A Skill Every Personality Should Master:The First Exit Rule

The man who I credit with teaching me about how to do morning radio is Sam Weaver. Sam and I connected at WQMG in Greensboro, North Carolina, in 1989. I sent him over 50 aircheck tapes because I knew he had to open one of those packages, and he did. From that moment on, when he called me and said, "Come to Greensboro," he taught me everything I needed to know about being a great morning talent. He coached me like Bobby Knight coached his basketball teams at Indiana. I remember when we were in Dallas, Texas, together, and he was working with me on when to end a break. Not talking beyond the punchline and simply knowing when to end the break, which is a science, I think. What he taught me was the first exit rule. So, what is the first exit rule? It's knowing when to get off the highway of a conversation, exit off the ramp, and not talk beyond the punchline or point that had been made, avoiding unnecessary mindless chatter and annoying the listener. By practicing the first exit rule, listeners called me and said, "Man, y'all don't talk enough." Now who hears that these days? Most of the time, people call and say, "Y'all talk too much." But the first exit rule, I believe, brings the listener back for more because they enjoy the conversation and it satisfies their need just enough. People always talk about less is more, but they never teach you the science of why less is more and what the length of less is more is. How do you teach somebody about word economy and what's not necessary as a setup, getting straight to the point? Look, Sam would be on the phone with me while I was doing a break, and I'd hold the phone up to my ear while talking. He would tell me to exit off here, and I would go to the commercial. If I had a gigantic ego, I wouldn't have learned that skill, but I humbled myself to learn how valuable that skill was, and I've practiced it ever since. The first exit rule is not a length of time; it's based on when to exit a conversation after a point has been made, or the laughter in the studio reaches its highest height and not talking beyond that point. Go to commercials. Go to a song.  It also stretches the hour of your show. If there is more to add on from your last break. Save it for the next break if it's worth mentioning. So, everybody needs a coach. If you want to learn more about the first exit rule, I can teach you how to execute it. Contact me. I'd love to talk to you.