Managers, Can You Answer These Questions?

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The discussion about advertising agencies and radio has certainly caught fire this week. Yesterday, we heard from two ad agency executives who asked to remain anonymous. They threw out the following list of questions and statements and asked us to see how you might react and answer them. Here goes…

If I’m a retailer with two locations and your station is winning in my marketing area zip codes, I like it, but to run a schedule I have to pay a lot of money for audience that won’t drive 10 to 30 miles to shop at my locations. Why can’t you come up with a solution for that?

How and when will radio compete in a world with Geo Targeting, SEO, and instant response?

If you can’t hire young people with potential in sales, all the training in the world isn’t going to make them successful.

Are stations bringing young people on board and paying them enough money to live like humans, dress like they’re successful, and drive a decent car?

How much time do radio sales managers spend managing their people, teaching, encouraging, and listening to what the salesperson is running into out on the street and coming up with positive solutions.

How much of a salesperson’s day is taken up writing sales reports?

Agency people are busy. Days are filled with everything from merchandising, photo shoots, commercial production, working with the buyers, running training sessions with store and department managers, in addition to planning and buying the advertising. Any seller who showed up and didn’t have their act together was gone in a minute. The sellers who got the buys were representing a station that fit the target, asked the right questions, made logical suggestions, and respected their time.

6 COMMENTS

  1. I’m not a manager but I’ll give it a shot…( I promised my wife I’d wait til I was fifty to give my opinions, but I’ve been reading this ongoing saga and I am weak)

    If I’m a retailer with two locations …. can’t you come up with a solution for that?

    Sure, here is the math 100,000 listeners & 10,000 in your zip….. CPM = $10 with a fantastic extended reach Reach only 10,000 in your zip….. CPM = $110 with NO extended reach I was adamant that my client record their own commercial. They had customer drive 70 miles to by a piece of jewelry,…because they trusted her voice…

    How and when will radio compete in a world with Geo Targeting, SEO and instant response?

    Already competes and exceeds. ZMOT is just the party, not the plan. Stop ignoring the branding and added reach that a business owner, planning to be in business longer than your agency relationship, truly needs to be successful. But, don’t worry, you will have the higher priced option soon enough. By the way, I didn’t live in my current house, work in my current job, have my current income, have additional spousal income, or buy the same things now than I did in 2010. YOU?

    If you can’t hire young people with potential in sales, all the training in the world isn’t going to make them successful.

    This is not a question… not all of your buyers will be successful either. And while we’re on the subject, are CPPs the most effective way to gain results for your advertiser? Is it just too difficult or cost prohibitive to look at individual market needs and promotions or is it the bonuses the buyer and agency make? Are YOU utilizing your reps talents? Can 1 rep handle 8 of your merkets? If so, you are under utilizing them. ( boy I love cookies cut by hand) Are you discussing your rep’s digital offerings and what they have available, possibly DIFFERENT from the last one? Buy the streaming ads… PEOPLE ARE LISTENING TO STREAMING ( I scream through the home automated spy radio) and breaking out a buck or two won’t kill you. Contact your ratings provider and ask them why sample sizes are so low or nonexistent. I bet it’s mooonnneeeyyyy, you know, the stuff you spend after you negotiate the lowest price and not the best deal.

    Are stations bringing young people on board and paying them enough money to live like humans, dress like they’re successful and drive a decent car?

    I haven’t been young in quite some time, but I do work with new sellers, assist them in meetings, IDEAS and closings and I feel good about the guarantees MY company offers to attract and keep good talent. When I started it was keep what you kill, but only when it was paid… BTW are you 45 or 90 days out paying your stations?

    How much time do radio sales managers spend managing their people, teaching, encouraging and listening to what the sales person is running into out on the street and coming up with positive solutions.

    Wow, GOOD question… one that should be considered by every manager and owner. How much time do you spend discussing creative and promotions with them? Are you discussing the campaigns before or after you decide on market penetration, CPP and creative? Does your rep know enough about what you are actually trying to achieve to discuss it with their management during those meetings?

    How much of a sales person’s day is taken up writing sales reports?

    Less and less and why does that matter to an agency. You’re harder to reach, give the very least information and great ideas should work ONLY with your decided time schedule. “How many times must a rep be ignored before you call them a resource…” lalalala there’s a song in there somewhere…

    Agency people are busy…(…buncha’stuff yall do everyday that makes you busy but insinuates that your rep is not…)…. logical suggestions and respect their time.

    Drop the photo shoots and spend more time discussing advertising objectives and solutions with your RADIO reps. MAYBE put a price on YOUR talents worthy of affording the time to work better for your clients and your reps.

    Your radio reps are talented, hungry (drive ugly cars… cause who DOESN’T want to put 40,000 miles a year on a new car) and still offer the GREATEST REACH at the LOWEST COST. You’ll see your ROI improve greatly once you get to know them. And, If you knew them now,…. you would already know the answer to these questions……

    None of this is easy…But it CAN be very rewarding…. #let’s work together for the listener, the client, the agency and the station. Put those 4 in order,… love to see what you come up with.

    Happy Father’s Day weekend!

  2. You’re right, the more we advance technology, our industry as a whole should be able to tap into the metrics of the modern era. Many stations are finally getting on board with having their terrestrial broadcast on devices like Alexa, and even more are streaming their stations, some with separate revenue lines for advertisers using this space. Stations are slowly coming to the realization that the only place listeners are still “tuning in” to terrestrial radio is in the car, with more and more listeners ditching the dial radio in their home and workplace for a digital device. Will the industry as a whole tap into the geo technology of the digital streaming services? That would certainly be a game-changer: being able to offer geo-targeted commercial breaks, similar to how companies are utilizing OTT ads with video, WHILE having the same localized on-air talent that reflects the local community, and build on the emotional and credible connection that ONLY terrestrial radio can offer. I would LOVE to be able to tell a client like the one you describe, “when a customer is within 10 miles of your shop, your ad will be broadcast during the afternoon drive commercial break,” unfortunately, we’re not there yet. With the developments companies like WWO and iHeart are making in proving ROI, and more tightly measuring audio metrics, these technological advances are only a matter of time…competition within the industry will demand it.

    What I would want to know about this client, is why don’t they have the loyal customers who would travel 10 miles to shop with them? Certainly we all have small ‘mom and pop’ clients who pull in traffic from greater distances than this, and in large markets where competition is huge. Is their customer acquisition cost really high because they’re in the mindset that only people close by will do business? They must not be tapping that localized audience well enough if they still have room to grow.

    Speaking as a millennial working in radio sales, (and yes, I dislike applying that term to myself, but it’s what it is) I can tell you stations are really fighting to bring young people into this industry. Few peers of mine would ever think about a career in sales, and it’s rare I’m not working next to someone that has more in common with my parents than myself. This is an area that needs work, lest we follow the same fate of the skilled trade industries who are losing baby boomers left and right to retirement, with no qualified talent to replace them. And you’re right, all the training in the world won’t change the interpersonal skills needed for this job.

    When I joined my current station group, I had offers from multiple players, with competitive starting pay, allowing me to “live like a human.” I can’t speak for every outlet, but I’ve not done a single “sales report” since working in major market radio. I feel blessed that we have management who know how to manage, and don’t simply provide training, but mentorship. I know not only can I go to our GSM, but other people on our team to come up with creative solutions for clients. AND, I’ve been successful. My paycheck (and to one of your points, my NEW “decent” CAR) can attest to this.

    I’m sorry you’ve had poor experiences with folks in our industry. But like labeling me as an ‘entitled, lazy, millennial,’ please do not think there aren’t strong, competent, creative, and results-driven folks that can help you overcome the challenges you face with clients. Is the station a good fit, but a particular rep is incompetent, fine, speak with their management and tell them you’d like to give them business, but you’ve had xyz challenges. A good manager won’t turn away potential revenue for a serious and respectful buyer.

    …now, busy agency person, I’ve respected your time by doing my homework, contacting you in your preferred method, at the time that works best for you, even with the information you have asked for…can I get some respect with a simple acknowledgement that you received my email?

  3. If I’m a retailer with two locations and your station is winning in my marketing area zip codes, I like it, but to run a schedule I have to pay a lot of money for audience that won’t drive 10 to 30 miles to shop at my locations. Why can’t you come up with a solution for that?

    A: If the consumers feels invited and the product make sense, the will drive not 30 miles shop they will drive 50 60 miles.

    How and when will radio compete in a world with Geo Targeting, SEO and instant response?
    A: if they will drive 30 or more miles that is local signal for any radio station, Question about Geo targeting fail, about SEO must Radios station have their own web page and App that keep it updated with national , local and even international news.

    Sales Person always will be a sales person, looking for the opportunity of growth their sales. This is not about better car or shoes or face clothes. Is about bringing the solution for the agency client not for you as an agency if Regional Business Owners or Big Brands has the chance to listen to a sales person,
    BYE BYE Agency, the sales person is the realistic connection with the product, sales person are on the street 24/7 listening every word for everyone in the market.

    Thanks God they asked to remain anonymous.

  4. As the DOS for six radio stations (four in one market and two in another market 45 minutes away) I can say we are all about training/supporting and encouraging our reps. I go on daily appointments with reps and the only paperwork the reps have to do is the broadcast/insertion order, production order and if there is a credit card payment – the form. we hold one sales meeting a week. We focus on keeping the reps busy with clients, not “projections” that can change at any minute. The trick is to hire “A” sales reps that are mature enough to manage their own lists and time. Micro-managing has never worked and never will, if you feel you have to micro-manage, you’ve hired the wrong reps.

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