(By Rick Fink) One of the most iconic advertising slogans ever produced was for Fram Oil Filters, “You can pay me now, or pay me later”. The simple but powerful message was that proper vehicle maintenance will save you lots of money and headaches down the road.
So, how does that translate to media sales? Imagine for a minute that one of your biggest accounts just announced that they intend to make some drastic cuts. They currently use several radio groups, outdoor, and TV in their traditional media portfolio. Who gets cut? Who doesn’t? …and Why?
The client just didn’t one day decide to make cuts. It’s a process: a mental process. In the days and months preceding their announcement, they were forming hard-to-change perceptions on which media or media rep they would keep and whom they would cut. This decision, most likely, was based on whom they deemed provided them the most “Value” and who was just taking the order. Once the decision is made, it’s tough to change their mind.
“Preventive maintenance” is always more effective, and less costly, than “damage control.” It will not only save you money but also a ton of headaches and heartaches!
Do you have a preventive maintenance program or does all of your energy go into making the sale, looking for new business, and damage control?
A well-planned system of bringing “value” to your customers and being a resource to them rather than simply selling them and sending them invoices is key to keeping them, especially when it comes time to make cuts.
Do something about it… Before It’s Too Late!
Rick Fink from ENS Media can be reached at 605-310-2062 or at [email protected]. Read Rick’s Radio Ink archives here.
