Whenever I hear the word spot, or pitch or cost...I cringe a little. How we view radio is how our clients will view radio, do you agree. Shouldn't we replace the word "spot" with "commercial message"? If I wanted to share something with my client, what would have more value for them in their mind, a spot or a commercial message. I picking commercial message.
Then there is that word we use, pitch.I can see a sales person tossing a thought or an idea at an advertiser or pushing something on them they don't want. What about using the word present instead? Isn't that what we want to do, present an idea, or option? If we use the word "pitch" internally, how do we posture ourselves? Not in a favorable way if you ask me.
And finally, the word cost. I hear sales people and advertisers refer to how much it's going to cost. Don't we see "cost" as a negative? Why do we want our clients using a negative word? Why should we use a negative word. Use the word invest or investment. Sounds better, doesn't it? When I client asks me, "How much is this gong to cost?", I reply with "You investment for this opportunity...." and I highlight to them, "this is not a cost, it is an investment".
The real question then is for you. Do you believe it's a "cost" or "investment"? Are about to make a "pitch" or a "presentation"? Are you offering some "spots" or effective "commercial messages"?
Control your language, it may control your outcome.
Jeff,
Perhaps I'm a bit jaded, but I don't have a problem using "spot" with clients who also use this nomenclature. One of my eye doc clients has been voicing his own messages since 1995 -- answering questions, not directly selling anything besides his expertise -- and he loves calling them his "spots." Not sure there's an advantage to standardizing what we call them, as long as there's a meeting of the minds. Same with our job titles - sales rep, marketing consultant, account executive, ad guy, etc. I used to like "advertising sales" on my business cards, though I'm sure I've used all of the others at one time or another.
Agree on "investment" vs. "expense" or "cost" - since, in theory, the advertising is providing a return to the advertiser. But there are some very good people who call advertising "a necessary expense" - as important to a growing business as its investment in infrastructure and people.
Because within the station we're used to calling sales presentation materials "pitch sheets," the people who prepare them use that term as part of the file name, e.g., "Summer-Guide-Pitch-Sheet.doc." Because I use email quite a bit to get the information to clients, invariably I rename the files, replacing "Pitch Sheet" with "Invitation" or "Sign-up."
Depending on the client --- I've even gone from "Commercials" to "retail invitations"...because business goes where it's invited.
I hate it when insurance companies or some one similar uses jargon on me so I refuse to do it to my people. Even Media Kit means nothing to some potential clients, so I reduced it to one sheet, eliminating the charts and graphs and telling them what they really need. Signal coverage and format. That should tell the client what your station is.
If he's looking for a local signal and 35+ station, the Number One Rocker for 5 counties is wrong for him.
Remember: K.I.S.S
