In one of the final sessions at the Radio Show last week in Nashville, Gordon Borrell hosted a presentation called “Radio – the Local Media Company of the Future.” Borrell said whether or not your salespeople understand digital will be a big driver of your success, especially understanding Facebook, which he says a lot of advertisers are turning to. And, Borrell said, “In a lot of cases, your salespeople are not very bright.”
Borrell says his research shows that 41% of advertisers plan to spend more money on digital next year and 29% plan to increase their digital budget by cutting other media budgets. What budgets are the cutting? Print first, followed by TV and then radio. He says advertisers plan to pick two or three traditional media to compliment their digital and if you (radio) can compliment that, they will buy you. They understand that radio drives traffic to their digital products, such as their websites. “You need to have a rep that knows what he’s doing.”
And, not surprisingly, Borrell reported that advertisers are being bombarded by media sales calls. He says advertisers are now being contacted by sales reps about 24 times every month. They speak to about 5 of them and they prefer to be contacted by e-mail. Borrell says his research revealed that advertisers want better pricing and proof of R.O.I., better educated sales reps and they want reps to improve the way they contact them.
Thanks for your sage advice, salesguy. For a moment I was beginning to believe my own comments, especially the one about “You need to have a rep who knows what he’s doing.”
I’ve never thought much of this guy. I wouldn’t take his comments seriously.