money to get it just right.
That's why the interview technique is perfect. When you have somebody to manage the structure and "tease out" the gems of wisdom and insight, it's easy for you to just … well, TALK!
I know that, as an expert, your job is to get good ideas, get lots of them, and share them with the world. Your purpose isn't to understand the nitty-gritty details of doing a professional interview. Leave that to me – YOU focus on the ideas in your head.
What exactly does this do for you?
Think of me as your ideas spotlight. You've got the ideas, and I can shine the light on them so the world sees them – and you – with clarity, focus and strength.
For example, I interviewed the authors of the book "Ideas", produced by Thought Leaders. Each author contributed a chapter to the book, and I enhanced this by interviewing them on their chapter. It was a simple way for them to create an audio program to go along with the book.
The thing that makes me different is that I combine structure, style and substance. You just be the expert of substance, and I'll "hold the space" for you by managing the structure of the process. And, as we interact with each other, we bring a unique style to the final product.
 "Gihan has the most amazing and understated skill at putting you at ease. At the start of an interview your mind is full of the fact you are being recorded – but Gihan's insightful questions and gentle, encouraging approach ensure you deliver a natural, first class result. I was amazed at how easy he made it. And now that it's done, I can see so many ways such a simple thing can add terrific value to my business."— Penny Burke, Essence Communications |
How can you use the product?
The most obvious way to use an interview product is to create an audio CD program and sell it to your clients.
That's certainly one option! But consider some others as well:
- Making it available as a free sample on your Web site
- Cutting it up into segments to deliver as an on-line e-mail course
- Sending it to qualified prospects as a promotional CD
- Using extracts on your blog
- Delivering it in a podcast
- Offering samples in your e-mail newsletter
- Giving it as a bonus as an incentive (for "early bird" registrations, for example)
You'll also get the transcript of the interview, which you can use to write:
- Articles
- Newsletter segments
- A special report or e-book
- A chapter of a book
- Material for your blog
- Material for Web pages
- … and more!
What's involved in making this work?
We do the interview either by phone or Skype, so you can be anywhere in the world.
Before the interview, you send me a "brief", which describes the idea you'd like to discuss in the interview. This might be an article you've written, a chapter from a book, a PowerPoint slide show – whatever it takes for me to get an overview of your topic.
I'll send you a "run sheet", with a broad list of questions that I'll ask during the interview. You can make notes for yourself to prepare.
We book a 45-minute time slot for the interview, and I phone you at the allotted time. The interview typically runs for 30-40 minutes.
 "Gihan Perera is a natural interviewer. The thing that makes him unique is his intelligent questioning and genuine interest in learning. I love being interviewed by Gihan, it just flows and feels more like a jam session than a stitched-up chat. The result is high-energy conversational recordings that cover the issues and yet engage an audience at so many different levels. Move over, Parkinson."— Matt Church, CEO, Thought Leaders |
What do you get?
After the interview, I'll edit it and clean it up so it's ready for publishing.
If you wish, I'll also add a short music clip to the beginning and end, so it's ready for you to publish immediately. You can either send me this music (e.g. music somebody has composed for your business) or I can use a piece of music selected from a royalty-free music collection I own.
I'll then make it available to you in various formats:
- Within 2 working days, I'll send you the recording as an MP3 file.
- I'll also send you instructions on how to make this available for playing on your Web site.
- I'll also send you the interview on an audio CD.
- Within a week, I'll also send you a transcript of the interview.
How much preparation is required?
Not much!
If you really know your stuff, it's easy for you to talk about it. I'll make sure we follow a structure, stay on track, and highlight the key points.
That's the beauty of the interview technique. You just do what you're best at – talking about your ideas – and I'll wrap a process around it that creates value for the listeners.
 "I just want to say thank you for the interview we conducted I felt like I was guided through my own topic of expertise but all the while free to say what I wanted. When I started running away with words and thoughts, you would centre me with a focused question. Thanks for giving me another product that I can now use to sell to my client base."— Steven Di Pietro, Service with Purpose |
Who owns the material?
You do.
You can edit, give, sell, distribute or use the material in any other way you choose. The only restriction is that you must keep the segments using my voice in context. So, for example, you can cut the interview into smaller segments; but you can't combine something I say with something unrelated.
What is your investment?
Your investment for this service is $1,500 plus GST. This is payable (by Visa, Mastercard or direct deposit) when we confirm the interview time.
 "You have a warm and engaging style and I found it easy to talk to my chosen topic. Gihan, your questions showed that you were well informed, and more particularly you followed the flow of our conversation. I had the sense that each idea sparked a natural curiosity that you explored with me in some depth. You maintained the pace and timing of our dialogue together and I felt 'safe' in the way you handled the boundaries of conversation, easily steering me in the direction of what was relevant and helping me to avoid 'fluffing around'."— Peter Webb, The Coach's Coach |
How do you get started?
E-mail me if you'd like to schedule an interview. Tell me a bit about your background and area of expertise (a link to your Web site is just fine), and tell me the specific topic area you'd like to use for the interview.
I conduct most interviews on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons. Give me some dates and times when you're available, and we'll find something that works for both of us.
I look forward to hearing from you!
"I had the opportunity of being interviewed by Gihan recently and must say I was blown away by his ability to elicit the essence of what I do in a way that left ME inspired by what was recorded. His intuitive ability, coupled with his genuine interest in you and your subject results in magic being captured which not only benefits the listener but also leaves you – the subject matter expert – feeling heard. The scripts went out the window and I was led through a powerfully facilitated session which has resulted in a great promotional product … Thanks Gihan for making the experience so exhilarating!" |
 "I found your interview process a very effective way to help me to speak about my expertise. The process enabled me to speak authentically about what I do and the path that led me to this point. Your questioning process gave me permission to do this – it would have been much harder for me to publish this material without the interview format. Before the interview I wondered how I would fill the time, but the time flew, and before I knew it, we were at the end! The discussion was spontaneous rather than scripted, and I felt that this made the recording much more interesting for the listener and really added to the value of the product."— Shelley Dunstone |
 "My interview experience with Gihan was excellent. He asked insightful questions, allowed space for me to answer in my way, obviously listened intently as the follow-up questions took my thoughts to another level. I can use this interview as an audio product , a value add for clients or as a way of introducing my concepts to potential clients. Thanks Gihan, great job!"— Adrian Heath, Evolution Learning |
 "From the moment the interview started Gihan made me feel at ease and I barely noticed that the interview had began. He has a natural ability to draw out the right information to make the interview flow and be packed full of well structured content. I recorded a CD (and MP3) which I can sell as a product at my seminars or use as a promotional tool to market my business. I didn't need to know anything about recording software, editing, etc. – Gihan took care of all of that. Honestly, it doesn't get any easier than that to make ideas profitable!"— Michael Licenblat, Resilience Expert |
 "Gihan has a special talent with his interviews. His natural style, with light touches of humour, make the process easy for the interviewee and always creates a product that adds value to the initial ideas. He asks great questions that drill into the content. The end result makes a wonderful “audio business card” for promotional purposes, as well as being a valuable addition to my product line-up."— Helen Macdonald, Juiced Up Living |
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"I found the experience of being interviewed fun and rewarding. I actually forgot I was being interviewed and just simply enjoyed the conversation I was having with Gihan. He asked insightful and focussed questions and always managed to take us back to the main area of focus without sounding stilted in any way. I quickly felt confident that he would stay on track and therefore I could relax and just "get into" the conversation. My stories flowed and my ideas linked and I am sure this was due to the expertise brought by Gihan. It was evident he had done his homework and knew his subject matter as he linked his stories to what my interview was all about. I would absolutely recommend Gihan as an expert interviewer." — Mandy Holloway, Holloway Consulting |
