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Leave An Air Check With 1 Big Thing
October 13, 2022
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. Topics: on-air, DJs, radio show, radio personality
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Imagine having just one thing to focus on after leaving an air check session. One tangible direction to implement or continue doing. It’s possible.
Over the years I’ve been coached by PDs, consultants, and talent coaches. Some sessions felt like an hour of nothingness filled with random side conversations disguised as “relationship building.” Other times it felt as if I were beat over the head with a baseball bat and overwhelmed with too many things to improve. So, I set out on a journey to explore the in-between of those two extremes.
THIS WEEK’S 1 BIG THING
Each coaching session is molded to the person I’m with, so it’s not a cookie-cutter-assembly-line approach. Yet, I’ve found that many of the same strategies, tactics, and concepts are common and come up at some point with almost everyone. Here are ten actual talent coaching session notes, aka This Week’s 1 Big Thing:
This is the very best pacing I’ve heard from you …confidence. You sounded so natural and comfortable!
When the song ends, and you start talking you have one chance to activate the listener to mentally join your conversation. One of the many ways to do that is by putting the listener INTO the bring-in line. When you ask a question as the bring-in line a certain percentage of listeners can say, “NO” and disengage.
It’s powerful when you walk beside the listener at their pace and talk WITH them in your storytelling. Crack open your chest, be vulnerable, and let the listener in …that’s where connection happens.
Imagine yourself in a coffee shop with one person instead of on stage speaking to hundreds. You’re talking to ONE person (a listener), so use “you/your” instead of “we/us” and watch connections grow. That’s how you build fans, one person at a time.
Your show is so consistently heart & fun. That’s important, especially for a morning show. Fans know who you are, and new listeners are easily welcomed.
You might think by saying “we/us” you’re being super-inclusive. Using “we/us” assumes everyone listening is in that same situation. This is where THE FUNNEL comes in. As the break funnels down to YOUR unique POV, going from “you/your” to “I/me,” the listener learns something about YOU.
These breaks are a clinic of team show chemistry both in strategy (heart and fun) and tactics (break construction).
Be confident in your opinion and storytelling. Resist the temptation when you feel the need to “wrap up” a break by justifying what you just said or repeating yourself. Every break doesn’t have to be a "life lesson” either.
The discipline and flexibility to NOT do what was planned and just go with what happened are true strengths of your show. It’s years of trust & experience with the discipline to turn in an instant while exiting at JUST the right spot.
These are great conversations that feel like two friends hanging out. Your breaks had purpose and a destination yet didn’t sound planned or rehearsed.
HERE’S THE TAKEAWAY
My goal is to come alongside talented people and help build their confidence. So, I came up with This Week’s 1 Big Thing and have found it works with those who’ve been on the air for months or over 30 years, and everyone in between. Sometimes it’s super positive and reinforces, and other times it asks someone to consider doing something differently while considering the potential outcome …all within thirty minutes.
After spending 25+ years working at some really great radio stations, Todd launched a coaching and consulting business, Beyond615.com, on March 15, 2021. There he strives to help others build confidence so that they can connect on a deeper level. He also serves as the Contemporary Christian Format Editor at AllAccess.com. He and his family live in the (615) area code, aka the heart of the CCM industry.
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