Advertisers Are Really Buying This

(By Loyd Ford) What are you selling? It’s a fundamental question that every salesperson knows, right? But is it?

Maybe a better question is “What are advertisers buying?”

You might think they are buying radio, but are they really buying r-a-d-i-o?
This is a column about sales, right? Well, it is. However, this column is really for salespeople and for those on-air talents that want to truly get ahead.

We spend a lot of our time encouraging local on-air personalities to get closer to the individual local radio sellers. After all, if you are on-air, you have probably noticed the nice cars and clothes and lifestyle of your sellers. But the most successful sellers realize they are selling something more than their industry.

They are selling the thing that has sold since the beginning of time: Stories.

So, how do we bring sellers and on-air people together for everyone’s good?

• The best storytellers are your on-air talent. Today it is what makes you exclusive, unique, special and separated from all of your competitors on radio or anywhere in advertising. If you learn to leverage this talent and put it to work for your sales, your revenue and your paycheck will grow.
• Brand loyalty is worth its weight in gold. It’s true. People buy commodities when they don’t respect that there is a unique product with special values for them. But when they see the difference, they only buy their preferred brand. This is worth noting when it comes to your on-air personalities and local radio brand. No one is like you. That’s the value you bring beyond the Xs and Os.
• Endorsements can drive significant revenue. If you are not already selling endorsements, you should begin investigating this as rapidly as you can. Clients talk about word of mouth. In the business, it is well known that personalities are trusted by local audience and when they recommend a product, it often has a multiplying impact (and you can charge for that).
• Leveraging fame of your local personalities can be profitable. When you get close to on-air talent, they may show up with you to help you close a deal with a new advertiser. People love the ‘backstage effect’ of meeting the on-air talent. If you have connective talent, this can be an excellent opportunity for you (and you should reward your friends in programming when they help you).

Today’s world is complicated, right? But people still crave local connection, they want to be heard, they want to feel important, and you can use the value of your on-air people to secure more loyal customers for you and your local radio brand.

If you are already selling endorsements, look to see how much of the on-air staff is doing endorsements. Get closer to your team and your sales will go up.

Loyd Ford is president and chief strategic officer at Rainmaker Pathway Consulting Works (RPC).  Reach Loyd at 864.448.4169 or [email protected].