The Radio Sales Newbie
My first run at radio sales sucked. Like, quit after three months sucked. Here’s how bad it went. And how I turned it around on my second try.
After years on-air and mixing it up at clubs, I decided I wanted to start waking up before noon (what was I thinking?). So, at 22 I went to work in radio sales at a poorly-rated rock station in Pittsburgh. I made it for three months and had one sale. That’s right…ONE SALE. I found my golden prospect by accident (a driving range and pro shop, of course). And the next week my manager went back with me and closed the deal. High Five! But, that’s where my hot streak ended. It wasn’t long after that I woke up one morning and told myself I wanted out and that I would never do radio sales again.
Well, a few years and too many 11am bowls of Rice Krispies later, I somehow talked myself into trying it again. What happened? Somehow, I picked up a new client the first week and here you are reading this now. So, what the hell made things so different that second time around?
1. I HAD MENTORS
This was huge. I got lucky. The group of stations I walked into were new and only had a couple reps. Fortunately, I connected with the GM/SM. He was the one that talked me into coming back to radio. He was about five years older (and a hell of a lot more grown up) and he had nice shit, which I wanted. A nice car, a real house and made enough money that he could afford to do cool things. I wanted what he had. And he wanted me to have it too. Going out and watching how casual he handled appointments was a game changer for me. My other mentor had the sales “it” as well. He helped with anything I asked. What this meant was that I had the best two people in the building take me under their wings and I stuck close and watched how they worked like a hawk. Bottom line for you? Find mentors that can help you. Not flailing reps that don’t strive to be super-successful.2. I TRAINED MYSELF
During my first six-months, I spent the majority of my time outside of work wearing out video and audio cassettes. Does that date me enough? I read, watched and listened to everything I could. And not just about sales and closing techniques, but about marketing, about advertising and even presentation design. I read, watched and listened to the same shit over and over again. During my first run at radio sales, I waited to be trained. The second time, I trained myself. If you want to make it in radio, advertising and media sales, you need to train yourself as if you want a career in marketing career, not a job in sales.3. I EMBRACED TECHNOLOGY (as limited as it was)
In 1992. we had computers, but they had less power than our phones today. But, as the technology grew, I found which gadgets, websites and apps (programs back then) could help my career. I remember leaving work on Friday’s, changing clothes and heading back to the station to play on the computer. I wanted to learn how to create my own presentations. Back then, it was on a program called, Pagemaker. The damn manual was so big you couldn’t hold it in one hand. And I sat down in front of that beast of a computer and started on page one. By the end weekend I could do it. After the second weekend I was doing it faster. And after the third weekend, my presentations were more professional than any advertising rep in the market. And make no mistake, when your shit looks better than anyone else’s, that makes a big f’ing difference. It became easier to ask for and get bigger and longer-term sales. I no longer felt like a “salesperson.” I felt like a presenter. And you can make a hell of a lot more money and feel much cooler about your career when you know you’re perceived as a marketing pro and not a package pitcher.Selling advertising is not an easy gig and radio sales can be even more of a challenge because it can be so intangible. But, if you find yourself a successful mentor (or two), train yourself (harder than they ever could) and embrace modern marketing tools, you’ll not just make it, you’ll become a playa’…playa.’
Fortunately, here at RSC, there are numerous veterans who are generous in sharing their time and experience to help shorten your learning curve. Poking around the "New To Radio Sales" is a good place to start. But don't hesitate to ask questions whenever you need help.
Good selling!