CCM Coaching Tip #46: Imaging Challenges

by Tommy Kramer, KramerMedia.net

Radio station Imaging as a whole is in a really flat place right now. Just listen to the average station, still using Star Wars whooshes and video game honks and zaps. (Incredibly, some people don't seem to realize that the Empire lost in 1983. Get over it, and move forward.) An "ice pick to the brain" noise out of a slow, beautiful song does NOT work well.

Then there are the filtered or flanged voices - irritating, and hard to understand. (Especially in a car, in traffic, with all the noise around you.)

And the "overlapped" tracks - also hard to understand. You interrupting yourself.

The "two people - one saying the first part of a line, then the other person finishing the sentence" thing. This never sounds fluid. And in real life, if someone constantly comes in and finishes your sentences for you, it doesn't take long for you to resent it.

Oh, and let's not forget that giant foul ball - the Imaging piece that plays in-between songs, but ends "dry voice" so the next song can roll under it - which never works right, because invariably, a :00 or :01 start will cause the computer to delay the next song's beginning, and the resulting 'dry voice' between the two songs TOTALLY STOPS THE MOMENTUM, like a car just hitting its brakes for no reason in freeway traffic. (Imaging pieces shouldn't START dry voice, either. Again, giant momentum stoppage - and yet, stations do this constantly...then wonder why their Time Spent Listening gets more miniscule.)

And that's not even mentioning the two most typically used "default" categories in our format, (1) "anyone who mentions Jesus gets put on the air" or (2) "sad story with a happy ending, which of course, was all because we're so wonderful".

So let's put the list of annoyances aside for a moment, and try to get to the core question that will help you the most: Why is it always us talking about ourselves, or people talking about us?

It should be about THEM, with our 'signature' on it.

You're just the signature on the check, but the "cash" is going to the Listener. Make sure that this is clear, or it's just "Okay, enough about us. What do YOU think about us?"

My friend John Frost puts it simply: "What's the Benefit?" - which is a great way to stay focused on saying something that actually connects with, and has meaning to, the listener.

Anyone who's worked with me has heard this many times: Be of Service. When THAT comes across - without the shameless need to point everything back to how wonderful the world is because we chose to turn the transmitter on today - you'll have (and project) the right attitude.

It's biblical, my friends. Pride is the 4th of the 7 Deadly Sins. And they're called that for a reason.