Even More Things Talent Should Know ...

Welcome to another installment of "Things Talent Should Know." As we work with stations, shows and individual talent we make note of the themes that seem to be common across formats and markets. It is our hope that by sharing these we can help talent make improvements to their performance.

Here are another 4 that we would like to add to the list of things talent show know...

Helping or hurting the brand?

Does your show help or hurt your station's brand? There's no in between; either the show is helping build the image of your station or it is damaging it. You are either adding to the station's overall brand or subtracting from it. When monitoring the sound and content of your show, hold it accountable to the brand framework your PD has created for the station. Your show and the station are in partnership, and marrying your show to the station is an essential part of both succeeding.

What are your brand values of the station? Ask your PD, GM or VP/Programming if you don't know. If one the values is 'authenticity' then how does your show support that? If you listened back to your last show did you share some of your genuine thoughts, feelings and emotions with your audience? Did you let the audience really see you? Were you vulnerable? What did we learn about you? If your station's brand values are to be 'surprising,' then what did you do that I (the listener) hadn't expected? What did you say that I couldn't have predicted?

It's important that you don't just strive for a better show, but a show that is helping to build and reinforce the brand values of the station. A great show that is in sync with the brand values of the audience is a powerful combination.

Who are you?

You want the audience to love you. Before they can love you, they first have to like you. To be able to like you, they have to actually know you. They need to know who you are. The very first step of getting to know anyone is to learn their name. You can share your life with the audience but if they don't know who you are they have no one to attribute these insights and opinions to; they may remember the story but they will forget who told it to them. When I (the listener) know your name, it acts as a coat hook; it becomes somewhere I can hang everything I learn about you.

Most personality shows need to identify themselves more. When you are speaking to another member of the team (someone in the studio with you) use their name. E.g. "Dave, what did you think?" "That's not the worst thing you've done is it Mel?"

If I was a new listener to the show, would I be able to work out who is who? Count how many times you use each other's name? It will be a lot less than you think. This is especially important if the voices on the show sound similar.

Why is the music an island?

Music is the primary driver for driving listener tune-in. Obviously only for music stations! The first reason the listener tunes to a Country station is because they want to hear Country music (in that moment). The reason they tune to Top 40 is to hear Cheap Thrills for the 4 millionth time! Yet many shows seem to forget that the audience is interested in the music they are playing. The music feels like a break from the show; the songs feel like islands detached from the rest of what is happening. Why do we do this? What false logic has led us to believe that ignoring the music we play is beneficial?

Great shows weave the musical content into the fabric of the show. This is not simply about back announcing or ID'ing every song but sharing in the audience's love for the music you're playing. Share with them your enthusiasm for the music. Tell them interesting stories about the music. How does the music make you feel? Reflect that. Music is important to our audience, the challenge is, how are you going to mirror their passion for the music?

Structure your thoughts

Great shows know how to structure their thoughts. They understand that for a message to be heard it needs to follow a pattern. It's not enough to know what you want to say, without thinking about how you will say it. Many pieces of content fail to have impact because it was presented to the audience in a way that failed to engage them. Here is a simple 3 step approach to structuring your content:

1. Headline Hook
2. The Detail
3. The Close

Every great piece of content is built around these 3 simple elements.

Headline Hook. The headline hook is the very 1st sentence you offer, that sets up the content that is about to come. It is a sentence or statement designed to grab the listeners attention, and clearly set up what is about to come. "I may be the worst mom in Calgary..."

The Detail. The detail is the central part of the break. You have grabbed the audience's attention, now you must share the 'why' behind that hook. What is the story that you want to share? What is the supporting information to support your statement? Share your opinion. The detail must align with the opening remark. Stay true to the expectation you created in your opening statement.

The Close. Knowing how to end is as important as knowing how you want to start. In your close you deliver your final remarks on the subject. The whole break has been building to this statement, punchline or provocative point. This may be where you ask the audience to do something (to take action). The close is where you complete the point you were intending to make.

I often think of a break like a lawyer's closing argument. Imagine any movie where you're inside a court room and the lawyer is stood in front of the jury delivering their final thoughts.

If you have any additional thoughts that you think on air talent should know please tweet them to @mrpkaye. We'll be back with another installment of "Things Talent Should Know" soon!

"Here's why he did what he's accused of..."

The Close: "I urge you now to find him guilty, if not aren't you just as guilty as him? I rest my case"