RELENTLESS RADIO

 

Author:	Therese Romano
Published:	November, 2000

 

Consultants, who needs 'em?! Why would a station squander some of its precious budget on someone who doesn't live in their market, isn't going to be in-house full-time and thinks they know all the answers before they even walk in the door? Sound familiar? Have you ever tried to convince the powers-that-be, that in order to grow, you need to bring a consultant on board? Explaining why a consultant is a good idea, let a lone a necessity, is a very difficult proposition. I've been fortunate. Most of the stations I've worked for have had a consultant or have seen the benefits of having one and have tried desperately to budget for one. As one very smart friend of mine once said, "Tiger Woods is the best golfer in the world, yet he still has a coach." Obviously, Tiger's coach can't play the game as well as he does. If he did, we'd see him out on the circuit beating Tiger weekly. What that coach brings to the table is objectivity; training, experience, technique and a listening ear. At this stage of the CCM radio game, you can count the number of consultants on one hand. If you look at our mainstream counterparts, there are so many folks consulting, they number as the grains of sand. OK, so that may be an exaggeration, but, hey, I'm a consultant, what do you expect? Unfortunately, that IS what people expect. Exaggeration, lies, manipulation, arm-twisting, harsh criticisms, major re-haul, expensive changes and the expectation that you're supposed to smile and be happy about it all. Instead of just using the same old excuses for not hiring a consultant, let's look at both sides. Let's write down a list of pros and cons and see what we come up with. Since most stations don't use a consultant at this time, let's start with the easier list to formulate, the cons. CONS Too expensive. A consultant will point out all the things we're doing wrong (and that's embarrassing). They don't live here, what do they know? Our station will not get enough attention from the consult to justify the cost. They don't listen to our needs. GM or Owner "What if they tell me I shouldn't be on-air?" A consultant will tell me to change formats. They will tell me to pull all my paid programming to be more consistent on the air. PROS An outside, objective listening ear. They have the benefit of observing stations all over the country. Bring a fresh approach to promotions, marketing and contests. Research. The ability to see the trees in the forest (They can see the talent in staff members that you might miss because you're too close to the situation.) Higher ratings. Better focus on your target. PD "The may tell the GM or Owner that they shouldn't be on-air!" Stronger results at Pledge Drive or on the streets in sales. A scapegoat for the PD when the GM disagrees with proposed changes. I'm sure you could come up with some more liabilities and assets, but that could take all day. So, let's just examine what we have. The cons add up to three basic things: 1) Cost: Do you view the need for a consultant as enough of a priority to budget for one? 2) Change: Do you fear change? Is the status quo good enough for you? Are you looking to grow or stand still? 3) Communication: This one goes both ways. Communicating your needs to the consultant and the consultant LISTENING to those needs and making his/her best effort to reach those needs. The pros can be summed up this way: 1) Do you want to be a leader or a follower? 2) Is it important to you that your station actually meets your listeners' needs? 3) Do you want to grow as a broadcaster, manager and station or do you want to stand still? 4) Are you willing to take calculated risks that have proven themselves in other markets in order to more effectively reach your audience? OK, now let's look at reality. While we all agree that KLTY, KSBJ, K-Love, Way FM and others are wonderful radio stations, most of us cannot afford the staff they have, the promotions they do or the marketing they use. Now let me ask you a question. Do you think these stations became the monsters that they are without being willing to listen to outside input? Sure these stations have proven programmers but all of them also have at least one consultant on board. I want to challenge all of you who read this column to consider whether or not it's time to bring in a consultant at your station. I would do this even if I weren't a consultant. I've seen the benefits of using an objective, experienced observer and it is well worth the cost. Fortunately, there are now a few consultants to choose from whose charges vary. So now small market and medium market stations can get some of the help they desperately seek. At Rowright Promotions and Consulting, our motto is: "Do the best you have with what you've got!" If you're doing just that, great! But if you know that you can serve the Lord better with station He has entrusted to you, then I pray you won't delay any more. To the consultants who may be reading this, LISTEN! No two stations are alike. KLTY can not be duplicated in every market across the U.S. Instead of copying what they do, I challenge you to get out in each market and find out what the listeners want and need. Work with the station to provide for those needs. Change can be scary. So plan change within a reasonable timetable. And, finally, build relationships. It's far easier to trust a friend than an arrogant "know-it-all". Be willing to share hopes, dreams and fears with each other. The goal here should not be to take away someone's power or authority. It should be enable the GM, PD, MD and the station as a whole, to do its job better, faster and more accurately than ever before.