All Blog Posts (137)

A collection of observations on my recent trip to India.

I thought I would share them with the Radio Sales Cafe...

Beggars can't be choosers... A term I heard while sitting with a friend in India, they choose you, the tourist, and it is a constant battle of wills and persistence.

I recall asking him about the life of a beggar, he made it really clear that this is often a choice for many of them, it has been part of their life for generations and even though things are…

Search Google or LinkedIN for "Dave Gifford" and your top results might include a real estate broker, bicyclist, missionary, microbiologist, wine expert, social media specialist, insurance executive...  But add "radio sales" to your query and your hits will be about one guy who's trained thousands of radio advertising salespeople and sales managers over the past 3+ decades.

I've had the opportunity to hear him speak and always enjoyed reading his…

 I was invited recently to do a keynote speech and workshop to a group of managers from a local storage company. The outcome of the speech and workshop was for the managers to accept that sales is not a four letter word. That in fact we are all in the business of selling and influencing in some way every day, at work, and relationships, everything.

After talking about NRS Media and its success globally, we soon discovered that in lots of ways we were in the same business. Some of you…

Recently after many years I reconnected with an old friend I knew when he was 15 and working the all night show at WAIR in Winston Salem.  I was 19 and working the all night show at WTOB.  Two stations long since gone however both remembered in time as two great radio stations.  Tom and I talked about his years at some of the top stations in the nation and mine in the record business after radio. 

I offered my services to connect stations as an affiliate rep to the Tom Kent…

Would you find it helpful to know what spiffs the automobile manufacturers are offering their dealers right now?  That would include factory-to-customer rebates and dealer cash incentives (additional cash…

I am often asked ‘what do you do for a job?’  My mother is one of those that usually asks, I think she thinks I operate a waste management business and my real name is Tony. I have kept telling her I am in media sales. “Yes dear, that’s good”

Anyway, recently I decided to test my theory and see what other media sales people did for a job before they got into this mad business.  

 I posted this on a few of my Linked discussion…

Last week I posted a story about a camel and how to get your client's attention.

Here is a live example, corny as it might seem these ideas still work.

My friend Hayley is an awesome salesperson. She worked for me for many years at NRS Media travelling the world and helping media sales people where ever she went. She is now the mum of two beautiful children and is settled back in Auckland, New Zealand.

She does consultancy work for companies on a part time basis,…

Here is a famous story about an American tourist who visited a camel market in Marrakesh.

He was so taken by the strength and appearance of these beasts that he decided to buy one. The camel dealer went to great lengths to explain to the tourist how important and how necessary it was to treat the camel with gentleness, to speak softly in the animal’s presence, and be considerate of the animal’s gentle disposition.

After the sale was made and the money passed hands, the American…

Just had a long visit with one of our family owned home town new car dealers. He brought up a suggestion about supporting locally. We have all done shop locally campaigns, but he wanted me to do something to bring to the attention of everyone that it is the local businesses that support so many things for our kids from sports to reading programs. He stated that it is a little frustrating when they drive up to ask for a donation in a car bought out of town.

Any ideas????

Hello All,

We are having our first annual KATX Great Outdoors Show on May 19th. The city is blocking off streets around the square to allow us to have this event. It will have all kinds of outdoor items including boats, campers, ATV's, trucks, lawn mowers etc.

If any of you have done one of these and have some suggestions of things to do and things to avoid I would greatly appreciate it.

Many small to medium advertisers need some help to promote products on radio.As a direct media salesperson here are 7 tips to help your advertiser be more effective when they go to promote their products or services.

1. Product presentation: Is the presentation and packaging of the offer or product suit the consumer buying preferences,
2. Location of offer or Product: Is the offer easily found in store, many times clients will…

We are so inundated with sensory impressions, it's amazing we can function. Lights, sounds, feelings, not to mention advertising screaming at us everywhere every second of every day.

Enter Broca's Area of the brain, that lovely little gate-keeper that keeps us from going crazy. If something tickles our fancy, Broca focuses on it like a lazer, as our President is want to say, to the exclusion of all else.

And that's where jingles come in.

Jingles are built to insinulate…

In previous posts I have said that everyone sells. It does not matter if you are a parent, teaching your child the right values and lessons to live by, convincing your partner that Italian food may be better tonight than Chinese food or selling your advertising client the benefits of using your medium.

Do what your children do

 Do you notice with small children how they often reject the word no with the word why?

Why do you think they do…

We've all heard the old adage that you can't guarantee results from a radio remote or "live radio broadcast." After studying successful live broadcasts, I can tell you that they DO WORK and you can GUARANTEE results. Plus, a live broadcast with the right personality, will bring a lot of excitement to your event.

Here are the last 20 - check out the rest on previous blogs.

For the complete list email below:

1.  Always come to work as early as you want your staff to be in.
2. Dress the way you want your staff to dress.
3. Handle your problems on a one-to-one basis.
4. Always show your boss respect in front of your sales staff.
5. Never hire a friend.
6. Never hire a friend of a friend.
7. Spend a little time each day with individual staff…

Next 20- Hope you enjoy...see the first 20 on last weeks blog.

1. Assign political advertising to one person.
2. Get rid of the negative force on your staff.
3. Start selling sports the day the season is over.
4. Stop hanging out with the jocks or other media personalities.
5. Turnover Unclosed accounts every 90 days.
6. Talk to your fellow sales managers in the market once a month.
7. Badmouth competitors rather than your own…

Hi...thought I'd let members know about my company www.cbsspokane1.com    We provide major-market production services for a small market price.   You get 25 spots a month for $200.   Simply sent us the scripts and we will tweak it--IF necessary---and get you back a super sounding commercial usually the same day.   Please feel free to contact me:  jjhemingway@cbsspokane1.com     And let's chat...I have 4 great females and 8 male voices at your…

I was given this by my first consultant when I had just accepted a Sales Directors job on a large radio station. Not sure where it came from, if you know I  would love to know...

I will post the first 60 over the next few weeks keep an eye out for them.

If you want the rest see details see below.

1. Get your invoices sent out at the end of each flight, campaign or promotion.
2. Review collectibles every month.
3. Attend all local advertising…

An excellent book that I have had tucked away in my library for some time is called Spin Selling by Neil Rackman.

I decided to drag it out again and go through the notes I had taken.

Here are some tips that you find useful.

In this book he maintains that there is a difference between a small sale and a large one and different philosophies are used for both.

If you are able to know the difference between a large sale and a small sale you might just be able…

I've been in radio sales for a couple of weeks now and have yet to get any accounts signed on.  I inherited a few accounts that were previously running with the AE that I replaced so it was great to get my "feet wet" with those but I'm looking to build a clientele base on my own.  This site has given me great insight on what it takes to be successful in this business so I'm excited about starting over due to my lack of training on what is required in the field. One challenge that I face is…