Radio showmanship (Sept 1940-May 1941)

^ on Don't Have To Be a Barnum Good Local Radio Programs Aren't Difficult Nor Expensive; Here's an Article That Tells You Why. hy PAUL HELLMAN "Say, what I wouldn't give to have Jack Benny selling my groceries over the air" . . . I can't begin to record the number of times I have heard that statement in the last year. Of course, the exact wording varied on each occasion. It might have been Fred Allen, Charlie McCarthy, or Kate Smith instead of Benny, and they might be selling dishes, dresses, or dressers instead of groceries. Basically, the .situation was the same. It was a local advertiser moaning the fact that there just wasn't any good radio shows for him, and if there were, he couldn't afford them! About the time that Jack Benny started selling Jello, a few smart local businessmen bought the spot announcement before and after his program. Any success that Jello is having has also reflected in their sales charts. Now, what is it that makes one man buy time, and the other selling power? Showmanship, the science of showing every product at its best, of arresting attention, focusing all ears on what you have to sell and then selling. The advertiser who carries newspaper technique into radio will find himself as handicapped as a pantomimist trying to compete on a Major Bowes Air Show. In newspaper, the advertiser devotes his entire efforts preparing the layout and copy for his advertisement. Actually, that's as far as he need go, for he relies on the news stories and editorials of the newspaper to create his readers. In radio, on the other hand, the advertiser should not only concern himself with hit own commercial copy, but he must also be interested in the I Hon of the audience. The radio advertiser must first DC ,i thou man! The more showmanship, the more audience, the more ial< I Inn to be a thou man is a lot simpler than it sounds. It's tine. Barnumi aren't born everj second, but one doesn't have to resort to erne theatrics to be i t how man, The man who recognized that quiz shows were gaining favor on the network and started a similar show in his local town was a showman. Showmanship doesn't necessarily mean originality (though that helps). The man who jumps on the bandwagon when it's starting to roll is a real showman — and a much safer one. Showmanship doesn't even mean that you have actually to produce the program or select the talent. Your advertising agency or your radio station will no doubt handle the work for you with great efficiency. But you do have to know enough about radio to be able to make decisions, to be able to agree or disagree on more than a purely personal basis. Here are a few simple suggestions that, once carried out, may find you waking up one bright morning the sponsor of a profit-making radio show, which is about all anyone expects of a showman. 1. When you buy spot announcements, buy selling power instead of just time. Pay strict attention to the programs on the radio stations in your town. Select the spots near programs that reach people you want to reach! 2. If you plan your own program, plan it so that it will interest your listeners — not just you. So many businessmen base their selections entirely on their own whims and fancies. Often, it is far better to ask the opinion of the girls in your office. They may more nearly resemble the people who buy and use Your product. 3. Once you've planned an interesting program, don't sit hack and wait for it to pick up listeners. Go out and sell the public. During the first few weeks, for every dollar you spend on radio time, plan as much, if not more, for the promotions that will start your program off on the right toot. Once the start is successful, the program will almost Carry itself, if it's made of the right stuff! All that's required to make an ordinary show good is a little extra effort That's not difficult, nor expensive. And you'll <ind good shows are worth working for. 138 RADIO SHOWMANSHIP