(By Charlie Sislen) If I hear the phrase “we are living in unprecedented times” again, I am going to scream. Yes, we all know we are experiencing something unprecedented. Instead of sitting around and fretting over a situation that we cannot control, a smart sales rep will take the unknown and convert it into an opportunity.
One way to take advantage is to become an advisor to your advertisers. It is more important now for advertisers to craft the right message. Considering our economic environment, Gordon Borrell outlined four important steps in messaging.
We Are Open: After a period of shutdown, the first step is to remind potential consumers that you are open and ready for business. It sounds obvious, but consumers need to know that if they show up, you are there to sell them the product or service that they are looking for.
We Are Safe: While a portion of the population is undeterred by the risk of the coronavirus, many potential consumers may need to be assured that they are safe interacting with your business. Domino’s Pizza jumped on this with two messages. The first was that, once the pizza leaves the oven, the only hands that touch it are the customer’s. Now they are also promoting contactless delivery. Both of these messages convey safety. In other words, use our service and reduce the risk of getting infected.
We Are Pricing: As many people who have been negatively impacted economically from the shutdown start to shop again, they are looking for bargains. Once they know that you are open and safe, offering a deal to come back can have a positive impact on traffic.
We Have Superior Service: At this point, we are hopeful that life and commerce are returning to a new normal. Now consumers want to be appreciated and taken care of. Remind your advertisers, if you don’t take good care of your customers, someone else will.
Obviously, messaging that worked in January and February may not work right now and messaging that works right now may not work in August and September. Having your advertiser’s message right and transitioning it for the environment is crucial for a successful campaign. Following these four steps in messaging will ensure that their advertising campaign is more likely to be successful.
Be a messaging consultant, not just a sales rep.
Charlie Sislen is a partner at Research Director, Inc. He can be reached at 410-956-0363 or by e-mail at [email protected]. This essay is part of a series titled “Growing the Radio Pie.” To view past articles, visit The Ratings Experts at Research Director, Inc. online here.
