THE MAGIC INGREDIENT Chris Byrnes - ByrnesMedia Earlier this month I conducted an announcers’ talent seminar as part of an annual radio group conference. We gathered in the Muskokas and spent two days together working, bonding and having fun. Ideas were exchanged and some of the lively discussion happened around the bar or well into the wee hours of the morning. I came away from this conference even more enthused about the calibre and commitment of talent working outside the major markets than ever before. During one of the sessions I asked each announcer to write down the one thing that sets them apart from the rest of the pack. I was impressed with the answers and I share some of them with you in the hope that it might inspire other announcers to isolate the skill or process they use to create a great show day after day.
Being Prepared: Mike is a seasoned jock who has worked in major markets but prefers the pace and quality of life in a smaller town. He told me that his secret is being prepared each and every day. You get the impression when you listen to Mike that he knows everyone in his broadcast area and they all know him. “Being thoroughly prepared gives me the additional confidence to lift my performance each and every day.”
The Phones: JC said “Anyone who has a telephone has a microphone to my show.” He rolls tape across every call, edits and runs appropriate sentences or parts of the call. He told me, “My audience knows they can call me anytime and, provided they have something interesting to say, they will get on the air.” He tries to make the listeners the stars of his show.
Name Dropping: Bob has lived and worked in the same market for many years and says his secret to success is name dropping. He told me that even though his broadcast area covers a lot of territory he knows every nook and cranny. If he sees a street or road he has not mentioned in a while he makes a note of it and finds a way to talk about that area on the air. He also finds ways to use people’s names on the air in a positive manner, because this is the best way to make a connection with his audience. He has established a network of people who feed him names, so when someone gets a hole in one at the local golf club he is talking about it on the air the next day.
Relating to Women: Sandi told me her secret is finding material that relates to her target audience – in this case, women. She is at the younger end of her target demographic and knows that she is not living the lifestyle of her typical listener. So she subscribes to three magazines and visits several web sites that target the audience to which she is trying to relate. She also talks to as many women in the target demographic as possible to find out what their interests, concerns and issues are to help her with content.
Making the PSA’s Stand Out: John has been behind the microphone for many years and shared this tip: “I try not to fall into the trap of reading the PSA’s or station liners as they are written. Instead I look beyond the obvious and find ways to weave that material into my show. I tell stories, and where possible, relate it to life experiences. Anyone can read a liner card, but it takes effort and planning to make this information relatable to the audience. Sell the benefit to the listener and remember the ‘keep it simple’ rule.”
Interesting Stuff That Happens: Mike does the morning show in another market and told me that his secret is talking about all the crazy stuff that happens to himself, his family and his friends. “We can all relate to moving house and the drama that results,” said Mike. “Listeners will stop me in the street to ask if I have managed to assemble that furniture from IKEA yet. They are genuinely interested in the day-to-day things that we talk about on the air because they can relate” said Mike.
It’s About the Music: Kent is a music guy. He schedules the music and clearly has a real passion for the songs on the radio. “Too many announcers blow off the backsell or deliver a laundry list of artists that are coming up.” He feels an important part of any announcer’s job is to sell the music with pride and enthusiasm. “We all play some songs that we may not personally like, but that’s part of our job. We need to remember this is show business and we are paid to make the music the star. I do my best to call attention to new songs and artists, by digging up relevant and fresh artist information because I know the audience is hungry for this information.”
Sell the Benefit: Ryan shared with me the one thing that sets him apart from other announcers. “I try to avoid cluttering up the station contests with too much information that is of little interest to our listeners. We all live in a ‘value added’ world and agencies in particular are trying to force stations to clutter up the liners, sponsor tags and promos. I try to sell my listeners on the benefits of why they should take part in a contest or visit a client remote.”
Tell Them Things They Don’t Know: James is a fun guy who loves his job. He listens online to other announcers and subscribes from his own pocket to an air check service. He says too many announcers talk about what is going to be on television that night. “The audience will watch the shows they are interested in anyway, so why waste a break talking about it?” He also said that too many announcers talk about what was on the box last night but fail to add anything that anyone who watched the same show does not already know. “I will mention television if one of our core artists will be a guest on one of the talk shows. I roll tape across these shows and often get great audio I can run on my show.”
Business Cards: “Whenever I meet anyone in my broadcast area I always give them my business card.” It has my email address, the station web site and the contest Hotline right on the card.” Greg feels he has more contact with his listeners than most announcers as a result. “I always ask people for their card and I write notes on the back of the card so I can remember where I met them. I make a point of using their name on the air the following day, and I keep the cards because I might need to contact them or talk about them in the future.”
Read All the Local Papers: According to Dave, “This is such a simple thing to do, but most announcers do not know what to look for in the newspaper or on the city and community websites.” He told me that he finds gems in the classified section. “You will be amazed what people want to buy or sell. The skill is finding ways to weave this content into your show. This is one way I ensure my show is local. When the guys across the street are talking about Paris Hilton or Britney, I’m talking about what’s going on at the Rotary Club or the local church fair this weekend.”
Avoid Generic Content: Dave says, “I try to put something local into every break I deliver on the radio so I don’t sound like the guys on the satellite or voice tracked services.” He appreciates working for a company that allows him to perform live so he tries to avoid delivering any breaks that sound like they could come from somewhere else.
Conclusion: Each person put a great deal of thought into their answer, so my hope is there will be announcers reading this article who will be inspired to adopt some of the excellent suggestions in order to improve their day-to-day performance. Create better day-to-day radio. Others may feel they also have valid suggestions that should be on the list. You’re welcome to pass along your comments via email to info@byrnesmedia.com. |