Two sections over at Dodger Stadium a stranger waves at me.   We seemingly have nothing in common other than the red St. Louis Cardinals jerseys we wear.  But in a sea of Dodger blue we see each other.

The loudest ovation at a recent Houston Rockets’ game wasn’t for the players on the court but for the six airmen honored during half time.  They didn’t cheer because they were basketball fans; they cheered because they were Americans.

The deeper the connection the louder the applause.

“We buy what we buy to remind ourselves – and tell the world around us – who we are.  We even choose our service providers based on how closely they mirror the way we would run their company.  We’re attracted to reflections of ourselves.  A salesperson points out this reflection, “That’s you, isn’t it?” and then gives the intellect the facts it needs to justify the purchase.  Win the heart and the mind will follow.”  Roy Williams

Facebook knows this.  They simply create ways for us to see a reflection of ourselves (a few years younger perhaps) and we’ll gladly share it with the world without even being asked.

Facebook knows that the more we see ourselves the more we’ll engage.

If someone was to tune in to your station right now what would they hear that is a reflection of themselves?  Would it be in the words you choose?  The perspective on life you share?  That you focus on things that really matter?

Facebook knows it.   Maybe we should too.   The more your listeners see themselves the more they’ll engage

When they asked Michelangelo how he made his statue of David he is reported to have said, “It was easy.  I just took away everything that didn’t look like David.”

That profound simplicity is one way to approach programming your radio station.

If people come to your station for encouragement just take away the stuff that isn’t.  Then while you’re at it… just take away songs listeners don’t love; just take away everything that isn’t relevant and meaningful to their lives; just take away everything that isn’t friendly and welcoming.

“…anticipate and answer your customer’s unspoken questions.  Don’t blather on about the things you wish they cared about – even if those are the things the customer really ought to care about – until you’ve first answered the question that’s on their mind.”  Roy Williams

That involves knowing why they tune to your station in the first place.

So… go do that.  And take everything else away.

We radio folk love to connect the dots.  Even dots that don’t connect.

The CHR in town plays 21 currents and their share went up.  Let’s do that!

They have a red-headed female on middays and they won Station of the Year!  We should do that, too!

We have new jingles!  That must be why our cume went up!   (Consider the illogical correlation of non-listeners’ behavior being affected by something they don’t hear).

I commonly hear otherwise smart radio folks confuse correlation with causation.

The GM loves that new one hour Saturday morning fishing show and the station’’s ratings go up.  Better prepare yourself for his next brilliant programming idea!

The more emotionally invested in a concept or feature the less likely we are to discern its causality.  Just because two things occur together does not mean that one caused the other, even if it seems to make sense.

Need to prove something you already believe?  All you need are two graphs and two events.

“People are drawn to black and white opinions because they are simple, not because they are true.  Truth demands serious effort and thought.”  Donald Miller

We’re never successful because of all the things we do.  Often we’re successful in spite of them.