Radio Sales Café

I have recently joined a networking group BNI (Business Networking International). Hopefully someone is familiar with and a BNI group in your area.   My assistance request is this.....Radio advertising is so different than any other business type in the group (insurance, banking, attorneys, promo products).  I have to give an 8 minute commercial about my business!  First of all I am nervous, I don't know why when I can cold call strangers all day long and never break a sweat!!! I am hoping that some of you guys can help me with a topic idea that is not just "why radio" and that will keep their interest!  Please Help!!!!   Thanks so m

Karen, Sounds like a golden opportunity you have to make a deep and favorable impression on folks who are either prospective advertisers or advocates that can help advance your career. My suggestion would be to use the eight minutes to talk about them, about their business problems/opportunities and so forth, rather than talking about you/radio. That said, most businesses face similar if not identical problems when it comes to marketing and advertising. Most don't know how to do it well, how to set up a plan and execute it purposefully, skillfully, and effectively. Are you familiar with Roy Williams' "The Twelve Most Common Mistakes in Advertising?" You can find them in his book (I don't recall without looking whether it was in his first, The Wizard of Ads, or second, Secret Formulas of the Wizard of Ads, but they're in one or the other) and also on a DVD presentation well worth obtaining. Roy isn't the first or last marketing expert to make these observations individually, but his compilation is the first and best presentation of all of them that I've ever encountered. You might find it helpful to digest them and then pick several to present and discuss in your own words, using local illustrations that would be familiar to members of your group. Don't be surprised if they ask you for more! Please let us know how it goes for you. As I said, I think you have a terrific opportunity here.

Karen, I'm very familiar with BNI groups and they are about the person more than the product. They are networking opportunities and people do business with people they trust and respect. I think it's critical to offer some of the "why radio" info that most don't know about including the free service of creating messages and how they can tell they entire story with radio. But make it about you and your expertise and desire to help a business realize their dreams. Let's face it, small business owners want the same thing everyone else wants...prosperity. Share with them the effort you'll make to help the attract customers to their business so they can realize their dreams.

Karen,
Go to the RAB website. Even if your station is not a member you can get more that enought to do eight minutes.
May We Prosper,

Vic Carr CRMC

Karen: I've been in b n i for 7 or 8 years and have done a bunch of the long-form presentations. What I did for my last one was pull a PowerPoint presentation from rab.com and revised it to fit our situation. If you don't have multi-media capabilities at your meeting place, you can just print the slides and make enough copies for everyone in your group. By the way, our little independent AM/FM supports five B N I memberships. It really works well for us. Good luck! You'll do great!!

Roger Allan

Spend your time telling them how you have helped businesses.

What a great invitation for you. Rod is right and helping your peers at his meeting is first and foremost and as Rod mentioned Roy WIlliams books and his MMM are great business help resources.

This may sound a little corny but here is a thought on what is Radio- It's a "Relational Audience Delivering Increased Opportunity". Which really means that it's about businesses building a relationship with our audience that brings that business success. You can go in several directions with that acronym that help build business success with marketing.

Enjoy the experience of your presentation.

Although I do agree with Rod, this is a perfect opportunity to pitch the one way radio beats TV, newspaper, coupons and every other media: The fact that radio is (or at least can be) the theater of the mind. I suggest the 60-second Stan Freeberg commercial done for the Radio Advertising Bureau decades ago. Through the magic of sound effects and creative writing, Freberg drained Lake Michigan and refilled it with hot chocolate and a mountain of whipped cream. Then a giant maraschino cherry was dropped like a bomb by the Royal Canadian Air Force to the cheers of 25,000 extras viewing from the shoreline. Freberg concluded with, "Let's see them do that on television!" You could do a lot worse than to spend one of your eight minutes with that in a darkened room. The audio is available several places, including http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/window/media/page/0,,868724-2008386,00.html or Google for Stan Freberg - Who Listens To Radio.

Hi Karen,
I would take the--why should they care, what does this mean to the people you are talking to-approach. Write something from the perspective of a business and how it helped them (fictional, or based on true stories), and the benefits that it provided not only their business, but their finances, family, overall happiness, blah blah. Be realistic, and not cheesy. Its still tough...I don't think any commercial should ever be 8 minutes long! But maybe you can tie in a few different stories. Can it be recorded? You could have different people voice it which would make it more interesting.

Hi Carroll,
Here is a piece I used once at a BNI meeting...
There were lot of very small businesses and most of those were Mom & Pop, home based franchises etc. Also insurance, accounting, banking and moving companies looking for "new" arrivals in town to sign up for basic family services. Not enough retail business or advertising prospects there.
Incidently after just a few months of expensive breakfasts, listening to a bunch of buddies selling each other, I found it was not a fruitful ground for selling advertising. I would be interested in hearing how it works for you.

Keith James
897 SUN FM
Duncan, BC

B N I Infomercial February 07/08
RADIO ADVERTISING ON THE MOST LISTENED TO RADIO STATION IN THE AREA...! What an opportunity! Together you and I have at our disposal all the skills, experience and expertise to plan and execute effective ongoing advertising for your business at an affordable price. You can enhance your business name and image in the community and increase awareness in the marketplace. Perhaps you are not getting your market share. Our job is to sit down with you and help you plan effective advertising at an affordable price. If yours is like most businesses today, affordability is the key to getting started...and I can assure you that we can work out a professional ongoing campaign that will get the job done and fit your budget! I don’t care how small your business is, your advertising can be on radio and can be heard in virtually every home in the entire Victoria market, Sidney to Sooke...I will connect you with the skills, expertise and experience to help increase your business...and make more profit. Has it occurred to you that discounting is just a gift right off your bottom line? There are better ways to promote sales... You know you need to do it...you have been thinking about it, so lets set up a convenient time and get on with it. Let me assure you that any substantial business can afford to be on Radio...That includes you and most anyone you are thinking of referring me to. Call me for a free consultation... I’ll remind you again that the “one thing certainly more expensive than advertising is not advertising.”

Have a great day...

Keith,
What groups have you joined that have been more effective for you? I'm in NYC so it might be a little different here...but I'm definitely looking to expand more to networking type groups.
Thanks!
Julie

You will do fine! I might ask your manager what he or she thinks would be important to others in that room, what kind of a take away could they get from you being there, something that positions you more as a resource than a sales person. Maybe something on overall market conditions, using digital marketing and or social networking to grow sales, dumb things people say in commercials, even something as simple as how to find and use co-op!

We do have a LOT of things on the RAB website to help you...BREAK A LEG!

JULIE,
I HAVE FOUND THE LOCAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE "BUSINESS MIXERS", WHICH MOST CLUBS DO FREQUENTLY, TO BE GOOD, AS WELL AS THE USUAL ROTARY AND OTHER SUCH SOCIAL/BUSINESS GROUPS... IF YOU HAVE FRIENDS IN ANY OF THESE, THEY LOVE TO HAVE GUESTS, AS THEY ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR NEW MEMBERS...
GOOD LUCK,
KEITH

You could do a liitle skit - infomercial style. Sell your 'product' of results through radio by holding up a portable radio and pitching it as a must buy with your contact info tag line throughout - in a radio announcer infomercial voice. Call NOW! Would certainly be different! and memorable! but you'd have to be comfortable doing such a thing.

At a networking event I had a one minute presentation - and simply did a commercial - for me! "just call Jackie @ KGBI!"

I recently spoke at our local chamber of commerce meeting about the same topic, Radio Advertising. I decided to speak about how radio advertising works...."The theater of the Mind", "Word of mouth being the best advertising" and how radio allows "the expression of feelings and emotions" to be used in the selling process. I pointed out statistics that prove the spoken word is better remembered than the written word....how radio is the same as word of mouth advertising, but instead of one person telling one person, it's one person telling thousands, and the fact that with radio advertising the advertiser is in control of what is being said. And, I also pointed out that broadcast media has been proven to be so persuasive, there are now regulations that prohibit advertising tobacco products and liqour(in certain situations) on radio and television. If radio can persuade someone to smoke, surely it can do the same with any other product. As an example, I showed examples of printed ads.....small and large....and then played spec radio ads using the same info from the print ads (the more entertaining the radio ad, the better)....and asked which one they would remember longer. I always find it harder to talk to a group of savvy business men and women than a one on one cold call. Good luck....I hope this helps!
Delores

WOW!!! My head is spinning with all of these great ideas!!! Keep them coming! I have read them all but I am going to take a much closer look at them this evening and you may be hearing back from me with more questions. Thank you everyone that has replied and so quickly at that!!

Karen, all good stuff here. Make no mistake about it, your emphasis is best placed on them, (client/prospect, not your media or specific station) but this is a "both-and" not an "either-or" That is to say, the focus is entirely on customer but the focus must also be your personal service. So, in summary this is partly about them, and partly about how Karen Caroll helps her advertisers. If Roy Williams is correct, and I wholeheartedly believe he is, the success or failure of an advertising campaign is rightly leveraged to the "message", not the "media". Bad creative regardless how viable the media fails. Great creative, on a nominally effective media still succeeds. As long as you genuinely care more about serving your advertisers with persuasive, and company specific creative, you can proudly, and convincingly put the emphasis on both the advertiser, and your ability to help them. Nothing radio-centric about that. Good luck,
Roger

Karen,
I am in BNI here in Blacksburg VA and it is most definitely effective if you work it right. I have served on the Leadership Team as President and Vice President over the years. I would definitely recommend you give them some words to say when trying to refer you and use stories of how you were able to help other businesses. When I did my first presentation, I began by asking "How many of you have been listening to my 60 referral request each week and would like to refer me but feel awkward starting the conversation with someone?" I then picked 2 or 3 members and used a situation they gave me, provided them with words to say to the referral and a success story to use to get past any concerns the referral had about meeting. My referrals increased drastically because I used my 8-min to sell them the "PROCESS" not the "PRODUCT".

Karen, You have received excellent helpful suggestions. The response was as good as a college class. Your request started me thinking about a question we have been asked of Why Radio? It was fun for me digging in and pondering this: Ever think about how radio has enriched our lives? Radio is listened to everywhere. No exaggeration! Think about whom, when, where, and why RADIO is heard …The majority of the population has a radio that is listened to in their homes, cars, airplanes or boats. Why is this? Radio signals travel around our WORLD from the North Pole past the equator to the South Pole …with BOARD OF TRADE & DAILY OPENING & CLOSING MARKET REPORTS important to the stock market and agriculture community … BREAKING NEWS & WEATHER ALERTS air warnings during disasters or severe storms providing information … ADVERTISING for business product or services and political campaigns …NON PROFITS local Churches’ air worships service reaching shut-ins, older or ill people, anyone wanting to hear the LORDS messages. Why! Radio is even sent to outer space to moon walking, planet jumping astronauts with wake up calls on special occasions …campers, hikers, joggers & walker’s tune in …all the way down to the bottom of the oceans in submarines. TALK SHOWS …Radio is entertainment; it provides news, laughter, jokes, music, stories and plays. Think about it. What a powerful force, Radio has been with us before T.V., Internet, Cell Phone, IPods and all the modern inventions….. RADIO is still significant! ----------------- Nancy

Karen, I was in a BNI group, and found I never received good leads from that group, it seems to just sell to each other, and was VERY expensive to belong to. I have been a member of a small networking group that is not national like BNI. We meet for lunch and is a very productive group. Look for/ or start your own that has the following as members: bankers, commercial real estate, chemical sales, office equipment/furniture sales, printers, moving company. You will get better leads that make more sense for you.

Hi Karen!
I am probably the person with the least amount of experience in Radio Advertising on this site so I am definitely out of my league offering advice. I will just suggest that you talk about those things that interested ME most about this media....I was facinated about the versatility of radio, the cost effectiveness, the wide range of audiences reaced at key times when most are not near a television, and the ease with which messages can be changed. I pray I don't sound too amateurish.
Denise

Personally, I wouldn't touch a lead group with a 20 foot pole.
That being said, don't think of it as a "commercial". That's a euphemism that these groups use. Think of it as talking to someone about your job. What would you tell your folks if they dropped by and asked you what you do.
Don't give a speech. Just converse. You'll be amazed at how fast the time goes by.

Go to the RAB website and click on "Media Facts" There are some excellent points of difference for radio vs other forms of media. Since some members are advertisers, it would be helpful to compare your product to other forms of advertising in your message. Let them know you sell $$ not spots because advertisers buy radio to move product and make money. That's what we do best. Tell them why your clients buy from you? What does your station do that makes it an excellent advertising investment? Position your speech as you would any well thought out powerpoint presentation with a big client. BNI is a great group. Have fun and knock em dead!

Dave, Here's a link to the entire spot from the RAB's website. I first heard this back in the mid-70's and it's still fun to listen to. Classic Theater of the Mind. It just struck me though, perhaps for the first time, that while the "fun" aspect of the spot is the sequence of sound effects at the end, it's the words used to describe what's coming that make all the difference. Using words to paint pictures...that's the aspect of this business that perpetually holds my interest. By the way, I was unaware of the Freberg CD collection until now. Thanks for sharing the link. I just snagged a copy online. Can't wait to listen!

Hi Karen,
I recently attended my first BNI meeting. A small business owner aquaintance invited me to go as her guest.
She gave me a lot of good information about BNI groups and showed me how to go on-line to find all the local chapters and see how many members each had. The particular chapter meeting I attended only had 17 members. They basically had a meeting agenda and started off by going around the entire room to each member and they had 2 minutes to say their name, who they were with, what they did and what their current business needs were. I had my turn and here is basically what I said: Hi, my name is Kim Grant and I am with the Bonneville Media Group. I am a marketing consultant, specializing in uncovering client needs and creating solutions to address those needs. My solutions consist of a mixture of media, including radio, social media, mobile marketing, internet radio, direct marketing, event marketing and other digital assets tied to my radio station's websites. I am here today because my industry and its' business model is changing and I think many of you may be experiencing a similar shift. I also felt the need to step out of my comfort zone, meet new people, and get a pulse on what's going on with the businesses in my own community. I am naturally curious and believe I have a lot to offer in educating businesses on how to effectively reach their ideal customer using the multiple media platforms my company has to offer....again, I am Kim Grant.....

Will I join this group? Honestly, it takes a pretty good chunk of change to become a member of a BNI Chapter. They also require you to participate in recruitment of new members and referrals to member businesses. If you are going to shell out that kind of dough, make certain the businesses represented in your Chapter have the dollar potential to grow into a client. I will not be joining this chapter but am open to attending a meeting at a larger chapter to see what that is like. There are at least a hundred chapters in the St. Louis area so I'm certain I will find the right fit. The acquaintance that invited me to this meeting said that a person could actually attend a couple meetings at the same chapter before they started bugging you about becoming a member.

I'm sure you will do great. Just position yourself as a marketer...radio just happens to be one of the many solutions you have to address a need.