Happy Friday, everyone!
This week’s poll question was inspired by Greg Friend of Alberta, Canada*. On the Radio Sales Café Facebook page, he wrote, “We hear about standing out when you’re a marketing consultant. However, when you work in large markets that have 15 or more radio stations, and they are all looking at that same business, what do you do to stand out?”
Even if you’re in a small market with few competing radio stations, you still must differentiate yourself from sales consultants representing other media.
So what do you do to stand out? How do you brand yourself to win the trust and business of your clients and prospects?
Looking forward to reading your replies!
*Click here to view and "like" Greg's Facebook page, Try These Tid Bits
That is an age old question but there are resonable answers. 1) be prepared .. 2) know your product .. 3) don't be a begger .. 4) remember you are an invited guest into the clients office .. be repectful but forceful .. 5) ask questions and then listen for the answers .. there are a gazillion other responses but it's really early.
Radio cannot be effective for ANYONE if it is sold as a spot and dot commodity. I sell by creating a relationship and then after doing a CNA...I go into the 4 keys of advertising and explain how they have to be done PERFECTLY in order to be successful...and how I am going to, along with them...do this. I am very particular with the 4 steps and a "stickler" for creating effective copy. I never walk out without anything less than a 6 month contract and I always ask for referrals. I work hard. I follow through. I help them with other media buys. It isn't about a quick sale. It's about results and setting up expectations that will work.
Several years ago I decided it might be an advantage for me if I knew how to build and maintain small bus. web sites, so I learned how. I offered my services to several clients and they took advantage. It not only made (and continues to make) me some extra $$, but I was able to deepen my relationship with clients, become a greater resource, and it certainly helped me keep them on the radio station continuously. I still try to keep up with technology and social media so I can teach clients how to use it for their businesses.
Being friendly, following through, and building a relationship are all good things, but I don't think it hurts to give people a visual and mental way to remember you, either. We ask our clients to brand themselves through their marketing,we should do that for ourselves as well. About 3 years ago, I bought myself the brightest yellow vehicle I could find and put some personalized plates on it. This title is on my business cards too. I have several small towns on my list and many times I will hear things like, "knew you were in town, saw the Biz Builder"
Knowledge of marketing and radio marketing and possessing outstanding sales skills; is good start. If you are weak in any of these areas, self improvemnt is a must. Don't pretend to be an expert in radio marketing... be it! Knowledge is power. That power will allow you to relate to each client in a truly "advisor role" They have to trust what you say because they understand how radio works and why you are right..The ability to do that is an earned position. But it all starts with each rep understanding the marketing industry ( not just radio).
Present detailed thought provoking and creative marketing concepts, ask the questions that the Spots and Dots sales people don't dare ask. Be accountable for what you suggest in so far as campaign elements, creative and direction and be prepared to take control of your decisions and the clients success. Don't let your client make bad choices; if they do ... tell them so and why you aren't recommending it or supporting it. If the client wants you to be accountable for their success; then you need to have control.
Present campaigns tha are designed to WORK. ( right frequency, budget required, creative being on point, plan the year for them, create concepts that in the "Spots and Dots world" would never exist or ever be pitched. And finally,,, create agency styled presentation.... not just a ream of paper as a leave behind.
Thats just for starters.......................
Area that I like to touch on is when I go into a business, I'm not here for a sale, I'm not coming in with 5 different campaigns and would like my potential client to pick one.....heck I know nothing (well that much) about this business.....so it is not for the sale it is not for anything about radio.
I bring along my business card as well popcorn or candy and I make them laugh. I have my company logo and name with phone number on it. It says "Compliments of Greg Friend". I will introduce myself to the Owner or GM and take it from that point on what direction to go.
I like to learn and add to my list of what I know already about them, I like to see the store and how the staff react to customers, I like to see if they are involved in any community organizations. I like to help...plain and simple....this will lead to a business relationship that is past just one sale it continues to help them grow and reach their goal.
After a campaign is conducted I sit and review how everything went for them.....I give extra of me so they can see that my hand is not always out looking for the dollar amount......care and I care more and more all the time....because what goes around will come around...
Enjoy everyone......
Greg, when I started in radio sales in 1993 I had no experience in sales, marketing, media, business or anything I should have had experience in but I did have a great mentor. I asked him, how can I be successful and stand out. He said, "Return phone calls, show up on time and do what you say you are going to do."
I laughed a bit and said, "everyone does that". He replied, "no they don't. do these few things consistently and you'll rise to the top." He was right.
So many of your peers don't follow through. Are not on time and simply don't focus on the clients success. I lost some accounts because of the "glamor" a competitor promised but staying steadfast and true to my word usually found those same clients coming back to me when they realized the grass was not greener on the other side like they had been led to believe.
How do you stand out? First of all do what you say you are going to do that will separate you from the majority of sales people.
Next thing is be a concierge (I often joke about that I am really a concierge) be a resource to your client beyond radio that means pointing out opportunities for your client.
Last get famous for something become a specialist in something. My speciality is events
I think I stand out because I never make "social" calls. When I walk in the door I have a purpose, I get to the point and I get out.
It's all about the potential client. They have a list of things that are causing them problems. How many can you take off their plate?
The truth is no business owner wants to talk to another advertising person. They probably want to talk to someone who can drive more traffic through the door, thus making the cash register ring. That's how I approach new customers. They really don't care what I do. They only care about what I can do for them.
Be respectful of their time. When salespeople ask for 10 minutes the business owner expects 10 to mean 20. Not a great way to start or build a relationship.
I've read through these post. Looks like radio is in some good hands! I do not know that I do anything special to standout so much as I try to use my marketing / advertising / radio experience (I didn't say knowledge...I'm always learning something new) to become a valuable consultant. I want to be the guy that the Owner calls and ask is this a good idea to add to my budget. I'm not a radio account rep, my card says Business Development Specialist!
Become an trusted part of their team!
Sonny
From my first day at Baltimore's 98 Rock, I realized that we worked in a commoditized business. By and large, we have long been reduced to rating points and the price buyers are willing to pay for us to deliver them. In many other scenarios where metrics were not the driving force, we participated in a circular firing squad where sales managers and their minions did battle to see who could carve out the biggest share of the local car dealer's budget by selling tonnage while trashing our competition. Insane!
I believe the biggest differentiators today are the same as they were 25 years ago:
1. Customer-focused ideas generated from listening and learning what makes the client's business go;
2. Accountability for results driven by a sincere desire to be an asset (not just part of an expense line) to the client;
3. Value-added selling based not on station assets, but on useable intelligence and ideas for how to leverage it (this is especially valuable when dealing with direct accounts).
This was my "secret sauce" in 1987 and after ascending to GSM in 1992, I coached it. When I re-entered the business in 2004 as an account manager, it still worked well enough to earn me the top sales award in my company in 2005 (right before they asked me to take over the combo sales team in Atlanta). I swear by these principles and as a sales consultant today, I stand by them.
It may seem elementary, but the simple act of presenting a well-written proposal without grammatical and spelling errors goes a long way. The majority of people today simply don't know how to spell correctly and, even more annoyingly, are sure that spelling doesn't matter. I once pointed out to a colleague that there is a difference between "there," "their" and "they're." She looked at me with contempt and rolled her eyes, snatching the proposal out of my hands. She didn't get that sale, incidentally.
Even if your customer or prospect is a guy who remembers every number he's ever seen in his life, but has a vocabulary of less than 1,000 words, people will know on a subconscious level if something's spelled correctly.
If you have any doubts about spelling or grammar (even if you don't), get a copy of Strunk & White (your newsroom should have it) or another benchmark reference book and learn the rules of the English language. Then...put them into action.
