How to be a better air talent today!

It's always an adventure when you take the kids to the grocery store. It's not an adventure when I hear you try to explain the whole story in one long break!

Earlier this week, I heard a DJ talking about his adventures at Wal-mart with his three children (all under the age of 5). The content was hilarious but he over-explained the details. His story had all the right elements: spilled food, stolen goods, injuries and an awkward conversation with a stranger. He hit punch line after punch line and just kept talking! He could have had seven different compelling breaks if he thought it through before cracking the mic!

We need to look for ways to break our stories into bite-size pieces. The PPM data shows we have 12 seconds before our listeners decided if they are going to listen to the rest of our story. Crazy, eh? Take one child and make one break about their story. Take a second angle on a different child in another break. Plot out your story and edit out the wordy intro. You have to get into the story quicker!

Your show isn't about your kids. It's about how Becky relates to your life. Ask yourself, "Would this story be as funny if it happened to my co-worker?"

I'm not sure if Tommy Kramer was the one who coined the term "take the first exit" or if he just perfected it. If you take that first exit, your show will be more compelling TODAY.

Billy