Last week, Andy Masur did everyone with play-by-play aspirations a favor. If you are one of those people and have not read his column about what it is hiring managers are looking for on a demo, stop reading this, click here, and go read that!
Now, for those of us that aren’t in the business of calling games, I thought it would be helpful to be able to give the same advice to aspiring hosts. Whether “aspiring” in your case means you want to become a host or it means that you are already a host and you want to move up in market size of time slot prestige, it is always helpful to know what matters most to the people listening to and judging your demo.
Scott Shapiro of FOX Sports Radio told me that he likes to listen to demos just like he is listening to the radio. He wants something that is memorable and sticks with him.
“I want to learn something new,” he told me in an email. “I want to be challenged to think differently about a topic than I initially believed before pushing play. It’s easy to cover time on the biggest story of the day, but I like to hear a unique, well-prepared take that’s thought-provoking.”
Brandon Kravitz, program director go 96.9 FM the Game in Orlando, listens to demos looking for answers. There are a lot of questions when it comes to making a new hire, and he wants the audio job candidates submit to tell him a lot.
“I want to hear simple things like how you come in from and head into commercial break. I want to hear how you set up and interview and converse with a guest. What is your particular style? Are you better with a companion/co-host, or do you like driving the bus yourself? Make that apparent on the demo or show your range as a host,” he says.
He noted that it can be tough to really come away with a clear idea of what a PD is getting in a candidate from a demo.
“My issue with demos is that they’re like social media profiles, everyone looks picture perfect,” he says. “I want to know what life is like for you behind the mic when things don’t go right. If there’s a way to highlight in a demo, you adjusting on the fly, that can go a long way in putting a Program Director’s mind at ease.”
It is an interesting question. How often do job applicants think about showing their ability to get back on the horse after a fall? Probably not often. What they would rather a potential employer see is them riding the horse with ease, jumping over obstacles and perhaps even perform a dressage routine.
“I always want to hear passion and curiosity in a topic,” Shapiro says, noting that delivery is always more important than perfection. “If you don’t care a great deal about what you’re discussing, why would I as a listener want to spend valuable time consuming it?”
I asked Shapiro something else all job seekers want to know. I talk to PDs all the time about job openings and responses to those openings. Do you know that most times, when a respected brand in a top 100 market posts a job opening, they receive more than 100 replies? The larger the market, the bigger the response.
So how does an applicant even begin to have confidence that a PD will see his/her email or hear his/her demo? The answer is persistence.
“Follow up is important,” he told me. “There is of course that fine line between aggressive and annoying. But for anyone who only sends a demo one time, they are doing themselves a disservice.”
Another important thing to know is you may get a call back and it may not be the one you want. Brad Carson, program director of 92.9 ESPN in Memphis, and I have become good friends. That started with me applying for an EP role at his station and him calling me for no reason other than to tell me that I was good, but he was not interested in hiring me.
Brad values people that know Memphis, and having spent a total of four days there in my entire life, I am definitely not one of those people. It was a hurdle he knew I couldn’t overcome, but he wanted me to know that there was plenty of reason to be confident and keep looking.
It wasn’t a bad call at all. It just wasn’t the call I wanted.
Shapiro told me that he hears a lot of demos and often finds himself feeling the need to deliver news that isn’t bad, but it isn’t necessarily the news the applicant wants either. Finding the right fit isn’t all about talent.
“Whether it’s a national or local spot, there’s times when it’s very clear that reps are needed to refine delivery so a host gets more comfortable delivering premium content,” he said. “There’s a lot of hosts who can deliver ‘good’ content. But in order to turn good into great, it takes a great amount of hours, reps, and time spent honing the craft. This is a subjective business where success is measured in masses of people choosing to spend time with a host. Even with talent, the ability for a host to appeal to a broad audience, to hold their attention and then to garner ratings takes a great amount of skill and development paired with that talent.”
So here’s what we’ve learned:
- Be aware that different programmers are looking for different things.
- Don’t go for perfection. Send in clips and segments that show you in real situations.
- Send clips that demonstrate passion for the topic you’re discussing.
- Follow up!
- Understand that receiving a phone call may not always mean you’re getting the news you want, but if a PD takes the time to pick up the phone, it means you are doing something worth paying attention to.
I am going to throw a tip of my own in here. Working with the members of the BSM Member Directory, I hear a lot of demos. I listen and give feedback to try and help them put their best foot forward in the job market.
My advice would be ask for feedback and advice. Ask friends both in and outside the industry what they hear when they listen to your demo. Tell them to be brutal. Would they listen to this guy? Where did you lose them?
Ask questions. Brandon Kravitz laid out all of the technical questions he wants answered when he puts an applicant’s demo on, but he says he tries to put himself in a listener’s shoes when listening to someone new. In those shoes, there is only one thing he needs to know.
“Why should I spend my time listening to your opinion or analysis when I have a bevy of options to choose from?” he says. “There’s a lot of talent out there, highlight what makes you unique, without being over-the-top about it.”
Demetri Ravanos is a columnist and features writer for Barrett Media. He is also the creator of The Sports Podcast Festival, and a previous host on the Chewing Clock and Media Noise podcasts. He occasionally fills in on stations across the Carolinas in addition to hosting Panthers and College Football podcasts. His radio resume includes stops at WAVH and WZEW in Mobile, AL, WBPT in Birmingham, AL and WBBB, WPTK and WDNC in Raleigh, NC.
You can find him on Twitter @DemetriRavanos or reach him by email at DemetriTheGreek@gmail.com.
