Monthly Archives: April 2025

Tommy Kramer Coaching Tip #621: Send People to a Different Medium

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Way too often, I hear an air talent send someone to their Facebook page (or some other social media entity). I have to ask, “Why?”

If you’re doing your show on Facebook Live, for instance, that’s fine. Otherwise, don’t SEND them to whatever social media site you follow.

If someone is listening to you on the radio, chances are that even if they are checking their social site, they’re doing that mindlessly. If they’re really engaged with social media, they’re not actually listening to you.

We’re first. RADIO. Radio is BY FAR the biggest “social media” entity. Over 90% of people in the United States listen to the radio EVERY day.

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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 #620: Trying Too Hard

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Trying too hard is something that every good air talent goes through. Getting past it takes a bit of self-realization.

Looking at it in acting terms (because we are all voice actors to a degree), “reaching out” to the camera (the viewer) is the wrong perspective.

Let the camera (or in our case, the Listener) reach out to you. Overperforming is a drag. When you “reach”, it’s exaggerated.

Just settle down. Simply be there and be what you are, and let the Listener reach out to you.

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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 #619: Opinions versus Emotions

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Opinions are easy. Emotions are…more difficult. These two things are related, but they’re not the same.

The revealing of an Opinion is fine, but the revealing of an Emotion tops that.
An Opinion is subjective. An Emotion is clear and undeniable.

So sure, let’s hear what you think. But let’s also hear what 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 #618: The Experience, not the Ingredients

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My associate John Frost quoted this recently:

“The essence of branding and being worth consuming is that experience, not the ingredients which make it up.” – Mark Ramsey

If you’ve read any of these coaching tips, you know that I always think about what it’s like on the listener’s end of the radio first. So, here’s the coaching perspective…

Realize first that Experiences are emotional. “Right brain”. Non-analytical.
Mere information is pretty much just “left brain”, analytical. Not much emotion there. (Storytelling uses information – the Ingredients – of course, but only to reach the emotion at the core of the story that creates an Experience.)

You definitely should want your show/your station to be an experience.

So, ask yourself this: What will I do today on the air that people will remember as an experience?

Some examples:
• A contest, so someone wins something. (I once gave away $25,000 to an 8-year old girl in Honolulu. She and her family never forgot that experience.)
• A station promotion that would be fun for my whole family. (Dallas’s legendary KLTY’s Freedom Fest, for example.)
• Even just a thoughtful comment made about an artist or a song can be an experience, if you do it the right way.

John Frost had his Country station in Austin play “The Eyes of Texas” every day at noon. What could be more Texan?

In Shreveport once, I edited together a version of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” for our minor league baseball club’s Opening Day game – with each line sung by a different little kid. (Those kids – and their parents – and the listeners – had an experience.)

My pal Johnjay Van Es (of the “Johnjay & Rich” show) with his “Love Pup” thing, which led to getting lots and lots of dogs adopted. Brilliant. And an experience to listen to.

What will you do? THINK OF SOMETHING.

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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 #617: What Sounding Great is All About

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Everyone should want to be really good at what they do. Really, really good.
But not everyone knows how to get there. Let me make it simple for you:

Sounding great is about being prepared, and then just relaxing into it when you get on the air — but not using more words than you need.

No one can get to the next level as a Talent until they master Editing and Brevity. These are essential skills.

The most remembered songs, speeches, Proverbs, etc. are all SHORT. Make your point, then move on. People will thank you for it – by listening to you more.

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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.