Appendix B
Excerpt from Membership
Drive Producer’s Manual
WWOZ 2003 SPRING DRIVE Membership Levels:
Source: WWOZ-FM, New Orleans. Used with Permission.
On-Air Checklist for WWOZ Fund Drives
Plan ahead: Immediately following a break, plan the next one. Don’t ramble on and have listeners tune out.
A. Key Point: What are the reasons for asking for money?
B. Break Length: How long will the break be? Don’t go over 7 minutes, preferably shorter. Spread information over your show.
C. Business: What business needs tending to? Goals, matching pledges, signing-up new donors, accurate recording of information on forms, etc.
Wear Headphones: Watch your voice levels
A. Be Heard: Speaking off mike or yelling from across the room does not work. If you have a guest make sure their mike is turned on and monitor the levels closely!
B. Talk one at a time: Be careful not to speak at the same time. Trying to say the phone numbers in unison does not work. It’s hard for the listener to understand.
Watch what you say
A. Keep Pledge Information Confidential: Don’t reveal the amount of the pledge, address or other personal info, over the air! You may say their name only if they give permission. (this is an FCC rule). You may mention the amount of the pledge only if no name is associated with the announcement. Let listeners know periodically that you won’t mention their name on the air if they don’t want.
B. Delete “We need” from your vocabulary (except when listing things we actually need: see section on “What Their Contributions Do”): It’s not about what we need. It’s about what they need and want. Our listeners love to listen to this station and we provide a service to them.
C. Say phone numbers last: Listeners will remember the very last thing they heard the easiest.
Say #s often and Always end your break with”
Call 504-568-1234
Other hints:
Come prepared, plan ahead and practice. Spend some time writing down the reasons you care about the station (see also “What Their Contributions Do”).
Pay attention to the log and be sure to play all underwriting and other announcements on time. There are very few during the drive so it will be easy to work them in.
Map out what the main message will be, what business needs to be taken care of, who will say what and how long the break will be before your show begins.
Roughly plan the timing of your pitching for the entire program.
Keep pitches focused on one idea or concept. If you give too much information you will confuse the listener. Long stories or lectures are a bore.
To keep listeners attentive, avoid one person talking for too long, if you have two people in the studio, take turns giving information to the listeners or even better yet, converse with them. Two voices on-air is good, three is O.K. but four can be too confusing for the listener to follow. Don’t talk over each other. It is nearly impossible for a listener to understand what is being said when people talk at the same time. Please do not try to say the phone numbers in unison!
How to Time your Pitches
Remember that listeners need to be asked to give many times (over half need to be asked five or more times), and it is important to vary the length of your pitching. Keep the following in mind:
Length of Pitch Breaks: Allow your audience to build at the beginning of the program with more programming and less frequent, shorter pitch breaks. As you approach the midpoint of your program, mix in some longer pitch breaks with a little less programming. Towards the end of the program pitching should become more frequent and shorter. This method helps build a sense of urgency near the end. Type of music will also have an effect on your pitching. The longer cuts of Jazz or Blues may require lengthier pitches, while short funk or other cuts can be interspersed with more frequent but shorter pitches.
Topic of Your Pitches: Pitching mixes two types of messages. Toward the beginning of your program focus on helping your listeners realize that they appreciate our high quality programming and that it’s a good idea to contribute to the station. As you progress through your program increase the frequency that you ask your listeners to call with their pledge. The last part of your program should emphasize asking the listener to give now.
How Many Minutes?: Seven or eight minutes of pitching is about the maximum, four or five is better. Be responsive to your audience. If they are calling, you are doing something right. If they are not, something may need to change strategy.
What Doesn’t Work: Guilt, pessimism, lies, whining, begging, apologizing, haranguing, scolding or guilt tripping.
01. If you come across in a negative way, people will tune out. Threatening, insulting or whining to the listener is not the way to stimulate the spirit of giving.
02. Blackmail doesn’t work. It does not work to say you won’t play any music until someone pledges. People will call with fake pledges.
03. Refrain from saying “we are going off the air if you don’t pledge.” It’s not true.
04. Do not compare WWOZ to other radio stations directly. It doesn’t matter what others do, it only matters that we do what we do, the best we can. Do discuss in general terms how radio has become homogenized and how WWOZ is true radio with all the personality and flavor of New Orleans
Other Reminders for your Audience
• - Encourage the use of credit cards. Also encourage them to send or bring their payment to us sooner rather than later. Both of these save the expense of building for their pledge, thus better using their hard-earned contribution.
• - Most people listen to radio in small time blocks and may be doing something else at the same time, so don’t be afraid to repeat the essential information. There are always new people listening.
• - Mention that they should ask their personnel department if their company has a matching gift policy. This can double or triple the value of their contribution.
• - Hold on to your audience: Let them know what you’ll be playing after your membership message. Promote upcoming shows and special guests!
• - Have Fun!
Pitch Ideas/Concepts
• - Spring 2003 Special Note:
Under No Circumstances is anyone to condemn the war or the President
Every message every pitch must come from a positive angle
1. “Be Radio Active”. Ask the listener to be an “active” listener. Not everyone has the time or the ability to volunteer. Simply by picking up the phone and making that pledge your action makes a difference.
2. WWOZ is not beholden to any corporation or outside interests except our supporters. Most of our funding comes directly from our listeners (60%). As such the only interests we are beholden to are our listeners and members. Without them we would not exist.
3. Every listener who becomes a member of WWOZ not only helps us by giving us their money, but also by giving us their name, and voice. When WWOZ approaches other funding sources one of the main questions that is asked is “Are we supported by our listeners?” Each individual who joins gives us that much more clout and power.
4. “Special Moments” Think about a time when listening to WWOZ has played a special part in your life. Relay that personal experience to the listeners. Ask them to reflect on their WWOZ “Special Moments”.
5. WWOZ as a Resource. Talk about the services WWOZ provides for it’s listeners outside of the music. Community Notebooks, Livewire, Public Service Announcements. Ask the listener to reflect on how many times they have used these services as resources in their lives.
6. Diversity. WWOZ is diverse in both its people and in its music. The people who work and volunteer at the station come from all different races, religions, ethnic backgrounds, and walks of life. This is reflected in the diversity of the music we play. Our supporters are equally as diverse. It is in this diversity that we find our strength, and our unique voice.
7. Jazz. The Ken Burns Documentary has brought a lot of attention to Jizz since it was released. WWOZ has been dedicated to playing, promoting, and educating people about Jazz for over 20 years. 60% of our programs are Jazz oriented. After all the whoopla has passed with the documentary. WWOZ continues to be dedicated to playing, preserving and nurturing Jazz.
8. Live Music. WWOZ is your source for live music in New Orleans. List some of the live events WWOZ has broadcast over the years. Let listeners know that we will continue to expand our live coverage in the future. Let listeners know that we have the ability to do these events because their contributions allowed us to purchases our mobile broadcast studio, and all of the technology necessary to do remote broadcasts.
9. WWOZ is programmed locally. WWOZ is bucking the trend of homogenized radio. From city to city radio stations sound the same. WWOZ has it’s own voice. We don’t have play lists and never will. Our hosts decide what will be played.
10. Internet listeners. Even though many of our Internet listeners have community or public radio stations in their own towns, they tune in via WWOZ.ORG to hear our broadcast. We are their “voice of New Orleans”. Did you know that our web site gets 2 million hits per month? People all over the planet are listening to us.
11. “The Next guy will do it.” Many people don’t bother to pledge because they figure the others will take care of it. If everybody thought this way, radio like WWOZ could not exist. Let people know that we need every listener to raise their voice and support the station.
12. It’s easy. Pledging to WWOZ is an easy process. We accept credit cards so once you pledge all you have to do is sit back and wait for your membership package. (Turn around is approximately 3–4 weeks).
13. “If not me…who? If not now…when?” Ask people to make the commitment to WWOZ. There is no reason to wait. If you plan to pledge do it now. Many times listeners put it off or say they’ll do it next week, but then forget or get busy. Go to the phone right now and take the two minutes.
14. Can’t turn the radio off. Have you ever had the experience of listening to a song that was just so good that you just can’t turn the radio off? Have you ever been driving in your car and reach your destination but won’t get out because you can’t bear to turn the radio off? Have you ever been late because the music is just that good?
15. Exposing people to new music. Think of all the musicians and groups that you love that you heard for the first time on OZ. WWOZ exposes you to music you might not ever have heard. How much of your music collection is a direct result of hearing songs or artists for the first time on OZ.
16. WWOZ is dedicated to supporting local music and local musicians. Think of all the local players you heard for the first time on OZ. WWOZ dedicates 15 hours a week exclusively to New Orleans Music and most programmers play local musicians material. WWOZ has an open door policy. Musicians and members of the art community are always invited to use WWOZ as a resource to promote their projects and gigs on the air.
17. Free Tickets. Have you ever won free tickets to go to a musical event? WWOZ gives away thousands of free tickets every year. Chances are you have won a pair. This is just one more reason your membership is such a great value.
18. WWOZ is always there for you. 24 hrs a day, 365 days a year. If you need to hear good music we are there for you. When you wake up in the morning till you go to bed at night.
19. WWOZ provides a voice for the voiceless. Advertising on traditional media, newspaper, television, commercial radio is very expensive. Most small businesses and organizations can’t afford it. WWOZ provides an inexpensive and often free outlet for organizations to get the word out. Non-profits can use our community notebook. Small galleries and arts organizations can use the art line, and small businesses can purchase inexpensive underwriting time. WWOZ is there for those in the community who have no other outlet.
20. WWOZ helps to keep New Orleans unique cultural traditions alive. From Mardi gras Indians to Social Aid and Pleasure Clubs’ Second Lines. From Brass bands to Creole Patios. From carnival to JazzFest WWOZ brings you everything New Orleans and through the website brings the traditions and culture of the Crescent City to the world.
21. Voted best radio station time and again locally, recognized in Rolling Stone Magazine, the New York Times to name a few. Recipient of the W.C. Handy Blues Award. So respected that The Guadalupe Jazz Festival and Cuban Jazz Festival paid to OZ to come and record these outstanding events. Call now do your part to keep this station vibrant.
22. By becoming a member of WWOZ you are becoming part of a winning team. OZ is a healthy, thriving, growing organization that has big plars for tie future. Talk about the new building and OZ’s other goals for the future.
23. Talk about your personal experiences with WWOZ. Ask the listener to reflect on their own. Bring a phone volunteer up to share there experience.
24. WWOZ is an excellent investment. OZ does not produce toxic chemicals. We do not pollute the environment. OZ is not political or controversial. You can feel good about your investment in the station. The only thing we manufacture is good music and your contribution helps keep it alive and thriving.
25. Think back to the first time you heard the station. Ask the listener to do the same. What was the first song you heard? What was your reaction?
26. WWOZ is a volunteer powered station. Over 150 dedicated volunteers make this station tick. All of the programmers volunteer their time and expertise. Volunteers do most of the day-to-day office work. WWOZ has only 10 paid staff; people who donate their time do everything else. The people who are answering the pledge drive phones are volunteers.
27. Create a contest. Internet vs. Locals. Jefferson vs. Orleans, etc.
28. Call out neighborhoods and be specific. People love to hear their neighborhoods on the radio, i.e. Treme, Marigny, French Quarter, Back o’ Town, Irish Channel, Riverbend, Carrolton, Girttown, Jefferson, etc.
29. WWOZ keeps roots music alive. Jazz, Blues, R&B, African, Caribbean, Brazilian, Latin, Irish. Cajun, Zydeco. None of these are ever heard on commercial radio. We don’t play music because it is popular, we play it because it is vital. We are not for everybody, but if you listen, we are for you.
30. On WWOZ not only do you get entertained with great music, but our knowledgeable programmers also help to educate our listeners about the music. Programmers always include interesting facts and information about the lives and music of the musicians heard.
31. WWOZ is not commercial. OZ is all music all the time. We only to pledge drives twice a year and even during those times you still hear more music in an hour than you do on most commercial stations. All of the other time is given to music or community info.
32. Renew the commitment. Perhaps it’s been a couple of years since you last pledged. Perhaps you moved away from New Orleans and now listen on the internet. Now is a good time for you to renew your support for WWOZ and return to the family.
33. A great way to meet people. WWOZ makes for excellent conversation. Either as volunteer or as listeners who enjoy OZ at home on their own time.
34. New in Town? Appeal to people who are new in town and who have just recently discovered the Station. For many folks who come into town, we are an oasis on the dial.
35. WWOZ is always first to bring you new music. WWOZ gets new music from the biggest to the most obscure record labels often before the record is commercially available. Our programmers constantly update their collection of new music to keep their presentations fresh.
36. The Classics. From John Coltrane to Louis Armstrong. From Muddy Waters to Robert Johnson. From_____to_____. WWOZ plays the classic artists and classic songs that you want to hear. Of course, we also throw in lots of obscure and rare material you may have never heard.
37. Requests. You know how there are some times you just gotta hear that one song you love. WWOZ’s request line is always open. You can hear almost anything you need just by calling 568-1234.
38. WWOZ live recordings have been added to the Library of Congress Archives. You continued support will allow for us to continue to record and preserve the great musical performances for generations to come.
39. With all the changes in the sound media landscape, that is how you hear your music, Internet in your car and satellite radio. Your continued support will keep WWOZ not just for today but able to prepare and be part of the future, bringing the sounds of New Orleans around the world. Call Now.