Amy Freeman, General Sales Manager for Audacy in Miami, is Radio Ink’s first Sales Manager of the week. Amy started her career in her hometown of Kansas City after graduating from the University of Kansas. She’s worked in San Diego, Cincinnati, Los Angeles, and now for Audacy in Miami.
Meet Radio Ink’s first Sales Manager of The Week, Amy Freeman
Radio Ink: How did you know you’d be good at selling radio? When did it click?
Amy Freeman: My passion for the industry, along with my love for helping people find solutions to problems, naturally led me to sales. I remember my first job at then-Top 40 radio station KBEQ.
I was straight out of college, with no sales experience, just a lot of determination and audiotapes of Jason Jennings as my mentor… Yes, I still like myself! My list consisted of the Yellow Pages, and I had three months to prove myself.
There was a major automotive dealer at the time, Boots Williams Ford Town. Never used radio, but a ton of TV. These were the old school “crazy auto dealer” ads where they would have people flying out of cannons. He was committed to TV only for so many years, none of the senior more seasoned sales people even bothered to call him … but I did! As luck would have it, they had a change of general managers to someone who came up from Texas who used radio very effectively, who booked a huge six-figure annual with me. That was the start, I knew radio sales and I were going to be lifelong partners.
Radio Ink: Why are you a successful leader of salespeople?
Amy Freeman: I genuinely care about people. To have a great team, you need to be a great listener. I’m a firm believer that one size does not fit all. I listen to podcasts, watch motivational and leadership videos, and read as many business, sales, and leadership books as I can get my hands on to help me find the right coaching tools for each of my sellers individually. I truly care about activating every salesperson to help them reach their goals and the company’s goals for them. Each salesperson is motivated differently, and it’s my job to help coach them to their strengths with our ever-changing tools and assets.
It’s also the job of a sales manager to keep the sales process moving forward at all times, through good and bad. Problem-solving is the key to success daily. Helping our account executives navigate and prioritize all the great marketing products that Audacy has provided our team to sell is also a very important part of being a sales manager in 2021.
I also believe that positivity and leading by example each and every day, no matter what is happening, is extremely important to the team’s health and success. It is truly a team effort, and I am lucky to work alongside other great leaders like Dara Kalvort, our Regional Digital Sales Manager; Paul Vignau, our GSM /sports specialist; and of course our new Market MGR/RVP, Claudia Menegus, for all her leadership. We also regionalize our leadership team to include our Orlando managers when needed.
Radio Ink: Tell us how you spot a great seller.
Amy Freeman: Spotting a great seller really starts with passion and grit. Do they have a true desire to win, and the grit to do it? Sales is not easy. Tenacity and capacity are what it takes. What we looked for 10 years ago has changed a lot. Today we are looking for sellers that have capacity to understand and drive our multitude of digital assets and truly have an omnipresent approach on every marketing solution we provide.
You can have the skills, but still need the hustle, and that’s where the winning comes in — combining both.
Radio Ink: How do you keep yourself sharp, up on all the trends, ahead of the competition?
Amy Freeman: I’m a big reader. I’m constantly looking for the next strategic trend to head off our competition. I also believe in research and data. I am fortunate to work with Audacy, which believes so strongly in this. We also utilize a lot of great strategic minds in the industry, like Charlie Sislin and his team with Research Director, Inc.
Whether it’s podcasts or TikTok, how people are consuming media has dramatically changed and will continue to evolve. I read all I can about our industry, our business market.
I stay involved with our industry:
Networking with clients
Constantly monitoring our business
Studying statistics with the help of our team
Observing our competition and any new directions they are taking
Getting out of the office and going on client meetings
Constantly taking training courses to stay fresh and up on new marketing trends
Radio Ink: What advice, in this competitive environment, do you have for other sales managers across the country?
Amy Freeman: Love what you do; you set the tone. Building a culture of trust with your employees is the most important asset you can bring. While our industry continues to evolve with new technology for how we go to market, people are still our most important asset, so make sure they are feeling valued. Recruiting and retaining talented salespeople is a major key to your success. Try to find at least two recruits to talk to even when you are not necessarily looking to hire. You never know when you come across that next great talented seller. Make your one-on-ones with your salespeople an experience they would pay for. Prep before each one-on-one and make sure you spend that hour prospecting with your AE and inspiring them to make this week a great sales week. Have a consistent process that everyone on your sales teams knows and follows. Have weekly sales meetings that are informative about the different products available to sell as well the training element to stimulate enthusiasm.
Make your nomination for Radio Ink’s Sales Manager of the Week HERE.
I’ve worked with a lot of people and managers over my decades in the business and Amy is one of the best for all the reasons and examples she stated above. She truly is deserving of this honor. Congrats!