Phone Call Dos and Don’ts

(By Mike McVay) Listening to a lot of News/Talk and Sports/Talk Radio lately has me scratching my head. What I’ve been hearing has set-off a flashing yellow light on my entertainment dashboard. Too many hosts have fallen into bad habits, or have never developed good habits, when it comes to using the phone or having guests on-air.

The reason to take calls, regardless of the stations format, is in order to engage the audience in a voyeuristic fashion. Putting a caller on the air is to represent a universal viewpoint, a unique viewpoint, or a viewpoint that you agree/disagree with, all in order to ignite a discussion. Never forget that the conversation is for the listener … not the caller. There are more of them (potential callers) than there are of us (the host), so they bring a rainbow of takes/gripes/quips/laughs/tears.

We know that regular listeners of most talk shows listen for the opinion of the host, so using a listener or a guest, has to be purposeful. They need to say something that you cannot say. If not that, they need to say something that you want to use as a jumping off point.

Don’t wrap-up a call by saying “I have to let you go.” Same for “We need to move on” or “Thanks for calling.” Avoid showing the listener behind the curtain. There is no purpose to saying “I’m up against it …” What does that mean to a listener? Just move on. Don’t thank a listener for calling, either.

Don’t sound rude with a “Get to the point” comment. Just move on to whatever is next. Turn down the caller or guests’ volume and move forward concluding the conversation as you want. The great thing about two-way-talk is that whoever controls the mic switch controls the conversation. This is where call screeners are unsung heroes. The best screeners rehearse the caller before he/she gets to the host. Great screeners say “Start off by telling (host name) what you just told me about the governor.”  And great screeners spare listeners the “Hi how are you?” back-N-forth at the beginning of a call.

When you have a guest, introduce them at the start of the conversation and explain why this guest has joined the show. Reidentify the guest midway through the conversation. Identify them again at the conclusion of the conversation. Think about it. Listeners don’t listen closely when they’re hearing a radio station. How often have you heard a conversation and wondered who it was being interviewed?

Longtime McVay Media News/Talk Consultant Holland Cooke recommends beginning the hour with what he calls “The UQ:”

• “Make the-very-first-thing you say — even before you say hello — a question that includes ‘YOU’ and/or ‘YOUR.’ “Who do YOU feel will ultimately be the winner and loser in that Chris Rock/Will Smith moment?”
• Make the very next thing you say the phone number, “slowly,” Cooke urges, “like you’re announcing the lottery number. Regulars already memorized it. You want new callers every day.” And he says the most common mistake he hears is hosts announcing the number before offering the topic: “Always and only announce the number immediately following the UQ.”
• Then say “hello.”
• Then offer your take; the purpose of which is to make the phone ring.
• Solicit overtly, i.e., “Am I wrong?” or use the magic words “How do YOU feel?”
  Then repeat the call-in number.”

If you really want to connect with your audience, be open to texting, messaging on social media and messaging via your website, all in addition to the use of the phone. We are an audio medium, though. Don’t lose sight of that. That’s the advantage using the phone has over everything else. Sound counts.

Five Quick Tips:

• A conversation with a caller or guest is for the audience. Not the caller or guest.
  Don’t say “Goodbye,” “I have to move on,” or “We’re out of time.” Just go.
• Never show behind the curtain by signaling a stop-set or mentioning formatics.
• Give the phone number frequently and slowly. Share all ways to connect including text, social media and phone. Repeat them twice.
• If you’re doing an interview … say the guests name three times during an interview. Say it at the start, midway and at the close.

Mike McVay is President of McVay Media and can be reached at [email protected]