Radio Sales Café

Last thought for a Monday Morning folks....

 

For the past two weeks I have been traveling around the US visiting radio stations and working with sales people.  One of my stops was to a sales training seminar at which some radio sales people were in the room.  I met up with them in a break and asked where their sales manager and General Manager were.  "Oh they just send us, they don't come to these things".  Fair enough.  But when I listened to the seminar roll on, I was shocked at the information given to the reps in the room.  I swear they were training Time Share sales people.  The training was surely not for a sales person who is going to have to sell to a knowledgable person or someone who is going to make repeat sales. 

 

Over the years I have spent a great dela of time with trainers.  I have seen the ones who give the snappy presentations at RAB and NAB... great handouts with many facts and figures and polished graphs.  But I have seen darn few who get in the car with the reps and go out there and work the street with the reps.  Add to that many who are trying to sell their latest book/tapes/consulting services and you have to really look closely at what you are getting.

 

My only suggestions: 

1)  KNOW what advice you are buying before you send your reps in.

2)  Go with them.  Hear what they are hearing.

3)  Ask yourself if you really will impliment what you are taught.  If not, don't send em.

4)  Some of the best training you can do is to get your sales people and programming people together over Pizza and Beer and just let them talk.  No structured meetings around the conference table...  just unstructed time together... and if you are the manager... it's a great time to just shut up and listen.

 

Happy Monday All!

I could not agree with Chris more! Years ago I went to Hawaii, and attended a luau. The head of the event kept making a big deal about how he was now putting "the pig in the pit." After he said ith the 5th time, I asked him whta that was all about. He laughed and said, "Look, if you don't see them put the pig in the pit, it might be somebody's German Shepard." It is the same with sales training. What "bonafides" does a trainer have? Some trainers have great presentation skills but little usable content. Others have a lot of great information to present but their presentation style is more boring than watching ice melt. The best sales and management trainers have that great balance of expertise (NOT experience) in the field, coupled with an ability to teach and yes, some pizazz. If you are going to entrust your team to sales training, be sure to "check out" the trainer for these qualities...you want to make sure you KNOW what is going into the fire!

I have been blessed to work with many, many stations, and there is a huge difference in how serious the team takes the training based on whether or not the manager is there. That is why I too say that if a manager is going to the team for training, that the manager should be with them if at all possible.The manager being there says, "This is important." Several years ago Chris was kind enough to invite me out to train his staff for three days. He was there for every minute of it (hopefully he will agree the training was worthwhile). That sent a mesage to his team that the training was valuable. On the other hand, I have been to stations where the manager said, "They're in the room waiting for you- go get 'em Sparky!" The manager never came back in and the staff noticed...and it wasn't a "good" notice if you know what I mean.

Finally, as Chris said, never underestimate the power of pizza and beer to help you get your points across...and more importantly to let your team's ideas flow to YOU!

Pizza and Beer my friend.... great advice from you to me! I think I have closed a half dozen pizza places since!

"I have seen darn few who get in the car with the reps and go out there and work the street with the reps." I have been saying these exact words for years. Thank you for understanding the difference between "selling" and establishing a marketing partnership with businesses. By the way, I never believed that lady trainer with the great manicure who claims that she closed 26 deals on her first day in radio.

Ah you've met her too I see :-)

I have a SMALL list of trainers that I will allow my staff to see, Mark Levy being one (RAB aside... it's not the RAB I want... it's Mark).

I am always amazed that radio people will spend thousands on "Processing" and nothing on sales training. You wonder why we're all fighting to be the tallest midget! Ah well... we fight the good fight!

As a side question to this topic. Who offers the best training and/or training CDs?

Just for clarification, the sales department I am speaking of is loaded with veterans who make their goals and would opt for being tarred and feathered over attending a seminar or listening to training CDs.

A while back our newest sales person attended an out of town seminar and won a set of training CDs. She proudly brought them back -- in the opening minutes of the CD the trainer proclaimed, “. . . . you are in sales because something in your life did not work out.” The GM hit the off button and said, “we’re done.” Imagine if you were addressing brain surgeons or rocket scientists, would your opening line be. . . “you are here because something else in your life did not work out.”

Unless the RAB is in a really fun city with no strings attached about having to attend meetings, the RAB isn’t an option. . . been there, done that. So, back to the original question. . . .who offers the best training and/or training CDs. Or let me ask the question it this way, if you elected to listen to a sales training CD while you drove to your sales calls, whose would it be?

This answer is meant to be heartfelt... and no snide. But the way I write this is not going to seem so. the sales department I am speaking of is loaded with veterans who make their goals and would opt for being tarred and feathered over attending a seminar or listening to training CDs Unless the RAB is in a really fun city with no strings attached about having to attend meetings, the RAB isn’t an option Your department does not seem open to new ideas... and if they are vets making goal then why bother? You can only teach someone who thinks they have something to learn. And... I have learned even from the WORST trainers because they know something I do not. Thus I must listen at all times to find the nugget. Were it me, I would figure out what, if anything my staff needs to learn... then see if they are receptive to being taught (if not, save the time and money), but if they are... find it on the Internet... see what happens and if there is some positive result... move forward. PS: The waitress that brought you coffee today knows something you do not. We can all learn from EVERYONE. That homeless guy on the street... there is something HE knows that you do not... if only... to tell you what to do to not end up like him! Here is one other thing I know.... everything I have just told you may be wrong.

Chris,

You're in good company. One of America's greatest military tacticians, George S. Patton, Jr., is reputed to have said the same thing -- "We can always learn from each other." -- according to Porter B. Williamson in his book, PATTON'S PRINCIPLES: A Handbook for Managers Who Mean It. (Frankly, I'm somewhat surprised that I remembered the author's name without prompting; it's been 20 years or more since I read the book. He must have made an impression.)

Fight the good fight!

-RS

Let me re-ask the question, is there currently a good training sales program worth pursuing?

As an FYI. . . the last one we tried out was based on selling the last commercial time at a super-premium. . . forget about building relationships, let’s just gouge the clients (they really do need to invent a sarcasm font).

A couple of years ago we offered up Dale Carnegie and those who accepted, loved it. In past years we’ve used Robins, Zig, Hopkins — since then it has been slim pickens. Last year we received, on a trial basis, a set of CDs that were attractively packaged and produced but by the third disc no one wanted to continue watching (can’t think of the name, it was that memorable). I might be opening myself up for another lecture, but honestly, if you cannot keep your eyes open, you are never going to hear that “nugget.”

If you know of a good one, let ‘er rip. Thanks.

Fran
Check out Jeffrey Gitomer's sales training, google him or look him up on youtube. Jeff is a great motivator, he's easy to understand, funny, and loves what he doe's. I have learned more from him in one year, than what i've learned the last 15 years combined. Hope this helps

THANK YOU Chris. And I too recommend Chris. Speaking of tall midgets, Chris and I are both under 5 ft 6...I think our passion for training is in opposite proportion to our height!

If you are going to get anything out of RAB then you are better off going to Spokane or Des Moines for the seminar. Going to Vegas and not attending the RAB classes will profit you nothing. RAB is great. It is structured by and for broadcasters.
As for being in sales because your life has failed, Nuts. Nothing happens in any business until something is sold. An RAB class I took once had a speaker who took down every sign in his station for Programing, Traffic, Engineering, etc, and put SALES signs on each door. We make payday possible for everyone. Be proud of that.

I know this is going to sound like shamless self promotion, but the RAB offers a great depth and breadth of online training and certification programs for new sellers, veteran sellers and digital sellers. Please visit http://www.rab.com/public/academy/classOfferings_Online.cfm for complete details...and I promise you, our programs NEVER make light of having a career in sales. I always ask managers in charge of sales training, what they have done for themselves lately that demonstrates to their team that they practise what they preach about growing skill sets. I ask, " have you showed up at a meeting with a book that you read that is important for your team know about? Have you taken them on a 'field trip' tto a grocery store or auto dealer or any kind of business to point out to them what you know about an industry's profit centers within the business? What have you done to demonstrate to them the importance of continuing education?" Veteran sellers have experience...they don't always have expertise. Test them on what they say they know, and if they know it, reward them....with pizza and beer! If they don't know it, rethink the value of sound fundamental training...from the beginner's level. Vladmir Horowitz, arguably the greatest classical pianist of our time was asked when he was 85 why he practised 6 hours a day. His answer was a classic:"Because I can no longer practise 8." Getting your sellers to grow their skill sets will make them better or cause them to move on because they won't grow. In both instances you and your team may well be better off.