One. Just one.

Through my 50+ years in broadcasting, that phrase has been the mantra on how we should communicate through radio. We often talk of radio being an “intimate” medium, meaning that there is a direct relationship from the on-air person to the listener. Long gone are the days when people sat around the radio as a family or as a group, though we sometimes hear of that in some remote regions of our world.

Most often, we are talking to one person…in their car, or on ear buds while jogging, working, or riding mass transit. Even though television may be watched by a group or a family, the best communication takes place when you think the person on TV is talking just to you. It is harder to get that sense of intimacy through television, and there is always that glass screen to provide separation. But in radio, the person you listen to on the air is in your head!

As a young adult, when I considered radio as a vocation, I thought of some of the top radio people I knew. There was one standout DJ (disk jockey, announcer, presenter) in our market named Ron Chapman. From my high school days (yes…a long time ago) up until about 10 years ago, this man commanded the radio market. He was the best. Why? He connected with the listeners…one to one.

When I moved into Christian radio, I began to think about Ron Chapman and his success. First, he was very, very good. He was innovative and creative. There was always a fresh idea on the air, and he was willing to take chances. It made for very good radio. But what I recognized as the real key was the relationship he had with the listeners.

Ron Chapman and I talked on a few occasions. One time I mentioned what I had learned by listening to him through the years. I told him, “You always made me feel like you knew what the street where I lived looked like.” He said, “I’ve never heard it put that way, but, yeah.” What I meant is that he seemed to know my neighborhood. He knew my world. And, I concluded, he knew me.

Ron Chapman didn’t know me. He certainly didn’t say anything personal about me on the radio. But I felt like he knew me. And, therefore, I listened to him…as did many thousands of others for decades.

I think of Jesus and the accounts of His life on earth. Yes, he spoke to the thousands on hillsides and harbors. But His most moving encounters came in one to one engagements with individuals. The Samaritan woman at the well. Peter on the seashore. The blind man Jesus healed. Encounters with individuals. Great examples for us.

Do you want to be a good communicator…in radio, television, or even public speaking? Connect with your listener. Let them know you understand their world. And they will listen to you as friend to friend. That becomes a powerful tool…for your message…and for the Gospel.