(By Pat Bryson) Someone once said, “Sales is the transference of enthusiasm from one person to another.” This is true, but it is also true that we must have confidence in the products that we sell, or it becomes difficult to sell them.
The question for today: “Do you REALLY believe that your radio stations work for your clients?” Or, have you heard “Radio doesn’t work” so often from your clients (or ex-clients) that you have begun to believe that advertising with your media is an “iffy” proposition?
I work with a newspaper company as well as with radio and TV stations. When making calls with my newspaper reps, I have heard “Newspaper doesn’t work” several times. Now, my experience riding with radio reps is that our clients tell us that newspaper advertising is wonderful and never fails to produce results, but they can’t measure results from their radio advertising. But riding with newspaper reps, I hear that radio is great and newspaper isn’t. Hmmmm….what’s going on here?
Perhaps the truth lies somewhere in the middle. Radio, newspaper, TV, and any form of advertising CAN and WILL work if done properly. Do you think our clients might be negotiating with us? Do you think that, if they tell us how well our campaigns do work, we might ask for more money from them?
We need to stop drinking the bad Kool Aide from our clients and concentrate on the success stories that are all around us. Make sharing success stories a part of every sales meeting. These third-party references are critical to our selling process.
When was the last time you asked for, and got, a written testimonial from a satisfied client? Why not record an audio version of the testimonials, edit them together, and play them for prospective clients? These testimonials are from real, live businesspeople who have risked money with you and have gotten rewarded. They can tell our story better than we ever could.
Believe in what you do – only then can you transfer the emotion and enthusiasm necessary to convince others to join you.
Happy Selling!
Pat Bryson is the CEO of Bryson Broadcasting International, a consulting firm that works with sales managers and salespeople to raise revenue. She is the author of two books, “A Road Map to Success in High-Dollar Broadcast Sales” and “Successful Broadcast Sales: Thriving in Change” available on her website. Read Pat’s Radio Ink archives here.
