CCM Coaching Tip #40: Never Assume Knowledge On The Part Of The Listener

by Tommy Kramer, KramerMedia.net

Although it's certainly not unique to Christian radio, our format may be most guilty of one of the worst habits in radio - assuming that the listener knows what you're talking about or referring to. It can be a name you mention, thinking "everyone who listens to the show knows." Or saying "Here's Toby..." instead of "Here's Toby Mac." Or even something as seemingly ubiquitous as referring to "VBS". (No, NOT everybody knows it's "Vacation Bible School".)

But here's the deal: every single time you open the mic, you should think "What if someone's hearing me - or the station, or the format itself - for the first time?"

Because the reality is that this IS happening, literally at any moment. A pretty startling piece of research I saw a year or two ago surmised that 70% of women find their new "favorite station" by simply hitting the "scan" or "search" button on the radio - not by seeing a billboard or a TV commercial for you, not by the mythical "word of mouth" that almost never happens in real life.

So when that "scan" lands on YOU, she's likely to have no previous knowledge of you, or your station, AT ALL.

Make it EASY for the listener to join you. Instead of "Kathy," say "my wife, Kathy" or "Kathy, my wife." And give both the artist's first and last name. You can only use one name if the artist is Cher or Elvis. (Or, in our format, Mandisa - but she's the only one.)

Every time you assume knowledge on the part of the listener, (1) you're probably wrong, and (2) you're missing an opportunity to welcome someone in. Since our format is on the most stations - but with the fewest listeners (not something we should be pleased about), we need to do a better job.