Speed Dating

You've heard of speed dating, right? This could only happen in America.

The premise is that rather than wasting your valuable time on real dates, which take entire evenings, you're better off joining lots of other lonely singles in a restaurant or bar for two hours, during which you'll be exposed to every other lonely person of the opposite sex there for the same purpose.

A timer goes off every five minutes signaling you to get up and move down the line to the next potential mate. The process repeats until you meet everyone there, and those you like -- and who like you -- exchange phone numbers for later contact.

When you only have five minutes, how much can you really know? Talk about superficial.

Unfortunately, lots of radio shows are the equivalent of speed dating. The air talent never reveals enough about him/herself to feel like we actually know who they are. Even worse, they never show enough interest in you, the listener, to give you any sense this is a person you'd enjoy spending time with on a regular basis.

If you ever hope to reach a deeper relationship with listeners, you have to be willing to be more than a superficial voice reading inane liners and talking about things you want listeners to care about.

You have to talk about what they care about.

And most of them don't care about your car dealership remote Saturday, or Battle of the Sexes tomorrow at 7:15.

Most of them care about their relationships.

Most of them care about their children.

Most of them care about their pets.

Most of them are worried about money, paying their bills and keeping their jobs, just like you.

Most of them care about their health, especially when they're not totally healthy.

Most of them are good people, who want to do the right thing, who want to help the less fortunate, and are grateful when you give them a fairly easy way to do that.

Most of them struggle with insecurity and doubt, an occasional lack of confidence, a need to be respected and loved.

How often do you talk about this stuff?

How long do you think they'll be satisfied with speed dating before they look for a station and talent that offers a real relationship?