Tommy Kramer Tip #31 – The Person Who Just Tuned In

Posted on January 3, 2014 by tommykramer

Here’s a little reminder of something a lot of air talents forget: At this moment, as you start this break, you’re not only talking to one of your P-1 listeners; you’re also speaking to the person who just tuned in…maybe for the first time.

If you think this way, you’ll be more welcoming, and always be inviting in more cume. More cume means a better chance for a diary or PPM device to go to one of your listeners.

This doesn’t just apply to what the jocks do or say. It’s important for a PD to embrace this, too, and design things accordingly. For example, the other day I heard a local station do a “Complete the lyric” contest—where the idea was to pick up where the song clip the jock played left off, and sing the next line.

I’m sure that on the drawing board, this looked great. But to me, it’s just one more station ‘preaching to the choir’—talking exclusively to the listeners they already have. If I’m new to the format, I don’t KNOW the lyrics to the songs you play yet. Since the most important factor in any contest is for me (as a listener) to believe that I have a real chance to win, this is a swing and a miss. I give up, tune out, and you miss an opportunity. (However, you do get to give yet another prize away to one of the 30 people who win every contest you ever run.)

If what you do is more open-ended, you’ll get more listeners to pay attention. Aim at the target listener, but don’t exclude anyone. McDonald’s targets women with kids, but that doesn’t mean men can’t eat there.

– – – – – – – – –
Tommy Kramer
Radio Talent Coach
214-632-3090 (iPhone)
e-mail: coachtommykramer@gmail.com
Member, Texas Radio Hall of Fame
© 2013 by Tommy Kramer. All rights reserved.

Tommy Kramer Tip #30 — Be Untypical

Posted on December 18, 2013 by tommykramer

If you’ve never seen the great movie “The Sting” with Paul Newman and Robert Redford, it’s worth watching for one scene alone. Charles Durning, who plays a cop from Chicago on the trail of Redford, unknowingly intrudes on an FBI investigation. Taken to a big warehouse, he’s introduced to the head guy, who asks him a simple question. Durning gives a flippant answer, to which the FBI man says “Sit down. And try not to live up to my expectations.”

There’s a lesson here for you: The worst thing that can happen to your career in radio (or anything else, for that matter) is to be typical, to be only what the average person expects from a radio jock.

Being untypical is what makes great painters and photographers, great musicians, great character actors, and most of all, an INTERESTING person.
So the next time the mic opens, try to say something that’s not typical. Or try to do whatever the break calls for in some way that’s not the same old/same old. Being untypical is how you get noticed, instead of just going by unheard in the background.

There’s an art to being untypical. Everyone can do it, but it takes breaking down barriers (both real and self-imposed) and finding out what you have that’s unique.

That’s where a coach comes in. What you think you’re good at, you may not be good at. What you think is just nothing may be the very thing that we can take, nurture, and grow into the key ingredient that makes your mark. (Or just keeps your job when someone is going to be let go.)
I believe the phone number of a Talent Coach is below…

Tommy Kramer Coaching Tip #29 – The Emotional fuels the Technical

Posted on December 11, 2013 by tommykramer

The great actor Dustin Hoffman talked on Inside the Actors Studio about a key moment in the movie Midnight Cowboy. In the scene, his character “Ratzo” Rizzo is talking with Jon Voigt’s character on a New York street when a traffic light changes. As they step off the curb, a taxi almost hits Ratzo.

This was a “stolen” scene, shot on a real street in New York with real people all around, using a hidden camera. Hoffman says they had to try it several different times to get the timing right, and obviously the cab almost hitting him was NOT in the screenplay. So in reacting to almost being pulverized, he pounded on the taxi’s hood, and what he WANTED to say was “Hey, we’re working here! We’re shooting here!” But being totally devoted to staying in character, he said “Hey! I’m walkin’ here! I’m walkin’ here!”—a defining moment for Ratzo’s aggressive attitude toward the world around him, and one of the most memorable scenes of Hoffman’s career.

The Emotion of the scene fueled the technical side of what he did—banging on the hood and shouting that line to the idiot driver.

If you really want to become something special on the air, instead of just a disc jockey or analytical Talk host, embrace the thought that while technical and organizational skills are a great foundation, sometimes what you FEEL should guide what you say.

If you have trouble with this, maybe you need a coach. I know one you could call.

Tommy Kramer Coaching Tip #28: Interview tip – Fit it into the show

Posted on December 4, 2013 by tommykramer

It’s such a sell-out when someone on a music station has an interview with an artist, and all of a sudden, the radio station and the host just turn into shills for the recording industry. Nothing is more boring than those “So, when does the new CD come out?” and “Where’s the next stop on your tour?” questions, and their lame, predictable answers.

Don’t settle for that pap. Make sure that your interviews have the same entertainment and personality elements as the rest of your show. Have FUN with the interview.

Here’s an example: One time when I was doing a Morning Drive team show on a Country station, my partner and I learned that a singer we were interviewing had a dog that would “sing” along with him, baying and howling while he sang. When we had him on the show a couple of days before he played in a station-sponsored concert, we made sure to have him go get his dog while we had him on the phone, and got the two of them to “sing” together on the air! It was a hoot, and gave the Listener a reason to really like him, since it was so human; so real. It was revealing, and more importantly, it was anti-music business “hype.”

Another thought: If you have something going on that hour, try to get the guest to fit into what the show’s already doing. Bring the guest in as a sort of “co-host” when you can. I used to write things for the guest to do within the framework of the show. They always loved it. (Think about it. They don’t usually get to do that sort of thing.)

Give your listener something to remember when you have a guest on. (A by-product of this is that the artist has fun, forms a little positive opinion of you that he or she files away for the future, and then looks forward to being on with you again the next time.)

Tommy Kramer Coaching Tip #27 – Staying SINGULAR

Posted on November 27, 2013 by tommykramer

We’ve all heard about staying “one-on-one” with the Listener, and now it’s more important than ever. Singular terms work (iPhone, iPad, iTunes), because it’s an “I-me-my” world. Each person wants to be treated as an individual. The old “everybody out there in radio land” mentality went the way of the lava lamp and the ‘mood ring’ a long time ago. The connection with the Listener is fragile. Little wording choices make or break it.

So starting today, avoid using ‘plural’ terms like “those of you” or “all of you.” They’re not one-on-one. Those are pretty obvious, but it can get tricky. For instance…

It’s not “some of you might have seen her last night on Letterman.” There aren’t “some of me.” Instead, say “you might have seen her last night on Letterman.”

“We’ll take your phone calls” is another one. WHOSE phone calls? You’re either talking to some faceless “collective” or you apparently expect me to make more than one phone call. Instead, say “You can call now” or just “call now,” which feels like you’re saying it to me, even though you may also be including all those “other” clod….uh, people.

If you have to talk about “people,” talk to me ABOUT “them.”
Example: Instead of addressing “Everyone listening right now” or “all of you listening,” say “You, and everybody else listening right now.”

Stay SINGULAR. Talk to me. ONE person. The listener, not “listeners.” Don’t throw me in the barrel with them. It’s like the great Groucho Marx said, “I don’t want to be a member of any club that would have me as a member.”

Tommy Kramer Coaching Tip #26 – Chasing Rabbits

Posted on November 20, 2013 by tommykramer

My sister mentioned a morning show that she listens to every day, which has recently made a personnel change. In addition to the husband and wife team, the show has now replaced the male Newsperson with a female.

The station is female-targeted, so the added “estrogen factor” can be a strength. The two females in the mix should, theoretically, be able to focus on the Listener’s life and interests even more effectively, and have the added “battle of the sexes” playfulness of ganging up on the male co-host.

But, according to my sister, that’s not what’s happening. She says that they spend too much time “chasing rabbits”—careening away from the subject incrementally, but steadily, to where the original point is lost. THEY’RE having loads of fun, but my sister—a core P1 Listener—is growing restless.

Be clear that just because YOU’RE having fun does NOT necessarily mean that your Listener is having fun. If someone just tuned in to the show, they don’t have TIME to figure out what you’re talking about. So don’t go off “chasing rabbits.” You can take one step away from the subject, but then come back. Taking two steps away is one too many.

Tommy Kramer Tip #25 – The Low Volume Test

Posted on November 14, 2013 by tommykramer

Hopefully, you listen to your show regularly, so you can hear yourself more like the Listener hears you. So take a tip from how a lot of great Production Talents work—listen at a fairly low level, often through a small cue speaker. (Same thing with many recording engineers and Producers.) They may mix at “blast,” but then they’ll play it back at “background” level.

There are good reasons for the Low Volume Test:
• You can really hear the levels, to tell if background music for a break you’re doing—or a spot or a promo—is too loud or too soft. (Or whether it fits the mood and cradles the subject, or it’s just thumpy-thumpy noise.)
• You get a much truer read on whether you sound natural and real, or you’re just another booming, “announcing” radio guy, over-inflecting and “selling” too much.
• You get feedback more at the visceral level about pace and momentum.
• You not only can, but DO instantly decide, subconsciously or even UNconsciously, whether the person you’re hearing is interested in what he’s saying, or is having any FUN.

You want to listen at about half the level most disc jockeys usually listen at. So YOU can feel the momentum, interest level, and fun factors, instead of putting every little thing under a magnifying glass all the time, but not really learning anything about the Voice Acting part of your craft.

Once you hear yourself this way, you’ll never hear the show the same way again.

It’s like being in a room, with a movie playing on the TV in the next room. A bad actor reads lines. A great actor IS that character he’s playing.

Tommy Kramer Coaching Tip #24 — The 5 Subjects: How to choose Content

Posted on November 6, 2013 by tommykramer

No doubt about it; the thing I get asked about the most is Content; what to talk about each day. Choosing the right Content is crucial to doing a great show, no matter what your radio station’s format is.

Some of your Content is provided for you with station promotions and events, contests, special listener “clubs” that give feedback on the music, stuff like that. And in a music format, there’s always stuff about the artists, concert dates (if they apply to your market), and whatever special musical features you provide.

But that’s only about half of what you need.

Here’s a good “default setting” list of The 5 Subjects that will always work:

1. The Economy—specifically Job Stuff. Money is the #1 motivator. Not enough money, you’re unhappy. Plenty of money, you want to protect it and make sure it doesn’t vanish overnight, so you can put your kids through school or have enough to retire someday. So job stuff is always something to pay attention to. And there’s always comparing our jobs to other people’s jobs. Take working at Walmart, for instance; that’s worse than being the President of a bank, but a lot better than being a javelin catcher.

2. Entertainment. We’re an Entertainment-driven nation. Whether it’s “Keeping up with the Kardashians,” hoping Miley Cyrus will have that tongue-shortening operation she so desperately needs, or just paying attention to the movies and TV shows your listener likes the most, the Entertainment world is ripe with stuff you can use. However, stay away from being obvious or salacious with it. And you can’t just read a bunch of stuff from websites. It has to be the same kind of conversation you’d have with a friend over lunch, or at a backyard barbecue.

3. Relationships. It’s all about relationships, really, whether it’s our friends, families, or co-workers. Relationships—good or bad—shape everything we do.

4. “The Buzz.” The thing today that everyone seems to be talking about should ALWAYS be on your radar screen. To not talk about it is to be an ostrich, with your head stuck in the sand, and there’s a real danger in seeming like you’re not aware of it. There’s one exception, however, and that’s if the Value position of your station means that you should avoid talking about it, like maybe something that people wouldn’t want the kids in the car to hear, for instance. In that case, you might want to make a point of saying that you’re NOT going to talk about it—and why.

5. “Things that grow out of the show.” As your career develops, you’ll find things that are unique to you. Use them. For example, one guy I work with, Don Godman, made a wonderful little feature out of his son’s adventures, called “The Gavin Report.” It’s delivered—by Gavin—like a child’s news magazine, with something like going to a museum or the State Fair being an “episode.” It’s the single most remembered thing about Don’s show. His audience feels like they’ve watched his son grow up on the radio.

If what you want to talk about doesn’t fit into one of these categories, I’d strongly recommend that you just toss it. Even Politics should “qualify” by being “the buzz” or looking at how the issues affect people’s lives and relationships.

Tommy Kramer Tip #23 – Further phone bit thoughts

Posted on October 30, 2013 by tommykramer

We hear the “Topics and phone calls” thing WAY too much nowadays, but there are times that it’ll work—like if you want to give something away. I’ve done this a lot over the years. “The best suggestion wins” is a great way to get listeners on the air for a very specific reason, and avoid the typical “please do my show for me” sound of mindless “what do you think?” responses about a lukewarm topic.

So let’s dive into this just a little deeper…

First, a phoner only works when it begins with a real-life story or observation. Otherwise, it just sounds like some generic radio bit.

So if you have something that does get some response, think about these things:

1. Vary your resets. If you get into each call the same way, it gets stale really fast.

Here are two examples I heard just the other day. (The names were changed to protect the stupid):

[1^st break] “KNRL and Sheryl Crow with ‘First Cut is the Deepest,’ it’s 8:15, I’m Seymour Farquad, hi, who’s this?”

[2^nd break] “KNRL with Bruno Mars and ‘When I Was Your Man,’ I’m Seymour Farquad, hi, who’s this?”

When the “opens” are almost identical—either in your wording or in the order of the basic elements—to the person in the car, it’s “been there; heard that” followed by a click. (We never want the click.)

Instead of just rattling off the “basics”, use a different, concise “camera angle” each time, and more people will stay with you.

2. Never carry a phone thing over the top of an hour, into the next hour. Since that’s a likely tune-in place, the listener just tuning in has no idea of why this would come up. Plus, to someone who did hear some of the previous calls, it can seem like you’re just “milking” it, which makes you come across like a one-trick pony. New hour = new material.

3. Always remember the Golden Rule of phone calls: Any call you run better be as good as the best song you play. Otherwise, I’m gone.

– – – – – – –

Tommy Kramer Tip #22 – The Rule of the 3rd Call

Posted on October 23, 2013 by tommykramer

We loooovvvvvve to see the phone lines lit up. It seems to validate that the Listener is interested in what you’re doing on the air. (Actually, this can be a false impression, since only a tiny fraction of the audience makes up the entire pool of phone callers. But we’ll go deeper into that another time.)

Here’s how you tell if you have a topic that’s working, or just a bunch of blinking lights on the phone bank. It’s a litmus test that I refer to as “The Rule of the 3^rd Call.”

If the first caller agrees with you, and the second caller disagrees with you, what does the third caller do?

If all the third caller can do is repeat what one of the first two callers said, it’s NOT a Topic. It’s just a poll.

If you want to do a poll, just say that. “We’ll decide this right now. Let’s take a poll. Next 10 callers, yes or no.” Then give the phone number, tally the voting as you go, and proclaim the results to be the absolute gospel truth. (The purpose of a poll is to come to a conclusion.)

One key to really making a Subject work is to avoid putting things on the air that lean toward “yes” or “no” responses.

What you want to elicit are EMOTIONAL responses from callers. Incidents or stories they relate based on what the Subject you’re talking about MEANS in their lives is what truly compelling radio is about.