CCM Coaching Tip #42: The Most Important Ingredient In Putting More Callers On The Air

by Tommy Kramer, KramerMedia.net

It's not a "bad" idea per se to supplement the Content that you create with a phone call or two from listeners. But it's not an automatic "must have" ingredient, either. And it can become a "crutch" pretty easily.

Here's the most important ingredient in putting them on the air:

NO "B" or "C"-level calls allowed. None. Air "A"-level calls ONLY. The minute you accept less, you dive head first into the generic "Topics and Phone Calls" pool that already has too many people in it.

I've done and coached shows that hardly ever ran calls, and I've done and coached shows that were - at times - very phone call intensive. But the "A"-level rule always applies. Great radio is made up of COMPELLING moments. If a call doesn't provide that, it doesn't deserve being aired.

This leads back to something I say a lot: Do a SHOW. If you think a habitual caller with a weird voice is more entertaining than you are, then maybe your boss should just hire that guy and get rid of you.