Be Necessary…

While online one day I came across an article about NPR’s Robert Siegel, host of All Things Considered, and was moved by his closing remarks at a recent conference of public radio program directors.

His point was aptly made with a simple, two-word sentence:

Be Necessary.

I was pondering his views about the state of the radio marketplace, and how fragmentation has increased competition exponentially. And, with the internet, there’s free streaming, wireless apps and immediate free downloadable anything from practically anywhere.  Business and consumerism is moving quickly from wired to wireless.  And there are numerous new entries into the marketplace because the cost of entry is so low. A far cry from the old brick and mortar local and free glory days of of the broadcast studios era. 

The paradigm has changed, and downloadable portability of dynamic content is key in order to compete with the global market in order to get  and keep listeners by staying necessary to their audiences.
 
Be necessary.

Catching any parallels to the evolution of the voiceover, or for that matter, any small business in this upside down economy?

How does a business owner survive in this new business climate?

I’ve recently witnessed someone I’ve done business with, who boasted his MBA degree just three years ago, go out of business, and return to the ranks of being an employee. So having the “degree” doesn’t guarantee long-term success. It’s more. I won’t pontificate here, but I’d love some discussion, so I’ll conclude with…

Be Necessary.

What does it take for you to be necessary to your customers?