FISHING FOR BUSINESS

I’m searching for Tarpon as the sun rises over Egmont Key in Tampa Bay and it dawned on me (pun intended) that fishing is a lot like trying to land a client or acquire new listeners.

Thanks to my parents and uncles I’ve been fishing since I was around 2 years old at our family cottage in PA. That thrill of catching a fish never gets old and calms my soul.

So what can you learn from a life-long fisherman? Here’s how fishing is similar to running your business.

What are you fishing for? Who are you trying to attract? If I’m fishing for Bluegills I don’t use my 7 foot rod with 85lb braid and a 4 ounce jig. All you’d need is a small hook with a worm and a bobber and as simple as a cane pole. Identify your target.

Choose your bait. What looks good to the fish or customer? Now that I know our target is Largemouth Bass I’d choose 3/8 oz. Chartreuse/White Spinner Bait that allows me to cover a lot of ground and get immediate hits. What can you do to entice your listeners to give you a tune-in? If I’m targeting 25-34 Women that’s different than trying to attract Teens or is it? Sometimes one bait will catch more than one kind of fish. My personal record is 19 different Saltwater Species in one day in the Gulf of Mexico.

No Bait and Switch. In this case live up to what you’re offering. If the Ford Bronco promises 4WD “GOAT” Go Over Any Terrain, it shouldn’t get stuck in the mud. If you're station promises "New Country" why am I hearing Randy Travis? Most stations now include "And Your All-Time Favorites" too. Nice addition to their slogans.

Casting – It’s Important on knowing how to cast. If I make a perfect cast in front of fish there’s a chance I’m going to catch it. But if my cast is 3 feet short of the Mangroves trees nothing. Are your ads going to get my attention? Then it’s up to me if I bite. Are you broadcasting to the right audience?

Presentation, Presentation, Presentation! I can’t stress this enough in fishing and business it’s always about the presentation. I can give you the same lure as I’m using, but I’ll catch more fish. Why? It’s Presentation!

Set the hook. You got a nibble – set the hook! What is the hook for your radio station in the next 15 minutes to get me to stick around? Are you doing a special music weekend or weekend contest, let me know about it. GMA does teasers better than anyone and I’m find myself staying in bed to hear that story that caught my eye.

Reel them in. You’ve done it I’ve got a fish on the line. Keep your line tight and carefully reel them in.

Landing a Fish. We’ve all lost a big one at the boat. You’ve spent hours of prep to get to this point. Do you have a net to safely land the fish?

Catch and Release – How was the experience? Probably not too good for the fish, but I do practice Catch and Release for most of the fish I catch and safely put them back in the water for another day. This reminded me of experience for most contest prize winners. We we’re giving away $1,000 a day at Mix 105.1 in Orlando. So instead of having listeners wait weeks for their prize we delivered the cash in person to their office. Sure that’s extra work, but do you realize the dividends this payout over the future. That listener will be a life-long fan to your radio station and that is the good will RADIO needs today!

Brian Thomas is owner/consultant of BT Radio Waves, LLC and has been VP/Programming for America’s Largest Radio Companies. He’s also a licensed Boat Charter Captain and can take you fishing. Do your radio stations need help? My clients see immediate results. [email protected]

#radio #radioconsultant #fishing #cityofhope