Tommy Kramer Coaching Tip #615: Why Using Fewer Words Works Better

Posted on March 19, 2025 by tommykramer

After hearing a couple of overly long breaks the other day on a music station I work with, this came up in the next coaching session:

Use fewer words.

There’s a reason that most famous quotes are short. Usually, the more words a person uses, the less impact it makes. (A lot of people disagree when I say that, but they’re wrong. In today’s jump-cut, hummingbird-attention-span world, being longwinded makes you sound OLD.)

So, just try to cut down the NUMBER of words it takes you to talk about something.

EVEN IN TALK RADIO shows, fewer words about each point will make more impact than just beating one point to death. And by being briefer, you’ll be able to get more Subjects into the show. The overall “bump” is that you’ll be more thorough – without being boring.

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Tommy Kramer
Talent Coach
214-632-3090 (mobile)
e-mail: coachtommykramer@gmail.com
Member, Texas Radio Hall of Fame
© 2025 by Tommy Kramer. All rights reserved.

Tommy Kramer Coaching Tip #614: Inside-out Show Prep

Posted on March 12, 2025 by tommykramer

In a recent coaching session, a very good air talent I work with had chosen to do a stunningly uninteresting story about sleeping better with something called “cognitive shuffling”. I’d tell you more, but the story itself was a better cure for insomnia.

This happens a lot nowadays. A posting that you think is “interesting,” or that you can think up a funny line for, makes it through your filters and gets on the air.

I think it’s because of what I call “outside-in” show prep: looking at the outside world first, then trying to make it sound personal. Ho hum.

Here’s what I wrote in her session recap:

To me, this sounded like just another click-bait posting. (Anytime I hear “It’s gone viral,” that’s a dead giveaway.) You did your best to make it work, but you’re going to get far better traction with what you see around you than what gets posted to social media. First of all, I doubt that many people listening to that break (at 11:14am on Friday) was really thinking much about sleep tips.

But more importantly, this “outside-in” show prep method is what makes shows more generic.

The greatest show prep starts at home, because what goes on in your family, your neighborhood, your city, is always going to be stronger than just some random article or social media posting.

Posting something is just an exercise, but LIVING something is different. And by prepping inside-out (your own home first, then work out from there), it automatically results in more natural language, and being more emotive.

It’s the difference between reading something to your husband at breakfast versus actually telling him about something that you did or that you feel.

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Tommy Kramer
Talent Coach
214-632-3090 (mobile)
e-mail: coachtommykramer@gmail.com
Member, Texas Radio Hall of Fame
© 2025 by Tommy Kramer. All rights reserved.

Tommy Kramer Coaching Tip #613: Collaboration, and the Downside of Sharing Content

Posted on March 5, 2025 by tommykramer

Collaboration is one thing. Sharing Content can be a whole different thing. Let me explain…

Collaboration, in terms of sharing Content ideas with a friend is fine. I’ve encouraged many people to collaborate with another air talent to brainstorm together. It can be a real healthy process, not just for the ideas themselves, but what it fleshes out through each person forming their own take on them. Often, they learn things from each other that they might not have learned on their own.

However, “sharing Content” is a different animal, and has now morphed into an area that can be merely generic and lazy.
I recently heard that a bunch of air talents even share phone call audio.

Why? Are you so boring that you can’t generate phone calls from your own area?
Do you think the listeners are so stupid that they can’t recognize an accent, or a lack of one, that says “this caller is not from here”?

When I was on the air, back when dinosaurs ruled the Earth, if I had a great caller, you would NEVER get that audio to use on another station. When did we get to where we don’t compete anymore?

You want a raise? Be GREAT.

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Tommy Kramer
Talent Coach
214-632-3090 (mobile)
e-mail: coachtommykramer@gmail.com
Member, Texas Radio Hall of Fame
© 2025 by Tommy Kramer. All rights reserved.

Tommy Kramer Coaching Tip #612: There’s Immediate, and then there’s Anytime

Posted on February 27, 2025 by tommykramer

There are really only two categories of Content in terms of when you use it. There’s what’s immediate. Needs to be on NOW. Or at least TODAY.

And then there’s “anytime” Content. I’ve heard it called “Rainy day” Content or “Evergreen” Content. My translation: crap that should be thrown into the trash.

Your show should be as NOW as possible. A friend at a station in the Northwest told me that last year, they had a huge, dangerous ice storm hit – but since the Afternoon show was voice-tracked, there was no one to tell the listeners about it.

Think about that. It’s absolutely stunning. They made themselves not even do what radio was CREATED to do. (But I’ll bet it never happens again. He’s a good guy and a smart person, and this was embarrassing.)

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Tommy Kramer
Talent Coach
214-632-3090 (mobile)
e-mail: coachtommykramer@gmail.com
Member, Texas Radio Hall of Fame
© 2025 by Tommy Kramer. All rights reserved.

Tommy Kramer Coaching Tip #610: The 3rd Camera Angle

Posted on February 12, 2025 by tommykramer

Words are what we do. Crafting what we want to say into a shape that’s relatable and connective is always the challenge. But remember, the words grow from the camera angle.

Example: If my wife and I got into an argument standing in line at the bank, how I see it is one angle, and how she sees it is the most obvious choice for a second camera angle.
But if there’s no “fruit” there, I automatically go one more step — in this scenario, what does it look like to the bank teller overhearing this? (Or to the other people in line?)

That’s the next step – the third camera angle. If #1 or #2 won’t “click” in your mind, arbitrarily put yourself in a different person’s shoes, and the subject will open up like a flower.

You’ll find, in time, that you’ll develop that inner “tuning fork” that knows when the words are right.

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Tommy Kramer
Talent Coach
214-632-3090 (mobile)
e-mail: coachtommykramer@gmail.com
Member, Texas Radio Hall of Fame
© 2025 by Tommy Kramer. All rights reserved.

Tommy Kramer Coaching Tip #609: The Emotional Void

Posted on February 5, 2025 by tommykramer

In the last tip, I (again) addressed why your Content should tap into an Emotion. This is basic “What’s my motivation?” acting stuff.

But here’s the deal: Over the years, I’ve had a surprising number of air talents tell me that they don’t really HAVE an Emotion about a given subject.

So here’s another tip: If you don’t automatically tap into an Emotion, FIND ONE.

You have to dig into how you feel, then transmit that through your wording, your inflection, even just the general tone of your voice. Trust me, when you do, people can’t help but respond. And you’ll reach a whole different level in how you connect with the Listener.

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Tommy Kramer
Talent Coach
214-632-3090 (mobile)
e-mail: coachtommykramer@gmail.com
Member, Texas Radio Hall of Fame
© 2025 by Tommy Kramer. All rights reserved.

Tommy Kramer Coaching Tip #608: WHY Revealing an Emotion Works

Posted on January 30, 2025 by tommykramer

A LOT of time is spent in my coaching sessions dwelling on the Emotion behind what the Talent says, rather than what the subject matter is.

Here’s why:
Emotion is the only thing that people respond to without conscious thought.

Please read that last sentence again.
Now think about your air work. Are you just passing out information? If you do give an opinion, are you showing what you FEEL in addition to what you think?
(Remember that revealing an emotion doesn’t really take a whole lot of effort. It can be done with just the tone of your voice, or a change in volume.)

We hear the word “authenticity” being thrown around a lot these days. Well, Emotion is at the core of that, because to really connect with the listener (which is the whole point of broadcasting), you need to have the Listener FEEL something when you talk.

Tommy Kramer Coaching Tip #607: The Main Reason (besides the Music) that People Listen to You

Posted on January 22, 2025 by tommykramer

If you play a song I love, I’ll listen.

But, when you get into Content, if you can’t reveal something that you and I have in common, I’m not going to listen to you very long.

It’s sort of like dating someone you’re head-over-heels for, but they just kind of like you. That’s not the basis for a great relationship.

Here’s how we bond:

What do you feel about something that’s on my mind, too?

If there’s some sort of “secret” to being great on the air, that’s it. It sounds simple, and it is, to a degree. But of course, the next step is how you put that Content on the air.

That’s why I keep sharing these tips, to lead you through this ongoing challenge. If nothing else, maybe you’ll put just a little more thought into what you’re doing. And that’ll be good for both you and the listener.

Tommy Kramer Coaching Tip #606: The Howard Clark Litmus Test

Posted on January 15, 2025 by tommykramer

Early in my career, I lucked into having a tremendous mentor in the great Howard Clark.

My early, feeble attempts to “entertain” were a litany of way-too-long setups for what usually proved to be pretty lame punch lines.

I’ve written about Howard before. He was a brilliant talent who could just drop in a comment over a song intro that could make you laugh out loud in less than ten seconds. He was the best, most concisely funny person I ever heard on the air.

Howard embodied what I consider to be the definition of greatness: He made you turn the radio UP when he spoke.

If you’ve got that, you don’t have to worry about your ratings.