Radio Sales Café

Today's poll topic is gas trades.

Does your radio station provide or allow salespeople to negotiate a gas trade?

What is your station's policy, if any, regarding gas trades?

Looking forward to reading your replies - thank you!

Years ago my first sale was to a gas station as a trade for gas for my car. I did this at two radio stations. Today our company does allow gas trades, but it is primarily for our station vehicle, with the rest shared equally among salespeople. Trying to get a trade these days is not an easy task. We never allow trading when a client is a cash-paying customer.

We reimburse our reps up to $150.00 a month for gas. Most convience stores here are chain owned ... some of the chains advertise but setting up a trade is more trouble that it's worth. (Explain trade to an ad agency ... maybe we could call it reverse 'value added') As for small, independant service stations ... well they just don't exsist any more. If they had gas they've stopped selling it becasue in many cases they lost money between the cost of environmental tank inspections, repairs and replacement and the financial requirements placed on them by the wholesalers (the money is sucked out of your account once the fuel is dumped in your tank).

Nope. I pay them - They pay the station. I would really hate to take money away from
our Government. {Ha Ha}.

We receive a monthly gas allowance....Thank goodness! I remember when gas trades were easy to find. They are nearly impossible to find anymore. If I did, I would prefer to sell the client and generate revenue for the station than figure out how to be fair with a trade. It's just too complicated anymore isn't it?

Rebecca: Our station does not allow individual sales people to have a gas trade. However, for the last several years we have had a station trade with two local sources. The trade is spread out among the sales staff.

We also worked out a trade with local car dealer for a vehicle for our high school play by play team to use on out of town trips during football and basketball seasons. We pick up the car the day of the game and in return they receive live "on air" promotions in connection with the game. It has worked well for both parties.

We receive a small gas allowance, But this is better then nothing, I think trade would be a good thing if the price keeps going up. Some have said they have a hard time getting people to trade ? We have people come to us and ask to trade. I guess differant parts of the country.But i have never thiught of a gas trade,Not sure.?

I have worked in other markets where we did inconsistent trade for the sales team (sales incentives and contestinf prizes), but we do not currently trade for gas where I am now. I do not believe it is out of the question though.