Radio Sales Café

Today's Friday poll question is a two-parter:

1) How important are referrals to your personal sales?

2) What is the best way you've found to get leads and referrals?

Looking forward to reading your replies!

After 20 years with the same company, referrals are very important to my personal business. I'd say about 20% of my new accounts come from referrals. If you know you are doing a good job for a client and have a good relationship, then you should ask if he/she knows someone who might also benefit from your services. Then ask if it is OK if they use their name when approaching the client. Sometimes getting a referral letter can really help-write it for them on letterhead and have them sign it. (This is also good for general testimonials). The ultimate is when your client will CALL their friend and introduce you to them.

Other that that, getting leads is relatively easy. List to your competitors, read your local newspapers, drive around and watch for new activity-even on off the beaten path areas. Get involved in your community in various ways, etc. The key to getting and keeping accounts is to under promise and then OVER DELIVER on service!

Very Important. We here a lot of information such as new business's opening at social
gatherings, Rotary meetings, Chamber of Commerce meetings even at City and County
council meetings. At WAKO AM FM Lawrenceville, Ill. - Vincennes, Ind.
we take each lead, referrals to the heart and follow up no matter how large or how small
the potential is.

One way radio sales people don't think about is your local newspaper. Nope, I don't mean the edition
that just came out last night. Hit your local library, look up last years area newspapers on
file. The first of each month, I hit the library, look up what was going on exactly one year ago.
Who was have an anniversery sale, or any type of promotion. It works.

Kent Lankford
WAKO 103.1 FM & THE BIG AM 910
Lawrenceville, Ill. & Vincennes, Ind.


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1. Referrals are not a huge part of my sales, but it is a nice to know someone is sent your way.
2. I believe if you provide great service to your clients they will be eager to tell other people about you. Being active in the community keeps your name out there.

Danny Weddle
WFTM AM-FM
Maysville, Ky

They are very important....since they can prove the success of a relationship with your client as well as the campaign...

By asking existing clients and suggestions from acquaintances

Mine is a mixed answer. Referrals are important and I never used them as much as I should have. When referrals did occur they were "gold" because the sale almost made itself. Leads are another matter and I had many clients keep me in the loop in regard to new business. And sometimes referrals came without my knowledge until someone would call and say "so and so thinks you can help me."

Referrals are very much a key to my business. I've been in radio sales almost 3 years. Now, I never cold call. It's either referrals or leads (there is a difference). I get referrals from satisfied clients and my BNI group. I get leads from commercial realtors, the GM of a major shopping development, and the major sign company in town. I don't do any business with the people I get leads from but I've established a solid relationship, they trust me and keep the pipeline full.

One other trick: I only work by appointment. Decision makers respect you a lot more and value your time once they learn you will not do back flips to "come over right now so we can start running some ads tomorrow." This will also help you get a bigger protion of the annual advertising budget.

Many years ago, when I was on the programming side, our owner/GM was notorious for telling potentional clients, who said they had spent their radio budget, "Good, I'm not here to talk about your radio budget. I'm here to talk about your ADVERTISING budget." That's always stuck with me.