The Vanishing Act

Sound familiar?

The Vanishing Act usually answers the Capturing questions like this.

• The recording stops. Your guest says something off-mic that gives you goosebumps. What happens to it?

  “Honestly? It's gone by dinner.”

  The moment the recording stops, most of the value disappears. The transcript captures words. PRM captures meaning.

• On air you say "I'll send you that book" or "I should intro you to someone". What happens next?

  “I mean it at the time.”

  Promises are the first thing to vanish. Every "I'll send you that" you forget is a small debt against the relationship.

• Where does everything you know about your guests live today?

  “My inbox, my DMs and my vibes.”

  One home per person. Everything that matters, in one place. Most hosts have five half-homes instead.

The pillar to work on: Capturing

Making sure conversations don't vanish once they're recorded.

Your best moments disappear the minute the recording stops. Write three sentences after every recording: what surprised you, what they care about, what you promised.

Questions

What is The Vanishing Act on the PRM Score?

Great conversations. Then, poof. You are brilliant in the room. The guest opens up, the moment lands, and then the recording stops and it all evaporates. The episode survives. The relationship does not.

What is the blind spot of The Vanishing Act?

Nothing gets written down, so nothing gets built on.

How do I stop being The Vanishing Act?

After your next recording, write three sentences: what surprised you, what they care about, what you promised. Your best moments disappear the minute the recording stops. Write three sentences after every recording: what surprised you, what they care about, what you promised.

What are the five podcast host types?

The Vanishing Act (Great conversations. Then, poof); The Name Collector (You know who. You forgot why); The Ghost Host (Lovely episode. Then silence); The Lone Broadcaster (Every guest is an island); The Relationship Architect (Your guests become infrastructure).

How is the PRM Score worked out?

Twelve questions, three for each of the four pillars (Capturing, Contextualizing, Follow-Through, Compounding). Each pillar is scored out of 25, for a total out of 100. Below 80, your host type is named after your weakest pillar. At 80 or above, you are The Relationship Architect.

The other host types

• The Name Collector

  You know who. You forgot why.

• The Ghost Host

  Lovely episode. Then silence.

• The Lone Broadcaster

  Every guest is an island.

• The Relationship Architect

  Your guests become infrastructure.