Your Stories > Other People’s Stories

Some radio shows mostly tell other people’s stories from online show prep services. My fear is that listeners could say, “(Name of DJ) tells great stories, but I really don’t know much about them.” Let’s dive into this week’s Beyond The 615 Column, article # 190.

YOUR STORIES > OTHER PEOPLE’S STORIES

Recently, my wife and I said goodbye to our 16-year-old minivan. I can’t believe the emotional reaction I had! I wasn’t sad about losing the leather interior, the transmission, or the years of reliability. The nostalgia came when I began processing all the memories and life moments shared. The wonderful family road trips. The little kids’ soccer practices and games. All three of our children learned to drive in that van. I could go on and on. I felt like I was saying goodbye to an old friend.

That was a good example of how you make connection points with listeners by revealing emotion from your own life story. Relationships deepen when people get to know each other. That helps build trust over time and turns casual listeners into fans (and hopefully donors).

HERE’S THE TAKEAWAY

Be on the lookout for life around you. Every week try to lower the percentage of show prep service stories and increase your own relevance to today, real life stories.

Here’s an example of something that I encourage the radio shows I coach to keep on their cells to help them capture and reflect on moments that made them have an emotional reaction.

In 2021, Todd Stach launched Beyond 615, a coaching and consulting service, where he strives to help others build confidence and discover their full potential. He has led over 1,500 coaching sessions with radio shows. At the time of this article, he serves 25 shows at 10 radio stations. Todd has also written 190+ free articles to encourage on-air personalities and program directors. He and his family live in the (615) area code, aka the heart of the CCM industry.