I can't claim to be objective, but I believe Talk radio isn't just different than music radio...it's better.

Talk is never on in the background. And it doesn't suffer the fundamental interruption music radio does from commercials (and too many of 'em).

		And because listeners now participate in their various media, they expect to interact, and making them the show is an opportunity music radio just doesn't enjoy. Like music stations, AM/FM Talk stations are playing defense. As social media demonstrate, dialogue is thriving. With-or-without radio, our listeners -- our advertisers' prospective customers -- are talking-to-each-other. That's where you come in. We will only continue to own the conversation if you, the host, lead it. How?

		If you haven't already, read a book Dave Ramsey recommended to me. It's "Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us" by Seth Godin. You can find a gently used copy for a couple bucks on Amazon. He clarifies your opportunity in a way you will find profound, "a wide-angle shot." And here are 4 "close-ups," techniques I recommend to hosts who send me airchecks...

		Avoid THE most common mistake I hear: announcing the call-in number before you state the topic. Too typically, a host opens the hour with the phone number, then, eventually, sets the topic...sometimes after several unscripted minutes of monologue that nibbles-around-the-edge of what you want callers to weigh-in-on. Which explains why so many older, often off-topic regulars call. It's the grandfather on "The Simpsons." He's thrilled to have anyone to talk with. All he needed was a phone number. Local advertisers would prefer to meet the real-life Homer and Marge, parents, the most important retail consumers. So always-and-only announce the phone number immediately after the-reason-you-want-people-to-use-it, topic du jour. Try this and you will like the results.

		Because Homer and Marge live blurry-busy lives, avoid thanking callers "for holding on during the break." Or telling callers already holding to keep holding during the break. They don't have time. Have your screener do that off-air. If you track call count and topic, you might already notice a pattern: You get more and better responses when you ask opinions ("Should members of Congress be term-limited?") than when you ask for listeners' expertise ("Is losing our Triple-A rating making our economy less-sound?"). Huh? Certainly, invite text messages too. At many stations, it's the same number, which will help yield more callers, via repetition. Video: Proven techniques to light-up your lines.

Callers call when they hear other callers. And one caller after another make you sound popular, something advertisers notice.