You Are Invited... Armstrong at the starting line again! Ingredients For Success Common Denominator By Ken Benson

Armstrong at the starting line again!

Five-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong begins his quest this weekend for an unprecedented 6th Tour victory in the world's most famous bike race. Armstrong's story is well-known. After a miraculous recovery from cancer, he returned to cycling and has done what only 4 other bike riders have done in the 100 year history of the Tour de France - win five times. The Tour de France is a grueling three week race, including a prologue and 20 stages through some 3,500 kilometers of the French countryside, including ascents high into the Alps and Pyrenees. So why is Armstrong so much better than his rivals? His success is a combination of Strategy, Tactics, Talent & Teamwork, Technology & Innovation, Attention to Detail, and a Strong Will.

Ingredients For Success

1. Strategy - The US Postal Team's sole goal is to win the Tour de France. Sure they may win a few of the 20 stages, but anything less than having Armstrong in the leader's Yellow Jersey in Paris is considered a failure. Their strategy never waivers. How many stations do you know that change their strategy after every ratings period? 2. Tactics - While the tactics change day to day, and even during the race, the strategy never changes. Win the Tour de France. Do you remain flexible and change tactics as market conditions change and opportunities present themselves? 3. Talent & Teamwork - Armstrong, Ulrich, Hamilton, Mayo are among the most talented and successful riders in pro-cycling today. However, NBA Hall of Fame member, Kareem Abdul- Jabbar, reminds us "One man can be a crucial ingredient on a team, but one man cannot make a team." Each US Postal Rider is hand-picked to strengthen the team's overall performance. Do you have the best people in the right jobs? Do their skill sets complement one another to strengthen the team? 4. Technology & Innovation - After 3,500km of racing, a couple of minutes or even seconds is all that separates the winner from the losers. These precious seconds fuel Armstrong's and US Postal's commitment to build a faster bike year after year. Are you utilizing all the available technology to enhance the listening experience for your audience? The tools today include RDS, SMS, Internet, Streaming, and Digital transmission. 5. Attention to Detail - Armstrong's preparation and training are second-to- none. He is obsessed with every detail and spends most of the year studying each stage, training on the difficult mountain climbs, testing the latest technological advances, hand-selecting his team, and carefully planning his training to reach peak fitness every July. Is somebody paying attention to the details at your station? You have heard the expression "don't sweat the small stuff". But the small stuff adds up and the details do make a difference. A favorite expression of mine is "an uncorrected mistake multiplies". 6. Strong Will - The best strategy, tactics, talent, team, technology, and attention to detail alone will not win races. It comes down to a Strong Will. Is your team mentally prepared for the challenge and willing to dedicate itself unselfishly to the cause (strategy)? Are they ready to commit to hard work, and sacrifice their individual performance for the good of the team? When your team is mentally prepared, you will begin to soar.

Common Denominator

In Armstrong's latest book, "Every Second Counts", he says: "If you want to do something great, you need a strong will and attention to detail. If you surveyed all the greatly successful people in the world, the common denominator is that they're all capable of sustained and focused attention". Are you capable of sustained and focused attention and wearing radio's yellow jersey book after book after book?

By Ken Benson

Ken Benson, VP/International, Pinnacle Media Worldwide, International Office: +1.360.883.0092