reprinted by courtesy of www.RBR.com
“I can feel guilty about the past, apprehensive about the future, but only in the present moment can I act. The ability to be in the present moment is a major component of mental wellness.” -Abraham Maslow
Having the opportunity to sell radio or television advertising has always been fun and glamorous. But lately, there’s been a newer, younger and glitzier model slinking around and she’s getting some attention from our advertisers and that’s scaring some of our sellers.
Young radio and TV reps have been pulling me aside and asking me what I think about the future of broadcast, as compared to some of the “new” media. That’s a fair question and it’s healthy that we spend some time talking about the “elephant in the room”, all of the new media technology that is now available to consumers. Heck, I just bought an Apple TV device so when I run out of nothing to do, I can watch you tube (youz tube in New Jersey, y’all tube in Texas) videos on my flat-screen.
Yes, as sellers we should spend some time talking about new media, but let’s not spend too much time talking about it, because we need to be spending our time selling the great over the air media we’ve got right now.
Managers tell me that some of their new, younger hires have trouble selling a medium that they don’t necessarily like or use themselves. But do you know what? We’ve heard this kind of nonsense before, just in a different way. My favorite format as a kid was album-oriented rock. But, as a radio rep I was stuck with selling country. Man, what a drag! The number one format in our city and I got stuck with selling it. Damn the luck. Well, I got over that pretty fast when I realized that my personal taste made no difference and took a back seat when it came to my ability to make money selling country radio. One of my best male friends owned a women’s boutique. To my knowledge he never wore the clothes he sold, but he knew what women liked and he made a fine living selling them what they wanted.
Regardless of what may or may not happen to media technology in the future, let’s look at what we have to sell right now. And right now, over 90 percent of the people in this country watch television and listen to the radio every single week. That’s 90 percent of everybody and that’s just wonderful if you just happen to be a radio or television salesperson, because the same cannot be said about any other media. As long as Americans keep purchasing vehicles with radios (and they are) and new generation televisions (and they are), they will listen to them and watch them.
With DVR technology and the new beautiful sets, people actually watch more television than they used to.
And, with the recession, cars are staying on the road longer. In fact, USA Today said last year that the average age of cars and trucks on the road is 10.2 years. Most all of these vehicles have radios in them and the vast majority of people will listen to those radios as long as they own those vehicles.
Technology is a continuously changing thing and we in the media business have always changed right along with it. In fact, many of us have already been selling “new” media for quite some time now (mobile texting, web sites, streaming, Facebook and Twitter). And, we will continue to embrace and engage audiences in whatever devices they choose to spend their time with in the future.
But right now, over the air advertising is, without a doubt, the most established and effective way to reach the vast majority consumers where they live, where they work and where they drive. So, if sales are soft, it’s not the medium and it’s not the client, it’s the salesperson. We get excited or spooked about anything newer and flashier, and we forget that what we have to sell right now is the best thing a client could possibly want to bond with consumers.
It’s up to us to lead the discourse with clients about the reality of how consumers really use media today. I’ll bet you have experienced a client or a friend say, “I hear that satellite radio (or Hulu, Pandora, etc.) is killing the broadcast business.” Well, that statement is blatantly false. And, as Daniel Patrick Moynihan famously said, “Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but they are not entitled to their own facts.”
As a representative of the broadcast industry, it is your job to correct falsehoods and steer the conversation back to reality. “Yes, these technologies are available to some, but at this point in time (right now), they still only reach a tiny fraction of the consumers that the free over-the-air signals reach, which is an astounding 90 percent of the consumers in this country.”
“When you talk about those other media as compared to us today, in today’s real world, you’re sitting at the little table. Some of those media have potential and we keep an eye on them, just like you do. But right here and right now, the station I represent offers a seat at the Big table, the table where the vast majority of your potential customers are already sitting.”
Then of course, it’s up to you to offer up a menu with a creative idea and a long-term schedule proposal that is worthy of being served to grownups seated at the Big table.
From a sales position, contrary to what you might have heard, radio and television stations have never been in a better position. The Yellow Pages are falling to pieces right before our eyes. Client categories that used to be theirs alone are now up for grabs. The newspaper has experienced a radical decline. Magazines are folding up. No doubt, the future of technology and media will continue to change. But today, right now, traditional radio and TV stations still reach 90 percent of all consumers. And that, my friends, is better than a slap across the belly with a sack full of wet mice. So, get out there and sell something. Right now.
--Paul Weyland is a local direct broadcast sales trainer, consultant and author. His book, Successful Local Broadcast Sales is available at bookstores and online. You can reach Paul at 512 236 1222 or at www.paulweyland.com .
