Tommy Kramer Coaching Tip #611: A Different Way to View Social Media’s Place in Content

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The biggest challenge for anyone who’s on the air is the search for Content each day. Often in coaching sessions, I get asked about social media, and what its place is in show prep.

Social media is what it is. There’s an entire generation of people who’ve apparently grown up caring about what complete strangers have to say about them.

I won’t get too deep into the negatives involved in people who see their lives in terms of “likes”, but I ask you to consider a different overview, from a radio standpoint, not a social media standpoint:

Rather than falling into the habit of using social media as a main starting place for Content, see it as a place where your Content goes for feedback and discussion. You’ll get a whole different mindset, and improve your Content selection process when, instead of leaning on social to jumpstart your show, you do your show to jumpstart social.

This creates a feedback loop of its own, but with the important distinction that it starts with the radio.

Reminder: you should always want to avoid having your show sound generic. And to that purpose, show prep should always start in your own living room; then you work outward from there.

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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

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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.

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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 #606: The Howard Clark Litmus Test

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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.

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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 #605: A Challenge for You in 2025

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Okay, we’ve gotten Christmas and New Year’s over with, we’re all going to try to lose 10 pounds, and now we have to settle down and go to work.

So here’s a challenge for you in this next year: Try something different; something you’ve never done before.

I don’t mean skydiving or spelunking. I mean try something different on the air.
Maybe it’s creating a little feature in the Production room – a parody commercial, or a parody song, or a parody of your own show. SOMETHING that isn’t the same old stuff you have in your bag of tricks.

It could also be something you do in a different (or adjacent) format, like a blog or a podcast. STRETCH. LEARN. Take a chance, for Pete’s sake.

If you never try anything new, you’re already a Brontosaurus.

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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 #604: How to Find What Really Works for You

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For any young air talent, the key to a successful career is simply how to find out what really works for you, so you don’t (1) sound like everybody else, and (2) you’re not predictable.

So how do you accomplish this? Pretty simple, actually: Try stuff.
Some of it may bomb. That’s okay. That’s how we learn. If something tanks, just put that in the “trash” bin, and try something else. If you have the courage to get out of the “box” that most air talents fit into, you’ll eventually find something that “clicks”. Then, add to that by trying something different. Again.

A great example for you is The Wally Show on Contemporary Christian radio giant WAY-FM, based in Nashville.

I’ve worked with Wally on and off for almost 25 years in several different formats, and I still haven’t seen anyone who comes up with more stuff than he does. He’s an idea MACHINE. And yes, he learned what worked for him by just taking chances and trying things that came out of his unique sense of humor. But he didn’t stop there. When he does something really serious, that works, too. (This was a big step in his career. No one can be funny all the time, and you need a changeup to go with your fastball.)

But as the wonderful Talk Radio coach (and my dear friend) Valerie Geller says, “Never be 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 #603: Don’t Confuse “the Buzz” with What MATTERS

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It’s easy to settle for the low-hanging fruit, in terms of Content. What “the Buzz” is may be the 34th most important thing today to your audience.

Don’t ever confuse “the Buzz” with what actually matters. Resist the easy path. Don’t ever let the headlines, or some Buzzfeed article keep you from seeing what’s top of mind – TODAY – to your listeners.

I assure you, people have other things that they’re far more interested in than what some prep sheet or news website might lead you to believe. (And don’t even start with me about the Political channels or websites. That little world that seems so big doesn’t matter AT ALL if your kid or your best friend needs help.)

When you weigh in on what your listener actually cares about each day, you’re way ahead of 99% of your competitors.

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Tommy Kramer
Talent Coach
214-632-3090 (mobile)
e-mail: coachtommykramer@gmail.com
Member, Texas Radio Hall of Fame
© 2024 by Tommy Kramer. All rights reserved.

Tommy Kramer Coaching Tip #602: We All Sound Alike…Until We Don’t

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It’s always been an issue, but it’s even more pronounced today, with “cookie cutter” formats so prevalent.

The sad truth is that to most people, most air talents sound pretty much alike. A bit loud, a lot of gab, sort of “announcer-ish,” usually just pretty much what we’ve always heard and gotten used to.

Digest this thought, please. We all sound alike – until we don’t.
Here’s the question: What makes you different?

If you don’t know, find out. If you can’t hear that you sound typical, get a coach. Remember that the point is to be YOURSELF, not just another “voice saying words.”

NO ONE will notice you until you do.

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Tommy Kramer
Talent Coach
214-632-3090 (mobile)
e-mail: coachtommykramer@gmail.com
Member, Texas Radio Hall of Fame
© 2024 by Tommy Kramer. All rights reserved.