Do's and Dont's of Coaching Talent

Do work in the benefits of listening to the station often (ad lib and tie into your rap--don't just read the phrase)

• Variety! Call attention to obvious clusters of variety like up-tempo and slow songs in the same set, a current next to a 60's, etc. Do this in your back announce, between the songs themselves or in pre-promoting upcoming music)
• "Songs you can sing along with" (don't use this into an instrumental!)
• "Help you through the workday"
• "Safe for the Whole Family"

Do talk about things to do with the family. According to all the research we have done around the country, it is one of the TOP THINGS OUR AUDIENCE WANTS TO HEAR FROM YOU!! This is important everyday, but it's definitely topic #1 for Friday through Sunday. Tie in with the weather. "You'll need the sunscreen for the Art Festival today because it's going to be beautiful!"

Do find ways to relate to the women in our audience by finding items in your show prep that will resonate with them. Go to the magazine racks and look over the women's magazines. They spend millions of dollars on research to attract women to their magazines. All we need to do is look at the covers to see the results.

Do talk about what the station is doing through the items in the liner book each week. Be an ambassador for other dayparts and personalities.

Do read 2 PSA's per shift and write your initials/date/time on the sheet. But don't just "read" them, deliver like you are talking to a neighbor over the back yard fence...letting them know about something of interest.

Do call attention to new songs and artists. Dig up artist information. The audience is hungry for info on their favorite artists. Check the Launch show prep--there is tons of artist info there. You can search the Archive and pull up recent issues containing a given artist. No excuse not to have great artist content each show.

Do promote the website in some way, shape or form every single hour.

Do talk about what's happening in the community. Be local, local, local. Read the paper, check the Sentinel and local TV websites.

Do talk about your life and your family. You shouldn't over do it, but let the audience get to know you. Chances are they can relate to what you do.

Don't promote contest details, talk about what they can do with the prize.

Don't do generic bits. If it could be done on a satellite show, we should avoid it. Tie everything you can in locally. Your show shouldn't make sense if played on another station outside the area.

Don't promote a list of shows on TV tonight. Our audience will watch them anyway. We do ourselves no service by encouraging them. We should be promoting Delilah and our own product. If we talk about TV, it should involve one of our artists who is appearing, or a show that everyone is hanging on (24, Idol, etc). If it's a hot topic, then go for it. Otherwise, it's best talked about AFTER the fact. Then we are truly relating because we can share the experience of what we saw.

Don't just back announce the music, talk about how great it is...how it's been so long since you heard that song, or how we have a great example of variety coming up (or that just played). The positioner shouldn't just be words coming out of your mouth, it should "taste good". Smile and be enthusiastic, but make it genuine. Today's audience can spot a fake a mile away.

Don't read liners, spin them into a story and make them meaningful. Keep them short, but get creative. No one cares about how the Southern Women's Show is the largest women's event in the area....but I guarantee you they want to look younger and feel better! Don't rattle off a bunch of details. Think benefits here too! What's in it for them?? Remember, it's all about THEM (the listener), not about us.

Keep these things in mind and you will shine every time. Relatability=ratings.