Tips For Calling In To Radio Shows Or Commenting On Sites

Mornings and afternoons, I spend listening to SiriusXM Satellite Radio, specifically, ch. 90, the NASCAR channel.  During the day, I peruse various websites.  Between the different venues, I enjoy the listener/reader interactions with the source program/website.  But then there are times that I cringe.

I cringe because folks who call in to a radio program, as emotionally invested as they are in a subject, either don't do their homework or don't realize what they're getting themselves into.  As far as comments on articles, there are times I have to smack my forehead in vain.

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Calling Into A Radio Station, Do Your Homework

Before you call into a radio station with an idea or opinion, I swear, you need to do your homework.  That homework has to be on either the subject you are going to address, or the radio host you are going to be talking to.  Or both!

I can't tell you how many times I've heard folks call in with their ideas and sometimes they sound pretty hair-brained.  Don't get me wrong.  I have plenty of "ideas" myself on how to mix up the starting grid, the drivers field, the qualifying, the points during a race and other aspects.  But first, I listen or read what's already been said about the issue at hand.

Don't get me wrong.  Radio shows are great places to share ideas and connect with the celebrities/hosts.  But if you're going to lob out a brain-bomb of an idea, you are going to get razzed by the host.  I've heard it too many times.

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Be Flexible

About being razzed about your ideas, well, if you lob out a creative suggestion as a call-in on a radio show, and the host shoots you down, don't fight it.  Unless you have a logical approach to your argument that appeals to the hosts sense of logic, arguing with the host is moot.  And can get ugly, embarrassing or humiliating.  Not to mention rather frustrating at times.

How many times have you heard that.

Caller: "Hey, I think the slowest starter should be placed up front at the start of a race"

Host: slams caller for ignoring the established system and how it got that way.

Caller: Repeats suggestion with no additional info or idea on why.

Host: Slams caller again

Repeat until hung up on.

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Have A Sensible Answer and Reason

I've heard enough transactions like the one above to know that if you call in with a suggestion, one of the things that makes it good is having a good set of reasons behind it.  Not emotional reasons, but good, practical, sports or business related reasons.  If you don't, the host will more than likely call you on the carpet for your suggestion lacking no substance.

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A Suggestion on How To Present a Suggestion

Too often, I've heard callers "tell" the host what should be done/changed/fixed/removed etc.  This in turn, if it's a questionable idea, starts out in the negative zone of the call, getting the host in a defensive mode.  You never want to put your radio show host in a defensive mode.  That almost instantly kills your own momentum because face it, they have the power.

And hosts always win their conversations on their shows.  Period.

My take on the issue is to not assert your idea, but rather, present your suggestion in the form of a question.  An inquiry of the host.

Asking the host what he thinks about your idea sets a better tone between you and he/she.  Suddenly, the host can assume a mentor-like position and you might get a reply with some reasons behind it.  As opposed to being snapped at and grilled why you think that way?  Once a caller is dragged into the "explain yourself" realm of a phone call, most callers are toast.  Yet on occasion, with some good pragmatic sense, I've heard calls go on longer than normal as the host is engaged enough to banter, question or answer more inquiries from the prepared caller.

And again, if you are going to get into the argumentative stage of a suggestion, seriously try to present your idea as a question.  Even if you think you're right.  Things can go so much smoother that way.

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One more word of warning or advice

When you visit websites and leave comments, you seriously need to read the article you are attaching your comment to.  If you don't, you risk getting flamed online.

Sure the world of the internet is a fairly anonymous one.  But still, if you leave enough comments in places, you'll either become ignored or if you leave good, insightful comments, you may very well become engaged on the site.

Why do I suggest this?

What sparked this bit was an article on another site noting how SPEED Channel is going away because in the long run, they've failed at being the end all to NASCAR fans, and other such issues with the network.  Fox will be "rebranding" the network into an all-sports network to compete with the other sports networks.

And yet, after a pretty decent article, one of the very first comments to the article suggests that NASCAR should have their very own NASCAR cable network.

(Head smack!)

They needed to read the article and understand why it is that SPEED is going away.

That's just one example as just that, an example.  I've seen that too often around the web.  Heck, even on my other websites, I've seen people run with the article title and leave a comment related to the title, showing how obvious it was they just skipped to the bottom and commented.  I have a hard time with speed surfers and tend not to give them too much of my time.

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So really, all I'm suggesting is if you're going to go head-to-head with a radio show host, be as prepared as possible.  That way your calls are more fun for all involved and you might get more out of it than you expected.

Trust me, I've gone both routes, so I'm speaking from experience.  It feels better to feel vindicated than it is to be humiliated on national air time!