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How to Find Out What Listeners Really Want From Your Podcast | Jay Nachlis, Coleman Insights

Aug 13, 2025

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Most podcasters rely on feedback from listeners and fans to figure out whether their podcast is good—and it’s costing them hundreds (even thousands) of potential new listeners who decide within seconds if your show is worth their time.

In this episode, Jay Nachlis, VP at Coleman Insights, joins me to reveal why this kind of surface-level feedback gives you a false sense of success, the blind spots that make new listeners tune out in the first 7 seconds, and how to get reliable input from real podcast listeners who don’t know you (and don’t already trust you)—so you can see exactly what first impression your show is making and what to refine so your show hooks new listeners right from the start.

So if you’ve ever logged into your podcast dashboard and wondered why your downloads still aren’t moving, this episode will give you answers you won’t find in your analytics. Hit play and let’s dive in.

0:32 – Why Friends’ Feedback Won’t Grow Your Podcast

1:39 – What Loyal Listeners Won’t Tell You (But New Listeners Will)

4:25 – The A/B Test That Shows Why People Hit Play

9:36 – The Surprising Feedback That Unlocked 100K+ Views on YouTube

15:15 – How to Find Out What Listeners Actually Want From Your Show

Episode Links:

Connect with Jay: LinkedIn | Website
Want to know what first impression your podcast is really making? Test it with PodPredictor

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→ This episode was recorded on the Deity VO-7U

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