Sales & NTR 
British radio consultant John Simons discussed the concept of Listener-Focused Morning Shows at a European radio convention. The world’s leading radio personalities all have a positive attitude and great discipline. They also communicate visually and share compelling stories. Simons offered these tips:
- Control stress
…and be reliable in a crisis.
“The Mrs. isn’t speaking to you, the car won’t start, but the right light comes on, and everything in your world is rosy. You don’t bring stress into the studio; you leave it at the studio door.”
- Be well read
…but don’t pretend to be what you aren’t.
“It’s important to know what’s going on in the world; what’s going on in your community, but if you’re false; if you pretend, you get caught out.”
- Listen to the rest of the radio station
“There was a station, where I was working as a talent. I didn’t really like it, and had to force myself to listen to other shows, but it was necessary. You need to know what’s going on at your station.”
- Pre-read all scripts
“I have an old rule: read it in your head; read it out loud; then read it on the air. Then you have a good chance of getting it right.”
- Don’t be racist, sexist or bigoted
“It doesn’t mean you have to be a saint. But you do have to exist in an environment that is politically correct. You’ve got to be aware of that, and be conscious of how you say what you want to say.”
- Prepare your program before, and do your paperwork afterwards
“Prep first, then do contest winners, promotions, and sales things when you come off the air.”
- Always be hometown proud
“Be proud [of] the city you’re broadcasting from.” Talk about local events and observations.
- Laugh at yourself, and often
“Self-deprecation is one of the greatest things that you have as a presenter. The more you laugh at yourself, the more the audience will laugh at you, and the more they’ll laugh with you as well. Enjoy what you do.
- Look your best when out in the public.
“We are in showbiz, and we need to look the part.” A station T-shirt is fine, but make sure it’s clean and in good condition.
- Promote and support your staff
Get your co-presenters to play as a team. A strong team wins.
These are the first ten of the 20 attributes of a great Presenter as determined by UK Radio consultant John Simons. Learn about the next ten in our next article.
Pic from Freepik.com.
John Lund is President of the Lund Media Group, a radio programming consulting firm with specialists in all mainstream radio formats. Did you find this article useful? You can leave a comment below or email John at John@Lundradio.com.
