Friday Poll: Selling Bespoke Campaigns vs. Packages

    • 993 posts
    July 18, 2019 11:07 PM PDT

    About a month ago, RSC member Bill Turner posted in the Brainstorming & Problem-solving forum an unusual question: "How do you get clients talking?"

    Upon his return to small market radio sales, Bill found that prospects he's calling on are mainly interested in hearing what packages he has available, rather than talking about their businesses, what they'd like to achieve with their marketing, how to make their ads more effective, etc. 

    The responses he received from MJ Hart, Scott Howard, and Michael T. Boldt were thoughtful and substantial. You should take a moment to read them if you haven't already.

    Clearly, Bill's stations have a history of selling packages to local advertisers, based on the number of advertisers asking for them. These advertisers have been trained by the station to expect the salesperson to have an ad package as the default. But Bill is attempting to tailor his offerings to the needs of the individual client, taking the more service-based approach of a consultant. Is there a place for both approaches in the modern radio sales department? Is offering packages an inferior approach to creating a successful long-term relationship? 

    So, for this week's Friday Poll question, we'd like to hear what you think about selling packages vs. customized or bespoke solutions.

    Is there a place for both PACKAGES and BESPOKE SOLUTIONS in your sales practice?

    What are the advantages and disadvantages of each approach?

    Please reply below. Thanks!


    This post was edited by Rod Schwartz at July 18, 2019 11:15 PM PDT
    • 118 posts
    July 19, 2019 7:11 AM PDT

    I believe there is a place for both with neither being inferior to the other. It's how you use them that counts.

    A radio station should always know their clients and in good detail. This is generally learned by the salesperson learning about the business from the owner or their manager. That tells you the facts you can utilize to monetize your client.

    For the regular month after month advertising, I think a custom approach is best. Don't confuse the lack of packages. That custom plan might be a modification of a package or two or three. I built a proposal for a client yesterday that is identical to the $500 package except I positioned the 'additional 12 commercials monthly' and added 4 live remote broadcasts per year because I could tell the client gave lots of detail talking about remotes in his store in another town. In fact, in this instance I did not get a specific dollar amount but the client told me how he bought and who he used for his location about 45 miles away. I knew the 'ballpark' rates of the station he liked to use and my plan was based on what I felt the other station got. His is a new business so he can use plenty of exposure to gain top of mind awareness. His is an annual plan. He starts in two weeks. When that 'package' is rewritten as exclusively for the client, it adds value.

    As the year plays out there are many opportunities to build on what you have. The seasonal and special campaigns can add up nicely to the bottom line. I'm in the middle of selling football right now. We have a calendar of events/campaigns throughout the year. I might add these are great for the non-traditional advertiser. Grace Broadcast Sales offers tons of creative ideas (and I am not asked to say this). With scripts provided, they're easy to implement. 

    These special campaigns can bring in companies that never advertise on radio. It might be a trade that deals directly with other trades professionals, not the general public. All these folks live here, have kids and do what the retail business owner does and their customer is the same way, so they like some packages just as much as the retailer. So that cement contractor, title company, trucking company or research lab might buy.

    Special packages can be sold by phone. Personally I do better in person so I don't rely on the phone or email unless asked to do so. 

    The disadvantage of just walking in a package versus a custom plan is you really don't know what budget your client can utilize. You are taking a shot in the dark. A custom plan is based on what the client can spend month after month. In my situation, the package is a short-term buy. From a time economy aspect, I don't want to be selling my client every month but rather servicing them and giving them opportunities to add more dollars to my slice.

    I'm hoping to sell about 7 or 8 football packages today. In fact, I have the orders all ready filled out to let me hit more people today (I hate writing out blank orders at the business...takes too much time). I have only one proposal to get an answer on this afternoon. 

    For me personally, I always go for the custom proposal with something tailored just for my client. That's my cake, but I love lots of icing, so I use the short term package to ice that cake I am building layer after layer.

     

    • 993 posts
    July 19, 2019 3:33 PM PDT

    Bill, thanks for taking time to respond. You strike a thoughtful balance. And I love your cake-and-icing metaphor! 

    Because my own account list is shorter than most, consisting mainly of businesses I've worked with for years (25 or more in some cases), special packages tend to be an add-on to show support for a cause, to add weight to a promotion, or sometimes even just for fun.

    Newer clients, especially if their budgets are on the conservative side, are often more inclined to embrace additional or seasonal packages as they see their basic investment paying dividends. Small risks are easier to take than larger ones.

    Having been trained by Jim Williams back in the mid-70's and 80's, I've long recognized the value of using the telephone, not for the big annual presentations, of course, but for incremental sales throughout the year. From my point of view, it's a more efficient use of time; using the phone, I can talk to more people per hour than by walking or driving. More importantly, from the client's point of view, it's more considerate and respectful of their time. Often they're too gracious (there are exceptions, of course) to tell us they can only afford a minute or two when we walk into their stores, and we end up overstaying our welcome without being aware of it. But on the phone, that's all the time we need to spend with them to get to the business at hand. Emails and texts can be useful, too, especially since with our smartphones and tablets, we're able to attach MP3 demos and .pdf proposals that they can review and respond to quickly. But I prefer conversations whenever possible.

    Best wishes for your continued success, Bill. And thanks, too, for your unsolicited and gracious words about GBS. We appreciate your endorsement.

    -Rod