By Holland Cooke
Consultant
We’ve seen autopsies depicted on various cop shows. As the doctor dispassionately probes the deceased, he or she is dictating into an audio recorder: “I’m opening up the chest cavity…”
That’s how some talk hosts sound, narrating their own process, rather than projecting the listener’s stake in topic du jour.
— Instead of: “This gas stove ban is something I want to talk about.”
— Ask: “Should you be fined for installing – or replacing – your gas stove? Let’s talk about it! (phone number)”
— Instead of: “We’ll be talking about the fiscal impact of immigration.”
— Say: “How much money are illegal immigrants taking out of your pocket? More than you think, according to our guest…”
Said another way: Less “I,” “me.” More “you,” and “your,” The Magic Words.
Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working at the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. He is the author of the E-book and FREE on-air radio features “Inflation Hacks: Save Those Benjamins;” and “Spot-On: Commercial Copy Points That Earned The Benjamins,” a FREE download; and “Multiply Your Podcast Subscribers, Without Buying Clicks,” available from Talkers Books. Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke