Tommy Kramer Coaching Tip #525: Hubie Brown and Your Dollar

The great NBA coach Hubie Brown, also a master “color man” for NBA games for years, has this great saying, “He gives you his dollar.” (Think Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Steph Curry, etc.)

That means the player gives you everything he has every game, a “dollar” rather than, say, 40 cents.

I’ve helped many stations in the search for air talent over the years, and that ingredient is always what we look for.  I feel that a good talent who doesn’t give it a full-out effort every day is cheating the station – and himself/herself.

All the “flash” in the world can’t make up for a lazy work ethic.  Give it your “dollar” every break, every hour, every day you’re on the air.  You never know when someone who could change the course of your career might be listening.

Frost Advisory #672 – We Only Care About Things That Are Designed To Be Cared About

What do you passionately care about?

I’ve never heard anyone say that they loved a generic music channel like you can find on XM/Sirius, unless it was something offbeat that appealed to only three people such as the Jamaican Bongo Channel or the Left-handed Texas Fiddler channel.

Things that are generic don’t generate passion and loyalty. If a customer can take it or leave it… chances are they’ll leave it.

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Frost Advisory #671 – A Father’s Influence… On Your Station

Quick! Name a TV dad that is portrayed as a positive role model! How ’bout in movies?

They say that 85% of men in prison grew up in fatherless homes. Role models can change the trajectory of a life. My dad certainly did for me.

As a format that is foundationally about beliefs and values, we have the opportunity to tell a better story about the role of men than what is typically on TV. (To prove my point I did a Google search for Best TV Dads and the list included Homer Simpson, Herman Munster, and Archie Bunker.)

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Tommy Kramer Coaching Tip #523: Did You Get Noticed Today?

Times have changed.  Local stations often don’t sound local.  Syndicated shows tend to talk about generic subjects because they can’t be specific to a certain city or state.  Huge radio companies are so weak in coaching the talent that many air talents have never had a coaching session.

So let’s start your process with a basic question:  Did you get noticed today? Continue reading

Tommy Kramer Coaching Tip #522: Radio versus Social Media

It’s come to my attention that a lot of people actually take Twitter, Facebook, or other social media comments seriously.  Imagine that – someone you don’t know makes a comment, and you actually care.  I knew this day would come when they took the cocaine out of Coca-Cola.  (According to Facebook.)

I shudder to think – well, I don’t actually shudder; to do that, I’d have to stand up, and I can’t type very well standing up.  Anyway, I’ll ask Siri to remind me to imagine shuddering at the notion of a generation of people who have a real need for some sort of validation from strangers.

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Frost Advisory #669 – A Lesson From Bud Light, And Target, And On And On

When I wrote Frost Advisory #661 – What Christian Radio Can Learn From… Bud Light, I didn’t imagine there could be other companies that would say, “Hey, that’s a good idea” and follow along.

Silly me.

I’m told that Anheuser-Busch has lost 27 billion dollars in value since Bud Light decided to feature a “trans-athlete” on a Bud Light bottle.

As unlikely an example to follow it seems that Target did just THAT. Yes, the brand that appeals directly to young moms and kids decided there was another agenda. You know the story. They knew implications of Bud Light’s decision. But anyway…

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