Charlotte, North Carolina.
1991.
A 3-day Air Personality Plus+ seminar with Ross Brittain, Gary Burbank, and The Greaseman as guest speakers.
You’d think that would’ve been enough, right?
But coincidentally, the phenomenally talented The Bobs were performing that weekend in Charlotte. I conned them into making a surprise appearance at our little radio gathering.
Thanks, The Bobs!
December 1997 (continued):
My final trip of the year took me first to England and then to Germany.
My first stop was Harlow, England, where Paul Chantler had arranged for me to present Air Personality Plus+ for the crew of Essex Radio.
Chicken & Chestnut Pie
Upon my arrival, Paul took me out for a very traditional (and tasty) English dinner of chicken & chestnut pie. Suddenly I realized where we Americans get our “pot pie” tradition.
Someone on the 10-hour flight from Los Angeles must’ve had a flu bug (and subsequently shared it with the rest of us passengers), because I awoke the next morning with a terrible, debilitating cough.
I hacked my way through the morning sessions of the seminar and decided to forego lunch in favor of an impromptu visit to a local medical clinic, where a Dr. Singh prescribed some heavy-duty medication for me.
Oddly, when I began the afternoon sessions I already felt much better…even though there hadn’t yet been enough time for the medicine to take effect. I truly think the genuine sympathy and concern I was receiving from the Essex Radio attendees sent some sort of healing message to my soul (and throat).
The Gables
That evening, I accompanied Paul and three of his programme controllers to The Gables, a lovely old, charming restaurant. With the seminar-induced adrenalin supply suddenly shut off, I wasn’t in the best physical condition.
But it nonetheless was a very pleasant way to mark the end of my stay in Essex.
Recently I demonstrated how to take an apparently mundane piece of “trivia” and turn it into an audience-pleasing feature.
The key was to put the information into a fresh, provocative context.
Some radio hosts think that any topic or trivia question is appropriate as long as it’s “topical.”
But not all topical features are relevant.
I’m writing this on Thursday, August 11, 2011. I could ask, “When is the last year that August 11 occurred on a Thursday?”
That would be topical, but who cares?
And not all relevant features are topical.
More importantly, although I have been preaching the virtues of “relevant” programming for my entire career, there is one factor that is even more important than relevance:
Entertainment.
But it’s important to note the definition I assign to “entertainment” in the context of radio:
“Worth listening to (as determined by the listener).”
Relevance is so important only because the more relevant a feature is to someone’s life, the more likely it is that person will listen.
But relevance alone isn’t enough.
If you don’t believe me, try airing a 30-minute lecture on cholesterol levels in 35+ males on a highly rated News/Talk station.
Lots of adult males in that audience, with a topic that’s highly relevant to their lives. But darn few will listen.
The listener judges whether or not something is worth listening to based on a combination of Relevance and Presentation.
The more immediately relevant the information, the less important the presentation.
“Someone is coming to your house right now to try to kill you” — You don’t need much of a fancy set-up there; you’ve got the listener’s attention.
High cholesterol levels are very relevant to the lives of many adult listeners. But few of them perceive it as immediately relevant.
That’s where topicality becomes a factor. “Cholesterol levels in 35+ males” suddenly becomes much more relevant to that target audience when some famous 36-year old athlete drops dead of a heart attack.
Relevant does not always = Interesting.
Topical does not always = Relevant.
But when the two meet and you find an interesting way to share the experience with your listeners, your radio program soars.
This is the second installment in a series that began with Dick Orkin repeatedly hearing this refrain from radio station salespeople:
“I don’t like writing commercials!”
Dick discussed the issue a bit and then concluded, “The commercials they write are boring as all hell to themselves and others.”
My interpretation (and who you gonna believe — Dick Orkin or me?) differs a little.
Of course they don’t like writing commercials. Who wants to write commercials or advertisements?
Raise your hand if you wake up in the morning thinking, “Gee, I sure hope I get the chance to try to convince somebody to buy something today!”
Okay, now raise your hand if you’d feel pretty good if you could help someone today.
That is what advertising is supposed to do: help people solve their problems.
I’m not talking only about the problem of the merchant, which is to get people to buy his stuff. I’m talking about the ultimate beneficiary of a great product or service: the consumer.
“I don’t like writing commercials for unworthy advertisers.”
Neither do I, and I won’t.
But I’ll gladly sink my teeth into a commercial that will unite a hungry office worker with a pleasurable, satisfying lunch.
Or one that points the victim of a leaking roof to the best guy in town to repair that leak.
Or one that offers consumers a sure-fire way to prevent their computers from ever again crashing. (If you’ve got a product like that, let me know. Your money’s burning a hole in my pocket.)
Once or twice a week I’ll receive an email from some radio person whom I’ve never met, saying something like:
“Hey, Dan! I’m on the beach. If you know of any good jobs, please send them my way!”
Umm…Yeah. I’ll recommend a complete stranger, rather than someone whom I know and whose work I respect.
A friend of mine (I won’t reveal his identity, but it’s Harlan Hogan) receives at least one email a day that goes something like this:
“I listened to your free teleseminar about How To Record Voice Overs At Home Or On The Road. It was great! Please listen to my demo and let me know what you think…”
or
“…Would you please recommend me to your agent?”
or
“…I’d like to call you up and pick your brain for just a few minutes…”
Again, those messages are from total strangers.
Do I sympathize with a fellow radio person who’s out of work? Sure I do.
If it’s someone I’ve never met, who’s never been a customer of mine, who’s never attended any of my seminars, with whom I’ve never had any contact at all until now, am I going to put aside my own priorities to try to help him get a job? No.
Is that because I’m a selfish bastard? Some readers might think so.
But it’s because I have no relationship with that person.
I know a guy who has more friends than anyone else I know. Not just “contacts” or “connections.” Friends. People who would be happy to do him a favor not because they owe him, but because they like him. And they have a relationship with him.
His name is Joe Polish. Joe is a big shot marketing expert.
Although we’ve (slightly) known each other for years, since the time he interviewed me for his “Genius Network” (yeah, he uses the word “genius” very loosely), we never met in person until a couple of years ago, at a meeting of a secret organization to which we both belong.
I refer to the group as “People Who Think They’re Much More Important Than They Really Are.”
The group includes some really cool, interesting, smart, accomplished individuals. And, of course, a few blowhards whose idea of conversation is to brag to you about how much money they claim to be making.
Whenever I see Joe at these events, I’m impressed with how relaxed he is, how comfortable he is with himself. That makes it easy for others to be comfortable with him, too.
Joe co-hosts a podcast. I want you to go here and download the one entitled “Episode 029: The One About The Magic Rapport Formula.”
You don’t have to opt in to a list or give an email address…Just download the mp3 recording.
Why do Joe and his co-host, Dean Jackson, put out these high value, free podcasts?
Probably because they’re going to do a high priced “I Love Marketing” event, and the podcasts are a good way to build goodwill and attract people who are interested enough to attend. (And, probably, because they enjoying doing the podcasts.)
What’s my ulterior motive for having you download this particular podcast? I ain’t got one. I’m not an “affiliate” for their high-priced event. There’s no commission to be sent my way.
My only possible reward is your listening to the mp3 recording, benefiting from what you hear, and then returning here to post a comment.
