A Loyal Reader Writes:
“I recently received an e-mail from a ‘marketing guru.’ His idea is one that I have been hearing a lot lately.
“The gist of it is this: Listeners aren’t interested in you. They want you to be interested in them and to show how you will help them feel better about themselves.
“How do I make somebody feel better about himself? Any thoughts?”
My blunt reply: That statement is kind of silly.
With some editing, however, I can muster a defense of a revised version of that “guru” ’s proclamation.
First, Why It’s Silly
Listeners are interested in you…if you’re interesting.
And if you’re…interested.
The late acting teacher, Uta Hagen, said:
“If you are interested, you are interesting.”
She illustrated this with the example of a cat in a theatrical production.
On one side of the stage were the actors, emoting at their very best. On the other side of the stage was a cat, watching a feather slowly fall to the floor.
And every eye in the audience was on…the cat. Because the cat was genuinely, 100% interested in the movement of that feather.
Listeners are interested in you if you are interested in what you presenting.
They’re interested if you’re talking about something in an interesting, entertaining, provocative, enlightening and/or compelling manner.
Because a personality radio show does need to be relatable, listeners can make it about themselves if they want to.
The three primary ways a listener relates to a radio show:
- Vicariously
- Voyeuristically
- Via Emotional Investment
Vicariously: The listener identifies with one or more characters on the show and experiences what the characters experience. (Even if you’re “just being yourself” on the air, you’re a character.)
When their favorite radio host interviews a celebrity, they’re right there with the jock, asking the questions. (That’s one reason that using telephone, email and SMS to collect possible questions from your audience is a smart idea.)
When the radio personality expresses (or enables someone else to express) an opinion — whether seriously, comedically, satirically or casually — and the listener shares that opinion, the listener shares in the expression of that opinion, too.
(This applies to the bombastic politically-oriented talk shows in which hosts proclaim their own points of view to be unassailably correct and declare that anyone who disagrees is a fool, a traitor, or both. People who agree with the host can relax, having had their own opinions validated by someone who assures them of their certitude.)
Voyeuristically: “I can’t believe he’s actually doing that!”
The radio host’s prank calls, wild antics, blunt interview questions….
When you do something listeners would not normally do (but which in some way is an extension of their true feelings), they enjoy witnessing the event.
Emotional Investment: When radio listeners have an emotional investment in the programming, they’re more likely to continue to watch.
If the listener tunes in to hear her favorite songs and you play them, she has received a return on her emotional investment.
If he tunes in for a good laugh and you give him one, his emotional investment has paid off.
If she lands on your station in search of companionship and finds it, it becomes a worthwhile emotional investment.
Okay, let’s make that guru look a bit smarter.
Let’s edit this:
“They want you to be interested in them and to show how you will help them feel better about themselves.”
…down to this:
“They want you to help them feel better.”
Listeners turn on the radio to feel better.
Not necessarily about themselves.
Just better.
Better as in, “Less lonely.”
Better as in, “Better informed.”
Better as in, “Knowing to avoid Highway 12 on my way to work this morning; I can’t afford to be late today.”
Better as in, “Feeling blah, need some good music to pick me up.”
Better as in, “Feeling blah, need to laugh.”
Better as in, “Feeling blah, need to become intellectually engaged.”
Better as in, “Right now I’m hearing something that is worth my time & attention.”
