Jack Eason 
The Heart Share Group

RELATIONSHIP-The Necessity at Radio

This has been a series on the “SHIPS” every radio station needs in its fleet.

The first week we looked at LORD-SHIP. The week after, LEADER-SHIP.  Last time, we looked at PARTNER-SHIP.

 

This week, we talk about RELATION-SHIP. Believe it or not, each of these SHIPS that our organizations need are interconnected.  When it comes to RELATIONSHIP, this is one of the most important SHIPS today for those of us in Christian radio.  If we want PARTNERSHIP, we must have RELATIONSHIP. There’s been a tendency in recent years to swing the pendulum in the opposite direction of RELATIONSHIP when it comes to programming. Play more music. Talk less. Say “that was…, this is…” and get out of the way. Some may say that equals more LISTENER-SHIP (which we will talk about next time and I will argue not necessarily), but it doesn’t make for more RELATIONSHIPS. Those of us in non-comm radio stations have to understand it’s RELATIONSHIPS that make PARTNERSHIPS. If your station struggles to meet fundraising goals and get support for the things you are doing, you have a RELATIONSHIP problem. You may have a listenership problem, too. But it’s the RELATIONSHIPS that make for better listenership and ultimately, partnership.

What am I saying here? I’m saying your organization can’t thrive without RELATIONSHIPS. It may survive, but it won’t thrive. If you are behind the desk, or mic, and think that people will build relationships with your station SOLELY on what they hear on the air, you need a better perspective. Yes, some will have a relationship with your station based on that but very few.  A RELATIONSHIP takes time and involvement with your listeners. And for your organization/station it should be a priority, especially if your station is non-comm. People give to people.
And if your listeners don’t have a relationship with you or someone at your station, they will never turn into partners. I thought most of us knew that the days of “just playing” great Christian music and programming and asking for folks to fund our station are gone.  You and I may think that is enough, but we aren’t the ones that have to be convinced.  Some stations have not come to that realization yet. A new generation of listeners has emerged, and we must ‘super-serve’ them. We must be out building relationships with them. Being at concerts, bookstore events, major community events, pastor meetings, etc. building relationships. I will never get support from someone who doesn’t know who I am.

At Heart Share, one of the things we specialize in is helping stations develop simple, creative ways to serve their listeners that build RELATIONSHIPS and therefore, partnerships. We would love to serve you. If we can help, please contact us at
[email protected] . Next time, I will share some easy ways to build RELATIONSHIPS.