Tommy Kramer Coaching Tip #604: How to Find What Really Works for You

For any young air talent, the key to a successful career is simply how to find out what really works for you, so you don’t (1) sound like everybody else, and (2) you’re not predictable.

So how do you accomplish this? Pretty simple, actually: Try stuff.
Some of it may bomb. That’s okay. That’s how we learn. If something tanks, just put that in the “trash” bin, and try something else. If you have the courage to get out of the “box” that most air talents fit into, you’ll eventually find something that “clicks”. Then, add to that by trying something different. Again.

A great example for you is The Wally Show on Contemporary Christian radio giant WAY-FM, based in Nashville.

I’ve worked with Wally on and off for almost 25 years in several different formats, and I still haven’t seen anyone who comes up with more stuff than he does. He’s an idea MACHINE. And yes, he learned what worked for him by just taking chances and trying things that came out of his unique sense of humor. But he didn’t stop there. When he does something really serious, that works, too. (This was a big step in his career. No one can be funny all the time, and you need a changeup to go with your fastball.)

But as the wonderful Talk Radio coach (and my dear friend) Valerie Geller says, “Never be boring.”