ENS Media's Rick Fink posted a great article in Radio INK last month on the "R" word - recession - and whether we should be discussing it with clients and prospects. Rick's answer is an unqualified "yes" and he shares some tips on making that... moreENS Media's Rick Fink posted a great article in Radio INK last month on the "R" word - recession - and whether we should be discussing it with clients and prospects. Rick's answer is an unqualified "yes" and he shares some tips on making that conversation productive. Rick writes:
"...there is a key factor to having a conversation with your clients and prospects, and that is to be prepared! You must be able to speak logically about why advertising is important, even more so during a recession, and you need to be able to offer some proof and reasoning.
Study after study has proven that businesses that maintain or grow their marketing/advertising throughout the recession will not only outperform their competition during the recession but will grow much faster after the recession has subsided.
Most of us know this, and most sellers have been told this, but are they prepared to go out and have logical conversations with their clients?
READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE, and then share your... less
Radio sales compensation packages vary widely across the country. Some salespeople are salaried; others work straight commission. We've created a short online poll for salespeople to fill out—it shouldn't take more than a minute or two... moreRadio sales compensation packages vary widely across the country. Some salespeople are salaried; others work straight commission. We've created a short online poll for salespeople to fill out—it shouldn't take more than a minute or two to complete—to give us all a better understanding of how salespeople are being compensated today.
The poll is completely anonymous. To protect your privacy, your name and personal details will NOT be required.
Questions include how are you paid (Salary, Salary + Commission, Draw Against Commission, or Straight Commission), whether you receive health insurance, retirement, and other perks, and how you feel generally about your current compensation arrangement.
TAKE THE SHORT POLL HERE: http://doo.vote/257c698
Thanks in advance for your participation! less
“That’s really creative—I like it!”
For an ad writer, getting that kind of reaction to a new spot or campaign idea brings joy-joy feelings.
But what makes someone creative? Is it innate or learned behavior?
What exactly is&...
I missed Fred Jacobs' excellent article on the future of radio sales published earlier this month. Fortunately, Jay Mitchell, publisher of the Small Market Radio Newsletter, did not; he reprinted it in its entirety in the current issue. It... moreI missed Fred Jacobs' excellent article on the future of radio sales published earlier this month. Fortunately, Jay Mitchell, publisher of the Small Market Radio Newsletter, did not; he reprinted it in its entirety in the current issue. It begins:
Contrary to what the cynics among you (and I count myself in that group) may think, today's blog post headline is not an oxymoron. Sales done well is a craft and an art. And most cannot master it.
If you've been around the business for any length of time or have strings of call letters you've worked under, you know great salespeople are a rare breed. Most of us can count the truly skilled sales marketers we've encountered on one hand. And now that radio is no longer a simple transactional “here are the ratings/place your order now” exchange of money for ads, the skill level requirements have gone straight up.
I'm not talking about the rate quoters, the order takers, and the schleppers. They come... less
Do you use Marketron Traffic?
One of my frustrations as a longtime Marketron customer is that they do not provide a way to enter monthly schedules. This becomes a frustration in cases where we've sold annual contracts of, for example, 100,... moreDo you use Marketron Traffic?
One of my frustrations as a longtime Marketron customer is that they do not provide a way to enter monthly schedules. This becomes a frustration in cases where we've sold annual contracts of, for example, 100, 200, or 300 spots per month. One would prefer to enter the contract as X-spots per month for an entire year. But the way Marketron is set up, we have to enter weekly schedules. So, in order to get 100 spots in a month, we must enter at least twelve different schedule lines, one for each month, and sometimes more, in order to hit the exact number contracted for.
So, I'm wondering if other Marketron users have experienced the same frustration. If enough stations lobbied Marketron for this, maybe they'd do something about it. less
We use a CRM to control OUR account list. (I say the account list is owned by the radio station, not the employees) Typically, our new sales people start with 120 accounts that will be pared down to 85 over time. Our typical seasoned... moreWe use a CRM to control OUR account list. (I say the account list is owned by the radio station, not the employees) Typically, our new sales people start with 120 accounts that will be pared down to 85 over time. Our typical seasoned salesperson has 24 on air clients. Our system will take the account away from the salesperson if there has been no contact within 32 days. That account is then assigned to someone else. This assures me that my clients are being serviced on a timely basis.. It also makes sure that the old dogs are not sitting on accounts that they are not servicing properly. Side bonus: new salespeople have an opportunity to acquire new opportunities.
All of this is done automatically and it is done without any emotions involved. Of course, there are exceptions but they will need to have a good reason for not maximizing revenue from my assets. less
Subject Line Please help us save America
Dear fellow broadcaster,
Would you like to promote American Freedom through your Public Service... more Subject Line Please help us save America
Dear fellow broadcaster,
Would you like to promote American Freedom through your Public Service Announcements (PSAs)? We have professionally produced vignettes explaining the nonpartisan, nonprofit Convention of States (COS) project.
COS involves Article V of the U.S. Constitution and gives your state legislatures the power to call a convention of states to propose amendments to the Constitution to “place term limits on federal officials, impose fiscal restraints, and limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government.”
COS is the largest grassroots movement in the nation. Your station, with its reach, can inform and educate your audience about this historic movement to restrain the overreach of the Federal Government.
I respectfully request and encourage you to air these PSAs.
You can even monetize this... less
I would go a step further and ask "What do you want to accomplish?" Because let's face it, people who know their business but THINK they know advertising often have incredibly unrealistic expectations. Get the answers to BOTH questions, and... moreI would go a step further and ask "What do you want to accomplish?" Because let's face it, people who know their business but THINK they know advertising often have incredibly unrealistic expectations. Get the answers to BOTH questions, and you have a good chance of getting a good sale, and KEEPING them on their air for years to come.
From Lou Vito
Our goal is to have each seller begin with approximately 50 accounts and throughout the next year or two, whittle it down to 30-35 accounts. It is proven (we can substantiate that with our studies) that those that have 30... moreFrom Lou Vito
Our goal is to have each seller begin with approximately 50 accounts and throughout the next year or two, whittle it down to 30-35 accounts. It is proven (we can substantiate that with our studies) that those that have 30 accounts bill more than those that have 50 accounts. Jim Williams taught me that and I didn't believe it until I actually made it a rule. With less accounts, the seller tends to ask for money, they call on the merchant more often, they present more times, the seller works with their accounts more often because they know that they will not get any more accounts, and this tends to increase their billing. All of this HELPS the merchant because they are getting more attention & they get more ads which in turn tends to get better results for their accounts! less
From Kerri Black
We are a small market radio station near Sarasota, FL and on average we have about 15 active accounts per each sales rep. It can vary but that is average on ones that actively spend money every month with us. Glad to be a... moreFrom Kerri Black
We are a small market radio station near Sarasota, FL and on average we have about 15 active accounts per each sales rep. It can vary but that is average on ones that actively spend money every month with us. Glad to be a new member! Happy Friday everyone!
Want to work where you play? KIBS/KBOV Radio Stations in the beautiful Eastern Sierra are seeking a full-time news/sports director covering the Eastern Sierra in California and West Central Nevada.
The position includes gathering and delivering... moreWant to work where you play? KIBS/KBOV Radio Stations in the beautiful Eastern Sierra are seeking a full-time news/sports director covering the Eastern Sierra in California and West Central Nevada.
The position includes gathering and delivering local news and sports, reporting, interviews, website content, knowledge in social media, as well as production. Play by play experience and travel required. Must be a team player. Position offers benefits and a fun work environment.
Please email your resume and sample of work to: lauren.kibs@yahoo.com. less
I'm in a small market: town 16,000; county 40,000; population of area where we are dominant: about 75,000. #1 station with 37% of 35+ Adults listening
I maintain about 30 active accounts and call on about 40 others I am in the process of... moreI'm in a small market: town 16,000; county 40,000; population of area where we are dominant: about 75,000. #1 station with 37% of 35+ Adults listening
I maintain about 30 active accounts and call on about 40 others I am in the process of working, building trust or are among the minimum of 3 cold calls I make a week. I insist on 3 written presentations weekly to stay ahead of the old rule that you'll lose 20% of your business through no fault of your own annually. I'm half the station's billing.
Our Operations Manager handles house accounts but admits it's mostly by email or if he sees them somewhere. He personally knows them all and grew up with them...a very different scenario from most stations. That's maybe 25 of the biggest accounts. Not recruiting new accounts. The guy does mornings, traffic, other management duties and sales.
There is a parttime salesperson known by name throughout the community who sets appointments versus cold calls and devotes maybe 10 hours a... less
Happy Friday, everyone!
We received an inquiry from someone wondering about the average number of active accounts that a small-market radio sales rep handles.
So for this month's poll question, we'd like to know:
Approximately... moreHappy Friday, everyone!
We received an inquiry from someone wondering about the average number of active accounts that a small-market radio sales rep handles.
So for this month's poll question, we'd like to know:
Approximately how many active accounts does each member of your station's sales team handle?
(And if you could let us know the size of your market as well, that would be great!)
Thanks in advance for your replies!
ENS Media's Rick Fink posted a great article in Radio INK last... moreENS Media's Rick Fink posted a great article in Radio INK last month on the "R" word - recession - and whether we should be discussing it with clients and prospects. Rick's answer is an unqualified "yes" and he shares some tips on making that conversation productive. Rick writes:
"...there is a key factor to having a conversation with your clients and prospects, and that is to be prepared! You must be able to speak logically about why advertising is important, even more so during a recession, and you need to be able to offer some proof and reasoning.
Study after study has proven that businesses that maintain or grow their marketing/advertising throughout the recession will not only outperform their competition during the recession but will grow much faster after the recession has subsided.
Most of us know this, and most sellers have been told this, but are they prepared to go out and have logical conversations with their clients?
READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE, and then share your... less
Radio sales compensation packages vary widely across the... moreRadio sales compensation packages vary widely across the country. Some salespeople are salaried; others work straight commission. We've created a short online poll for salespeople to fill out—it shouldn't take more than a minute or two to complete—to give us all a better understanding of how salespeople are being compensated today.
The poll is completely anonymous. To protect your privacy, your name and personal details will NOT be required.
Questions include how are you paid (Salary, Salary + Commission, Draw Against Commission, or Straight Commission), whether you receive health insurance, retirement, and other perks, and how you feel generally about your current compensation arrangement.
TAKE THE SHORT POLL HERE: http://doo.vote/257c698
Thanks in advance for your participation! less
I missed Fred Jacobs' excellent article on the future of radio... moreI missed Fred Jacobs' excellent article on the future of radio sales published earlier this month. Fortunately, Jay Mitchell, publisher of the Small Market Radio Newsletter, did not; he reprinted it in its entirety in the current issue. It begins:
Contrary to what the cynics among you (and I count myself in that group) may think, today's blog post headline is not an oxymoron. Sales done well is a craft and an art. And most cannot master it.
If you've been around the business for any length of time or have strings of call letters you've worked under, you know great salespeople are a rare breed. Most of us can count the truly skilled sales marketers we've encountered on one hand. And now that radio is no longer a simple transactional “here are the ratings/place your order now” exchange of money for ads, the skill level requirements have gone straight up.
I'm not talking about the rate quoters, the order takers, and the schleppers. They come and... less
Do you use Marketron Traffic?
One of my... moreDo you use Marketron Traffic?
One of my frustrations as a longtime Marketron customer is that they do not provide a way to enter monthly schedules. This becomes a frustration in cases where we've sold annual contracts of, for example, 100, 200, or 300 spots per month. One would prefer to enter the contract as X-spots per month for an entire year. But the way Marketron is set up, we have to enter weekly schedules. So, in order to get 100 spots in a month, we must enter at least twelve different schedule lines, one for each month, and sometimes more, in order to hit the exact number contracted for.
So, I'm wondering if other Marketron users have experienced the same frustration. If enough stations lobbied Marketron for this, maybe they'd do something about it. less
We use a CRM to control OUR account list. (I say the... moreWe use a CRM to control OUR account list. (I say the account list is owned by the radio station, not the employees) Typically, our new sales people start with 120 accounts that will be pared down to 85 over time. Our typical seasoned salesperson has 24 on air clients. Our system will take the account away from the salesperson if there has been no contact within 32 days. That account is then assigned to someone else. This assures me that my clients are being serviced on a timely basis.. It also makes sure that the old dogs are not sitting on accounts that they are not servicing properly. Side bonus: new salespeople have an opportunity to acquire new opportunities.
All of this is done automatically and it is done without any emotions involved. Of course, there are exceptions but they will need to have a good reason for not maximizing revenue from my assets. less
