One of the things that makes it hard to coach people is when their whole on-air position is just a catch phrase. A TV station in my hometown uses “On Your Side” as its ‘positioning’ statement. It’s in all their stupid promos. But it’s meaningless.

“On my side” for what? A lawsuit? A basketball game at the gym? A street fight? My political affiliation? My battle with every restaurant to not put onions or garlic in my food?

Their “position” is actually prone (as in “lying face downward” or “lying flat,” according to the dictionary).

When I listen to the radio, the first thing is – I want to feel a human being there. Not just some quacky-voiced announcer who’s sitting there playing Wordle on their iPhone during the songs. And certainly not someone in the Talk arena who sounds like their every remark is prepared. (BE prepared, but don’t sound too prepared.)

It’s bad enough these days with robotic-sounding voice-trackers and AI voiceovers all over the place. I miss presence.

Relate. Be unique. As I always say, “Crack your chest open and show us what’s in there.”

A foundational tip of mine is: Never assume that people want to hear what you have to say.

You have to earn the listener’s attention every time you open the mic – even if you’re just doing something simple like intro’ing a song (in a music format), or adding “colorful” details to a story (in any format). Your “interesting sidebar” may indeed add something – but not always.

New York Yankees’ Hall of Fame catcher Yogi Berra said a lot of funny things, sometimes malapropisms like “Nobody goes there anymore. It’s too crowded.”

But he also said, “You can observe a lot by just watching.”

As it applies to radio, you can observe a lot by just listening.

There’s an old saying, “Give the people what they want.” That was the gospel.

But Volkswagon didn’t agree. People were driving huge cars when the original Beetle came out – but then millions and millions of VW Beetles were sold.

George Lucas didn’t. The sci-fi genre was pretty sparse when “Star Wars” came out. Hollywood moguls said people didn’t want that. They were, uh…wrong.

Here’s something to seriously consider: do you have humility?
This is such an endearing trait.

NEVER be afraid of being the butt of the joke. It makes you human. And it creates empathy.

We have a great example of what a lack of humility is like in a certain well-known President. Can’t take a joke. Ever. What a shame. He’d be so much more likable if he could.

Sure, some people succeed in media as a bombastic, aggressive personality. (I’ve coached several over the years.) But I believe that as a radio personality, the more you’re willing to kind of “take it on the chin” once in a while, the more people will like and respect you.

A song I wrote a few years ago contains the line, “To refuse to see is the same as being blind.”

This definitely applies to radio, and raises questions:

• Do you listen to your own show regularly?
• Can you hear the things that you don’t do that well?
• If you can, do you work on correcting and upgrading those things?
• Do you have a P. D., friend, or talent coach to help you recognize where you can improve, and define what your greatest strengths are?

The point is, you want to eliminate the subpar things, discover what you do really well, then only do those things.

I believe that anyone who wants to become an elite Talent needs that focus.

Here’s how careers are made…

When something happens – something that seemingly everyone is buzzing about – and you make a comment, what will you say that no one else would say?

If you can get past that, and own that, and get to where that’s the way your brain works, you will be a major star.

Read. Watch great movies. Listen to great songs. They all have that in common.