Following up on Radio Ink’s recent sales salary survey with Media Staffing Network, our friends at Nielsen have developed a fabulous looking 14-page brochure for stations called “Why Choose a Career in Radio Sales.” Nielsen is hoping to help radio managers address one of the biggest challenges facing the industry: attracting strong sales talent.
Nielsen’s new piece helps managers showcase radio as the top reach medium. It not only includes audience data, it touches on how radio playing an important role in the daily lives of consumers and it includes quotes from several active salespeople about how being in radio “is like being in show business and how strong the compensation is with flexible hours.
Here’s an example of one of those quotes:
And another…
The document helps sellers understand that the sky is the limit in terms of how much money they can make in radio as a seller.
Managing Director of Nielsen Audio Brad Kelly says, “One thing most broadcasters can agree on is that there’s a large and growing need to upgrade sales talent and attract new blood to the industry by maintaining a steady pipeline of talented ‘up and comers.’ At the end of the day, radio is in the relationship business. Its product is solid, but if radio ever hopes to get its fair share of advertising budgets, we need high quality sales people carrying its message out to advertisers. With this in mind, the folks at Nielsen Audio thought it would be helpful to have all the information on working in our industry in one place. The result is this employee recruitment tool designed to attract new college grads and prospective candidates to consider radio as a career.”
There is no charge for the piece which is available to all Nielsen Audio subscribers.
Nielsen notes it will be mailing out the glossy version to all Nielsen Audio clients in the coming days. If you’d like a downloadable PDF version, contact your Nielsen Audio account manager. Don’t know who it is? Email Brad at [email protected] and he’ll make sure you get your copy.
Reason #1…nobody else will hire you.
“… the next day you’re back at the station, helping script their commercials.”
That’s a nugget that can be added to the copy of the want ads targeted at potential AE’s.
Add to that: “Write exciting and appealing copy. No education, skills or experience required.
A monkey could do it.”
Is this material being offered by dolts for dolts?
Funny Ronald, and you’re right!
And his the heck is being in radio today, anything even remotely like “show business?” Maybe that was true decades ago, but not now. Selling voice-tracked audio and cluster breaks is not even remotely connected to “show business.”… Nor is being required to “show up” at the building every day — why???? You’re not going to sell anyone in the station building!!- or being required to attend multiple productivity-killing meetings.
Radio’s problem is not recruiting new salespeople. Radio’s problem is that the majority of managers still have a mentality and “manage” like it is 20 or 30 years ago.
I’m with Ronald on this one. Get completely unqualified people to write your commercials, get ads that sound “just like ads!” They’ll usually be two people talking, local station announcers, opening with riveting stuff like, “Hey Jim!” “Hi Sally! Say, that’s a great new {advertiser name} Widget you’ve got there!” “I know! I got super easy financing, and the staff was SO friendly!” “I heard {advertiser} has been family owned for over 65 minutes!” “Isn’t that great? They really make me feel welcome when I bring my wallet to their sales place.”
I would niggle one point with Roy Radio a bit though. Not all of those meetings are productivity killers. If they are, your company is doing them wrong. Meetings ARE needed to keep everyone in the loop on new things, share sales ideas, and plan new promotions/campaigns. Some of them are even training opportunities to improve skills and make you a better marketing partner.
Dont