It happens every day of the week and on Sundays in the radio business. Local radio sales reps talk themselves out of cold calling. It’s not your fault. Cold calling is hard. See. There I go. Talking myself out of it by saying it isn’t our fault.
Perhaps instead of looking for fault, we should go on the offensive and build a strategy to boost cold calling regularly and consistently.
Here are 5 key strategies local radio sellers can elevate their cold calling efforts, specifically when targeting local advertisers — those who may be advertising in newspapers, radio, digital billboards, or social platforms in a specific geographic area. They are ALL your targets now.
- Commit To Hyper-Local Research & Personalization
Local advertisers respond best when they feel understood and that you’re part of their community. That means showing up.
How to do it
Research the advertiser’s recent campaigns, seasonal promotions, or local sponsorships. See what they’ve been doing and see what kind of campaigns they tend to like the most. There is so much more data available now than at any time in human history, so get busy and do excellent prep. Prep to understand.
Reference local landmarks, events, or community interests during your call. You are there to connect.
Use their first name and business name early and often. Find out what passion drives their mission and their desire for success.
Try things: “Hi Amy, I saw your Father’s Day promotion in the (local newspaper) — beautiful design! We’ve been really successful helping local businesses like yours expand that kind of campaign online and driving active, mobile customers to you at the moment of purchase.”
- Focus on Tangible, Trackable ROI
Many local businesses are cautious with ad spend and want clear returns.
How to do it
Highlight how your service tracks engagement (e.g., calls, clicks, visits). Show the potential client testimonies and attributions to your creativity, the power of radio, and your other resources working in combination. People love success stories.
Show them data. Share a quick stat from a similar business or industry. Remember: People want to know everything they can that shows them something is worth the risk. The more you have to show them in terms of case studies or before/after, the more confident you will be, and it will show.
- Time Your Calls Strategically
They don’t say “timing is everything” for nothing. Calling during downtime increases your chances of speaking directly to the decision-maker. Even better if you have scouted out timing.
How to do it
Avoid peak business hours (e.g., lunch rush for restaurants, evenings for salons). Invest a little time in watching the ebb and flow of the business to know ideal times – it will pay off.
Ideal times are usually mid-morning (10-11:30 AM) or mid-afternoon (2-4 PM) Tuesday – Thursday.
- Offer Community-Focused Campaign Ideas
I’m stunned at how hard local radio can work in some places to avoid community-focused campaigns if they can grab a few dollars from a non-profit or some other entity. Local advertisers love visibility that boosts their local reputation. Time to put your creativity to work and get your advertisers as close to their targets as possible, and to make them look like they’re wearing the white hats. You know, the good guys (and girls). Every business needs to build trust and local reputation.
How to do it
Pitch ideas like sponsoring school events, cross-promotions with nearby businesses, or geo-targeted social ads. Get creative. No one likes boring. Show them an idea that they haven’t seen or thought about.
Show how these ideas can translate into ad packages and how that translates into customer spending.
Try Things: “We can help you launch a Facebook ad that targets only residents within a 3-mile radius during the Farmer’s Market weekend and give you on-air presence that backs up your involvement and underlines the connection you have with this important community.”
- Build a Local Credibility Loop
Local business owners trust those already helping their peers.
How to do it
Use name-dropping (ethically) to reference other businesses you’ve helped.
Ask satisfied clients for referrals or testimonials you can mention on the call.
People believe what they see. Not what you tell them.
Bonus: Plan out your week over the weekend so that you are spending a stronger percentage of your time doing planned cold calling. The idea here is to work for six (6) straight weeks to increase the pure number of cold calls you are doing week after week. Doing this for six (6) weeks straight will strengthen your direct sales activity and put you in a better position than most to discover and leverage new business.
And think about this. When your goal is to elevate cold calling week after week for six (6) weeks, you will likely end up with a significant increase in production of revenue and see your revenue significantly rise in the current advertising quarter.
Who wouldn’t like to take home a bigger check because you built a way to engage more people?
