Rick Fink: Creating Opportunities

    • 1373 posts
    November 30, 2022 11:21 PM PST

    Creating Opportunities

    by Rick Fink

    How many businesses on your account list(s) have not been called on in the last six months, or even the last year?

    Every account that has not been called on is a missed opportunity, either for the rep on whose list it sits idle or for another rep that could have called on it.

    One of the top reasons businesses don’t advertise is because they haven’t been called on!

    Over the years I have seen and heard of many different account list rules, systems, and procedures, such as, how many accounts a rep can have on their list, how often the rep must call on them, or how you claim, trade, or give up accounts. Today, I want to discuss one specific area of managing account lists, and that is the purging of the lists.

    Through experience, I’ve learned that once an account is on someone’s list, it’s very hard to get them to relinquish or give up the account, even if they are not calling on them. Several reasons a rep may not be calling on an account may be:

    1. The rep simply has too many accounts already on their list and doesn’t have time to call on all of them.
    2. Conflict in personality; they don’t like the person they are calling on.
    3. They have a competitor on the air and feel uncomfortable working with another business in the same category.
    4. They’ve tried several times and have been rejected but hold on to the account “just in case they call in”!

     

    Regardless of our reasons for not calling on accounts, there is a point and time when an account needs to be given up or moved. 

    Managers, it's your job to make sure that each and every account that has potential is being called on. Taking accounts from one rep and giving to another is never an enjoyable task, but it must be done and handled with care and professionalism. The goal is to get all potential clients on the air!

    We suggest that a minimum of one time a year you have each rep purge their list. Ask them to provide ten accounts that have “potential” but they are not adequately calling on. This is not a time to question why they are not calling on them. The goal is to get everyone comfortable in purging their list on a regular basis and becoming comfortable in turning over accounts they are not calling on.

    By not purging your list, you’re leaving money on the table and giving the opportunity to your competitors. By doing so, you’re "creating opportunities" for everyone!

    NEVER Stop Learning - Get Better Every Day!

     

    Rick Fink

    ENS Media

    605-310-2062

    ENS Media consults, coaches, mentors and trains managers and account executives at radio stations across North America to increase their local direct sales.  President Rick Fink is a 30-year veteran and managed one of America’s largest billing small-market radio sales teams. To learn how ENS Media can help increase your revenues and train your sales team, contact [email protected].


    This post was edited by Rebecca Hunt at February 19, 2024 2:19 PM PST