Radio is probably the most intimate of all media platforms available to us today. And those who want to claim all the power of radio…to deliver a message or sell a product…can use that sense of intimacy in a positive way. Of course, if you are in ministry and are proclaiming God’s Truth and offering Jesus as the source of all our hope, you want to do that in the most compelling way. One-on-one is that “most compelling way.”

Whether you are talking about traditional over-the-air radio, online, or podcasting, it is wise to understand how to build that sense of intimacy between the person on the air and the listener. And it is usually done in small and simple ways.

It is often pointed out that those who regularly listen to a person on radio feel like that on-air individual is a personal friend. When you watch someone on television, you don’t get the same feel. It is a difference in these mediums, and it is especially true when someone uses radio well.

Most radio folks know that this communication tool works best when it is considered as one-on-one communication. At least we know that in our head. But does it translate to what we do or say on the air? Any person on the air who says the old phrase, “Hello, everyone out there in radio land!” doesn’t understand this principle. You are not talking to everyone. You are talking to one single, solitary person. Yes, there are many “one’s” out there. But it is just one person.

Valerie Geller in her great book Beyond Powerful Radio underscores that.

“Radio, no matter the delivery method, is very, very personal. People no longer sit around in groups listening to it. Today, much listening is done alone, almost in secret, through headphones, computers, on mobile devices, or in the steel-and glass-enclosed privacy of a car.”

Geller illustrates the application of this principle with a simple example. She says the announcer must consider the other person, that solitary listener, and lean towards them in all you say. In an interview, she gave the following simple illustration.

“Suppose you have tickets to give away to a coming concert or event. It would be normal to say something like, ‘I’ve got four sets of concert tickets to give away in the next hour.’ But you reinforce the one-on-one relationship if you change “I” to “you.” What you would say is ‘You’ve got four chances to win concert tickets in the next hour.”

Do you see the difference? Not “I have tickets…” but “You have four chances…” Slight change…but a big difference. So if a person was doing a traffic report, instead of saying, “All of you on I-30 are in for a big delay,” you would say, “If you are driving I-30 this morning, you may want to consider a different route. Let me give you some alternates.” One-on-one. Personal.

Little things like that can build a relationship with the listener, allowing you to speak God’s truth from friend to friend. Jesus, when speaking to the multitudes, did not say, “All of you folks are the salt of the earth.” Too general. Here is the passage from the Sermon on the Mount.

“You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.

“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden…” Matthew 5:12-14 NLT

Over and over in this brief passage Jesus used the pronoun “you.” The teaching becomes personal. Individual. One-on-one.

And, by the way, this shouldn’t be just a mechanical adjustment. It should reflect the heart of a believer, to consider others before yourself. Paul taught that in his letter to the believers in Philippi.

Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Philippians 2:3 NLT

So, work on changing your speech…and your heart…from “I” to “you.” See what a powerful difference it can make. By the way, this is not just for radio. It works in life, too. Consider others before yourself, and it will open many doors of opportunity for service, ministry, and the Gospel.