(By Rick Fink) Are you an Advertising Salesperson or are you an Advertising Consultant? There is a difference. One simply sells advertising and the other helps a business with its marketing and advertising.
One of the primary topics we cover in the ENS on Sales articles is how to stand out and make yourself or your stations become known as the advertising experts in your market. I have heard many media reps “say” they want to help their clients get a better ROI or help them grow their business. But, at the same time, I know these same reps aren’t doing anything outside of trying to sell them advertising.
They talk the talk, but they don’t walk the walk!
There are many things media reps can do to prove they are there to help their clients and prospects. Things like:
-Providing articles about anything business-related, not just advertising, that can help them run a more successful business
-Recommending other media and mediums, when appropriate
-Bringing ideas for other areas of their business that can help them grow
It’s not just enough to talk the talk of being truly there to help them grow their business. You MUST walk the walk and do the things that prove it. You must do it day in and day out, month in and month out. The moment you stop is the precise moment you’re your clients will start to consider other options. The SoundADvice program that we often speak of is designed to do just this.
I’m about to share with you how a $1 bill and a book can help you grow your business.
Years ago, my general manager started to purchase books for the sales team to give away to our clients and prospects. It was magic! In addition, he created bookmarkers that had very nice pictures and powerful words printed on them.
To put my own brand on giving the books away, I took the book marker idea one step further. I began to put a $1 bill in every book I gave away to be used as a book marker.
Over the past 15 years, in addition to the books our GM purchased for us, I guesstimate that I have given away nearly 400 books to business owners and graduating seniors. Every one of them has a $1 bill sticking out the top.
When I hand the book to the business owner, without fail they ask me what the $1 bill is for and if I want it back. I then explain to them that the dollar bill represents the value of reading and learning. I jokingly say, if I had more money, I would use $100 bills, but you’ll have to settle for $1.
In many offices spread throughout my city, you will find books with $1 bills sticking out of them. I know that most of the books were never read. I know this because the bookmark never moved. However, what I do know is that when they look at the book(s) in their office, they will always remember who gave it to them.
It’s the power and value of a book and a $1 bill.
Do your clients and prospects feel that you’re there to HELP them, or SELL them?
If you’d like to learn how our SoundADvice e-marketing program can help you build better relationships, secure more appointments, sell more advertising, and train your media reps and clients, click here to arrange a no-obligation follow up call.
NEVER Stop Learning – Get Better Every Day!
Rick Fink from ENS Media (www.ensmediausa.com) can be reached by phone at 605-310-2062 or e-mail at [email protected]
This is a typical consultant colujn, that is pandering to station owners and is anything but connected to reality.
There is absolutely nothing more annoying, than telling a business person how to run their business!! They look at you as being condescending, and insulting. How would radio management like it, if those from other industries told them how to run the radio stations??
To have a mindset that businesses are not on top of their business, and are not on top of trends and developments in their industry, is naive at best and worst case scenario, will be insulting to the client and damage your relationship with them.
While I agree that sending relevant books to clients can be a great idea, the content of this article completely contradicts itself.
You “walk the walk” by sending books to, in theory, help clients and prospects be better informed. Wonderful. However, you know that most of those books have never been read so, you gave them nothing of value.
I don’t know, specifically, what pictures or words were on the original bookmarks but there was certainly an opportunity to put useful, relevant information on those bookmarks. You chose to include $1 bills which offer no real value to the clients and prospects.
You blast sales reps for talking the talk, but not walking the walk, then delight in telling us how wonderful you are by sending clients books they don’t want with a useless bookmark included. Man oh man though, they sure remember you for sending them the books which are taking up space in their offices.
Rick, in this case, you’ve provided no service to your clients but you HAVE made YOURSELF memorable. I hope your sales went through the roof through these giveaways but, this reeks of “talking the talk.”