VOTE FOR ME!

Like it or not, we’re entering political season and it’s going to be here for awhile.

I was reading an article from Campaign Strategist Mark McKinnon on what it takes for someone to win the Presidential nomination, or any office for that matter.

Take a look at Mark’s “Must Do’s” and see how many similarities there are between his list and a winning radio station or air talent:

OBSERVE THE INCUMBENT, THEN BE THE OPPOSITE
The more different you can seem from the other guy, the better.

DELIVER YOUR MESSAGE IN SEVEN SECONDS
Look at how successful Herman Cain has been in recent weeks with his 9-9-9 plan. Short, quick, concise.

SHOW SOME HUMANITY
It’s more important to be human than perfect.

BE BOLD
People don’t vote on the issues, they vote on the attributes, and the most important one is strength.

ALWAYS BE A HAPPY WARRIOR
Even when things are rough and not going your way, smile. Be happy.

Looks like we can learn something from Politicians.

JUST BE FUN

According to the latest Nielsen TV ratings, six of the top ten TV shows are comedies. Three are sports related and there's only one drama in the top 10.

It's crystal clear that people want fun. They want to escape all the grim news of the day. Even if it's only for 30 minutes.

Radio needs to be more fun. We need to be an escape for people that are constantly bombarded with negative news.

I've wrote about this before, because it's important.

Admit it, radio isn't nearly as fun as it used to be. There are many reasons why, but that's a whole other blog. Instead, let's talk about bringing the fun back to radio

I'm not talking having personalities that try to be funny with cheesy jokes. Fun is an attitude. It's your enthusiasm, the smile in your voice, a clever comment. It's making people feel good when they tune in.

Listeners want to feel happy when they listen.

So, next time you're prepping your show and on the air, think fun. Be fun. Have fun. It's contagious.

INTERVIEW QUICK TIPS

Interviews are one of the hardest things to master. Many people think they can interview, but most I’ve heard show the opposite. It takes years of practice to be able to nail the interview. Here are a few tips to help you get here faster:

Prepare. It’s amazing how many people think they can pull the interview off by just talking to the guest. You need a road map to help guide you through the interview.

Listen to the answers. All too often you can tell the person doing the interview isn’t listening to the answer. They are too focused on what they are going to say next. This happens consistently on TV news. The anchor in the studio asks the reporter on location a question that was already answered in the report. There’s no excuse for that.

Ask the question, then shut up and let them answer. Don’t be afraid of having a little dead air between the question and the answer. A little dead air means that the interviewee was just asked a question they have never been asked before and they need to think of an answer. That’s a great complement to you and your question.

Ask a topical question that everybody around the water cooler is talking about. Stay away from cliché questions like “what’s on your Ipod?”, “boxers or briefs?” “who are your idols?”, “any advice for up and comers?” etc. Ask questions people really want to know. That’s what makes Howard Stern a tremendous interviewer.

Keep your interviews short. Shorter interview segments spread out over two or three breaks work best. Remember the big teases to get you from one segment to the next.

Get your guest to tell a story. People love stories and if you ask the right question, you’ll most likely get a story.

If you pre-record your interview (which you always should) make sure that it’s not overly edited. Leave some room to breathe with your edits.

If you have other tips, I'd love to hear yours.