It found me. After finshing a degree in Marketing, I had plans to work on the other side of the table helping to market small to medium size businesses. An opening appeared in our local newspaper for a Radio Rep and I thought..."what the heck, let's see what this is all about." After 21 years I'm still hooked!
While working as a copywriter/Broadcast producer in an advertising agency , i enjoyed presenting concepts,scripts and budgets . i was making money so easily .I specialised in this area and became my own boss. I studied basic marketing and mass communication at post graduate level, i polished my presentation skills and developed fresh ideas for clients.i started a recording studio where i could identify clients, develop proposals and radio spots and programmes and book media in national stations... that studio now is a station ..
While in high school, I worked at a grocery store where I carried out groceries. I met the manager of a local radio station there... as I was approaching graduation, she asked what my plans were for the future and asked if I would like to visit sometime. I said YES!! We got together for coffee and I found out that she was talking to me about "Amway"... I had already talked myself into this "radio thing" so I persisted. She never did hire me... but the competitor across the street did.
I did part time board shifts for a while, then mornings, then I had a chance to do sales too! (I always LOVED bring new ideas to people!)
Now my wife and I own our own station... all thanks to a conversation I had 20 years ago while carrying Linda's groceries out! Thanks Linda! ;o)
I started in radio, but the sales gig kind of chose me...or rather the LSM did...I started as a copywriter, fresh out of college and anxious to begin my career in business. I worked one year as copywriter and then one of the salespeople quit. The LSM asked me to apply for the job. I was very hesitant. I was getting married and knew as a copywriter at least I had a steady income - the "commission based" kind of worried me (but I was 22 at the time!) Well, he talked me into it - the year was 1983. I stayed in sales at that radio station for 10 years, then took a delve into the cable TV sales arena. 15 years later, I returned to the same station that hired me to begin my career and here I still am!
Actually, I stumbled into it. I have done voiceovers and announcing in the past and was always interested in radio. I have been the announcer for the Shrine circus and various other functions here in the area. I was in Industrial Supply Sales for the last 33 years and had been wanting to get out for probably the last 5 years. It had finally gotten to be a chore getting out of bed in the morning an going to work. Out of the blue I was eating lunch one day and saw an ad in a small town newspaper looking for an "Advertising Consultant" for the local station. So, I decided to stop in and leave my resume. Three interviews later, here I am. I still have a lot to learn but am finding that the Sales & Presentation part of the job is the same but Creativity is a different story. Any help or advice anyone can pass along is greatly appreciated. So far, I feel energized and look forward to being here. Can't say I haven't been frustrated from time to time but it's all been a great learning experience. I also am providing voice and characters for my spots, so that in itself has been a blast.
I needed a job and my girl friend said she knew that a local station was hiring.I knew absolutely nothing about radio.I went to the interview and met J.J. Jeffrey of Fuller-jeffrey Broadcasting. He said I wasn't qualified and told me to leave.I got upset and told him I was in an original music rock band and no one books original music bands, but I always got us booked.He said that maybe I was a diamond in the rough and could make a good seller.He hired me and I've been doing it for 25 years.
I was a morning announcer in a small New England town and wanted a car that was younger than I was! So I started part time. That was some 30 plus years ago and I have never looked back.
Radio advertising sales chose me. I was in my early 20's. It was time to seek a carreer as playing drums for a rock band would not be a stabile financial future to provide for my fiance. At this time the General Manager for the Christian radio station in Tucson asked me if I would work for him selling radio advertising. The idea did not appeal to me as I did not fancy myself a "salesperson." Our weekly contact with each other, (we were in the same worship band at our church) convinced him I had the personality to sell. Since I could not envision myself in this capacity I told him I was not interested. For the next 3 months I looked dilligently for work but nothing materilized. Exasperated I decedied to take him up on his offer. When I announced my decision he asked about transportation. I had no car. That was going to be a problem he explained. Hopes were further dashed when he suggested "I pray about it" . He wanted us to make sure it was God's will. I cannot recall what day of the week this occured, but I did pray and that Sunday at church a man with whom I was distantly acquainted told me he felt "led" to give me his car. I accepted his generous offer, told the GM about the surprising development concering my transportation and was working for him the next week. I worked 9 years for him, and am presently in my14th year at another station. I am ideally suited for this work, now realizing I am a born salesperson. In these last 22 years I have found radio advertising sales, a challenging, fun and lucrative carreer. We have raised a family, and own a house. I guess God wanted this to happen! What a gift!
After graduating from Northwest Missouri State with a B.S. in Broadcasting I landed an entry level sales job at KCFM in Kansas City in 1990. My hope was to go from sales to on-air. Shortly after I started a weekend shift opened and I thought wow...perfect...this is my big shot. I spoke nervously to the General Manager and handed him my cassette. Yes...I said cassette. After a few days I again mustered up the courage to bring it up to the GM (Dave Web) and asked if he'd had a chance to listen to my tape. He said, "Yes I have, stay right there". He went into his office, came back out with my tape, handed to me and said, "Don't ever play this for anyone, ever". Then walked back to his office. And that's when I knew sales was for me. Since then I've been a GSM, DOS and am now very happy at Entercom Kansas City...selling.
Roger,
Best way to learn Faith? Get into small market radio and live on commissions! I found myself astounded when my sales career took me into radio in the early 90s. People wondered how I could live on the uncertainty of a commission based job. I tell them, when I get a sale I walk away saying "Thank You God", when I walk away and the sale has been moved down the road a bit further I say...."Thank You God." And for some reason I couldnt get out of radio if I wanted, I love it.
I was enrolled in the Annenberg School of Communications at Temple U and spending my summer interning at the station I grew up listening to. Oh my God, what a thrill! At the end of the summer, the GM offered me a sales gig. I had zero interest in selling (I wanted a career in programming), but having a job offer at my favorite radio station beat going to Philly for two more years of school. So...I took the gig. As it turns out, it was the most satisfying work I could have chosen within the industry as it kept my insatiable appetite for knowlege about how things worked constantly confronted with new opportunities. And the fact that I was in the business for 8 years before anyone even pretended to offer me training made my learning experiences that much richer. What I learned best, I learned from application, trial and error. If only I knew then what I know now!
I stumbled across it! I wanted to work as a Medical Sales Rep; I applied to quite a few and also applied for radio sales, just for the heck of it. Well...Radio called for an interview. I went, they liked me, I wanted to give it a go and, here I am..
So far it is very interesting and I want to excell in this field.
Roger, I admire your faith in God!
Thank you Sherna,
I am more convinced then ever that my faith is God's gift, making it more 'the faith he gave me'. My faith strictly speaking does not (in my estimation) naturally emanate from my disbelieving heart, but from God who graciously opened these otherwise blind eyes. I identify with Doubting Thomas; famous for saying, "Lord I believe, help my unbelief."
Since the age of 12, I was focused on a career flying helicopters and reporting traffic on-air. I went to the Newhouse School at Syracuse; in the fall of my last year, I walked into WSYR off the street, got an appointment and began pitching the General Manager, Hugh Barr, on the concept. It took a year, but the station bought the helicopter and paid for my flight training. So I was off and running at the age of 25 in the career of my choice. God bless America, eh?
Anyway, I was on the air for almost 15 years but I always knew that the studio was only one small part of the broadcasting business...and that general managers almost always came from a sales background.
I worked in sales in Baltimore...and fell flat on my face. I then went back on the air, in the air. After deregulation, when the type of "gig" I previously had was no longer possible, I tried sales again at three different stations....and fell flat on my face.
It took me a while to figure out why...my relationship with radio is emotional, plain and simple. When prospects would tell me "radio doesn't work," I would bristle and argue with them...not a good way to build a "list." Oddly, though, new salespeople at various stations would sometimes ask me for advice on closing clients. From a detached, outside position, I was ALWAYS able to solve their problems; one of them took me to an awesome dinner in Baltimore at Tio Pepe for my trouble. I respect and admire radio salespeople, and it's a job I can do, somewhat, when necessary. But it's not easy; my hat's off to all who can make a living in this very difficult and challenging field. Meanwhile, I'll fly the helicopter and report the traffic at the same time. Thanks for selling the adjacencies and avails that made my career possible!
