PostPledgeDrive Expression

I was going for an admittedly weak play on the words "Postpartum Depression". Guess it didn't really work, but here's why: after a Pledge Drive is over, I usually hear an overly-churchy station for at least a week or two, before we remember that we're not beating the drum for money anymore, and now it's time to bring back the 30 to 40 percent of listeners that went away during the Drive.

Just a couple of days ago, after one of my stations finished a successful Pledge Drive, I heard their otherwise very talented jock say these things, in various breaks:

"God says, 'When you pray I'll answer you,' period. Doesn't matter if it feels like He did or not, He said he would. He's the God of all our days."

[A new listener doesn't realize that "God Of All Our Days" is the title of the song you're going into. It just sounds like you're preaching.]

"Hopefully you feel like this station is a home where you can get some encouragement if you're feeling down 'cause...man, God shows up in these songs, big-time."

[He does? What does he look like? Is he singing harmony? To a new listener, this can really sound trite, living up to their worst expectations of our format.

He should have just stopped after "encouragement if you're feeling down." It would have been a really solid break then.]

"God has this way of saving your hind end. That's the most delicate way to put it. You're redeemed."

[Really? Tell that to the recent school shooting victims' families. We're not helping someone come to our faith by making "pronouncements" like this. And again, a new listener wouldn't understand that "Redeemed" is the song title. This is why one of the most important "Kramer Rules" is NEVER ASSUME KNOWLEDGE ON THE PART OF THE LISTENER.]

See, when we're in Pledge Drive mode, we're mainly talking to the smallest, but most religious percentage of our listeners - and that makes perfect sense, because they're the ones most likely to support our stations financially.

But outside of fundraisers, we need to be welcoming in the person that just hit the "scan" button and landed on our station for the first time, because that's how you welcome in new cume - which, in turn, results in more people becoming core listeners, eventually, and the possibility of getting vastly more financial support in the future.

This thought-welcoming in the person who's hearing you for the first time-is essential. Need proof? That's what Jesus Christ did.

BIO: Tommy Kramer has worked with over 350 stations in all formats, coaching over 1700 air talents. He's also worked extensively in the Contemporary Christian arena for over 20 years, coaching morning shows and entire staffs for KLTY, KSBJ, KXOJ, K-LOVE, WAY-FM, Z-88.3, WGTS, and dozens of others.