Friday Poll: Your Best Sources for Leads for New Business?

    • 1373 posts
    July 21, 2016 6:09 PM PDT

    Happy Friday, everyone!

     

    This week’s poll question comes from RSC member Alex Mann of Madison, WI:

     

    Apart from referrals and monitoring activity on local competitors’ radio and television stations, what are your three best sources of leads for new business? Secondly, which industries have been most productive for you this year?

    Looking forward to reading your replies!

    Thank you for suggesting the question, Alex!  Ideas for poll questions are always welcome; please send them to me at [email protected].

    • 11 posts
    July 22, 2016 6:02 AM PDT

    Our local Chamber of Commerce does a fantastic job of creating some great networking events on a monthly basis. Those events have proven quite well for us. They have an event called "Business After Hours" which usually gets 85-150 business owners, managers, decision makers under one roof at the same time, plus numerous other events similar.

  • July 22, 2016 6:35 AM PDT

            1)  Chamber "Business After Hours"
            2)  Rotary and other Service and Business Clubs.
            3)  Our Monthly Newsletter and "Managers Promos"

    • 993 posts
    July 22, 2016 9:28 AM PDT
    News stories about or affecting local businesses can open up direct or indirect opportunities for new business. Similarly, news/current events sometimes provide a context for creating campaigns (e.g., Salute to Our Police and Firefighters) that resonate with both listeners and supportive advertisers. Networking opportunities, such as Chamber of Commerce luncheons, can also open conversations leading to new business.
    • 89 posts
    July 22, 2016 10:10 AM PDT

    Rod,

    Have you found opening up a conversation over the phone or on a drop in with a prospect with something you read about their industry and carrying on a brief conversation about that news brings the wall down more often than not by the time you ask for a face-to-face appointment?

    • 16 posts
    July 22, 2016 10:43 AM PDT

    1. Facebook

    2. Chamber or Business Association

    3. Local (small town) newspapers

    • 180 posts
    July 22, 2016 11:19 AM PDT

    My two best sources are Chamber of Commerce events and charity golf tournaments. Both introduce me to decision makers in a neutral, non threatening environment

    Believe it or not, this year local airports have been my top clients. They promote their own special events and they love the GBS holiday features. Especially the patriotic ones. One airport is committed for Veterans Day as well as next year's Memorial Day and 4th of July.

    • 1373 posts
    July 22, 2016 11:32 AM PDT

    That is cool about the airports, Joe . . . and thank you for the kind words about the GBS features!

    • 993 posts
    July 22, 2016 2:08 PM PDT

    Alex,

    After doing my homework, I prefer to use the phone. As you know, I'm a big fan of human speech <grin> - and learned a long time ago that the telephone is my ally, one of the best ways to communicate with a prospect, share the necessary information, and let him get back to his business with a minimum of disruption. Surprisingly, I also find emails helpful. Often the phone call will be simply to alert the prospect to an email from me; the email will have links to web pages, audio, maybe video, documents, etc., that the prospect can view and review at his leisure. If one views the process as collaborative and helpful (vs. an assault at a target), I think that comes across to the person on the other end. Face-to-face meetings that follow these initial conversations are so much more productive.  That's my experience, anyway.

    • 993 posts
    July 22, 2016 2:10 PM PDT

    Love your approach to pre-selling, Joe!  Gives you more time for golf.

    • 121 posts
    July 24, 2016 2:56 PM PDT

    Keeping my eyes open for any forms of advertising and marketing. This includes local magazines and smaller newspapers, new signs, like Grand Opening, and I pay attention to the local online ads I see.

    I joined a BNI group last year that has resulted in both referrals and direct clients.  

    I network with some of the sales people who sell in those previously mentioned local magazines to trade leads.

    I am also actively cultivating relationships with LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

    I have been providing media, marketing and advertising advice with new blog posts 2 to 5 days a week on my own website.

    And ultimately only a small percentage of the people I talk with are paying advertising partners. I am more focused on being a trusted resource for advertising and marketing advice with real options to help them be successful.

    • 121 posts
    July 24, 2016 3:07 PM PDT

    I prefer face to face to start a relationship. I have a much higher success rate at scheduling meetings in person with someone that I haven't met previously this way.

    I also attempt to do research first.

    I will scout out some businesses that I want to call on and then do some basic research on them including the Better Business Bureau website and Mantra website listings.

    • 13 posts
    July 25, 2016 6:41 AM PDT

    1 - As mentioned, Chamber of Commerce events are always a great way to get the 411 on the business community and what is happening in your market. We all know how much business owners love to talk about their businesses! Most chambers also put out an annual membership directory and monthly newsletter which is also a good resource for prospecting new businesses.

    2 - Kijiji... this is a free classified site here in Canada (similar to Craig's List) that was originally developed as a community buy/sell/trade medium but has also become a space for commercial enterprises to market their existence. They promote everything from products to recruiting to grand openings etc.

    3 - Online business forums. If you can find one that covers your market, they are golden sources of new developments and business rumors.

    Automotive has been a strong category over the last year or two. The market seems to be doing very well.

    • 4 posts
    July 25, 2016 8:46 AM PDT

    I cultivate friendships with my competitors at other radio stations (and even other media). I've made some good friends and we all refer clients to each other when our clients are looking for a different demographic or want to add to their existing buy. It may seem a little strange at first, but I think clients appreciate that I am not just a money grabber, but actually care about helping them make the best decision for their business/particular event.

    My biggest clients this year have been car dealers and we've also seen some good growth with real estate agents using radio in our market this year.

    • 1373 posts
    July 25, 2016 12:17 PM PDT

    RSC member James McDonald's three best sources of leads for new business:

     

    -          Employment ads looking for managers

    -          Workers and electricians at new buildings under construction

    -          Government website where new businesses register their names

     

    • 89 posts
    July 25, 2016 2:28 PM PDT

    Love these! Those are great.

  • July 29, 2016 3:11 PM PDT

    Get ready to CRINGE folks:
    We bought a list to add to our lists.

    Every week on Wednesday between 3PM and 5PM we cold call.. dialing the phone.

    Our goal is for each sales rep to get at least 4 CNAs booked from the days call out.

    Here are our results from this week:
    106 Completed calls

    34 CNAs booked (30%)
    For every Four CNAs booked, 3 actually happen (75%)
    For every three CNAs completed and an annual order asked for, we close 33% (years of data on this from hundreds of stations, and we are in line on this.,
    Our average order (averaging annuals and non annuals) is about $6800
    SO...by booking 34 CNAs, this week's call out is worth $57,222.
    Influence.fm takes care of it from there, and since Influence tells us every sales person's velocity (time between CNA and SALE) we can actually predict when these orders will hit and adjust rates accordingly.
    Now... NO ONE Likes Cold Calling.  But if a salesman is working a 40 hour week, it is only 5% of their week and it is effective.



    • 89 posts
    July 30, 2016 5:27 PM PDT

    Chris,

    Right there with you. Having 7-10 face to faces a week, with at least 4 of them being new CNAs is key. More CNAs = more proposals get written weekly = more annuals hit the books. I've always had more luck on drop ins than on the phones. I think my body language, facial expressions, and everything else you can't pick up over the phone helps a lot. But I would like to get better at securing appointments on the phone.

    Do you have your team use any specific phone techniques such as opening the call by sharing a little research with the prospect, seeding the prospect prior to the call with a letter, or do they use a standard opening like the one in the Radio Sales School videos (I've done some preliminary research on your business and I believe that by working together you and I could put a few more coins into each other's pockets...)?

    Would love any phone pointers you may have! 

    • 37 posts
    August 16, 2016 11:13 AM PDT

    Cold calling is the most fun in radio sales - turning someone from being a cold lead into a warm prospect.  It's the beginning of what can be a long and fruitful relationship.

    What is your cold calling script?