How We Decide

This should be the key to every word you say on the air

I've been railing against liners since Todd Wallace stuck a book of them in front of me when I was a jock at KIMN.

"Liner card radio" is largely responsible for most listeners punching the radio button the moment a jock starts speaking. We trained them that what we were going to say was meaningless and therefore there wasn't any risk in missing it.

Our Sales departments haven't done better, either. Radio continues to largely offer poorly produced, ineptly written, insipid local spots that persuade very few to actually pull out their money and buy.

The key to all persuasive communication lies in the right brain, not the left.

Let me say that again, so it penetrates: Brain science has proven that the key to all persuasive communication lies in the right brain, not the left.

Here's the important fact: The right hemisphere of our brain has very primitive language ability; it is deaf to facts, figures and logic.

To impact the right brain and get it involved, the message must elicit an emotional response. It must be felt, before it is figured.

And without an emotional response from the right brain, chances are you'll never engage the rational left brain ... because the right brain is the gateway to the left brain.

This is all proven scientific knowledge, widely available in books such as The Master and His Emissary by neuropsychiatrist Iain McGilchristIain McGilchrist, which I have written about previously.

Let me put it this way...

If you run a radio station and you're involved in either programming or sales, you must understand how we hear and respond to words.

Look, I can help you do this. It's what I do for many clients. And I know lots of others who are really skilled at doing this, too, if you can't stand working with me.

Either way, it's time.

It's almost 2014.

What are you waiting for?

Start reaching the right brain of your listeners with every message you put out, then watch PPM and your clients respond. It will be a dramatic change.