We’re in uncharted waters right now, because the Coronavirus is the #1 subject locally, nationally, and globally…
So let’s look at it both Strategically and from a Coaching perspective.
Strategy
These are the core ingredients in what we should want to air right now:
Acts of kindness
Stories of hope
Examples of self-sacrifice…
In short, be the “glass half full” station. If that seems corny to you, grow up. Negativity and Fear are everywhere. If you feed them, they get worse.
Coaching Tips
The Coronavirus isn’t the subject of every single break (you still want to be entertaining, too), but the virus IS the “backdrop” of everything.
If a large portion of the Content is people sharing about what the virus means in their lives, then remember that it’s not just their sweet stories, but also their concerns, and what that means in terms of being a good wife/husband/neighbor.
Something along the lines of “Yes, we’re going to play lots of songs and keep you up on the weather and traffic, etc. but let’s talk, if you want…”
Keep these things in mind:
Whenever there’s a “theme” (like taking calls about a certain thing), two ingredients are essential…
- A different emotion each time. If calls are all the same emotion, but just different details, that’s gonna get old quickly.
- Keep ’em short. A call isn’t a conversation, it’s a sound bite. The SUM of the sound bites is the conversation.
It’ll be a challenge for some air talents to steer away from “It’s gonna be all right” platitudes and “Hallmark card” affirmations, but do your best. Remember that something as simple as your tone of voice can calm people and connect with them.