Have you ever sold a contest or feature on air by saying "All you've got to do..."?
Sure you have. We ALL have!
In fact, I heard FIVE different presenters use that very phrase yesterday. That's an
industry crutch if ever there was one.
"Two weeks in the Bahamas...all you gotta do is head to our facebook page and yadda yadda yadda".
"Want to request your favourite song? All you've got to do..."
The thing is - it doesn't do you any favours.
The reason?
It sounds unnatural.
When have you ever said to a friend: "Want some toast? All you gotta do is get some bread and put it in the toaster"
Or: "I'm getting the bus into town. All you have to do is get the exact fare and sit down on the bus".
No one speaks like that.
Yet, on the radio we DO.
We use phrases that our listener doesn't use.
That's not really communicating.
Try think of a different way to describe a contest or feature action. A more natural way. Use words the listener uses in everyday life.
"It really is THAT easy..."!
Or 'just' - to enter 'just go to our Facebook page', or even 'to enter, send us an email'. I like the trend for putting all the entry requirements in a sting at the end of the talk up, so the presenter has much less to say - they really just sell the prize and ask the question - Smooth Radio do this particularly well.
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