After one of my recent tips came out, my associate and friend John Frost sent me an email saying: “When I was at KHTR in St. Louis, I hit a little slump in my on-air performance. My Program Director suggested that I create a “best of” tape and listen to it every day on my way to work. That way, I would have an objective reference point to what I did well, and it would help build my confidence since I was listening to my own work.” The thought was “Yes, I can do this because I’ve done it.”
Frost Advisory #649 – My Grandmother’s Couch
There are sights and smells from our childhood we never forget. I grew up in the home my grandfather built.
I can still remember the sound of the grow ups talking downstairs while I was upstairs pretending to go to sleep. I remember the sound of the grandfather clock at the bottom of the staircase chiming every fifteen minutes and chiming the specific number of times on the hour.
My grandmother also lived in our hometown. The sights and smells of her home are just as vivid.
Continue readingTommy Kramer Coaching Tip #502: Talk to the Eyes, not the Ears
Konstantin Stanislavski was the father of “method” acting. Practically every actor since Marlon Brando in the 1950s has read and/or studied his writings and techniques.
One of his main tenets is “Talk to the eyes, not the ears.”
It’s all about making things visual. If I can visualize it, I can crawl inside it, emotionally. But if it’s just “ad copy” or doesn’t bother to engage me visually, it just goes by unnoticed. Or it’s noticed, but not in a good way. It’s just noise.
“You can have a family member flown in for Christmas” is sort of generally visual, but “Imagine eating Grandma’s recipe with Grandma…” is very visual. Then, “We’ll fly her in!” adds another visual component.
Think “what does this situation (or this behavior) look like?” and you’ll be on the right track to stand out in the sea of disc jockeys reading crap off a computer screen.
Frost Advisory #648 – Where Ideas Come From
Writing every week for 648 weeks is not for the faint of heart. That’s every week for 12-½ years for those scoring at home.
I’m often asked, “Where do you get your ideas?”
Fortunately, that’s the easy part. My answer is, “Everywhere.”
In those 648 weeks I’ve also learned where ideas DON’T COME FROM.
Continue readingTommy Kramer Coaching Tip #501: Givers and Takers
Recently, my brilliant friend and associate John Frost wrote a column that struck gold. While he was specifically addressing Contemporary Christian Music stations, I believe his points resonate with every format. Here’s part of what John said:
When you think about the people that have had the greatest influence on your life, I reckon you’d say they were GIVERS. Continue reading
Frost Advisory #647 – Let’s Celebrate What We Value: A New Year’s Resolution
I reckon’ the beginning of a new year is a good time to consider how we internalize the values in our organizations.
Andy Stanley suggests, “Just start celebrating what you value. People will value what you celebrate, and they will celebrate what you value.”
I’ve recently been reading “Breakfast with Fred,” the conversations and ideas of Fred Smith, Sr., a mentor for many leaders such as Zig Ziglar, Philip Yancey, John Maxwell and my friend Steve Brown.
Continue readingTommy Kramer Coaching Tip #500: The Rhetorical Question Rears its Ugly Head Again
Like Dracula, Godzilla, and Freddie Krueger, the rhetorical question disease is popping up again. My crusade to kill off weak, obsequious questions and make stronger, more revealing statements, has apparently faltered. I could give up. But… no.
Quick review…
Frost Advisory #646 – New Year’s Resolution: A Flag In The Ground
If you’ve been reading my Frost Advisories these last 646 weeks you probably know that I believe it is important that a station demonstrate its “Beliefs and Values” position in a meaningful way. It is what I call “putting your flag in the ground.” Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin did that to symbolize that America was first on the moon. And we’ve never forgotten it.
The first Christian music station I ever launched over 20 years ago was in Jacksonville, Florida. It was called “The Promise.” Now in its third incarnation that station still regularly recites its flag in the ground: “The Promise promise.”
You may think that what I share next is about “The Free Press.” Well, it’s not. But it is.
Continue readingTommy Kramer Coaching Tip #499: The Faceless Name
In the old days, we got listener reaction on the phone. But now, with social media, a lot of input comes from Facebook, etc.
The result is hearing “Jim says…” or “Samantha said…”
Faceless names. I know nine people named Jim. Which one is he?
Frost Advisory #645 – Are You Telling Your Bigger Story?
Every Christmas for the last several years I’ve thrown a few coins into the Salvation Army bucket at the neighborhood Piggly Wiggly. But not this year. Nope. You see they’ve changed their bell ringer. The guy standing outside the store ringing the bell was different this season, so I decided not to give.
Ludicrous, isn’t it? Obviously, no one would stop donating to the Salvation Army because Bert replaced Ernie ringing the bell.
Then why do we hear these kinds of complaints?
Continue reading