RELENTLESS RADIO

 

Author:	Sheila Richards
Published:	July, 2000

 

How do you get a regular, button-pushing, passive listener to become a passionate, loyal Listener For Life? Go above and beyond the call of duty, of service to that listener. What, no 10-step program, no mass marketing plan, no $30,000 research study? No. It's just about being nice to someone, extra nice, actually. First, what is a Listener For Life? I had used a similar term in Louisiana, when in country music, a "forever listener," that moment when you do something for a listener, and you can just tell they are going to listen forever! It's a feeling, a zap of adrenaline, knowing you have touched them in a place no other jock has or ever will. A connection. Recently, my co-host, Jerry Williams, and I were in the J93.3 studio, and somehow, somewhere between the two of us, out came the words, "Listener For Life". I'm sure one of us actually said it first, we're just both so nice, we're sharing joint custody of the phrase. Remember the time you took someone's birthday over the phone, and even though it was past "birthday time" on the air, you did it anyway? And they called back, and thanked you over and over again? Listener For Life. Or you helped a young wife call her husband on the phone, to record and playback the conversation, where you helped her break the exciting news that they were going to be a family? Don't you know that she told all her friends and family about how YOU helped her tell her husband they were expecting a little one? And that friend told that friend, who told that friend. It can happen when someone calls you to ask the name of a song, or the phone number of an advertiser, but it doesn't always happen then. It just depends on the situation. But because you never know how much your kindness means to someone, that situation is just a Listener For Life waiting to happen. It's not something you can force. It just happens, and when it does, you know it. Like hitting a home run across the fence when you were a kid. Like getting the short piece (or long piece, depending on what part of the country you're from) of the turkey wishbone at Thanksgiving. Like giving your best friend the perfect birthday gift, the one they like better than anyone else's. You just know. But by making it a habit of being nice to all listeners, servicing them like sales services a client, you'll be ready for that moment to happen, and you can KNOW someone has become a Listener For Life. In country music I worked for some great programmers and consultants. One that drove home a listener driven mindset to me, was Lloyd Ford. His mantra was, "promise and deliver." If you said you were going to play 12 in a row, do it. If you were going to do an all request lunch hour, do it. If you were going to take caller number 21, do it. Nothing more, nothing less would do. That has stuck with me. To me, a listener is my client. A relationship I protect and nurture daily. From responding to an email, to being polite on the phone, to accepting a hug in public, and giving that hug back. It takes 30 seconds for each of us to make someone feel special, by remembering their name, shaking their hand, and saying their name as you say goodbye. "Wow, my favorite jock remembered my name." And if you remember their name when they call again, or see them at a broadcast, that would fall into the Listener For Life category. How often have you done that, and had someone say, "I can't believe you remembered my name!" Work on it. "Oh, I'm just not good with names." Get good at it. Develop Listeners For Life. It'll affect your success, and your station's success. When God blessed me with winning the Country Music Association Broadcast Personality of the year award in October '95, I remember thinking, "I didn't win this because I tried to be the hottest, most creative jock around. I was just nice to people." My popularity was due to a huge collection of Listeners For Life that I had developed over the years. My peers voted on the CMA award, but the listeners helped give me the community involvement and ratings to be recognized in the industry. When I hear a jock struggle to answer the phone, or even ignore the phone, I just say to myself, "They don't get it." The little things DO MATTER! Answer the phone, smile at someone, get up out of your remote chair, and speak to someone first. Believe it or not, they still see us as someone special, someone different. Be approachable, and be real. I responded to an email recently, and the person wrote back and said, "Wow, I was a fan before, but now I'm a REAL fan. I didn't expect someone as busy as you to take time to write back yourself, and so quickly." Trust me, answering email is a pain for me, it takes up way too much of my radio time. But you know what? That person is a Listener For Life to me. I thought nothing of writing back. But it meant the world to them. You never know when it's going to happen. But you will know it when it does. Take a moment to think back to your favorite jock before you got into radio. How did they get you to be loyal, to listen all the time? Did it just happen, or did they do something to capture your heart? Listeners For Life. Collect them, develop them, love them. They will make the difference between being good and great, for you and for your station. Go above and beyond the call of duty. Promise and deliver. Be nice to people. And remember, the little things do matter. When it's all said and done, take away all the marketing, all the research, all the commercials, all the "stuff," it's just you and the one listener. One voice, speaking to one other person. Not a "Hey, everybody," but a "Hi, how are you?" You're that one voice, one on one, with that one Listener For Life. Make it count today. Make someone you don't know feel like they are the most important person in the world. It'll come back to you, someday, someway, somehow. About The Author Sheila's career spans some 20+ years, mostly in country radio. She's a former CMA (Country Music Association) Small Market Personality of the Year.  Her most recent stop was as the morning co-host at J93.3 Atlanta.  She currently resides in the Atlanta area with her husband Jimmy.