Tracy Johnson “Listeners Are Going To Complain..”

Listeners Are Going To Complain, And That Can Be a Good Thing

A listener complains that you talk too much and should play more music. The comment lingers in the back of your mind. 

Another has a problem with something you said. It wasn’t spiritual enough for them. Their words stick. 

Then you launch a topic, and the phones light up, so you extend the topic to two more segments than planned. 

The manager reports that a donor’s wife thinks you were out of line with a comment this morning. He didn’t say to change anything, but you think the subtle message is to dial back the opinion. 

A personality in another market says they don’t “get” your show, pointing out “sloppy” execution based on hearing one segment. 

These voides are loud. They resonate. Regardless of the source, direct feedback always stays with personalities because performing on the air is personal—criticism stings and praise feels great. It’s human nature. But most direct feedback is meaningless. If you act on it, it’s dangerous. 

You have to learn to tune out the comments and listen only to the voices that matter.

Voices That Matter Case Study #1

Several years ago, a morning show told me listeners were bored with their signature feature because the show had been doing it every morning at the same time for 7 years. Here’s how the conversation unfolded:

Me: Why do you think listeners don’t like it anymore?

Show: They tell us all the time. They ask why we do it so much.

Me: Who asks you this?

Show: Listeners. You know, when we are hosting events and sometimes sending emails.

Me: Anyone else? Who specifically?

Show: Our friends bring it up sometimes. They keep asking if we get tired of it.

Me: Are you tired of it?

Show: Yeah, we’re tired of it. We’ve been doing it forever. We need to mix it up and find something new.

Me: What do you think is the best solution?

Show: Let’s rest it for a while and then bring it back. Or instead of doing it every day, what do you think about once a week?

Smart programming strategies blend art and science. Art is subjective, anecdotal, and subject to emotional reactions, while science is grounded in facts, data, and evidence. Before changing the feature based on feelings, we checked the data. This two-part relationship feature generated the two highest-rated quarter-hours on the entire station for eight consecutive rating periods. Nothing else was close. Fortunately, this station had not yet slashed the research budget, so we asked perceptual questions about the morning show before a music test. The feature was rated higher than the preference for the personalities doing it! That was impressive, so we conducted online perceptual research to get more data from a larger sample. The feature verified that this is the primary driver of the show’s success.

Changing that feature would have been devastating had we not taken another step to listen to voices that matter. Instead of taking it off, we programmed it more.

Case Study #2

This show was gathering momentum. Ratings had not yet reflected it, but the “ear test” suggested that they were on a roll. The three personalities were well-cast and had clear roles. They complemented one another well, and the audience response was terrific.

Then, one morning, a female co-host lit up the morning with a comment about single moms. The following conversation was emotional, honest, and bold, so the show extended it to Facebook. How did that turn out? The haters felt invited, and a handful of negative comments snowballed into a storm of activity.

The conversation was full of energy, heart, and authentic perspectives. There were only a handful of truly negative comments about her personality, and dozens of people praising her candor and bravery. But the voices criticizing the show were loud, the program director freaked out, and the station manager ordered the show to walk it back because a client was bothered by it. The show went from being on top of the world to losing confidence.

This type of reaction is what shows should strive for: a community of listeners interacting on a topic that attracts non-listeners to a passionate discussion based on something a personality said on the air! This creates Top-of-Mind Awareness. Instead, the show learned to avoid making powerful statements, which would relegate them to the Zone of Mediocrity.

Who Are Voices That Matter?

You can’t listen to every comment. It will drive you mad and take you off course. So who should you listen to? 

Here’s a guide:

Strategic Research:  Strategic projects (perceptual research) should be a guide to a successful plan. Perceptions precede performance and popularity.  Focus on how the audience views you. 

Tactical Research: Online surveys and focus groups can measure how well you execute a plan. If you can’t conduct a perceptual study, these more affordable projects can help, but avoid making strategy decisions based on tactical data.

Character Profiles: A great profile for each personality establishes boundaries and prevents mistakes. Every personality should have one. Build your profile for free at www.radiocontentpro.com/character-profile.

Consultant/Coach: Get an outside perspective to help you see the forest for the trees. A good mentor will talk you (and your management team) off the ledge.

Conclusion

Negative voices are loud. Comments from advertisers, donors, relatives, social media posts, listeners attending events, and callers may indicate a problem. Their opinions are valid, but they usually are not voices that matter. Complaints are almost always in the single digits. A few outraged calls or texts feel like a lot, but with a cume of 100,000, that’s .01 percent.

Maintain a clear vision of the station strategy and maintain your perspective when executing a plan to remain fearless and confident, but not reckless. Be strong. Stay focused. Complaints are a sign that listeners were provoked to take action. Filter the noise, and only listen to the voices that matter.

Recognized as one of the world’s best talent coaches and consultants, Tracy has been a creative inspiration to thousands of talented radio personalities and programmers to attract, retain, and lead a passionate fan base. He’s also been instrumental in developing Radio Content Pro Spirit, which leverages the power of AI to inspire creativity on-air, online, and on social media for Christian Radio. Reach Tracy at tracy@tjohnsonmediagroup.com