Why You Should Cut the Intro

I work with a lot of shows, and I’ve noticed something that seems to be pretty common.

Let’s say you’re the lead on a show with at least one other person. You know that another show member, we’ll call her Betty, has a great story about witnessing a bank robbery yesterday.

Here’s what most shows do:

YOU: “Power 101, it’s the morning breakfast bunch with Ross and Betty. Listen for the cash clock coming up at 7:20. Betty, you have a story you want to tell. What happened last night at the bank?”

Here’s a better way that sounds much more natural:

YOU: “Power 101, it’s the morning breakfast bunch with Ross and Betty.” BETTY: “You wouldn’t believe what I saw go down last night. I was at the bank depositing coins when I hear the teller next to mine gasp really loudly! Etc, etc….”

See the difference? No need to intro Betty and her story. Just let her tell it. Betty’s not a guest on the show, she’s part of the show, and it’s much more natural for her to just jump in and tell her story.

It might not seem like a big deal, but I hear it a lot, and when shows try it the other way, they’re always glad they did.

Give it a shot next time someone on the show has a story to tell.

Photo credit: flickr.com/mdgovpics/