Maybe it was the web article about the 10 things that circus clowns can teach you about business. Or perhaps it was the four tips that astronauts can give you about how to get a better night’s sleep.
If you spend a lot of time around Twitter, these ubiquitous lists are becoming tedious and often feel like the writers may be stretching a bit to come up with new content to delight us and inspire retweets.
But it occurred to me that I’d never seen one of those top lists from the DJ’s point of view. In fact, one of the most maligned career paths is being on the air in radio (or TV), often making the upper ranks of those “worst job” lists.
The reality is that the radio DJ can in fact teach us a great deal about how to do business, move us emotionally, and help us make our way through life. With the help of my staff, we’ve come up with the list below. And as I’ve learned from writing this blog over the past 8+ years, the JacoBLOG community of readers will undoubtedly grow our list, providing great examples (and a few laughs).
So here’s our list of the 10 things you can learn about life from DJs:
- What you sound like and what you look like are often two very different things. (Of course, that works both ways.)
- 60 seconds is a LONG time.
- Great storytelling requires a beginning, a middle, and an end.
- There is no substitute for great preparation.
- Being honest and real is the most effective way to communicate.
- Know your audience and tailor your content appropriately.
- Interact kindly with everyone – you never know who will help you out…or hurt you.
- Talking endlessly about yourself is rarely entertaining.
- Get to the point – attention spans are getting shorter.
- Roll with the punches – on the air and in life, things often don’t go as planned.
And here’s your bonus:
11. There will always be people who have nothing nice to say about you. It has little to do with you and everything to do with them.
So what would the community of DJs have to say about this, and what can you add to this list?
Who knows? Maybe even Guy Kawasaki will share our wiki-finished product.
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
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Great list! I would add that even if you don’t necessarily know what you’re talking about as long as you sound like you know what you’re talking about you can sometimes get away with it.
Great one, Dave. And true.
Good grammar! Know it…learn it…love it! Also (and some of my fellow PDs may disagree), sometimes it’s better to seek forgiveness than permission.
Matt, you are right on both counts. Grammar becomes even more important with social media communication. And the forgiveness/permission thing is part of what separates talent from the programmers hired to “manage” them. Thanks for taking the time to comment and add to the conversation.
Fantastic List!!! So True…I wish I had focused more on #11…I’d probably wouldn’t have given up on my career in radio so quickly? Anyway, my add-on to the list would be…something my PD kept saying to me…you can say anything you want on-air, but only once!
Thank you for #5. Its an integrity that few shows have. If you have to fake a bit or use actors, you’re selling yourself/your audience short.
Appreciate that. Thanks for reading our blog.
Great list … I guess another one is don’t be afraid to share how you feel in the context of the subject
Frank, there’s that authenticity and honesty again. Thanks for the comment.
I would add that each line/sentence is a sales pitch for the next. If they’re paying attention, you made the sale with the previous one. If not, you didn’t and your audience (one or many) has moved on.
From the consummate salesman, thanks for that advice, Bob.
A couple of suggestions, Fred.
a) Remember that, for all the wacky, zany stunts that happen in the control room, that it’s all about what comes out of the speakers. Does it entertain the listener? Are you trying to pull off a visual bit that will not translate?
b) Always be mindful of the likely fact that, at one time, radio was a job you would’ve done for free if you had to, just to be in it.
I like ’em both, Greg, but b) is something that the really great ones always remember. In the new Radio Ink interview with MMR’s Pierre Robert, he says just that. (“Oh my god, this is great.”)
Always a good read Fred. I’ve always advocated that the target of any ridicule, *must* be deserving. There’s no win in taking shots at the innocent. The microphone has the power to influence. Use it wisely.
Well said, Paul. It is a big responsibility, and the great ones have always understood that. Appreciate you taking the time.
Like this list a ton! Preparation – Concentration – Moderation. Heard Scott Shannon speak that at a convention. Words borrowed from Gordon McClendon.
Those old patriarchs understood the fundamentals. Those are three big and important words, Tim. Thanks.
Great title. Enjoyable read.
Thrilled to hear from so many on this post. Thanks for the kind words, Dave.
I’d like to add another “life lesson” to that list. “Watch your back, Jack.”
In all walks of life, Curt, but perhaps this one especially.
Love the list. Spot on. #5 & #8 stood out to me as lessons that are difficult to both coach and learn. Here is my addition to the list…
Silence is a double-edged sword. When wielded properly it can be one of the most powerful weapons in the arsenal. It can also lead to your ultimate demise.
Sometimes we should also yield to silence!
And how.
All fixed, and thank for chiming in, Joe.
Great stuff Fred!
I’d add that, while talent and ability may take you far in a business that’s filled with outsized egos, being easy to work with, respectful to colleagues, and generally nice to be around has real value too.
And YOU have always been that guy , David, a key reason for your long-term success. (Listen to David O’Leary.)
when in doubt, shut up and push play.
David, don’t you know it. And once the song starts, most people forget your mistakes and indulgences (except the PD and the consultant).
Like #11; going through it now with a co host who hates me, disrespects me and actls like he doesn’t want to be there. It sucks.
Sort of like a marriage. Hopefully, the “sum of the parts” argument leads to cooler heads. No one said that on-air partnerships would be easy. Hang in there.
I say this one to my airstaff a lot:
You will not and cannot please everybody. There’s a reason those ice cream folks make 31 flavors. Yours will not be to everyone’s taste and that’s OK.
Great advice in the very necessary “Think Skin Department.” This is not an easy job. Thanks for the comment.
Well prepped, well written, well executed. Pour me another !
Coming right up!
it may be fun but it’s still work…the clock never stops ticking.
My first radio instructor told us on Day One that “time is your biggest enemy.” Thanks for reminding me of that lesson and the pressure of the clock.
Great advice… and here’s one more “truth” I learned in radio:
Always leave them wanting more.
Actually, that’s one of my “consultant truths,” too. Thanks for chiming in.