Tommy Kramer Coaching Tip #676: Crayons

Posted on May 20, 2026 by tommykramer

A radio career is like crayons.
You start with the little 8-pack, and boy, is that fun. All the primary colors at your service. Now to find a surface to draw on….

Your handling improves. You work on writing or drawing things. You need more crayons, so you move to the 16-pack. Lots more colors and variations. Can’t WAIT to put that strange turquoise/green/blue one. That’ll look great on the wall. (And you find out that on paper is better, then the paper goes on the wall – or the fridge.)

Your imagination bursts with ideas; things you want to try. Then, true crayon citizenship comes with the 32-box. Oh lord, such colors. Need a bigger backpack for that baby.

And don’t even talk about the 64-box with the sharpener built into the side. You can rule the world with that gigantic assortment. Are trees really fuchsia? They are if you want them to be!

Just like radio. You learn a little bit at a time, you “play” with each “color” that comes to you, and each thing you learn adds another crayon to your performance “box”.

Listen to great air talent. Ask questions. Understand what the backbone of the station is, then color it your way.

– – – – – – –
Tommy Kramer
Talent Coach
214-632-3090 (mobile)
e-mail: coachtommykramer@gmail.com
Member, Texas Radio Hall of Fame
© 2026 by Tommy Kramer. All rights reserved.

Tommy Kramer Coaching Tip #675: You Need to Know Them

Posted on May 13, 2026 by tommykramer

This is the starting place – especially when you’re new to a station:

People don’t need to know you. You need to know them.

Streets have names that are pronounced differently than you would have thought.
Food tastes are different. (I once went to a corporate meeting in York, Pennsylvania. EVERY store and every restaurant I went into had candy machines in the entrance. Dentists must love that place.)

The point is, the culture of the market is your guide to meaningful Content, so observe, listen, experience, and soak in the little things that make up the fabric of your market. Then, connect the dots TO the listener.

You learn about them. THEN they learn about you.

That’s how it works. You’re either going to be a new neighbor, or just another voice saying words.

– – – – – – –
Tommy Kramer
Talent Coach
214-632-3090 (mobile)
e-mail: coachtommykramer@gmail.com
Member, Texas Radio Hall of Fame
© 2026 by Tommy Kramer. All rights reserved.

Tommy Kramer Coaching Tip #674: The Aircheck Swap Meet

Posted on May 6, 2026 by tommykramer

Here’s something you can do to both improve your on-air performance and bond the station together a bit.

Years ago, my friend and fellow Texas Radio Hall of Fame member Bruce Gilbert each Programmed a station in the same cluster – mine was a Talk station, Bruce’s was a Sports-talk station.

We went to a hotel in downtown Dallas – away from the constant interruptions of the office environment, and listened to each other’s station. In separate rooms. For several hours. Taking notes about what we heard that we liked, and what might need a little help.

Then we went to lunch, and just chatted about normal stuff.
Following that, we went back to the hotel and shared our notes with each other. SO healthy. Truly eye-opening at times.

When you see your work through someone else’s eyes (or ears, in our case), you get a fresh perspective. Try it with a friend on the staff. It doesn’t have to be “formal”. Just “you listen to me, and I’ll listen to you,” then share with each other honestly, with no offense taken.

Ideas always seem to erupt spontaneously on something to DO. (Which is the first mandate: Do something.)

– – – – – – –
Tommy Kramer
Talent Coach
214-632-3090 (mobile)
e-mail: coachtommykramer@gmail.com
Member, Texas Radio Hall of Fame
© 2026 by Tommy Kramer. All rights reserved.

Tommy Kramer Coaching Tip #673: How Long is Your Show Prep Time?

Posted on April 29, 2026 by tommykramer

Often, I’ve asked air talent how long their show prep time is. The responses are varied. Some claim hours are spent sifting through websites and social media, local news, etc.
Others say they don’t really need much prep. They pretty much just wing it each day.

Both of these responses show a certain lack of truly productive prep.

Money (your wallet), the Entertainment world (as it applies to your format), whatever “the Buzz” is today, Relationships, and things that are unique to you are the only things you really need.

The prep starts in your living room, and works outward from there, including what you’ve observed as you’ve gone through your day.

There. Solved it for you. 🙂

– – – – – – –
Tommy Kramer
Talent Coach
214-632-3090 (mobile)
e-mail: coachtommykramer@gmail.com
Member, Texas Radio Hall of Fame
© 2026 by Tommy Kramer. All rights reserved.

Tommy Kramer Coaching Tip #672: A Voice-Tracking Lesson — inspired by Clint Eastwood

Posted on April 22, 2026 by tommykramer

Actor and film Director Clint Eastwood is famous for doing as few “takes” as possible. There’s an interesting story about that.

Once, an actor who was dissatisfied with his first effort asked Eastwood is he could have another try.

Clint then asked, “Was there film in the camera?”
The actor, a bit puzzled, got a nod from the cameraman, who answered, “Yes.”
Eastwood then said, “Print it. Let’s move along.”

Lesson: when you’re voice tracking, don’t try to make it perfect or flawless. If it’s a good take, move along. WAY too many voice trackers sound “canned” because of too many takes. We want to sound real and in the moment.

– – – – – – –
Tommy Kramer
Talent Coach
214-632-3090 (mobile)
e-mail: coachtommykramer@gmail.com
Member, Texas Radio Hall of Fame
© 2026 by Tommy Kramer. All rights reserved.

Tommy Kramer Coaching Tip #671: A Picture of the Listener

Posted on April 15, 2026 by tommykramer

Some questions for you:
Who is your target listener?
What does that person look like?
What do you actually know about her or him?

The simplest way to maintain focus and stay in your lane as an air talent is to have a clear-eyed view of who your listener is, and what that person’s life is probably like.

Your Sales staff might be able to help you. Sales people seem to know who to approach.

Suggestion: Find a picture of someone who personifies your target listener and put it in the Control Room where you can’t miss it. (Taping it to the back of an empty chair facing you, for instance.)

When I worked in a female-targeted format, I put a picture of my wife in the Control Room. When I worked in a male-targeted format, I put a picture of my cousin Rick, who was like a brother to me.

Just open the mic and talk to the picture. Easy.

– – – – – – –
Tommy Kramer
Talent Coach
214-632-3090 (mobile)
e-mail: coachtommykramer@gmail.com
Member, Texas Radio Hall of Fame
© 2026 by Tommy Kramer. All rights reserved.

Tommy Kramer Coaching Tip #670: The End of a Legend

Posted on April 6, 2026 by tommykramer

If you’ve followed these tips, you know that I’ve frequently referred to a morning guy in my hometown of Shreveport, Louisiana. His name is Larry Ryan, my first mentor, and he’s as good at connecting with an audience as anyone I’ve ever heard in any size market.

“Lovable Larry” did his show with his sidekick “Mr. Weather” for well over 50 years, with consistently fine ratings.

Just recently, Larry Ryan retired.

And – of course – the cookie cutter, “play-the-same-300-songs-over-and-over-again” Oldies station he was on made the typical stupid move of putting in a mindless team show that has no substance, and doesn’t sound like they know anything about the Shreveport/Bossier market at all.

Radio isn’t dead, but it is strangling itself.

To station owners and managers:
We don’t need or want generic shows. We want to listen to people who understand what our lives are about, and share what they have in common with us.

– – – – – – –
Tommy Kramer
Talent Coach
214-632-3090 (mobile)
e-mail: coachtommykramer@gmail.com
Member, Texas Radio Hall of Fame
© 2026 by Tommy Kramer. All rights reserved.

Tommy Kramer Coaching Tip #699: What is there to come back for?

Posted on April 1, 2026 by tommykramer

Years ago, I traveled to Indiana to work with a morning show there. It didn’t take long to spot the fundamental weakness of the show – the guy was basically just allowing his female partner to be his live “laugh track.” And the Content was weak to begin with, some lame ‘prep sheet’ type of stuff and what he thought were jokes.

The problem was, she was much better than he was. She had a great voice that pulled you in, she could sound any age, was very smart, and could make you laugh with real stories and comments, not just jokey lines. The guy was pretty lazy, which showed as we met for the first time after they got off the air. He literally leaned back in his chair, plopped his feet up on his desk, and asked me, “Why should I listen to you?” Hmmm…

So, we then started to work. As always, the first step was to point out something that they did well. Then we went over the first one or two things I wanted them to work on. The female partner paid attention. The guy didn’t.

After two days of coaching and listening, their boss asked me over lunch for my initial assessment. I told him the girl was a terrific talent, but that he would probably end up replacing the guy. He asked why, and I boiled it down by asking him, “If a new listener heard them for the first time today, what is there to come back for?”

I only cite this example because if the morning guy had actually wanted to listen, he would have realized that it’s SO EASY to sound good…

5 steps:
Learn what you do well.
Learn what you don’t do well.
Learn what valid Content is.
Root for your teammates.
And resist letting your ego take over the show.

Tommy Kramer Coaching Tip #668: The 3-Break Litmus Test

Posted on March 25, 2026 by tommykramer

People often ask me what I listen for as the coaching process begins. There are many facets to an air talent, but I can learn where we need to start by hearing three breaks.

[1] A straight “station business” break. Does this person sound like he/she actually gives a cr*p?

[2] (For music radio) A short break, say, over a brief song intro. Does that person attempt to do anything, or does he/she just do a basic intro?

[3] Whatever “bit” (feature) is in the show. Is it creative? Is it too wordy, or trying too hard? These often sound either oblivious of the listener’s life, or sort of needy.

Those three segments tell me everything I need to know about the work effort, the timing and sensitivity to know what a good break is, and whether the air talent is trying to “link up” with the listener.

Example: Today, I heard a morning show do “What was the worst tattoo you ever got?” My, how totally not compelling. We’ve all heard this kind of thing way too many times, with the same callers from the day before phoning in the same kinds of responses. “WHY you got a tattoo in the first place” would work better, but really, is this about today? Why did it come up?

If I heard you do three breaks today, what do you think I’d have to say?

Tommy Kramer Coaching Tip #667: Sarcasm – No

Posted on March 18, 2026 by tommykramer

Sarcasm works okay in certain movies, TV shows, or articles, but if you think sarcasm is a strength on the radio, think again.

For every person that “gets” sarcasm and thinks it’s funny, there are most likely two people that don’t.
And that’s especially true of women. Most women think it’s uncouth, hurtful, and/or stupid. (This is not an empty guess. In my life are my wife and her two sisters, my own two sisters, and two nieces. You should see the looks they give when someone is sarcastic to them.)

“Oh, well then, sarcasm will work with men.”
Don’t be so sure. Just this week, a couple of my friends went through a heated argument when one of them tossed out a sarcastic comment.

So, drop the sarcasm. It pretty much just makes you sound like a smart-aleck..