Radio Sales Café

For some 40 years I have been in radio.In that time I have been asked, or ordered, to sell product expo's, weekly station newspapers, and lately, web sites and social media. I sell RADIO. Selling other stuff in order to get around the people who don't think they want radio seams futile to me. I know some stations make more off of the websites and Face Book than they do on the air and that is just wrong. Radio is a great, and proven, product. 

I have even had people call me to say they represent a specific promotion, a Reba McIntire Concert or some such thing. They deny that they arae actually attached to a station and that they are sponsoring the concert. It's almost like those calls you get for the sherriff's rodeo or an orphans fund that has nothing to do with sherriffs or orphans. 

I sell radio. I am proud to sell radio. If I wanted to sell the Penny Saver or some such other product I would. Does anyone agree or should I just close the lid on my coffin and tell them to lower me away?

The intrigue, yet challenge, of selling radio advertising rests with the intangibility of the medium. This gives us the opportunity to be CREATIVE which is the intriguing part. In the past 30 years, I have heard many radio spots that are factually correct and functional with have no compelling emotion and recall and retention. Our industry needs to do more to focus on our client's marketing efforts beyond just advertising the sale or event of the week. This, when coupled with client expectations that are more demanding than ever, is the challenging part. That is the beauty of radio! I would welcome radio executives to embrace on-line and social media as an additive to the overall media mix. After all, we do owe it to our clients to stay current in our efforts to provide resources to business owners and decision makers. Technology is a great thing. It allows us, as colleagues, to join a forum as Radio Sales Cafe to interact and educate ourselves. Thanks for reading!

I can be followed on Twitter @radiosalesguy

I agree as well, we have four stations (each with a website) and a stand alone destination website, and we were asked to sell both radio and web for quite some time. But once all of the AE's shared their desire to work with their clients on that they know best which is radio....the company adjusted, and assigned the website to the web only AE; so that the radio sales reps can provide the best service and information on radio for our clients. The do compliment each other as do all forms of media, traditional and new, and we try to be as creative as possible using their radio to support and enhance all of their other advertising.

I definitely agree with you. Radio is king and always will be. I represent Tuesday Productions, a premier jingle company doing business for over 44 years. A musical campaign to surround the radio message creates memory. No other media drives home the message like radio!!! Keep up the good work. Ann McWilliams